There've been tears of joy and a mad rush to book trans-Tasman flights as New Zealand gets ready for a new normal - the trans-Tasman bubble.
In less than two weeks people wanting to visit from Australia will be able to do so without having to spend two weeks in a managed isolation hotel.
Air New Zealand sold more tickets in the first five minutes after the announcement than it normally does in three days and many Queenstown hotels were quickly booked out for at least the first week of the bubble starting on 19 April.
Jozina van Eck lives in Cairns and told RNZ reporter Katie Todd she plans to be on the first flight from Cairns to Auckland to give her grandchildren a hug.
