The devastating quake has knocked out communications and left hundreds of visitors unable to contact home, leaving their loved ones anxiously awaiting news.

One of those families is featured in today’s Leader, and thankfully their story has ended well. 

With hundreds of Australians still reported as officially missing, it seems inevitable some families won’t be so lucky.

The wait for news would be excruciating, every phone call or knock on the door eliciting a mixture of both hope and despair. 

When we have become so used to being able to keep so easily in touch with family and friends across the street, across the country and across the world, Mother Nature has shown our vast technological advances are no match for her might.

This disaster is a reminder, too, of how much Australians love to travel, particularly our youth, and while once London was the ultimate destination, now people are flocking to more 

far-flung destinations for a more exotic travel experience.

With travel though, comes an element of risk; depending on where you choose to go that risk is either equivalent to, or greater than, the risk each of us takes every day just leaving the house.

Terrible things can happen everywhere and it’s hoped a disaster like the one that has befallen Nepal won’t discourage would-be travellers from setting out on their own big adventure.

Travel is one of life’s great privileges and for such an isolated country as ours, any trip beyond our shores should be savoured.

It’s hoped we will continue to see Nepal as one of these great adventures, too, with tourism vitally important to that nation’s economy.

The magnitude of this disaster will continue to unfold in coming days, and weeks, and our thoughts are with all whose lives are in a terrible limbo at present, as well as the people of Nepal, who will count the personal and financial costs long into the future.