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For the first time in over a year, Australian residents can leave the country – and return – via scheduled flights. – We have been waiting so long for this bubble, says Te Tai, who got a place on the first plane that took off from Sydney.
On Monday, Australia opened a travel bubble with New Zealand in both directions, and the residents took note. The queues were long at the airports in Sydney and Melbourne, where bubbling drinks were also served.
The very first flight was to take off from Sydney at 06.15, local time, but the early hour did not deter the 176 passengers on the fully booked plane.
– I really wanted to be on the first flight out. This morning is just about meeting my son and his family again, says the New Zealander The Sea till The Sydney Morning Herald.
Travel at your own risk
She still had to wait a little longer than planned. Some of the premiere passengers had forgotten to fill in all the customs forms and the premiere trip to Auckland on the other side of the Tasman Sea was somewhat delayed. Once the plane landed in Auckland, the travelers were greeted by music and cheers – and relatives.
On Monday, another 30 planes would take off just from Sydney and Melbourne towards the neighboring country, which despite its relative proximity has been far away during the pandemic.
Since the end of March last year, citizens have needed special permits to leave the country at all and then return. Now they do not have to apply for a permit and they also avoid the previously mandatory two-week quarantine.
The governments of both countries have nevertheless warned that the bubble could be closed immediately if new covid outbreaks occur and pointed out that they are traveling at their own risk.
“Hope you have fun” “
New Zealanders were already able to go to Australia to visit Australia to a limited extent in October last year, but then with quarantine on their return. But the country did not let in its cousins from across the water, or even its own citizens who lived in Australia.
On Monday, most passengers were New Zealanders.
– Now it’s time to drink a thousand beers, play some golf, hang out with each other, eat good food and let everyone greet our new puppy, says Sam Crampton to the NZ Herald.
– Now we can celebrate all birthdays and all wonderful moments that we have not been allowed to have, he says who in Sydney has not met his family in 15 months.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was just as enthusiastic on Monday.
– It is really great to be able to open this quarantine-free zone with Australia and to reunite families, friends and holidaymakers. New Zealand welcomes you and hopes you have fun, she said on Monday morning.
Ardern not only welcomes visitors. According to the NZ Herald, the bubble could provide the country with the equivalent of 600 million euros in revenue for the tourism sector alone this year.
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Do not rush to open borders
Both countries have opened up to expand the travel bubble to other countries, including Singapore. But at least for Australia it may take some time. With a total of just over 29,000 infected and 910 deaths, the country has survived relatively well during the pandemic and few restrictions that restrict daily life remain.
But Australia is also far behind in vaccination and would be vulnerable to new major outbreaks of new variants of the virus.
“Australia is in no hurry to open its borders, I assure you,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the weekend.
– I will not risk ruining the way we live our lives, which is so different from how we see the rest of the world.
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