Who doesn’t like starting autumn with a little good news? Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacida Ardern and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown announced that New Zealand and the Cook Islands will be opening a quarantine-free travel bubble between the two island nations on May 17.
Yes fam, in just under two weeks’ time you could be digging your toes into the pristine white sands on Rarotonga and chasing the sun without having to quarantine either way. Oh happy day.
Just like with the recently operational Trans-Tasman travel bubble it will be operating on a flyer beware caveat, which means that the bubble could be closed with little notice if there is a Covid outbreak in either country. But to be honest, we can think of worse places to be unexpectedly stranded than on a beach with a mojito in hand. We’ll take our chances.
Travellers will need to have been in either The Cook Islands or NZ for two weeks before travelling to the other which means our Australian kin will need to spend at least 14 days in NZ before travelling on to the Cooks and then 14 days back in NZ before travelling back to Australia.
Looks like our winter sun options just got infinitely better. We’ll see you on the beach!
The Details
What: The NZ and Cook Island Travel Bubble
When: From May 17, 2021
Where: Between NZ and Cook Islands
Never been to the Cooks? Check out the ultimate first timer’s guide.
Image credit: Christoph Burgdorfer