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Hans van Leeuwen

Locked out expats yearn for the lucky country

After cancelling his trip home due to COVID-19, The Australian Financial Review's London correspondent Hans van Leeuwen craves direct conversation, droll humour and big waves.

Hans van LeeuwenEurope correspondent

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London | This week about $7000 was deposited in my bank account. I should have been delighted – but actually I felt a kind of poignant sadness.

The money was a refund of the airfares for a family holiday to Australia that COVID-19 prevented us taking in April. I originally just postponed the flights, but I’ve now given up any expectation that I’ll be heading out to see my dad, siblings and old friends any time soon. So I cashed the tickets in.

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Hans van Leeuwen covers British and European politics, economics and business from London. He has worked as a reporter, editor and policy adviser in Sydney, Canberra, Hanoi and London. Connect with Hans on Twitter. Email Hans at hans.vanleeuwen@afr.com

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    Original URL: https://www.afr.com/world/europe/the-new-tyranny-of-distance-an-aussie-expat-s-lot-in-lockdown-20200811-p55kfy