New Zealand 2022 reopening

[sayhello]

We are coming in a couple of days early - will wander and play around the city without a firm activity booking that first day, second pre-day we will spend the day in Hobbitown with the breakfast and luncheon feast. On the first day of the ABD we plan to take the Ferry to Devenport and bike and play on the Chestham beach. Only thing for sure right now is Hobbitown. We have a post day stay as well to visit Milford Sound. You have quite the trip planned with the cruise following the New Zealand trek!

Ah! Hobbiton is so on my bucket list!!!

Sayhello

 

[Mathmagicland]

second pre-day we will spend the day in Hobbitown with the breakfast and luncheon feast.

Who are you booking this with, or are you going on your own? The Second Breakfast seems to be something new since I researched this a couple of years ago. Thx!

 

[Grifdog22]

Who are you booking this with, or are you going on your own? The Second Breakfast seems to be something new since I researched this a couple of years ago. Thx!

Bush & Beach. They were not running at all when we originally booked New Zealand. They have many different versions and this is a much longer version...we enjoyed the Harry Potter Warner Brother's trip in England, and spent far more time than the typical tourist rushing through, so we also wanted time to enjoy and people watch as well. When are you going?

 

[Mathmagicland]

Bush & Beach. They were not running at all when we originally booked New Zealand. They have many different versions and this is a much longer version...we enjoyed the Harry Potter Warner Brother's trip in England, and spent far more time than the typical tourist rushing through, so we also wanted time to enjoy and people watch as well. When are you going?

Haven’t booked yet, but am about 90% towards booking for October. I was booked to go last year; we know how those trips couldn’t happen. My potential conflict for this year has recently gone away, so trying to figure if I can now make it work. I’ll know in a couple of weeks, so have dug out my research notes to start looking at it again. As soon as you mentioned Hobbiton, it got me really wanting to go this year as that was the first thing I’d researched previously.

 

[MeDisney]

Did any New Zealand trip go this year yet?

What about Australia?

 

[sayhello]

Did any New Zealand trip go this year yet?

What about Australia?

No and No. New Zealand hasn't had any yet (they start in October) and to my knowledge, Australia still hasn't re-opened to US tourists yet.

Sayhello

 

[MeDisney]

I saw there was July trips to Australia? Are these cancelled?

 

[sayhello]

I saw there was July trips to Australia? Are these cancelled?

OK, I may be wrong, the more I look, it appears travel is possible to Australia, but you must be fully vaccinated or get a special exemption, and "quarantine may be required" whatever that means. I think that changed pretty recently. So I guess they may go.

Sayhello

 

[Grifdog22]

New Zealand requires we have a NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) document issued as well as pay an International Visitor's Levy (IVL). They have an application for your smartphone to do this. The app is free and they discount the total charge a few dollars if you use it - $44 pp. You can apply for the entire family. The application works extremely well, simple and straightforward. Have your passport and credit card ready, and it will also take your picture. It warns it can take some time before the permit is issued. Ours was issued within a couple of minutes. Very easy. (The charges are non refundable, even if they decline your application and say you cannot come in). We are 3 1/2 months away and time is moving very fast. Still have a number of reservations to make and things to do. We are debating bungee jumping or skydiving as OYO activities during some of the free time. The videos of jumping off the tower in Auckland just look creepy - jumping off a cliff looks like more fun. Just watched a video of an America's cup sailboat sailing we are doing with ABD - it looks like great.

 

[MeDisney]

New Zealand requires we have a NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) document issued as well as pay an International Visitor's Levy (IVL). They have an application for your smartphone to do this. The app is free and they discount the total charge a few dollars if you use it - $44 pp. You can apply for the entire family. The application works extremely well, simple and straightforward. Have your passport and credit card ready, and it will also take your picture. It warns it can take some time before the permit is issued. Ours was issued within a couple of minutes. Very easy. (The charges are non refundable, even if they decline your application and say you cannot come in). We are 3 1/2 months away and time is moving very fast. Still have a number of reservations to make and things to do. We are debating bungee jumping or skydiving as OYO activities during some of the free time. The videos of jumping off the tower in Auckland just look creepy - jumping off a cliff looks like more fun. Just watched a video of an America's cup sailboat sailing we are doing with ABD - it looks like great.

Just curious, was the NZ trip approved to go? I was wondering how the testing upon arrival at Day 0 and Day 5 would affect the trip, but hoping that it will go away by the time your trip goes.

 

[TravelJunkieHubby]

I was curious if anyone going on the December NZ ABDs has purchased airline tickets? If so - how are you getting back to the US from Queenstown? We are planning to fly back to Auckland on Jan 2 but there would only be a 2 hour layover to catch our flight back to the US.

We aren't comfortable with such a short layover due to work/school concerns, so we are thinking to fly back to Auckland one day early and miss the last afternoon/evening. Curious if anyone else is in the same boat?

 

[abdgeek]

I was curious if anyone going on the December NZ ABDs has purchased airline tickets? If so - how are you getting back to the US from Queenstown? We are planning to fly back to Auckland on Jan 2 but there would only be a 2 hour layover to catch our flight back to the US.

We aren't comfortable with such a short layover due to work/school concerns, so we are thinking to fly back to Auckland one day early and miss the last afternoon/evening. Curious if anyone else is in the same boat?

I bought my airline tickets months ago, I just made sure they were refundable. I’m flying to Auckland on the last day and spending NYE there. I then fly back to the US on Jan. 1st so that I can be at work the next day. It’s going to be evil, but that was the best case scenario when I decided to spend NYE in Auckland due to the fact that all the US flights left from Auckland.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Bush & Beach.

Finally found my research notes for the NZ AbD I had booked for last year, that ended up as cancelled. This company was also my first choice for a Hobbiton tour!

 

[DjmNash]

We are going in December t

I was curious if anyone going on the December NZ ABDs has purchased airline tickets? If so - how are you getting back to the US from Queenstown? We are planning to fly back to Auckland on Jan 2 but there would only be a 2 hour layover to catch our flight back to the US.

We aren't comfortable with such a short layover due to work/school concerns, so we are thinking to fly back to Auckland one day early and miss the last afternoon/evening. Curious if anyone else is in the same boat?

I was curious if anyone going on the December NZ ABDs has purchased airline tickets? If so - how are you getting back to the US from Queenstown? We are planning to fly back to Auckland on Jan 2 but there would only be a 2 hour layover to catch our flight back to the US.

We aren't comfortable with such a short layover due to work/school concerns, so we are thinking to fly back to Auckland one day early and miss the last afternoon/evening. Curious if anyone else is in the same boat?

We are going in December too. We just bought our plane tix from US to Auckland, round trip. We scheduled the return to US trip for 2 days after the ABD to give us time to rest, explore, etc. We were not comfortable trying to get from Queenstown to Auckland and then quickly getting on an international flight. We are debating another night in Queenstown or Auckland before heading home. This is a 'trip of a lifetime's for us (so far).

 

[Grifdog22]

We are going in December t



We are going in December too. We just bought our plane tix from US to Auckland, round trip. We scheduled the return to US trip for 2 days after the ABD to give us time to rest, explore, etc. We were not comfortable trying to get from Queenstown to Auckland and then quickly getting on an international flight. We are debating another night in Queenstown or Auckland before heading home. This is a 'trip of a lifetime's for us (so far).

We hit final payment in a few weeks. We are staying at the Queenstown hotel post as well. The last day of the ABD has nothing scheduled, so we are being picked up at the hotel at 6:30 for the full milford sound tour. Very excited about that! The next day is sleep in late as we have an afternoon departure to Auckland and a late flight to the US. Hoping ABD cleans things up better than they did for England where many things were changed or not a go. Here, the day 4 was supposed to be a drop into Te Puia geothermal park to explore all morning. NZ no longer allows that - the activities are all NZ guided and accompanied and pre-reserved....

 

[TravelJunkieHubby]

We hit final payment in a few weeks. We are staying at the Queenstown hotel post as well. The last day of the ABD has nothing scheduled, so we are being picked up at the hotel at 6:30 for the full milford sound tour. Very excited about that! The next day is sleep in late as we have an afternoon departure to Auckland and a late flight to the US. Hoping ABD cleans things up better than they did for England where many things were changed or not a go. Here, the day 4 was supposed to be a drop into Te Puia geothermal park to explore all morning. NZ no longer allows that - the activities are all NZ guided and accompanied and pre-reserved....

Fwiw the destination manager told me he will be there the almost the whole month of October… hopefully that gives them enough time to troubleshoot and button things up.

 

[Grifdog22]

Fwiw the destination manager told me he will be there the almost the whole month of October… hopefully that gives them enough time to troubleshoot and button things up.

You've just made my day; and I hope you are right! Thanks for posting!

 

[Mathmagicland]

Good news today for those traveling to New Zealand starting tomorrow -

New Zealand has eliminated all COVID-19-related travel restrictions and testing requirements, marking the end of what was once some of the strictest pandemic-era rules in the world.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/new-zealand-drops-covid-vaccine-testing-rules-6561093

 

[DjmNash]

Good news today for those traveling to New Zealand starting tomorrow -

New Zealand has eliminated all COVID-19-related travel restrictions and testing requirements, marking the end of what was once some of the strictest pandemic-era rules in the world.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/new-zealand-drops-covid-vaccine-testing-rules-6561093

That's amazing news! Thank you

 

[Grifdog22]

Good news today for those traveling to New Zealand starting tomorrow -

New Zealand has eliminated all COVID-19-related travel restrictions and testing requirements, marking the end of what was once some of the strictest pandemic-era rules in the world.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/new-zealand-drops-covid-vaccine-testing-rules-6561093

Oh thank you thank you thank you for the news.