Today’s announcement to extend the travel bubble cause with Victoria will spell relief for many New Zealanders who fled as the Australian state went into lockdown.
1 NEWS spoke with Lloyd Richardson, a businessman who had travelled to Melbourne for a meeting on May 25, spending around seven hours in the city.
Upon hearing the news of Covid-19 cases in the state, he and a colleague immediately made plans to leave for Sydney.
While they were able to travel to New South Wales that evening, the pair missed the New Zealand Government’s travel cut-off by 90 minutes.
This means they are treated as if they still reside in Melbourne and aren’t allowed to travel back to New Zealand.
But there are plans underway for managed “green flights” for stranded Kiwis to get home. (Source: Other)
Richardson said it had been like a “full-time job” trying to get answers about when they might be allowed to return.
“We think it's a bit farcical that we don't have a line of sight how we can get home.”
He and his colleague have both now had three Covid-19 tests in the hopes it’ll allow them to board a flight back home.
Two of the tests have returned a negative result, with the third expected tomorrow morning.
“It's a good idea to shut down Melbourne, fair call,” he said.
“But in our situation and all the other people who’ve got out of Melbourne, had tests and are clear, there should be an opportunity to travel home.”
In changes announced by Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins this afternoon, the pair will now be allowed to return home.
Anyone who was in Victoria between May 20 and May 25 but is now in another Australian state, can fly to New Zealand providing they have tested negative 72 hours before departure.
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