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1095 days ago

Trans-Tasman bubble: Mysterious first flight from Australia arrives 41 minutes after bubble opens

Caryn Wilkinson Reporter from Community News

The first quarantine-free flight from Australia has landed in New Zealand, less than an hour after the trans-Tasman bubble officially opened.

The Qantas flight took off from Sydney late Sunday night, and was initially due to land early Monday morning – six minutes after the bubble opened. It touched down in Auckland 41 minutes after the new rules kicked in.

From April 19, Kiwis and Australians are able to travel between the two countries without having to quarantine.

Stuff understands the Qantas flight was repositioning to Auckland and the only passengers on board were crew.

The flight was not listed on Auckland Airport’s arrivals board, but a Qantas A330 was initially listed on Flight Radar 24 as arriving at 12.05am. The border opened six minutes earlier.

Qantas refused to answer any questions about the flight, including who was onboard.

A Qantas 737 (different from the expected A330) was seen leaving Sydney Airport for New Zealand late on Sunday evening. Flight Radar 24, which plotted the flight heading towards the North Island, had no destination listed.

Aircraft can potentially arrive more than 30 minutes early if they have a strong tailwind across the Tasman, but if that happened, the pilots could intentionally slow the plane to ensure they arrive after the border opening. However, if they had a medical emergency on the plane or a mechanical issue, it would need to land as soon as possible.

That could be one of the reasons no passenger flights are scheduled to land overnight, just after the border opens.

Instead, the first quarantine-free passenger flight arriving from Australia is a Jetstar service from Sydney. JQ201 is due to land at 11.20am, where an official welcome is planned at Auckland Airport.

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Turn downsizing stress into strength

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Once you understand why you have this feeling, you can reframe it as creating a new environment that will support your present life while reminding you of your best experiences.

Click read more for the full article.

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Minimalist Design in Apartment Living

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Ryman’s Charles Upham Retirement Village resident Di is a former fashion designer, artist and self-confessed shoe hoarder who travels, still paints and has stamped her eclectic minimalist style on her apartment.

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13 hours ago

Hi, what's your name?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

We want to get to know our neighbours and we think you do too!

Simply share a little about yourself on the Know Thy Neighbour page and others will follow suit (you could also win one of our 10 x $50 Prezzy® cards!).

Are you the go-to person for baking advice (and a cup of sugar!) or have some computer skills that you're happy to share? We'd love to know.

Whether you're looking for others to join you on your walks, or just wanting to know more about your neighbours, go ahead and introduce yourself.
Get Involved

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