"We did have plans, obviously before Covid, but we'll get there."
Asked if she was ready for a break, the PM laughed. "I think everybody is ready for a break," she said.
Addressing Covid-19, she acknowledged the worsening situation in other countries and encouraged Kiwis not to be complacent.
"The risk is growing," she said.
"It means more people are coming home and..it means the risk is higher."
Ardern said a lot of New Zealanders from overseas and particularly from places where Covid-19 is rife would be looking to come home - so people here need to continue to carry out the precautions we are all familiar with now.
That included washing hands and signing in on the Covid-19 tracer app.
She reflected on 2020, saying: "Nothing for me has demonstrated what the power of the collective than this year.
"It's been the year of the team of 5 million. We've truly had a collective effort - and that's what I put our success down to."
The PM acknowledged the work New Zealanders had done this year to make sure the country stayed safe as the virus hit our shores.
"We've always, as a country, had a plan."
Asked whether she would have much of a break over the summer, she said she would still be on call.
"Over summer, that doesn't happen - the papers stop and I am on call. It is a pandemic."
Asked if she would be watching anything on Netflix during her break, she said there was a possibility.
"When I've got the time," she said.
"Everybody's talking about The Queen's Gambit, so maybe that's (on the agenda)," she said, referring to the limited series that has proven to be hugely popular with Kiwis.
While in Christchurch, Ardern will open the Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House in Ilam at 11am on Tueday.
