What you need to know..
About the Australia - NZ travel bubble. The rumours are true, folks… we can travel once again.
But before you begin throwing boardies and bikinis in a backpack, just know that we can currently only fly to New Zealand (and not Bali… yet) thanks to a recent travel arrangement.
Called a travel bubble, this agreement has made international tourism possible. What is a travel bubble though? How does it work? And does it come with any risks? If you’re stinging for a trip overseas, this is everything you need to know before you go - courtesy of your travel-ready friends at Uptown Pokies.
What even is a travel bubble?
‘Travel bubble’ is a buzzword that’s become increasingly popular all over the world since March 2020.
By definition, it’s an exclusive quarantine-free agreement that enables flights or border crossings between two countries. The beauty of a travel bubble is that it allows for people to travel overseas more freely, however, it’s definitely not a reversion back to the times of normal international travel.
Travel bubbles can be between neighbouring countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, or they can be between countries that are actually quite far apart, such as Portugal and the United Kingdom.
When is it possible to travel to New Zealand?
Right now. In fact, return quarantine-free flights have been available to book since mid-April this year.
This means that you can fly to the Land of the Long White Cloud without having to enter into a mandatory quarantine upon arrival or when you return to Australia - although this is subject to change depending on the recommendations of both local and national governments. So if you can’t wait to get overseas, you’re better off booking a short trip to New Zealand sooner rather than later.
Are there any risks to using the travel bubble?
The only risk with having a travel bubble is that it can burst at any time. Jokes aside, this is because of the changing nature of the current global situation.
If there’s an outbreak, flights will be delayed or cancelled, and you might be ordered to quarantine or self-isolate somewhere safe. Of course, this goes for every travel arrangement around the globe. The good news is that some travel insurance companies will cover you if things go south.
Our advice here at Uptown Pokies is that you have a plan. By doing so you can ready yourself in the event of a disruption and be better prepared to meet any potential challenges, such as being forced to spend a bit longer in Australia or New Zealand (which doesn’t sound all that bad really).
Before you stress about this, remember that most outbreaks are minor. As such, you’ll be warned of an impending lockdown in advance and chances are that it will pass relatively quickly.
What do you need to do before travelling to New Zealand?
The days of flying hassle-free flying across the Tasman are on pause for the foreseeable future. So instead of simply booking a flight, embarking and enjoying all that our lovely neighbour has to offer, you’ll need to follow a few additional steps before take-off. This includes:
- Completing an online travel declaration
- Downloading the NZ Covid Tracer app
- Bringing a face mask to the airport
- Filling out the online Australian Travel Declaration before your return flight
- Making sure you have a solid travel insurance policy
Will there be more travel bubbles in the future?
Maybe. That all depends on how the situation evolves over the next few months. There’s been a few hints that jetting off to some Pacific Island nations might be possible within the next year.
There are also many Asian nations, such as Taiwan, Vietnam and South Korea, who’ve handled the outbreak particularly well. They might also be an option in the near future. However, all suggestions that another travel bubble is to open soon is purely speculation.
With any luck, vaccinations will be rolled out and things will go back to normal sooner rather than later. Because we can’t wait to travel around the world once again. Although we’ve gotta say… we’re more than satisfied with playing some of the best online pokies at our online casino for now.
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