Tassie travel’s simply wonderful
After more than a year on New Zealand soil, I’ve been to Australia twice since the trans-Tasman bubble opened. Was it weird to get out the passport again? Yes. And it felt like an enormous privilege. So, what’s it like to fly in the long-awaited bubble in this post-Covid world?
Forms. You need to get used to them. You generally need to fill in two online before departure to Australia: one country form and one for the state you’re visiting.
Then, the only difference you’ll notice at the airport is that many shops in the duty-free area are shut. The processing side of things is reassuringly normal.
Onboard, it’s much the same as a domestic flight. Masks must be worn, but can be taken off for food and drink. On arrival in Australia, a masked border agent enters the plane and reads a long Covid-19 disclaimer, essentially explaining that if you’re sick, you need to disclose it.
Getting through the airport seems faster than pre-Covid because the international terminal, which once served the world, is now essentially an Anzac terminal. Even if a few planes land at the same time, it’s very empty.
You’ll need to show your Australian and state travel declarations and have your temperature taken, then it’s straight out. It took me less than 15 minutes from walking off the plane to entering Sydney, which is a record.
Coming back was even more streamlined. I flew into Wellington, where passengers disembarked as usual. The Covid-19 messages, which warned you could be stuck if borders closed, played well before landing.
We walked through an automated temperature checker and, once again, straight out after having our bags checked.
The New Zealand border is a much slicker operation, with more automated processing. That’s surprising, given the Australian side has been open for months.
Some in New Zealand fear letting in Australians may lead to Covid-19 outbreaks. But, I think we need to look at it from another perspective.
In Tasmania, I told a cafe worker I’d just flown from New Zealand and she looked at me a little shocked.
‘‘You haven’t brought Covid with you, have you?’’ she asked, with a degree of seriousness.
It’s important to remember that Auckland has been through four lockdowns, while Tasmania has been through one. It’s funny to be on the receiving end of that, when so many think the reverse.
But what it tells me is that we’re all in the same boat. Both countries are doing their best to keep Covid-19 out.
And travelling to Australia really just feels like an extension of New Zealand. In fact, in Hobart I felt more removed from Covid-19 than at any time over the past year, as you can read on pages 38-39.