New Zealand Travel Bubble Announcement

[burmans]

Not sure where NZ would look to for a model for opening up internationally - or whether they will be sticking with covid-zero nations.

A risk based border system has already been announced for early 2022.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

A risk based border system has already been announced for early 2022.

Recent statements are they are rethinking the approach. I'm not confident of opening up any time soon. At best we might get an announcement of a future announcement.

 

[jakeseven7]

NZ has gone begging too and got some extra Pfizer I just heard a small grab on radio?

 

[jrfsp]

NZ has gone begging too and got some extra Pfizer I just heard a small grab on radio?

Yep i think 250K from Spain

 

[burmans]

Not over surprising, there are plenty of countries who ordered earlier than us and in fact over ordered where the take up rate has now slowed.

The pollies may sell how great they have been at negotiating but I’d say there are plenty of willing sellers now emerging.

 

[burmans]

Recent statements are they are rethinking the approach. I'm not confident of opening up any time soon. At best we might get an announcement of a future announcement.

This was the attitude here in NSW not that long ago, but I think this underestimates the ability and willingness of the general public to change their minds as and when things change. Not long ago if you asked people about locking Australia down generally people were in favor but over time as you see other countries opening and see that high levels of vaccination can work opinions can change and change quickly.

If (as I suspect) people in the rest of Australia and in NZ see both hospitalisation start to come down AND NSW successfully relaxing restrictions, opinions on continued lockdowns are likely to change. Yes, I appreciate we aren't there yet and there remain a number of hurdles to this but I do think people in NSW can see a different Covid normal in prospect. And I think its inevitable that if/when we get there people in the other states and NZ will start to want that too.

 

[Berlin]

If (as I suspect) people in the rest of Australia and in NZ see both hospitalisation start to come down AND NSW successfully relaxing restrictions,

Big if. If they don't come down and NSW turns into even more a disaster than it already is, then the opposite might happen. I hope your optimism is correct though but we're not there yet and lots can happen still.

 

[burmans]

Agree lots can happen. From overseas experience probably not whether hospitalisations come down though, most have seen that, its whether they stay down.

 

[henrus]

Air NZ has just sent out an email confirming their trans tasman schedule until 30 November. I guess this indicates the bubble is currently as dead as rex's 737 operations. Well until at least 30 November I think it's fair to not expect any quaratine free flights at least in the AU->NZ direction.

There are very quarantine limited flights as outlined by the email.

 

[Berlin]

Air NZ has just sent out an email confirming their trans tasman schedule until 30 November. I guess this indicates the bubble is currently as dead as rex's 737 operations. Well until at least 30 November I think it's fair to not expect any quaratine free flights at least in the AU->NZ direction.

There are very quarantine limited flights as outlined by the email.

Oh bugger that- I hadn't received this email yet so thanks a lot for posting. Guess I will sit with 5 devices open at the same time on the Monday, trying my luck...

 

[Mattg]

Surely Australians won't still be required to enter 14 days of hotel quarantine on return to Australia by late October if the current outbreak in Auckland is under control by then and there are no cases in NZ?!

 

[henrus]

Surely Australians won't still be required to enter 14 days of hotel quarantine on return to Australia by late October if the current outbreak in Auckland is under control by then and there are no cases in NZ?!

You're probably right. I suspect that might be why they haven't scheduled any NZ to AU flights past the end of October meanwhile the AU to NZ flights continue to the end of November.

Who know's between now and then we might even have people entering home quaratine from NZ in some states which will make HQ numbers a smaller problem.

 

[Berlin]

Surely Australians won't still be required to enter 14 days of hotel quarantine on return to Australia by late October if the current outbreak in Auckland is under control by then and there are no cases in NZ?!

Well- it certainly looks like it. I can’t wait much longer anymore and must come home in October the very latest.

So I’m preparing myself to go into 2 week quarantine with my partner (and pay for it, of course). And all for “generously” being allowed into a place with hundreds or thousands daily cases while coming from one with maybe a dozen a day. It sucks- but I don’t see another solution in this situation.

 

[jakeseven7]

I wonder if the NZ bubble will be reopen for Xmas…. Surely they will mostly all be vaccinated by then

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Well- it certainly looks like it. I can’t wait much longer anymore and must come home in October the very latest.

So I’m preparing myself to go into 2 week quarantine with my partner (and pay for it, of course). And all for “generously” being allowed into a place with hundreds or thousands daily cases while coming from one with maybe a dozen a day. It sucks- but I don’t see another solution in this situation.

Not sure where you intended to arrive/stay but NSW sounded promising for November for no quarantine. Another option is you can find out how to snag a home quarantine trial spot

 

[Berlin]

Not sure where you intended to arrive/stay but NSW sounded promising for November for no quarantine. Another option is you can find out how to snag a home quarantine trial spot

Sydney or Melbourne, I can actually work from both. But there's no flights at all to Sydney at the moment and hoping for some vague promise from Gladys is just way too risky for me- I need to be back by mid to late October at the very latest. So two weeks in quarantine it is, if I get a spot on Monday.

 

[Mwenenzi]

So I’m preparing myself to go into 2 week quarantine with my partner (and pay for it, of course). And all for “generously” being allowed into a place with hundreds or thousands daily cases while coming from one with maybe a dozen a day. It sucks- but I don’t see another solution in this situation.

Or in my case from the mainland (South Island) where no community cases for over 300 days
NZ to AU will open before AU to NZ in my opinion.

 

[Berlin]

Or in my case from the mainland (South Island) where no community cases for over 300 days
NZ to AU will open before AU to NZ in my opinion.

Haha, "mainland", love it!

But I agree, NZ to AU will be way before the other way round. Actually, I would totally not be surprised if Singapore or even Europe was an option from Sydney or Melbourne before NZ (or WA for that matter) open up.

 

[Mattg]

Or in my case from the mainland (South Island) where no community cases for over 300 days
NZ to AU will open before AU to NZ in my opinion.

It makes no sense that people from the South Island can't fly to Australia right now. There is virtually no risk to Australia.

 

[burmans]

I wonder if the NZ bubble will be reopen for Xmas…. Surely they will mostly all be vaccinated by then

Quite a similar vaccination profile to Aus, ahead of us on first dose, behind on second but can’t imagine that overall we are going to be more than a week or two apart on hitting thresholds but NZ probably more closely aligns with the more risk adverse states.