OPINION:
I can't wait for the travel bubble with Australia. I am looking forward to not going. In this time of Covid rebuilding, I believe it is our patriotic duty to spend our holiday cash right here in Aotearoa. When it comes to vacation time, remember this simple rhyme - Don't cross the ditch until Kiwis are rich.
Staying on this side of the Tasman won't be easy. We are a nation of travellers stuck at home for a very long time. Many of us have itchy feet. It would be so easy to nip over to fantastic cities like Melbs, Brissy and Sids. There'll be no quarantine time, cheap flights and Aussies welcoming us with open arms. Don't go. To quote Admiral Ackbar at the battle of Endor, "It's a trap". They want our money. They will use their spectacular tempting country to get it off us. In these difficult times, the tourism and hospitality industries of both countries are hurting. The question is, who are you going to help first? The answer is obvious. We Kiwis who love our country will keep our precious cash on our beautiful shores.
We love our antipodean cousins; this anti-travel rhetoric isn't hateful or personal; Aotearoa welcomes Australians to our shores. They are a wonderful people with wallets rammed full of precious foreign dollars. We must band together as a nation and fleece them. Every cent they spend here is an export. Every cent we spend there is an import. The more exporting and less importing we do, the more prosperous we are as a nation. Don't be a trade deficit, Benedict Arnold. Good Kiwis buy New Zealand-made, holiday locally and milk Australians wherever we see them.