Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Jo Raphael: Let's keep the travel bubbles open as long as possible

Jo Raphael
By Jo Raphael
Rotorua Daily Post·
4 May, 2021 09:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Scenes like this will soon be a reality with the opening of the Cook Islands travel bubble. Photo / File

Scenes like this will soon be a reality with the opening of the Cook Islands travel bubble. Photo / File

OPINION

I love a good getaway.

You're out of the country, away from "real life", relaxing, trying things you would never normally try, or buying things you would never normally buy.

You've got your feet in the sand, sun on your back, a drink in your hand and you're seemingly without a care in the world - feeling the stress melt away.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Kiwis now get the opportunity to experience this type of holiday again after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown officially announced the quarantine-free travel bubble with the Cook Islands and New Zealand.

"Our economy has been devastated. Today we start our journey of recovery. Today we get back into business and today we start to rebuild," Brown said in a Facebook video.

May 17 is the day that families can be reunited and tourists can have somewhere else to go to relax.

Travel companies say they've seen a flurry of interest in flights and accommodation, with one hotel chain saying that it was taking calls and bookings while the live announcement was still being made on telly.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Such is the desperation for some to get out of the country and experience an island getaway.

The relief will be palpable on both sides – the Pacific nation's languishing tourism sector will hopefully get a kickstart, while Kiwis, who seem to be experiencing a type of cabin fever, will get a break.

Discover more

Jo Raphael: Our city's taonga must be shared

21 Apr 08:00 PM

Jo Raphael: India travel ban temporary, will save lives

18 Apr 09:00 PM

Jo Raphael: Transcending squabbles with Anzac spirit

25 Apr 09:00 PM

Jo Raphael: We have the land and trees. Let's build the houses

17 Apr 10:00 PM

However, we must be vigilant. We have been so lucky at keeping Covid-19 at bay. Although luck is not quite the correct word here – it's more like hard work and sacrifice that have got us to where we are.

We should be counting our blessings while countries such as India are experiencing a devastating wave of cases – causing so much fear and heartbreak.

As we start to open our borders, we must understand that it is a privilege to be able to travel and we must follow the processes and protocols.

Freedom is based on trust and we rely on every single person to do their bit.

Wear your mask when you're asked to, don't travel if you're sick, fill in your arrival and departure cards correctly and have your temperature checked, download and use the CookSafe+ app before arriving in Rarotonga and switch on the Bluetooth function.

This is not actually a big ask, and means everyone can enjoy a safe travel bubble.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Meanwhile, I'm also looking forward to our bubbles being extended further afield – bring on Bali 2022.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

06 Jul 03:55 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Safety risks': Concerns as hospital security guards double as cleaners

05 Jul 10:45 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Bid for inquiry into Ōhinemutu sewage spills fails

05 Jul 06:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

06 Jul 03:55 AM

Chris Hipkins agreed to meet him in Wellington after the Prime Minister said 'no'.

'Safety risks': Concerns as hospital security guards double as cleaners

'Safety risks': Concerns as hospital security guards double as cleaners

05 Jul 10:45 PM
Bid for inquiry into Ōhinemutu sewage spills fails

Bid for inquiry into Ōhinemutu sewage spills fails

05 Jul 06:00 PM
Man admits having $20k of stolen goods in mysterious arson case

Man admits having $20k of stolen goods in mysterious arson case

04 Jul 06:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP