The start date of a trans-Tasman bubble will be announced on April 6, but what would such a bubble mean for travelling Kiwis?
Currently Kiwis can head to Australia without needing to undergo quarantine, but still face a 14-day stint in managed isolation upon return to New Zealand — at their own cost.
In just a few weeks, that could change, with a trans-Tasman bubble finally on the horizon.
But bubbles can pop — and quickly.
Kiwis planning a holiday in Australia should be aware their travel insurance may not cover extra expenses if either country goes back into lockdown, warns Brent Thomas, chief operating officer of House of Travel.
"If there's a lockdown by the New Zealand Government or the Australian government and they cannot transit across the Tasman, those costs will not be covered, most likely, by an insurance policy," he told Seven Sharp.
It's a message echoed by the Insurance Council of NZ, which warns travel insurance won't cover travel cancellations due to Government-imposed lockdowns, costs if a blanket quarantine is imposed by the Government, travel delay or border closures due to Covid-19, or travel to countries while a "do not travel" notice is in place — which is currently the case for New Zealand.
However, specific policies may cover costs if you get sick with Covid-19, it says.
Meanwhile, flight refunds if the bubble pops will come down to decisions made by each carrier.
"We've seen in the past where airlines have given us credits for customers to use, and they've also given refunds," Thomas says.
"So it is going to be airline by airline how they respond."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also warns the bubble "isn't without risk for travellers".
"We may have scenarios where travel will shut down one way and it may therefore leave travellers, for a period of time, stranded on either side of the Tasman," she says.
"That's one of the downsides of moving through this arrangement. But it doesn't mean we can't find a solution and move more quickly."
An announcement on the commencement date of a travel bubble will be made on April 6, Ardern says.
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