Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Mission Monitor Board Every 10 Years Forum Bad News from Australia. (With Some Good news now)

I don’t know if many of you can remember but my daughter is back packing around the world this year?

Well she is in Brisbane at the moment and has had her handbag stolen with all her money, her bank cards and her passport.

We have been going frantic trying to get her some help but now all we can do is wait for the banks to open on Monday in OZ and for her to get the Consul Generals.

It never rains but it pours as they say.

I'm sorry to hear this Darden. I hope things work out for your daughter. I know how rough it can be to have someone you love be in trouble and you're too far away to help.

I'm so sorry to hear it, FL. Does she have lodging at the moment?

Poor lass! I would have thought there would be emergency services for tourists on the weekends when something like this happens. Hope she's not soured on her trip because of this - it's a great adventure. (Bit of an adventure for you too, I guess!)

Ouch! Best of luck with this one Darden. Our prayers are with her (and you).

There may be some aussie folk here than can help, and probably will if you ask. The folk here are pretty damn awesome.

As are Backpacker Hostel folks. She won't go hungry or without a bed.

Darden-

Sorry to hear if it, but at least she's safe and well.

I wish I was still in touch with the Brisbane folks I used to know.

D'Oh! If she were in Melbourne, she'd be well looked after, you can be assured.

Hopefully things are working themselves out - I hope she had copies of all her paperwork and that sorting things out won't be too stressful.

At least it's just a loss of possessions and some stress - I hope she's safe and getting back on track now that it's Monday morning here in OZ.

Oh GOSH, Darden, I hope she's okay! Let us know...

Thanks guys.

to be honest at least it was only her bag that was taken, she could have been physically attacked as well which would have been too much for me.

Well the British Consul was a bit of a waste of space. Fill in some forms and it will be 8 weeks to get a replacment passport! But she needs a passport now to access things like her bank account And she is expected to have proof of identity how?

We could, if necessary, get money to her pretty easy via bodies like western union, but they insist of proof of identity, like a passport!!!!

Arghhh!!! talk about going round in circles.

Still, Blockade was right the people in the hostel have been really nice trying to help out with the odd dollar here and there so she can eat. And the place she is staying is not chucking her out, although they were worried (understandably) about how they are getting paid. I have taken care of that and through the kindness of the hostel have managed to get some cash to Emily as well (literally in the last two minutes) So a big thanks to (some) Australians.

Lets hope things settle down in the next few days and she can find a job and get some money together.

Oh and thanks guys, It really is a help to come here to let off steam and to know people care.

I've said it before but its still true, Once again Legion Worlders show they are some of the nicest people on the net.

Awwww, maaaaan....

Are the local police even trying to recover her bag? Assuming the first thing she did was file a police report.

This sucks, Darden! I feel terrible for the both of you-- it's gotta be an ordeal all around. Chin up, and I'm praying things turn around soon!

Pov

shes reported it and got the paper work for the insurance but to be honest I dont think its high on the police priority list. Apparently it happens a lot, bag snatchers take the moeny and sometimes through the rest of the bag in the bin, but no luck this time.

Tell you what though, I'll bet she wont go sit on the beach after a night at the club again in a hurry

Darden, just emailed you about this, but I just want to say that I hope you're hanging in there. Good to know Emily is doing a little better, although it's still a major pain in getting things sorted out.

Let us know how it goes!

will do Des. There is still a long way to go, but at least i am not worried about her being hungry or anything

hope it works out for her.
Unfortunetly I dont have anything useful to sugest.

Well at last we have had a bit of good news. Emily has managed to get her passport and driving licence back!

Apparently some guy out walking the dog or something found the bag thrown in a bin and although her cash and digital camera had gone, her passport, driving licence, even her bank cards were all still in the bag. So rather than just ignoring things he took it to the police who have reunited daughter and documents. I am so pleased and relived. I wish I could thank him but I don’t even know who he was.

Now that she has proof of ID she can access her bank account again and make arrangements to carry on with her travels. At one point we thought she was going to have to come home to sort it all out. Especially the American Working Visa she needs for her time in Maryland. She is able to get work in Australia now as well and I think she is going to go get a job fruit picking so she can carry on and see the great Barrier reef, cairns and all that stuff she was so looking forward to.

As for me? Well I’m down off the ceiling now and am recovering from the 1001 heart attacks she has given me and gig can talk to me without me being more grumpy than usual.

Thanks for listening LW, updates on the walking disaster zone that is my daughter as and when

That is good news. Sorry to hear that the whole thing happened in the first place.

Faraway Lad, get Faraway Daughter home now, and safely. Congrats on things turning out soooo well. It would make me nuts to know that my kid was in that kinda trouble with me so far away, and my kid isn't even here yet, lol.

Thanks guys.

Rick I have to admit I have been giving you a run for the title of resident cranky poster over the last few days.


But to be honest this is something Em has wanted to do for so long now I don’t think she would come back even if i asked her to. She's 19 now, all growed up really, but believe you me, as you'll find out when you first hold that little helpless bundle and you kid looks at you and the tiny hand wraps around your finger, you are hooked and you never, never truly think of them as anything other than "your kids"

Still I have opened a bottle of 1989 Port and will have a warm relaxing glass to calm me down a bit.

Cheers!

Good to hear, it makes me nervous enough to leave Maddy at daycare, much less being half a planet away. I can't imagine what this was like for you but I'm glad it's working itself out.

That's great news, Darden! Here's to you being able to relax a bit (yeah right )

Good news indeed!

Whew! Worrying about a loved one's problems is sometimes worse than worrying about your own problems. I'm glad things worked out for your daughter.

Told'ya!

Actually I always kind of wondered what parents of these Backpackers thought of the travels. Occasionally you'll meet some parents, when they catch up with their kid at some back port or another but most must worry.

A few I've met actually used the fact that their kid was traveling as an excuse to take their FIRST trip abroad to meet up.


Maybe something for your next vacation eh, Faraway Lad and Lass fishing for Great Whites with their toesies along the Great Barrier.

Is yours one of those "Gap Kids?"