The hopes and fears of the Kiwis about the announcement of the trans-Tasmanian bubble

New Zealanders have expressed new hope and fears have grown over the news that the date for the trans-Tasman bubble will be announced early next month.

On Monday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the government would announce the date the trans-Tasman bubble will open on April 6, allowing Kiwis and Australians to travel through the Tasman Sea without quarantine.

For some, the news was disappointing, with Brisbane resident Dorothy Davis desperate to fly back to New Zealand to see her dying mother, saying she feels “helpless.”

“I live in fear of not being able to see her alive again,” he said.

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Davis, 71, would have to be quarantined for a total of four weeks, two in controlled isolation and another two simply for visiting her mother at her Waikanae nursing home, if she wanted to go through the ditch.

But she said that’s not feasible as she has family and pets with her in Australia.

Davis said the government was “holding things back,” adding that it wanted to remove restrictions for travelers as soon as possible.

“I was hoping they would set a date,” he said. “It would mean everything to me to see her. I will never see her again, this will be the last time, ”she said about her sick mother, who is 90 years old and lives with a lung condition. “I will be very sad if I do not see my mother alive again. It’s just going to be devastating. “

For other New Zealanders, including Wellington civil servant Kobie Mulligan, Monday’s news was not an event. Mulligan said she was eager to return to Australia to see her sister and niece, and was frustrated that the date kept getting rejected.

“I think everyone expected more,” he said after hearing Ardern speak.

She said she was “totally in favor of protecting New Zealand” but felt like a carrot was “hanging in front of her. [would-be travellers]”.

While there was disappointment, “some movement” was positive, he said. “It’s not exactly a post-goal move, but it was a bit of a joke.”

Mulligan has been in dire straits, wanting to travel so the rest of his family can meet his partner. The thought of two weeks off from her job, plus the “fear and anxiety” of even getting a position at MIQ, has been holding her back.

“Hopefully there are no more outbreaks in the community [which would stop a bubble], or else it will break me, “he said.

Events industry worker Kate Spencer, whose son is in Melbourne, was hoping the bubble date would coincide with Anzac Day, which falls on April 25. “It would be a way to celebrate,” said the Wellingtonian.

Spencer said she couldn’t go through two weeks of quarantine if she decided to visit her son, due to her work hours.

In a statement, Wellington Airport CEO Steve Sanderson said he was disappointed that there was no definitive opening date. However, he was optimistic that the remaining problems could be resolved before April 6.

A Wellington Airport spokeswoman confirmed that the government had indicated that there would be a three-week notice period for all airports in the country to prepare for the bubble to open, meaning the possible opening date could be around the April 27.

However, Wellington airport could increase its capacity in terms of flights and personnel in a period of “days” if necessary, he said.

Sanderson said the aviation industry had enormous resources to help solve pending policy and logistics problems. Trips to Trans-Tasman accounted for 66 percent of international trips from Wellington before Covid.

Aotearoa tourism industry chief executive Chris Roberts said the tourism sector was “desperately anxious” to be given a date on Monday, but was hopeful that the bubble could be operating before the end of April. .