'A buffalo ruined my Top End holiday': bizarre domestic travel claim costs thousands

It sounds like a freak occurrence, but data from Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) reveals a sobering reality for those holidaying closer to home: domestic travel mishaps are not only common, they are often more expensive than international ones.

SCTI's Future of Travel report from 2025 showed while 76 per cent of us wouldn't dream of heading to the likes of London or Bali without travel insurance, only 41 per cent felt the same about a trip to domestic locations like the Whitsundays or the Kimberley.

According to SCTI, many people mistakenly believe that because our medical needs are covered by Medicare when we are holidaying in Australia, we don't need travel insurance. On the contrary, from rental car accidents to pets needing emergency boarding while their owner is stuck in transit, a local getaway poses all sorts of potential risks, beyond those associated with our health.

Between January 1 and September 15, 2025, the average domestic travel claim from the insurer was $2376 - nearly $500 more than the average international claim. One family faced a whopping $30,500 cancellation bill when a serious bout of gastro interrupted their Indian Pacific train and Margaret River cruise holiday. But insurance covered that.

During the period, across all its domestic travel insurance policies, SCTI paid out more than $211,300 for changes to journeys and cancellations, almost $11,000 for baggage and personal items, and $6700 for a personal accident.

Consumer advocacy website Choice warns Medicare isn't sufficient when you are taking an Australian cruise, either. This is because doctors working on cruise ships don't need Medicare provider numbers, so if they treat you, you can't claim on Medicare or your private health insurance, even if you're still in Australian waters. You would need either international travel insurance or a domestic cruise policy, Choice says.

In 2025, only 2 per cent of policy sales through SCTI were for domestic travel.

One of these was purchased by Carol Timbrell, 76, from Tasmania, who was driving back to her accommodation from a bird-watching tour when a buffalo ran into the side of her rental car, causing significant damage to the vehicle.

Ms Timbrell told Explore there was a "big collision", a "bang" and a "crashing sort of noise".

"I hadn't seen anything in front of me and I just looked beside me and there's this buffalo face squashed up against my driver's side window," she said. "And it did run into the side of the car as I was driving along."

Ms Timbrell said the bonnet of the car was crumpled, the driver's side door was caved in and the glass was broken. She had to climb over to the passenger's side to exit the vehicle.

She was able to catch a ride back to her accommodation in Jabiru with fellow tourists who stopped to see if she was OK.

Ms Timbrell's insurer sent a truck to tow her rental car and paid out $4506 for the rental vehicle excess.

She said she always purchases travel insurance if she is hiring a car - and this trip proved it was worth it.

SCTI chief customer officer, Jess Strange, said this highlights the need for travel insurance when travelling domestically.

"Many Aussies believe that domestic travel insurance is an unnecessary expense, especially as most medical situations are covered under Medicare," she said.

"However, while Medicare may cover medical costs, they will not cover the costs of cancelled flights, accommodation or pre-paid tours."