The long planned two-way travel bubble between New Zealand and Australia could finally become a reality next month.
Talks are back on and almost finalised subject to no more Covid outbreaks. It could begin in late April according to government officials familiar with the discussions.
A feasibility paper is being looked at in New Zealand and a decision on in could be made as early as 22 March.
If that happens the travel bubble could finally take off by mid to late April.
It would allow quarantine-free travel between the two countries in both directions.
Currently Kiwis can enter certain Australian states without quarantine, but that is not the case in the other direction for Aussies.
"There’s a few issues still to talk through, including what we do in the event there is an outbreak, how we manage people who aren’t in their home country at that time," Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson told Radio NZ.
In addition, New Zealand is in talks over travel bubbles with the Cook Islands and Niue, while Australia is talking to Singapore.
