Travellers board New Zealand flights after travel rules relaxed

There have been busy scenes at Brisbane airport this morning for flights across the Tasman after New Zealand opened its border to tourists with quarantine rules scrapped.

Excited travellers have hit Brisbane's airport this morning as New Zealand lifts border restrictions on Aussies for the first time in more than six months.

Fully vaccinated Australians can now enter the country without going into isolation or quarantine. Some self-testing is required.

Tom and Leah Cho were at Brisbane Airport this morning, preparing to take their one-year-old son to New Zealand to see his grandparents.

“We grew up in New Zealand, my parents are still over there,” Mr Cho said.

“Lucas just turned one the other week so we’re going over there to visit his grandparents that he hasn’t seen in 10 months.

Tom and Leah Cho with baby Lucas, preparing for their flight to New Zealand.

Mr Cho said this was the first visit to New Zealand since the start of the pandemic.

With travel restrictions easing between the two countries, Mr Cho said the opportunity to see his parents meant a lot.

“With the little one here, we always wanted to visit regularly to visit them. Unfortunately they weren’t able to come over for Christmas so it was a bit disappointing, so this means a lot to us,” he said.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern this morning said she was delighted to welcome Australians back in time for Easter.

“I cannot actually imagine or remember a time when we would have been so excited to be welcoming our Australian family back to our shores. It is very genuine,” she told Sunrise.

‘Our borders have been open for New Zealand citizens and permanent residents to come back and forth for a while, today is the big day because this is when it is open for Australian tourists.’

“You are our extended family, it means a lot to us to be able to welcome you back to your second home, because it is probably how we see ourselves and in many ways it is how we see you.

“It is more than just economic for us, it is a big part of who we are to be welcoming to people to our shores.”

More than 4000 passengers were booked on 11 flights from Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne on Wednesday.

Ms Ardern said she had seen high demand across the Tasman, with Australians keen to reconnect with family and friends.

“We are ready to welcome the world back,” she said.

“Closing our border was one of the first actions we took to stop Covid-19 two years ago. It did the job we needed. But now that we’re highly vaccinated and predicted to be off our Omicron peak, it’s now safe to open up.”

Yvonne Nicholas is returning to New Zealand for the first time since 2019 to celebrate Easter with her family.

Ms Nicholas was on today’s first flight, while her sister is flying tomorrow.

“Well when we knew that we could go back without too much hassle, and my family that live over there, they wanted to see us,” Ms Nicholas said.

“Lost our father in 2018, went back then, went back 2019, and so we haven’t been back since as a family, a very close family.

“Wanted to get together, Easter, which is the time of both parents’ deaths. We’re going back to just get together. My sister and her family are flying back tomorrow, I’ve got lots of family over there already.”

Ms Nicholas only found out today that there are no longer restrictions when flying across the Tasman Sea.

“February I made the booking,” Ms Nicholas said.

“I only found out today that this is the first flight back without any restrictions.”