February 3 2022
The Government is reopening the border – starting with Kiwis coming from Australia from February 27 - with the MIQ system to end for all but "high-risk" unvaccinated travellers.
It's been a year since Lillian and Rodger Lodewyk left Tauranga to visit their son for a couple of months in Australia.
After seven attempts to get home, they can finally fly straight back to New Zealand this month.
The first step of New Zealand's border reopening began at11.59pm on Sunday.
Fully-vaccinated New Zealanders can now enter the country from Australia without a stay in managed isolation, although they are required to self-isolate for seven days on arrival.
From Friday, the border will reopen to Kiwis from the rest of the world.
The border will fully reopen to visitors from anywhere in the globe in October.
The Lodewyks are among those Kiwis desperate to get back home.
After one year stranded in Australia and seven unsuccessful attempts to return home to Tauranga Lillian Lodewyk and her husband Rodger are looking forward to an end of the stress. Photo / Supplied
When the couple flew to the Gold Coast early last year, they thought they would only be visiting their son for two months.
"We're pretty stressed to say the least. We haven't been able to get home for a year," Lillian Lodewyk said.
"Our cars are out of rego and warranty, we don't know what the house is like."
They are hoping to fly out for New Zealand on Sunday, March 16. It will be their seventh attempt to return home.
"We've had seven bookings cancelled either by Air New Zealand or due to the border closures," Lodewyk said.
"New Zealand's my country. I was born there. It's hard to think I could just be shut out."
Richard Proctor, Fenella Nicholas and their children Giselle, 8, and Elodie, 9, are excited to see family in Rotorua. Photo / Supplied
Fenella Nicholas, her husband Richard Proctor and their daughters Elodie, 9, and Giselle, 8, have been away from New Zealand for seven years.
They have tried to come home for nearly two years and are finally booked to come back at the end of March.
"We're a little worried about the situation in the Ukraine having an impact on London. President Putin has thrown out some outrageous threats towards NATO countries," Fenella Nicholas told the Bay of Plenty Times.
"The 2020s have been fairly eventful for the world so far but we'll try not to let a pandemic and tyrannical despot get in the way of our homecoming,
"We're so excited to finally be getting home to visit our family."
The Proctor family originally had tickets booked to return to New Zealand in March 2020.
"Then my husband and I got Covid and the world shut down."
The Proctors have been trying to get an MIQ spot ever since but never "won the lottery".
"It's been very hard separated from Mum and our kids have missed precious time with their kuia and my husband's parents and family," Nicholas said.
"The girls know so much about Rotorua and New Zealand, we can't wait to show off their other home to them and build some amazing memories."
Giselle Proctor, 8, knows a lot about New Zealand. She and her family are looking forward to building more memories in their "other home". Photo / Supplied
At each step of the border reopening, MIQ will be removed for most travellers, replaced by self-isolation and Covid-19 tests on arrival.
But the managed isolation system will stay in place for unvaccinated people.
An MIQ spokesperson said MBIE was "planning for the reduction of MIQ capacity."
"MIQ has always operated in a rapidly changing environment, and MBIE is moving to the next phase in its evolution.
"We are currently developing a plan, and we will be working closely with our partners and workforce on this to ensure the reduction of our operations is done in a managed way. We will have more to say in due course."
MIQ facilities have been located in Rotorua since July 2020, since then 17,045 returnees have stayed in the region.
As of February 24, there were 128 travellers isolating in Rotorua's MIQ hotels.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the five steps for reopening New Zealand to the world on February 3. Photo / Dean Purcell
Rotorua Daily Post asked MIQ authorities if a date had been set for the Sudima, Ibis and Rydges hotels to be reopened to non-MIQ visitors.
The spokesperson's reply did not respond to this question.
The Bay of Plenty Times also asked MIQ authorities what plans were in place for the New Zealand Defence Force personnel currently staying in Rotorua to support the MIQ facilities. The spokesperson's reply did not address this query.
"MIQ is expected to have an important ongoing role in the Covid-19 Response with the phased border re-opening," the spokesperson said.
"MIQ workers have been on the front line of our defence against Covid-19 and we are extremely grateful for their ongoing support for returnees and community cases."
A sign welcoming travellers arriving at Auckland Airport. Photo / NZME
Rotorua Economic Development chief executive Andrew Wilson said there had been benefits to having MIQ facilities in Rotorua.
"Whilst the need for MIQ facilities may be coming to an end, it's been good for Rotorua to have these facilities as they've provided an income for the properties, employment, and business for local food and beverage providers.
"The availability of more rooms for visitors will be especially beneficial once self-isolation requirements for visitors come to an end."
According to their websites, the Sudima and Ibis hotels in Rotorua are not open for bookings.
A duty manager at the Rydges Hotel said the hotel was still providing MIQ accommodation.
