When Melbourne resident Steve Roberts entered Nepal in December last year, he planned to stay in the country for a few months, teaching cricket to girls in the remote municipalities of Kapilvastu and Bardibas, near the country’s southern border.
Eight months on, Mr Roberts is still there and is now teaching English to prospective army personnel in the eastern city of Dharan.
To prevent the spread of coronavirus, Nepal's government first implemented a nationwide lockdown from 24 March. The lockdown meant all domestic and international flights were cancelled and hundreds of Australian citizens and residents were stuck in the country.
The Australian Embassy in Kathmandu has since organized three repatriation flights for anyone wanting to return to Australia. More than 300 people boarded those flights, but Steve Roberts was not one of them.
He decided to stay back in Nepal.
"They were four times more expensive than regular flights, so I passed them up. I don't have pressure to go anywhere or be anywhere. Nepal is much safer than Australia right now, and I don't mind staying here for a while," Mr Roberts told SBS Nepali.
According to some estimates, more than 100 Australian tourists remain in the country.
Some of them like Steve Roberts are there by choice, while others are waiting for an opportunity to get out of the country, with international flights resuming from 1 September.
Australian Steve Roberts while training women's cricket team in Nepal. Source: Steve Roberts
Tourists with expired visas
Due to the unavailability of flights out of the country, many tourists have had to stay back longer than they had initially planned, causing many to overstay their visa permit. Adding to this delay is the Nepali Immigration Department’s decision to close all visa services until further notice.
However, the department has provided a lifeline to tourists whose visas have expired, choosing not to penalize them with fines for holding an expired visa.
On 17th August the immigration department issued a notice saying, “visa fees will be exempt for tourists who fly out within two weeks after international flights resume. For tourists who choose to stay further, visa fees will be exempt until 14 August and they will be permitted to stay until 15 December with regular visa fees."
Steve Roberts plans to get out of Nepal eventually, once international flights resume.
Many, however, think they are better off in Nepal right now.
View from Australian tourist Frank Whitling's accomodation in Nepal Source: Frank Whitling
Frank Whitling is one of them. A budget traveller who has been travelling across many countries for the past few years, he doesn't have a place to return to in Australia.
He opted out of the repatriation flights because they were too expensive and is concerned about the heavy quarantine fee he will have to pay when he returns.
"After I land in Australia, I will have to stay in quarantine for two weeks, and that will cost me $3,000. As a budget traveller, I am not prepared to spend so much money. Many people don't realize that people like us are better off where we are," he said.
Mr Whitling has a house in the New South Wales city of Armidale, which he has rented out. He says he would have to evict the tenant if he comes back, which he does not want to do. If the lockdown had not grounded him in Nepal, he would be travelling to other parts of the world.
For now, he is happy to wait it out in Nepal and requests that the country's government let people like him stay.
Australian Steve Roberts teaching English in Nepal. Source: Supplied by Steve Roberts
Emergency marriage
There are also many people who are stuck in Nepal due to procedural problems and are trying their best to get out as soon as they can.
Ian Poole arrived in Nepal in January this year to see his girlfriend Tara Linhardt, thinking they would return back together to Australia. He had met Ms Linhardt, who organizes cultural tours, when he was in Nepal last year to work as an architect.
However, being an American citizen Ms Linhardt was not eligible to book a seat on the repatriation flights to Australia.
Mr Poole and Ms Linhardt decided to get married and registered their relationship at Kathmandu District Court, hoping it would allow them to travel together to Australia.
"In normal circumstances, we would not have got married in such haste. We would have wanted our family and friends to be with us. But we hope this will help us go back to Australia together," he said.
He and Ms Linhardt hope to board the next flight to Australia, whenever that is available.
Most of the Australians SBS spoke to said they found the initial lockdown period in Nepal quite difficult. The measures requiring everyone to stay indoors were strictly enforced. The internet provided a lifeline and now many say they have adjusted to a quiet life surrounded by nature.
Australian Ian Poole and Tara Linhardt after getting their marriage registered at Kathmandu District court in Nepal. Source: Supplied
Australia’s daily international arrival limit
Ms Bethany Pederson entered Nepal on 14 March, the last day before the visa offices were closed. The veteran traveller, who has been to Nepal five times, was hoping to do some paragliding and complete her first-ever climb of the 7,000-metre-high mountain, the Himlung Himal in Nepal's Annapurna range.
She was working her way through Chitwan when Nepal went into lockdown, and she made her way to Pokhara. There she has been living in an apartment for the past six months, going on short treks to nearby forests and the peace pagoda.
She had a ticket for a flight out in June and did not want to pay for another flight when the embassy coordinated the repatriation. However, after her original flight was cancelled, she has been unable to leave the country.
"Every time they say they are going to open up, they push back the date. No one expected the lockdown to last so long, So I kept waiting, and here I am," Ms Pederson told SBS Nepali.
"But I am ok here, I have many friends. Nepali people are calm and peaceful and welcoming, and I feel that I am at a much better place than in Australia which is in terrible shape right now."
Ms Pederson has booked a flight back to Australia for 9th October, but she is concerned about Australia's daily arrival limits. Australia has currently to 350 passengers daily in New South Wales and up to 525 passengers per week in Perth, which means Ms Pederson's flight could be cancelled or rescheduled even after Nepal resumes international flights.
Australian tourist Bethany Pederson in Nepal Source: Supplied by Bethany Pederson
In a statement to SBS, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said there are no plans for any further repatriation flights out of Nepal.
"DFAT is monitoring the number of Australians in Nepal and we continue to explore options to support Australians to access flights on a commercial basis. There are currently no plans for Australian Government facilitated flights out of Nepal."
Ms Pederson hopes to come back and finish her 7,000-metre climb someday.
Like her, many Australians currently in Nepal are retired and want to weather it out safely in Nepal. They're hoping the government considers their request for visa extensions in such unusual and trying circumstances.
Source: SBS
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