Holiday Insurance

While many of us view travel insurance as essential for those overseas trips to destinations out of the ordinary, few consider the fact that taking out a policy for a holiday within your own country is also a good idea.
Whether skiing in Thredbo or diving off the Great Barrier Reef, ensuring you have some cover if something goes wrong can be a welcome relief if it ever does.

Some insurance providers are now specialising in policies for those with an adventurous spirit. 1cover has designed a policy with Thredbo and Perisher Blue that includes emergency extraction by helicopter if needed. Also covered are cancellations, ski rental gear, up to $25,000 for permanent disability or accidental death and just over $10,000 for loss of income.

Travel Insurance Direct also has a similar domestic travel insurance policy for travel within Australia only, with accidental death cover of up to $10,000. It also covers cancellations, such as piste closure, but doesn’t cover emergency extraction.

And for the not so adventurous

Sometimes it’s nice just to take a break that’s a bit more relaxing, and there’s no reason why you can’t just don a backpack within our own shores.
World Care has a great budget policy that not only provides things such as accidental death coverage, public liability, car hire excess and cancellations, but will also cover accommodation for you and a travelling companion if you are unexpectedly forced to stay still due to hospitalisation or illness, or for other reasons. They will even cover your pets if they need to go to a boarding kennel.
1cover has a policy that covers what you need within your own shores, not what you don’t. For around $57, you can be covered for public liability, accidental death, cancellations, and up to $50,000 for additional accommodation and travel expenses. If you are headed offshore, this policy allows you to choose which region you’re headed to as well, tailoring your package to your needs.

Travel insurance extras

Cover More also has a holiday policy for within Australia, but it not only has the option of extras such as skiing, you can also choose extra cover for pre-existing medical conditions and pregnancy, moped and motorcycle use and extra luggage cover, in case you need it for things like laptops and other valuables. The policy itself is a little pricy, at $81 for the same time period as those above, and while it provides more excess for hire cars ($4000), it doesn’t provide as much cover for things such as cancellations or luggage. A good holiday policy is worth shopping around for, because they can vary quite a lot in both price and what they cover. A good insurance broker can help you find a policy to match your travel needs, avoiding policies full of things that you don’t need.