Oz/NZ 2021.

Sbooker

Active member
Myself and my wife have not skied since this time last year when we were in Colorado.
My kids haven't been on snow since December 2019 when we visited Hokkaido.
We couldn't ski here in Oz last winter but we are booked to get four days skiing in this August! \:D/ We'll be taking the unusual step of pulling the kids out of school.
We've booked accommodation but not lift tickets yet. Really tempted to buy Mountain Collective when available in the hope of getting some 21/22 northern hemisphere skiing in. That is not certain for us Aussies yet. I'm thinking it likely that we'll be able to travel by the spring time and that would open up Panorama/Banff or Snowbird/Squaw/Mammoth or even Chamonix.
So much is up in the air.
Here's looking forward to winter.
 
Tony Crocker":1k7kyt89 said:
Still no travel allowed between Oz and NZ?
No.
They’re using “an abundance of caution”.
There has been no Covid in the wild in the entire country for a month.
NZ had a leak from hotel quarantine in Auckland that caused a ‘cluster’ of 11 cases about 3 weeks ago.
The vaccine rollout has been hampered by drug companies not fulfilling supply obligations. (Understandable in the circumstances). The Astra vaccine will roll off the production line at CSL’s Melbourne facility at one million doses per week starting next week. We also have supplies coming from Pfizer and Moderna apparently. The goal is to have the population vaccinated by the end of October. There is talk in high places of opening the international border in some way from November.
I think I will set my sights on a late March 22 trip to Europe, Canada or USA. If we can wedge in a short notice trip to Hokkaido prior to then we will.
 
Tony Crocker":2atsz0cl said:
We are doing better with vaccinations
As of March 11, 19.3% of Americans have had one shot and 10% have had two. I had my second February 16 and Liz has scheduled her second March 19.
The pace at which the rest of the developed world is being vaccinated has been noted by most Aussie punters.
The Morrison government understands they will largely be measured by the success of this vaccination programme.
They need to get moving.
 
After false starts, the Australia-New Zealand bubble starts this month

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Monday her country would allow Australians to travel to the country quarantine-free from April 18 at 11:59 pm, in an experiment that offers a glimpse into what future foreign holidays may look like in many parts of the world.

Australia has allowed New Zealanders to enter the country without quarantine for several months, and Monday's announcement will make the arrangement a two-way corridor. Both countries have reported very few Covid-19 cases and deaths, and have tried to stamp out the virus, rather than simply controlling it.

"This is an important step forward in our Covid response and represents an arrangement I do not believe we have seen in any other part of the world. That is, safely opening up international travel to another country while continuing to pursue a strategy of elimination and a commitment to keeping the virus out," Ardern said during a news conference.
 
And another year of no skiing due to locked borders.
I was meant to be in the Snowy Mountains next week.
I'm now looking forward to skiing NZ in August 2022 as there is zero chance we'll be allowed out of our island prison this coming Northern Hemisphere winter.
Yeah for Covid. Double yeah for incompetent governments.
 
I had meant to post when NZ closed to Aussies again after the recent Sydney outbreak. When are Oz and NZ going get vaccines? I checked Thredbo's website. Skiing is open except for those who live in enumerated locations with stay-at-home orders. So I assume sbooker would be allowed to ski Thredbo. I'm guessing that he faces a quarantine upon returning to Queensland though.

There is growing concern on the Solar Eclipse Mailing List about foreign tourists being allowed into Australia for the April 2023 eclipse, as well as obvious concern about Chile/Argentina for Antarctic flights and cruises this December.

We had a breakthrough (presumably delta) case close to home. That would be Adam, who was vaccinated in March but was one of at least 17 COVID cases contracted at a wedding in Jackson Hole July 17-18, including the bride and groom. Adam had a fever for three days but is fully recovered now. I have taken the advice of the Israeli government and got a third shot Aug. 1 because I'm over 60 and more than 5 months since the second shot.

Adam and Alexa are getting married in October. Proof of vaccination or recent negative test will be required to attend the reception. Wedding will be family only a few days earlier.
 
Tony Crocker":3fw87avo said:
I had meant to post when NZ closed to Aussies again after the recent Sydney outbreak. When are Oz and NZ going get vaccines? I checked Thredbo's website. Skiing is open except for those who live in enumerated locations with stay-at-home orders. So I assume sbooker would be allowed to ski Thredbo. I'm guessing that he faces a quarantine upon returning to Queensland though.

There is growing concern on the Solar Eclipse Mailing List about foreign tourists being allowed into Australia for the April 2023 eclipse, as well as obvious concern about Chile/Argentina for Antarctic flights and cruises this December.

We had a breakthrough (presumably delta) case close to home. That would be Adam, who was vaccinated in March but was one of at least 17 COVID cases contracted at a wedding in Jackson Hole July 17-18, including the bride and groom. Adam had a fever for three days but is fully recovered now. I have taken the advice of the Israeli government and got a third shot Aug. 1 because I'm over 60 and more than 5 months since the second shot.

Adam and Alexa are getting married in October. Proof of vaccination or recent negative test will be required to attend the reception. Wedding will be family only a few days earlier.

We would have to do 14 days hotel quarantine................. Edit - and we're in lockdown anyway.

Our population is about 40% (dose 1) and 20% fully vaccinated.
The Prime Minister - that I voted for - has made our vaccine rollout a shambles. The logistics and messaging have been terrible. The main problem is supply.*
We have good supply of Pfizer coming next month apparently.

*We're swimming in locally produced Astra Zeneca vaccine. Our spineless government gave an advisory group that is supposed to have no public voice a public voice. ATAGI advised there was more risk (about 1 in 75000 from memory) from blood clots caused by AZ vaccine than the risk of covid infection in covid free Australia. That was a few of months ago. Now covid is circulating here ATAGI have changed guidance but the damage has been done. Most punters are "waiting for Pfizer".
Our prime minister infamously said when asked about the glacially slow vaccine rollout a few months ago - "it's not a race". He must be regretting that now that we have more than half our population locked down. All of greater Sydney, Brisbane, Newcastle and all of Victoria are in their homes. Anecdotally the population are suffering severe lock down fatigue. Surely this will increase as the population becomes more and more vaccinated.
The pressure on the government to 'open' will be unbearable come Christmas time. I'm positive the federal and state governments will have no choice but to change to a 'living with covid' as opposed to and elimination model.

Good to hear your son's breakthrough case wasn't severe.
 
Hi Guys,
I am hoping you can help me out. We recently did a interview with https://quipmo.com/blog/lydia-lassila-oam-moments-that-matter/ for our Adventure Blog. My background is not snowsports (Growing up in Western QLD will do that to you) so if anyone can suggest others in the Australian Ski/Snow industry (professional sports, Business leaders, General legends who float around season to season) that would be massively appreciated. Cheers
 
New Zealand went into total lockdown Aug. 17. The COVID-19 outbreak appears to have been confined to Auckland and the new case count there has declined from peak 83/day to 18 now. Accordingly the rest of NZ has backed off to Level 2, which means the ski areas reopened Sept. 8.

New South Wales is still reporting 1,400 new cases per day; containment there seems not too likely. Victoria has 107 new cases today and the other provinces are still COVID free for the time being. Mt. Hotham and Mt. Buller have reopened.
 
New South Wales has been subdivided into lockdown and less restricted sectors, much like Victoria. Accordingly Thredbo and Perisher reopened Sept. 11. Auckland has loosened slightly to level 3, where there are still new cases but nearly all have been traced.

Australia (58% one dose, 38% two) and New Zealand (63%, 33%) are finally getting some vaccines. Any guesses when they will pass the USA (65%, 55%)?
 
Tony Crocker said:
New South Wales has been subdivided into lockdown and less restricted sectors, much like Victoria. Accordingly Thredbo and Perisher reopened Sept. 11. Auckland has loosened slightly to level 3, where there are still new cases but nearly all have been traced.

Australia (58% one dose, 38% two) and New Zealand (63%, 33%) are finally getting some vaccines. Any guesses when they will pass the USA (65%, 55%)?
NSW has some changes. Just Google. This Covid has taken way more time than expected. It has really ruined our lives.
 
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