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Despite all the buzz surrounding the trans-Tasmania bubble initially, it looks like it will start with more of a whine than a hiss and a roar on Friday, with few Kiwis making use of the one-way arrangement.
Starting October 16, New Zealanders will be able to travel to New South Wales and the Northern Territory in Australia without having to self-quarantine upon arrival, provided they have not been to a designated Covid-19 hotspot in the 14 days. before flying. A hotspot is defined as a location with a three-day average of three cases per day.
Upon return, travelers will have to complete 14 days of administered isolation in New Zealand and pay the $ 3,100 quarantine fee. Australians are still unable to travel to New Zealand.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said the government continues to advise against travel abroad due to Covid-19 and the “associated health risks.”
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Having to self-quarantine upon return is “a major impediment to traveling to Australia under the limited travel bubble,” said Victoria Courtney of Flight Center.
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“Australian and New Zealand officials continue to discuss all aspects of Tasmania roundtrip travel, which New Zealand remains committed to introducing as soon as is safe.”
The Product of Flight Center Managing Director Victoria Courtney said the travel agency has seen a “small increase in leisure bookings” to Australia, but that the managed isolation period after return is “understandably a major impediment. “.
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Kiwis will initially be able to travel to New South Wales and the Northern Territory.
The limited bubble will generally only benefit New Zealanders who want to travel to Australia for emergencies and major events, along with Australia-based Kiwis who have been in Aotearoa during the pandemic and want to return home, he said.
“The extremely limited flight limit and exemption process for non-Australian citizens has made it difficult for customers to cross the ditch so far.”
Courtney described the one-way bubble as “a start”, and said it has given the tourism sector and those wishing to travel to Australia “some hope” that a broader deal will materialize, “and will be a good test for future openings. border ”.
Mark Berger, founder of NZRelo, an online platform for New Zealanders living in Australia who are considering moving there, said he doesn’t think many Kiwis will make use of the limited bubble.
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NZRelo founder Mark Berger said Queensland is a favorite destination among the platform’s more than 400,000 members.
“It is not good for tourism, it is not good for visiting friends and family, it is not good for permanent relocations and it will not help any employment trends… It is not really a bubble. A bubble would have to be reciprocal. “
The fact that Kiwis are unable to travel to Queensland, a favorite vacation spot, would put many off, as would the quarantine period and the fee, he said.
Kiwis who had been living in Australia before the pandemic and want to return will find it difficult, he said.
“To get a rental in Australia, you must view the property before insuring it, you must have three-month pay stubs and you must have a work history and a good credit rating. If you’ve been out of Australia any longer and you’re a kiwi, you’re going to have problems. “
The bubble fix will also not help Kiwis who work in mines in Queensland and Western Australia and have not seen their families, including, in many cases, their children, since the New Zealand and Australian borders were closed in the middle. March, he said. .
Many of these workers are based in New Zealand and, prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, they flew home every three weeks.
“Their employers can’t justify being isolated for 14 days, so that has caused some problems.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand bands like LAB have chosen to cancel planned tours of Australia due to bubble constraints.
“None of the New Zealand gangs can justify traveling to those two [states] and then, upon returning, quarantine its members and sound engineers for 14 days. “
An Air New Zealand spokesman said the airline had “seen a small increase in bookings to Sydney” since the “one-way travel arrangement” was announced on 2 October.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said at the time that the agreement was “the first stage of what we hope to see as a trans-Tasmanian bubble between the two countries, not just [New South Wales and the Northern Territory].
McCormick said South Australia is likely to be “the next taxi out of range.”
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Air New Zealand has seen “a small increase” in bookings to Sydney since the travel bubble was announced.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said earlier that day that New Zealand was not yet ready to travel without quarantine from Australia.
“They have a very different strategy than ours, so they are making that decision and that is their prerogative, but for now, of course, we have to keep New Zealanders safe.”
The trans-Tasmania bubble has been a hot topic since May, but community outbreaks in both countries have delayed it.
Flight Center data showing online views of flights to Australia doubled the night the bubble was announced, showing “there is certainly interest,” a spokesperson said. However, until it becomes a two-way arrangement, Kiwis are more likely to choose to vacation at home.
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