A COVID vacation

As the COVID pandemic slowly normalizes, international borders are reopening in the South Pacific. This month I took advantage of New Zealand’s decision to end mandatory quarantine for international visitors. As soon as the news was announced, I book flights over Easter to visit my mother. It’s been almost 12 months since I last saw her – and this last trip was my first visit in more than 18 months.

However, It would be fair to say that flying trans-Tasman again, is currently an expensive and bureaucratic process. Every airline was offering only one flight a day and each plane was heavily booked. The New Zealand government also required a fistful of paperwork that took days to prepare. In addition to my passport and e-ticket, I arrived at check-in with a New Zealand Government pre-departure clearance pass, an international COVID vaccination certificate, a negative PCR test report (only $300 for a same-day result – as you’ve got to fly within 72 hours of taking a test) and a copy of the testing laboratory’s international certification.

On Easter Saturday, I arrived at the airport early anticipating long queues and delays. I was pleasantly surprised to find the terminal almost empty. However, the paperwork made check-in a time-consuming experience. I watched a family of five checking in with the same pile of documents I was carrying. The poor staff member behind the desk spent 15 minutes reviewing, verifying, and processing everything before their tickets and luggage were eventually processed. On a more positive note, my early arrival gave me extra time to enjoy a leisurely champagne breakfast in the Qantas First Class lounge.

All arriving travelers are required to test two RAT tests after arriving in New Zealand. The first must be taken within 24 hours, while a second is required five days later. Free test kits are handed out as you pass through Auckland customs and immigration. Masks must be worn in the terminal in Sydney and onboard your flight. However, masks weren’t required within the Auckland terminal.

Mum and I decided to take a quick road trip after I arrived in Tauranga. We booked ourselves a three-day excursion to Taupo, home to New Zealand’s largest lake. I took advantage of my status with Hilton Honors and booked us into the Taupo Hilton. The hotel sits on a hill above the town. As a result. our room offered panoramic views across the lake from an attached balcony.

As a precaution, before I booked the hotel, I took my first mandatory COVID test. The result was negative, so we were all set to depart the day after joining my brothers for a family reunion lunch. Our Easter Monday meal was a fun-filled affair with plenty of laughs. 

The first day of our Taupo adventure was a full itinerary. We packed in plenty of activity including a wander through the Redwood Forest in Rotorua, a glass-blowing demonstration at the Lava Glass Studio & Sculpture Garden, and a stop at the spectacular Huka Falls.

Our second day was just as busy. After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we kicked off the day with a cruise to see the famous Ngatoroiranga Mine Bay rock carvings, stopped at The Vine for a fancy lunch, and took Mum shopping for new clothes and bed linen. We finished our day with a long and leisurely soak in the hot pools at Wairakei.

On our final day, after checking out, we wandered the lake foreshore, visited the Wairakei Geothermal Power Station lookout, and watched the Aratiatia rapids in full flood. The rapids are an interesting phenomenon. In the 1970s a hydro dam diverted water away from the natural rapids that mark the start of the Waikato River’s journey to the sea. However, the popularity of the rapids is such that the dam schedules a controlled release of water three times a day. As a result, for 15 minutes the power of this spectacular water course is briefly restored for visitors.

After watching the rapids, we made our way back home, stopping briefly to admire the Okere Falls. These falls, located north of Rotorua were once the site of this city’s first power station. This facility has gone since gone leaving just a handful of artifacts for visitors to see.

It was shortly after returning from Taupo that Mum and I embarked on an unexpected COVID adventure. I completed my mandatory Day 5 RAT test after we got home. The positive result was a shock, to say the least. Mum invariably tested positive three days later. As a result, I had to change my flight home, isolate with Mum for seven days, and then isolate again for a further three days once Mum tested positive.

I’m pleased to report that Mum and I have recovered with no lingering after-effects other than a residual cough. My triple vax and Mum’s quad vax have clearly made all the difference. I still don't know how I contracted COVID. I tested negative three times before I flew to New Zealand (both RAT and PCR results), and again after I arrived.

I ultimately spent an extra week in New Zealand caring for my Mum before finally making my way home to Sydney. I had to rebook my delayed return via Brisbane as, with only one flight scheduled per day to east coast cities, vacant trans-Tasman seats were few and far between.

However, my travel adventures weren't quite over yet. My flight to Queensland departed three hours late. As a result, I missed the last connecting flight to Sydney. Fortunately, Qantas put me up for a night at the Siebel. I finally made it back home on a 6:00am flight the following morning.