Schoolies Is Weeks Away, and the Insurance Gap Smartraveller Warns About Can Run to $100,000

Safety & Advisories Smartraveller's schoolies advice says no insurance can mean paying costs up to $100,000. Here is what that covers, what it doesn't, and what parents… By Kevin Crow · Oct 9, 2026 Read the full story

Australian school leavers heading to Bali, Fiji, Vanuatu or Thailand for schoolies are being told by the government to buy travel insurance before they go. Without it, Smartraveller says, a medical emergency abroad can leave you personally liable for costs… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Why is insurance the first thing Smartraveller tells school leavers to sort?

Because the bill for a serious injury or illness abroad lands on the traveller, and Smartraveller puts the worst case at up to $100,000. That is the figure on the government's schoolies page, and it is why the advice is to buy cover before you book anything… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What risks does the government name for drinks and parties?

Two. Smartraveller warns about drink spiking and about methanol poisoning, and its advice is to stay with people you trust at parties, bars, nightclubs and in taxis. Its Indonesia advice adds that cases of methanol in drinks have been reported in Bali and… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What can the Australian Government actually do if it goes wrong?

Less than most families assume. DFAT's consular material says officials cannot get a person out of jail or interfere in another country's legal process. They can visit a detainee, give a list of local English-speaking lawyers and contact family, but they… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Who helps on the ground, and what should you check before booking?

Red Frogs, the volunteer group, is active in Bali, Fiji and Vanuatu during schoolies, and Smartraveller describes its volunteers as offering peer support without judgement. We could not confirm the 2026 dates for those overseas programs, so check… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Is there a safer first big trip than a party week?

For some school leavers, yes. A short guided trek is the opposite of a party week: sober, supervised and cheap per day. We take first-time young trekkers on Poon Hill in four days, with a licensed guide and altitude advice from day one. The same insurance… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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