Trans-Tasman bubble: Mysterious first flight from Australia arrives 41 minutes after bubble opens
The first quarantine-free flight from Australia has landed in New Zealand, less than an hour after the trans-Tasman bubble officially opened.
The Qantas flight took off from Sydney late Sunday night, and was initially due to land early Monday morning – six minutes after the bubble opened. It touched down in Auckland 41 minutes after the new rules kicked in.
From April 19, Kiwis and Australians are able to travel between the two countries without having to quarantine.
Stuff understands the Qantas flight was repositioning to Auckland and the only passengers on board were crew.
The flight was not listed on Auckland Airport’s arrivals board, but a Qantas A330 was initially listed on Flight Radar 24 as arriving at 12.05am. The border opened six minutes earlier.
Qantas refused to answer any questions about the flight, including who was onboard.
A Qantas 737 (different from the expected A330) was seen leaving Sydney Airport for New Zealand late on Sunday evening. Flight Radar 24, which plotted the flight heading towards the North Island, had no destination listed.
Aircraft can potentially arrive more than 30 minutes early if they have a strong tailwind across the Tasman, but if that happened, the pilots could intentionally slow the plane to ensure they arrive after the border opening. However, if they had a medical emergency on the plane or a mechanical issue, it would need to land as soon as possible.
That could be one of the reasons no passenger flights are scheduled to land overnight, just after the border opens.
Instead, the first quarantine-free passenger flight arriving from Australia is a Jetstar service from Sydney. JQ201 is due to land at 11.20am, where an official welcome is planned at Auckland Airport.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.3% Yes
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15.1% No
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2.6% Other - I'll share below
Auckland Saxophone Ensemble Christmas concert!
Kia ora koutou,
I'd like to invite everyone to the Auckland Saxophone Ensemble's Christmas concert this Saturday at 7.30pm, where I've been invited to join the group on soprano and alto saxophones.
Join us for a festive evening of enchanting music as the Auckland Saxophone Ensemble celebrates the holiday season with a special Christmas concert!
We'll be playing music by Sergei Prokofiev, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Tomaso Albinoni and more.
Calling all saxophonists! We invite all saxophone players in Auckland, from beginners to experienced musicians, to join our "Saxophone Orchestra" during the second half of the concert. To join, select the "Join the Saxophone Orchestra" ticket and let us know your level and which saxophone you'll be bringing. We'll send you the sheet music a few weeks before the concert - no rehearsal necessary!
See link below for more information!
events.humanitix.com...