Travel is good for New Zealand
It’s easy to get trapped in a negative vortex around Covid-19, especially when it comes to travel. But, let’s pull back and look at the positives that are emerging. Unlike most of the world, we can now travel domestically, without too much concern we’ll get infected.
Trans-Tasman travel is expected to resume in the next few months, and some form of Pacific holidays are likely to return before the end of the year.
And before we know it, foreign tourists will return to our shores in large numbers, perhaps as soon as next year.
We will never again have the country to ourselves. In the meantime, tourist operators are offering substantial discounts to get people travelling.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen campervans for $29 a night, the Chateau Tongariro for $70, and even zip-lining for $10.
This is the time. We will never get better deals, without the crowds. Yes, many aren’t in a financial position to travel widely. But even a road trip to free places such as Coromandel’s Cathedral Cove – without the usual hordes of foreign tourists – is worth considering.
For those who can, this is the time to try something new or get out to see those big attractions such as Milford Sound, the West Coast’s glaciers, or head to Marlborough to do that wine bike tour you’ve always dreamt of.
Our travel is doing a social good, too – we’re saving jobs. If you need inspiration to try something different, how about staying in a fairy tale tree house? Don’t worry, this one won’t break the bank.
Join me on the facing page, as I pretend to be a kid again – with a luxury twist.