BORDERS CLOSED! How we snuck into New Zealand.

Nikki Wynn

Jul 25, 2021 — 2 min read

How did we sneak into New Zealand when borders in the Pacific are closed tighter than a thru-hull with 5200?

Many kiwis are stuck abroad, loads of sailors have been denied entry into NZ, and dozens of boats sit abandoned here with owners who desperately want to return.

So naturally, there’s a lot of curiosity and assumptions flowing as to how in the heck we managed to get approval to sail into NZ.

We’re fresh off the Bay of Islands quarantine dock and we need to make our way further south for repairs. Along the way, we spill the beans on how and why we were approved for entry into New Zealand (even though borders are COVID-Closed).

And you may want a warm cuppa tea for this one because we are NOT in the tropics anymore. We’ve dropped 20 degrees in latitude, we’re down 40 plus in Fahrenheit and the horizon is lined with dramatic mountainous, volcanic landscapes. It’s a whole new world (cue the Disney music).

RESOURCES

BORDERS CLOSED COVID-19 Vessel “Flow Chart”

https://www.customs.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/covid-19/vessels-arriving-in-new-zealand-guide.pdf

Additional NZ Yacht Arrival COVID-19 Resource

https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/pages/covid-19-guidance-for-small-craft-and-yacht-arrivals-in-nz-sept2020.pdf

There are other NZ Government agencies that must be considered such as the Ministry of Health, MPI, Immigration, Biosecurity, and others. That’s what made our heads spin and when we chose to contact an agent.

John Martin (Our NZ Agent): https://www.3sixtymarine.com/

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