Border relaxation good news for Kiwis, but what about the Aussies?

5 min read

Written by Jessica Owers

As the Karaka sales complex winds up for the New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) National Yearling Sale next week, things were given an official shake-up on Monday with the announcement that Kiwi citizens could return home from Australia from Wednesday onwards without the need to quarantine.

It was an eleventh-hour decision by the New Zealand government as far as Karaka was concerned, but it means that fully vaccinated, returning New Zealand citizens no longer need to spend time isolating after flying in from Australia.

Travellers will need to undergo a COVID test on arrival, with another on day five or six. Any COVID-positive travellers will need to quarantine as usual, along with any unvaccinated travellers entering New Zealand.

New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka auditorium

On Monday, the New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, said it was an important milestone for the country, as New Zealand grapples with its Omicron infections in the broader population.

“It’s a huge milestone for our tourism sector and regional economies,” Ardern said.

Good news finally

For NZB, the announcement was welcome news, coming as it has on the eve of its most important Sale of the year.

It means that several Kiwi nationals currently in Australia can fly into New Zealand for the National Yearling Sale Series this week (and from other parts of the world from Friday), but the relaxation doesn’t extend to non-New Zealand citizens at this point.

Andrew Seabrook, the NZB managing director, said this was a point of confusion initially.

Andrew Seabrook

“It was a bit unclear when the announcement was made on Monday in the subsequent press releases,” Seabrook said. “Yes, it is just Kiwis based in Australia that are able to come without having to do the isolation, and unfortunately that hasn’t been extended to the Australians yet, much to our dismay. But we are thrilled to get the Kiwis back.”

Among this set of New Zealanders able to return, there are some significant buyers that may now be Karaka-bound this week.

“There are a number of Kiwis based in Australia that we’ve already spoken to, and there are some big buyers among them,” Seabrook said. “But the other category that qualifies to come home are those Australians that are married to a Kiwi, which throws up a number of people that are now eligible to travel too.”

“But the other category that qualifies to come home are those Australians that are married to a Kiwi, which throws up a number of people that are now eligible to travel too.” - Andrew Seabrook

The likes of Peter Moody will qualify under this category, and also Julian Blaxland, both of whom are Australians married to New Zealanders.

“All of this is really the first bit of good news that we’ve had for a couple of years in regards to COVID,” Seabrook said. “So all of this was really well-received. We would love for it to have been extended to our Australian friends, and there are a lot of frustrated Australians that have contacted me, but there are some big Australian-based Kiwi buyers that can come back now and hopefully that will mean a more successful Sale for our vendors.”

Longing for logic

Book 1 of the NZB National Yearling Sale commences on Monday, with 636 yearlings catalogued across three days. Book 2 will kick off on Thursday, March 10, with an additional 466 horses offered over three days.

Seabrook said he’s very hopeful that the border relaxation will bring important names back to Karaka next week.

“I’d say there’s going to be 10 or 12 Kiwis based in Australia that will now come home,” he said. “I’m pretty confident of that.”

A yearling being paraded at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Sale

He added that NZB is still leaning on the New Zealand government in hope that non-citizens, Australians in particular, will still be able to make it.

“We’re still pushing the government,” Seabrook said. “We’ve got a very good relationship with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), and our manager there is still pushing to try and get it extended for Australians.

“I mean, what is the difference at this point? Cases of Omicron here in New Zealand are outweighing cases in Australia, and if Kiwis living in Australia can come home, why can’t Australians come?”

“...what is the difference at this point? Cases of Omicron here in New Zealand are outweighing cases in Australia, and if Kiwis living in Australia can come home, why can’t Australians come?” - Andrew Seabrook

While New Zealand largely managed to keep a lid on COVID-19 throughout the pandemic, the country is now posting some of the highest figures for the Omicron strain.

Monday saw 14,633 positive cases nationally which, admittedly, could be due to the introduction of rapid antigen testing last week, something that also occurred in Australia through January.

The high figures prompted Monday’s border relaxation, based on the fact of travellers returning from Australia with a lower risk of Omicron infection than the local population. It’s why NZB is still pushing its case ahead of next week’s big Sale.

“We’re still beating the drum over here and we’re not going down without a fight,” Seabrook said.

New Zealand Bloodstock
Andrew Seabrook
Karaka
New Zealand Border