AUSTRALIA PERSPECTIVE

ABC News Australia does not discuss geopolitics—it discusses caravans. The article tells the story of Jay Sinclair, a 40-year-old Australian who left the hospital after septicemia to tour Australia in a caravan with his wife. They left Rockhampton in February, before the war. The fuel price surge transformed their dream into a logistical nightmare. 'It takes the fun out when you're watching your fuel gauge instead of the scenery,' says Jay. Facebook groups for caravanned travelers are flooded with messages from people canceling or modifying their plans. The SMH covers diplomatic negotiations to reopen Hormuz from a more strategic angle. Australia experiences the energy crisis differently from the rest of Asia: no rationing, no curfews, but lifestyle erosion. The road trip is a pillar of Australian identity, and the fuel increase makes it unaffordable. The word 'lockdown' appears in caravan groups' comments—Covid memory as a framework for interpreting any movement restriction.