MMM Simply Travel Blenheim.

20/08/2023

For the clarification of our visitors intending to drive in the Cook Islands, the Police Service would like to advise the following:

All overseas driver's licenses are valid for driving in the Cook Islands. These must be full licenses (car, van, motorcycle etc).

Learner License holders (as well as Probationary and Restricted or any other condition) must be tested (Theory and Practical) for a Visitor's License, in order to drive.

Please note that if hiring a vehicle, you are subject to rental company requirements, particularly insurance cover. In which case, you may need to convert your full overseas license (car, van, motorcycle etc) to a Visitor's (no testing required).

Returning visitors can renew their old licenses (up to five years old) without further testing ($20). Please bring your expired license back if you can, or request a database check. The Visitor's License is only valid for a one month period.

Foreign language licenses must be accompanied with an English translation, and please have your passport handy.

The Licensing Office is open 9am to 2pm Monday to Friday (closed Public Holidays).

26/08/2022

🛬 EK'S A380 BOUND FOR AKL 🛫

Emirates' A380 is coming back to New Zealand, with the carrier announcing that it will restore its non-stop A380 services to and from Auckland from 01 Dec.

The news comes as EK readies to re-open The Emirates Lounge at AKL on 03 Sep, next Saturday.

15/07/2022

The pandemic has unveiled devious tricks and shortfalls of OTA travel deals.

28/06/2022

24/06/2022

14/06/2022

Canal of Corinth, Greece

03/06/2022

03/06/2022

28/05/2022

Those pics of gin clear sea that make long boats look they're floating on air? They're real. Here are my picks for the best beaches in Thailand

24/05/2022

Brian willia

The World’s Best Airline on Facebook.

Experience the exceptional with us to over 160 destinations.

24/02/2022

From 12.01am Saturday 26 February 2022, there will be no longer be any entry requirements for travellers entering Tasmania.

This means regardless of your vaccination status or where you have travelled from, you will be able to visit Tasmania without registration or testing requirements.

For more information about travelling to Tasmania visit: www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/comingtotas

Additionally, there will no longer be a requirement for patrons and staff to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations to enter pubs, nightclubs or bars.

The vaccination requirement will also be removed from licensed events, except where Public Health identifies there is an increased risk of COVID-19.

For more information about COVID-19 in Tasmania, visit www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au

23/02/2022

‼️ P&O CANCELS KIWI CRUISE SEASON ‼️

P&O Cruises Australia has cancelled its 2022 Auckland cruise season, due to the absence of an agreed restart plan for cruising in New Zealand.

The move impacts the 21 cruises that were scheduled to depart ex Auckland 05 Jul-27 Nov.

P&O says while it has had ‘useful discussions’ with New Zealand officials and expects to have further contact, that ‘uncertainty remains as to when cruising is likely to resume, which has made it difficult to sustain the 2022 Auckland cruise season’.

The cruise line is hoping to return to New Zealand next year for an Auckland cruise season beginning in Jun 2023.

P&O says it recognises the disappointment of its New Zealand travel agent partners and cruise suppliers who are looking forward to the restart of cruising and the economic opportunities it represents.

Agents with impacted clients will be notified.

10/02/2022

✈️ AIR NZ INT’L SCHEDULE ✈️

Air New Zealand has released the re-start dates for its 2022 international schedule, see the chart below. 🙌

See more details and the flight frequencies in tomorrow’s issue.

07/02/2022

Great news!!!

More changes coming into effect removing some of the restrictions and making it easier for everyone to travel...

From the Fijian Government today:

* The careFIJI App and QR will not be required for entry into businesses and venues anymore because we are not presently relying on contact tracing as part of our COVID-19 response. The careFIJI App may be required again in the future if the epidemiological situation changes, so please keep the app on your phone so it is easily available if needed.

* Australia recently made a change to its testing requirements for their citizens returning from international travel by accepting rapid antigen tests as an alternative to PCR tests. We’re adding that same option.Travellers 12 years and above entering Fiji from a Travel Partner Country may produce a negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) taken within 24 hours of the flight’s scheduled departure. In other words, the more expensive PCR tests are no longer required to board flights to Fiji.

* Details of acceptable test-kits are published online. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services, will continue to monitor the global epidemiological situation and may re-introduce more stringent risk reduction measures if required.

* We’re also reviewing the requirement of a three-day Care Fiji Certified Accommodation requirement for arrivals into Fiji in favour of an entry system that allows passengers to submit confirmation of a booked COVID-19 test in Fiji within 48 hours of landing in Fiji. Before we make that change, we need more testing sites open in Fiji. We’ve put out an Expression of Interest for the private sector and we encourage more people to apply so that we can open as many testing sites as possible. We’ll have more details to announce on that policy shift soon.

* All Care Fiji Certified hotels, transport operators, and businesses must welcome this flexibility with stronger adherence to the measures that are required to maintain their certifications. If you fail to meet the high bar of COVID safety we’ve set for our visitors, our COVID safe Ambassadors and Police will shut you down. We cannot tolerate one bad apple in our tourism sector spoiling the bunch for all those who are following the rules.

Image: Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji

06/02/2022

Super important! Thank Blogger at Large

If you're travelling in NZ or Australia in the next little while, you should get travel insurance that will cover you if you GET Covid AND ALSO if your plans are disrupted because you are a close contact. I found 2 companies who will cover disruptions even if you DON'T GET Covid.

https://www.bloggeratlarge.com/what-to-be-aware-of-when-buying-travel-insurance/

07/01/2022

From today, most travellers to New Zealand must now have a negative PCR or RT-PCR test taken, and results returned, within 48 hours of the scheduled departure of their first international flight. Prior to this, travellers have needed to provide a negative PCR or RT-PCR test within 72 hours of departure.

With surging case numbers as a result of the Omicron variant, the availability of PCR tests has been constrained in many places overseas. Changes to pre-departure testing requirements will enable people to travel to New Zealand from specified locations where PCR testing is either not available, or is difficult to access in the timeframe needed for travel.

There are 105 specified places where obtaining a PCR test may be difficult or not possible, and travellers from these places can instead provide evidence of a negative rapid antigen test (RAT) or loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test. This must be taken, and the result returned, within 24 hours of departure.

A further 21 places are exempt from any pre-departure testing requirement either because they have no COVID-19, or no pre-departure testing is available.

Travellers who are required to provide a medical certificate as they are unable to take a test for medical reasons, and those travelling from a place that is exempt from pre-departure testing requirements, will also need to get this 48 hours before their flight.

All tests must be supervised by a health professional, which includes pharmacists, and verified in writing in the place of origin.

You can read more about pre-departure testing, including the list of specified places, on our website here: https://covid19.govt.nz/travel/international-travel-and-transit/pre-departure-tests-to-enter-new-zealand/

29/12/2021

19/12/2021

06/12/2021

Starting Dec. 6: All international air passengers, regardless of vaccination status, must show a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 1 day before to the United States.

If you have questions, CDC’s Travel Assessment can help: https://bit.ly/3mi0932

25/11/2021

Changes to our international border restrictions will make travelling to New Zealand easier. Our high levels of vaccination allow greater flexibility at the border, but we still need to take a cautious approach.

➡From 11.59pm Sunday 16 January 2022, fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other eligible travellers can travel to New Zealand from Australia without staying in MIQ.
➡From 11.59pm Sunday 13 February 2022, fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other eligible travellers can travel to New Zealand from all other countries.
➡From 30 April, 2022, all fully vaccinated individuals will be able to travel to New Zealand, with the re-opening staged over time.
➡The Very High-Risk classification for Indonesia, Fiji, India, Pakistan and Brazil is to be removed in early December 2021 and travellers from these countries will be able to enter New Zealand on the same basis as travellers from most other countries.

All travellers will still need a negative pre-departure test, proof of being fully vaccinated, a passenger travel declaration about their travel history, a day 0/1 test on arrival, a requirement to self-isolate for 7 days, and a final negative test before entering the community.

More information about how self-isolation will work will be released next month.

You can read more about travel to New Zealand on our website here: https://covid19.govt.nz/travel/international-travel-and-transit/travel-to-new-zealand/

14/09/2021

‼ AIR NZ QLD SERVICES PAUSED 'TIL MAR ‼

Air New Zealand's year-round services between Auckland and Cairns; AKL and the Sunshine Coast and Christchurch and the Gold Coast have been paused through to 26 Mar.

Year-round services on the routes will resume from the week of 28 Mar, advises the carrier. More details will be released in due course. See Wingtips for re-booking guidelines.

27/08/2021

Australian evacuation flights from Kabul have ceased, and all Australian Government personnel have departed Kabul. There’s an ongoing and very high threat of terrorist attack. Explosions have occurred in the vicinity of the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport. Do not travel to the airport. If you're in the area, move to a safe location.
Australians in need of consular assistance should contact the Australian Government 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 in Australia or +61 2 6261 3305 outside Australia.
Read more: smartraveller.gov.au/afghanistan

19/08/2021

The Canadian government will soon require all airline travellers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Many other countries are also mandating vaccines.

27/07/2021

https://www.insightvacations.com/nz/trips/venice-and-the-croatian-coast-summer-2022?fbclid=IwAR2JXdkm5QtR-Yos6L7eTOW4abQqF9hWWmc4jM0TUEBe9xKZwyX0eJoBY6k

Designed for women, by women, journey from elegant Venice and along the Dalmatian Coast to spectacular Dubrovnik. Visit fairy-tale towns, discover lush islands, and marvel at dramatic landscapes as you connect with inspiring female entrepreneurs through unique Make Travel Matter Experiences on this....

08/07/2021

https://cruisepassenger.com.au/royal-caribbeans-blockbuster-season-called-off/?fbclid=IwAR09mdY9g9it_7OdVUjGgFZPu5YceGMFHc_3BTnWoJsyE27YyEfNRd6UfIA

Four months after announcing a "blockbuster" season in Australia, Royal Caribbean has bowed to the inevitable and scratched its big ship sailings Down

10/06/2021

Portland, Oregon

20/05/2021

🇳🇿✈🇺🇸 From the South Island to the States… American Airlines are preparing for direct flights between Christchurch and LAX from January if international borders are open. We can’t wait to welcome them to CHC! 🙌🎉Tickets are now available to purchase: https://www.aa.com/en-us/flights-to-christchurch

15/05/2021

15/05/2021

Cappadocia 💕💕

Love blooms in Turkey 🇹🇷
​
​👉 travelloapp.app.link/InstallApp
Find Your Dream Destination on Travello 🌏
​
📸 Instagram.com/izkiz