COVID: Australia and New Zealand return to quarantine-free travel For the first time in over a year, people can travel to New Zealand from Australia without having to contend with a strict quarantine. The countries' leaders hope to expand the arrangement. The two Pacific countries have kicked off a 'trans-Tasman travel bubble' Australian passengers headed to New Zealand on Monday without the need to quarantine for the first time in over a year, agencies reported. The "trans-Tasman travel bubble" allows Australians and New Zealanders to visit each others' country without any restrictions. The two nations' governments imposed heavy restrictions on entry into their respective country in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.