Two Way Aust/NZ Travel Bubble to commence 19th April, 2021

[MMDown Under]

First flight to NZ Jetstar from Sydney to Auckland today - quarantine free travel. 

 

Anyone planning a NZ holiday?

[Chiliburn]

It will be good if it lasts,

We might see Singapore in the bubble and we can go on a cruise.

[NSWP]

58 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

First flight to NZ Jetstar from Sydney to Auckland today - quarantine free travel. 

 

Anyone planning a NZ holiday?

5000 pax on 30 flights today, oz to nz. I have been there 4 times, twice by ship plus driving and coach tour. I have no plans to go again.

[Chiliburn]

14 minutes ago, NSWP said:

5000 pax on 30 flights today, oz to nz. I have been there 4 times, twice by ship plus driving and coach tour. I have no plans to go again.

NZ is expensive uncle Les.

Last time we flew there with a cheap flight it ended being a expensive holiday.

But that South Island is pretty especially flying into Queenstown.

[MMDown Under]

34 minutes ago, NSWP said:

5000 pax on 30 flights today, oz to nz. I have been there 4 times, twice by ship plus driving and coach tour. I have no plans to go again.

That is a lot of passengers, so demand was there.  One lady said she usually flies to NZ 6 times a year. How did the different method of travel in NZ compare - cruise, driving and coach tour?

[gogo65]

If our Kimberley trip is cancelled we will most likely head to NZ, we’ve also been by ship, hired a motor home, and skied a few times there, but happy to go back and do some more exploring if that’s our only option..

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Chiliburn said:

It will be good if it lasts,

We might see Singapore in the bubble and we can go on a cruise.

Now that would be nice. 😊

[Tranquility Base]

For NZ, Rarotonga will be next, followed by Niue.

[Chiliburn]

14 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Now that would be nice. 😊

A few nights in Singapore and a cruise would just what the doctor ordered.

How about regular one way cruises from Brisbane to Singapore.

[OzKiwiJJ]

50 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

A few nights in Singapore and a cruise would just what the doctor ordered.

How about regular one way cruises from Brisbane to Singapore.

About a week each way? Sounds good to me but I'd want to do a B2B, one week isn't long enough.🤣

[Peacefulness]

I don't think we in Australia are hearing enough about other parts of the world... their experience with the virus. I read this article on BBC about the trouble Chile is having with the virus again. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-56731801

 

Here is another short article on India https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-india-56747867

 

Here's one from The Age https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/new-global-coronavirus-cases-nearly-double-in-two-months-20210417-p57k1d.html

 

I know that many people were really angry at Daniel Andrews for enforcing lockdowns in Melbourne. But I really think that without our two major lockdowns, we in Melbourne would not be able to go about our everyday lives without the concern of getting infected. After all the painful restrictions that we experienced during the second lockdown in Melbourne, I for one, am absolutely in no hurry to see Australia open its doors to overseas holiday travel, or even overseas business travel in the foreseeable future.

 

Tania

 

[By The Bay]

1 hour ago, Peacefulness said:

I don't think we in Australia are hearing enough about other parts of the world... their experience with the virus. I read this article on BBC about the trouble Chile is having with the virus again. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-56731801

 

Here is another short article on India https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-india-56747867

 

Here's one from The Age https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/new-global-coronavirus-cases-nearly-double-in-two-months-20210417-p57k1d.html

 

I know that many people were really angry at Daniel Andrews for enforcing lockdowns in Melbourne. But I really think that without our two major lockdowns, we in Melbourne would not be able to go about our everyday lives without the concern of getting infected. After all the painful restrictions that we experienced during the second lockdown in Melbourne, I for one, am absolutely in no hurry to see Australia open its doors to overseas holiday travel, or even overseas business travel in the foreseeable future.

 

Tania

 

There is talk of a 100,000 crowd at the MCG on Sunday for the Pies v's Bombers AFL game. That would not possible without the suppression of the virus by instigating the lockdown last year. Well done everyone.

[dandtgeddes]

I think there will be many happy tears in airports across Australia & New Zealand.

 

Our trip was cancelled the day before we were to fly out from Auckland in March 2020 so I am hanging out to see my brother in Sydney.

 

The open borders have been hard won by both countries, I watch what is going on in other places worldwide with a mix of bewilderment & horror, why governments & individual citizens continue to do what doesn't work & then wonder why we in the Antipodes have such 'good luck' it wasn't luck people!

 

Still feeling uncertain that my March 2022 cruise from Sydney is a certainty, watching events closely.

 

TraceyG 😀 

[ilikeanswers]

I would definitely consider a NZ trip, it is not place I have travelled to yet (unless you consider Rarotonga NZ😜) so it would be all new to me but first I want to wait and see how things progress with this travel bubble. I have domestic trip planned and will be executing that first😁. 

[pully8]

Hope it goes well for all concerned.

We liked the scenery especially in the south island.

Will watch and wait before planning a trip there.

Can people fly there from oz and continue to other countries?

Someone we know is keen to go to Canada. 

 

[Belmont Babe]

I propose, instead of air travel, we investigate a trip by luxury tramp steamer, Sydney to Auckland via Melbourne, Hobart, Port Chalmers, Akaroa and Tauranga.

[mr walker]

1 hour ago, dandtgeddes said:

I think there will be many happy tears in airports across Australia & New Zealand.

I can't help but think that if something goes wrong in NZ or Aus with a breakout of the virus, those tears will become unhappy tears. It was clear from the announcement that in the event of a problem, quarantining will be enforced. I can understand people wanting to travel to see loved ones etc, but have they thought of the consequences?

My sister & BIL have a daughter living in NZ & they haven't seen her or their grandkids for over a year. They desperately want to travel there, but have delayed plans until this plays out as being stuck in quarantine is no something they want.

Good luck everyone - I hope it all works out.

[NSWP]

11 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

That is a lot of passengers, so demand was there.  One lady said she usually flies to NZ 6 times a year. How did the different method of travel in NZ compare - cruise, driving and coach tour?

Coach tour was the best, 3 weeks, both islands with Guthreys, good hotels, good tucker, saw everything. Cruising you dont see much of nz, driving is good too, but you can miss somethings.

Edited April 19, 2021 by NSWP

[NSWP]

5 hours ago, mr walker said:

I can't help but think that if something goes wrong in NZ or Aus with a breakout of the virus, those tears will become unhappy tears. It was clear from the announcement that in the event of a problem, quarantining will be enforced. I can understand people wanting to travel to see loved ones etc, but have they thought of the consequences?

My sister & BIL have a daughter living in NZ & they haven't seen her or their grandkids for over a year. They desperately want to travel there, but have delayed plans until this plays out as being stuck in quarantine is no something they want.

Good luck everyone - I hope it all works out.

Agree Neil. If there is a covid flare up here or there, watch the borders shut and i bet the airlines  wont be in a big hurry to get everyone out. So people could be stuck there like Uk etc. i hope not.

 

I know i sound like mr gloom and doom, but think about it folks.

Edited April 19, 2021 by NSWP

[MMDown Under]

14 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Coach tour was the best, 3 weeks, both islands with Guthreys, good hotels, good tucker, saw everything. Cruising you dont see much of nz, driving is good too, but you can miss somethings.

That is interesting.  When you miss something when you are driving, you can always turn around and go back or see it on return trip.  I always thought I'd like to do a NZ Coach Tour of Gardens. We have done several car driving trips of NZ which I love, esp the North Island.  I have only done one cruise of NZ on Celebrity Century, a small ship.  I also called in at Auckland on my first big overseas cruise to the UK (with unforgettable Kiwi music and streamers).

[RosieCanberra]

Not planning a trip for 2021, we have some Oz trips planned already. But I love NZ, have been 6 times previously. Always more to see.

[Chiliburn]

1 hour ago, RosieCanberra said:

Not planning a trip for 2021, we have some Oz trips planned already. But I love NZ, have been 6 times previously. Always more to see.

Did you get to western plains zoo,I give my tickets to my daughter and here friends.

They went to Taronga and come home exhausted.

[Peacefulness]

19 hours ago, By The Bay said:

There is talk of a 100,000 crowd at the MCG on Sunday for the Pies v's Bombers AFL game. That would not possible without the suppression of the virus by instigating the lockdown last year. Well done everyone.

How wonderful it is to be freely going about our everyday lives again.

However, it only takes one asymptomatic person... either working in a lockdown hotel or a returned overseas traveler, to go about their everyday lives spreading the virus and we are all back in lockdown again. And the vaccine is not really a solution, because it does not prevent people from catching the virus, albeit, a slightly less severe version of it.

I vote for keeping the boarders firmly shut for the time-being.

The travel industry can benefit from Australians traveling in Australia.

Tania

[Peacefulness]

Thought I'll share a couple more links to a few articles from The Age -

https://www.theage.com.au/national/surging-global-cases-of-covid-19-threaten-australia-s-vaccine-exit-strategy-20210414-p57j9j.html?utm_content=INTRO&list_name=1E462E7B-5C11-4287-AD0A-1E3B0483573E&promote_channel=edmail&utm_campaign=coronavirus-report-theage&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=2021-04-19&mbnr=MjI4MTk3Mzk&instance=2021-04-19-20-29-AEST&jobid=29302299

 

https://www.theage.com.au/national/anthony-fauci-s-words-of-covid-warning-for-australia-20210414-p57j8p.html?utm_content=INTRO&list_name=1E462E7B-5C11-4287-AD0A-1E3B0483573E&promote_channel=edmail&utm_campaign=coronavirus-report-theage&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=2021-04-19&mbnr=MjI4MTk3Mzk&instance=2021-04-19-20-29-AEST&jobid=29302299

 

Tania

[lyndarra]

12 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

That is interesting.  When you miss something when you are driving, you can always turn around and go back or see it on return trip.  I always thought I'd like to do a NZ Coach Tour of Gardens. We have done several car driving trips of NZ which I love, esp the North Island.  I have only done one cruise of NZ on Celebrity Century, a small ship.  I also called in at Auckland on my first big overseas cruise to the UK (with unforgettable Kiwi music and streamers).

Agree. On my first road tour of NZ I'd have not been able to stop for a road side, yummy, whitebait fritter if I were on a coach.

Edited April 19, 2021 by lyndarra