They were on the cusp of marriage when coronavirus cruelled their wedding plans.
Key points:
- Australians are among countless couples separated by coronavirus
- They want exemptions from travel bans for couples to allow them to reunite
- But several states have now limited international flights even further
Instead, Shanika Carling and Nathaniel Roark remain on opposite sides of the globe and 11,000 kilometres apart — she in Townsville, Queensland and he in Reno, Nevada.
The couple are one of countless around the world forced apart by COVID-19.
They met on defence deployment in 2018, and have flown between their home countries of Australia and the USA ever since.
Ms Carling had been due to depart Australia in April for the couple’s USA wedding, but their plans came crashing down.
To limit COVID-19 spread, foreign nationals who did not meet travel exemptions were barred from Australia from March 20, and five days later, Australian citizens and permanent residents were prohibited from leaving unless an exemption had been granted.
“Luckily we’re a pretty strong couple so we’ve been holding up okay — but I think because we were so close to seeing each other, when that got snatched away it was a bit hard on us both,” Ms Carling said.
Ms Carling said she understood why the border arrangements were in place, but said she and a number of others with partners across the other side of the world were willing to jump through any hoops to make the trip.
“We’re all saying we’d pay for our ow