surely the schedule can be cranked up very quickly ? Many people have flights booked already & even if they had to go via AKL or CHC or WLG to get to ZQN, it's not the end of the world.

Noted that VA had around 8 flights a week BNE/ZQN nonstop last winter.

Despite what you Aussies may think there will be NO trans Tasman or Pacific flying involving New Zealand until the New Zealand Government says so.

so we have to wait til 6pm news tonight or "tomorrow" ? NZ deputy PM seems to think it was "yesterday"

Think it's already been decided & they are just working out how to announce it, so they don't look even more stupid (pollies that is)

There is no valid political reason for the QLD border to be opened to NZ before it could be to domestic travel. Which the Premier has said multiple times in the last week, even if no cases, rainbows and butterflies, won't be before July 1.

The deputy PM is playing politics because there is a reasonable chance he will be chucked out on 19 Sep.

The whole cabinet decides, taking into account the "expert advice" and also the increasing mood of the people not to reopen.

Oops - sorry mods - I'm feeding the troll

Much like how you claimed that REX got "Fast Tracked" approval for Jets to be added to their AOC and that they would be starting next year, isn't that right BNEA320?

According to press reports, borders are set to open between WA, SA and NT and possibly QLD in the first stage of openings with the rest to follow afterwards - to be announced within days.

July 1 is my bet for Domestic borders to fall, followed shortly by the bubble. The protests funnily enough have swung the politics. Now the same premiers who looked so tough have been proven to be weak. The protests could also be what ‘stuffs’ it as well.
No doubt Qantas want to have it happen ASAP so they can take advantage of the VA situation. All is fair in love and war.
Rex are probably happy with the status quo

One of the protesters confirmed positive in Melbourne. The protests have undone all the hard work we've put in. Expect second wave in Australia and for interstate borders to remain closed :ugh:

Unbelievable! One wonders how many lives and livelihoods of all races could be in the balance as a result.

Hopefully it could go the other way if there is no or very little spread from this case. Could be the catalyst for opening the borders!

The organizers are now talking about planning mass rallies for refugees.

Even if there were several hundred cases from the protests I still think it should not affect border openings, this thing is here for the long term, we just need to deal with it, there has never been a successful Corona type virus vaccine produced....ever! It mutates too fast just like the normal flu.

Whilst there is ANY community transmission NZ will not be open for business. The small blip in Melbourne will set their chances back Queensland has got a far better chance (which is **** for me as my family are in Melbourne)

Nothing to do with SCOMO, NZ will decide who is allowed in by themselves

And Scomo will decide if Kiwis are allowed in here. Our border is also closed. I don't think the bubble would be only for the benefit of NZ. So it has everything to do with Scomo.

SA has today announced its borders will be open for unrestricted travel on July 20. Don't know about other states. Also stated there might be a relaxation before that with other states with no or little new cases such as WA ,Tas and NT. Problem with Tassie is most people need to travel through Vic or more importantly Melbourne to get here.

Anything mentioned about other Pacific Nations being part of the so called bubble?

Many thanks angryrat, that’s good news.

As much as I want to come home to visit my parents & siblings etc, you do *not* want to open borders to anyone coming from the US. COVID-19 'management' has been utterly abysmal here. It is in no way under control, let alone improving here.

Looks like CHC may be gearing up for more international travel.

I am currently serving day number 5/14 of quarantine in Auckland. Customs have just notified me that they are busy arranging a charter flight for those who's home is in the South Island and that a new quarantine facility in Chirstchurch has been opened. Auckland is probably reaching capacity quickly and with the add of the Tokyo service to AKL and the SQ service to CHC it was only a matter of time.

This would be a great start to getting Aussie travellers in to the South Island much quicker if more flights are being established and the bubble is approved

just saw the longest TV ad ever for Japanese skiing. Someone knows something. You don't spend big bucks on TV ads unless you've got something to sell.

Probably just a marketing company who thought advertising was a good idea. Doesn’t mean anything.

or, more probably, someone at Japanese &/or Australian govt level has told them international border between Australia & Japan will be open in Sept without any restrictions. You don't spend millions on TV ads on a whim.

BTW, saw the ad which must have run for 90 seconds, 3 times in the one movie last night.

Look on the bright side, MORE WORK FOR PILOTS !!!!

Also, Qld govt can't decide to open border with NSW on July 10, maybe sooner. The overpaid public servants, as usual, can't make any decision.

Haha, you're dreaming buddy. Get back to your travel agency

Tahiti full reopening to tourism from 15th July - subject to testing, masks etc etc

Air New Zealand back into Japan.

https://www.businesstraveller.com/bu...-narita-route/

New Zealand recorded two new cases today out of the blue. Both were visitors from the UK allowed in on compassionate grounds. Unfortunately they were allowed to travel by automobile, so another trace and isolate exercise will be necessary. Which will, I am sure, be a bucket of cold water on hasty plans to open any bubbles.

It happened to South Australia as well and I question the judgement of people who decide these cases. A large number of foreign arrivals in Victoria are turning out to be covid positive. We should take that as a warning.

Well, WA is still 'closed' at the borders.....Don't know for how much longer though.

WA Premier not sayin' much in the way of a 'timeline'.......

Cheers

As long as QLD, Tasmania and SA open up who cares what WA does.

SA's borders now reopen to WA/NT/TAS

Until there is a vaccine you'll continue to get cases unless you shut down ALL (no exceptions) international travel until there is a vaccine - a few cases, especially if they aren't life threatening, may be the price you pay to save the economy.

You don't even need to shut down all international travel. Community transmission always remains a possibility because nobody can guarantee that zero recorded cases equal zero real cases. No country can test all its population even once, let alone on a regular basis, to eliminate any possibility of some dormant asymptomatic case somewhere. So, the inherent risks of people mixing up remain as the price to be paid for a functional society (hence, functional economy).

But how do you predict which cases are going to be fatal, which visitor is a super spreader, what clusters will result?
There are some very bad long term outcomes for some survivors of Covid-19 that don’t seem to be part of the discussion either.

It appears that elements of the public have decided that economic bounty trumps public health. So far even the worst of the pandemic has occurred with social awareness and social controls to one degree or another. If we are going to ignore those then the second wave will be much worse than the first.

Well with Victoria now recording increasing numbers 21 today I doubt anyone will be letting them into their state. Hope a certain protest group are proud of them selfs.

15 of those are returned travellers in hotel quarantine, so the headlines are a little misleading.

What the Victorian figures do show is a relatively high rate of people returning from overseas do have this virus which means it will be even less likely international travel will kick off anytime soon outside the bubble.

Ragnor the protestors have nothing to do with the current increasing numbers. Their impact is still 7 days away

I heard a figure of 4% of returned travellers are testing positive to COVID