Nine years after parent company Lion shifted production to South Australia, kegs of the popular lager known colloquially as Swanny D are being brewed at Little Creatures in Fremantle to avoid pandemic-related supply chain disruptions.
Swan Draft was brewed in WA from 1857 until 2013 when production shifted to the West End Brewery in Adelaide.
Brewing then shifted to Tooheys in Sydney when West End rolled out its last kegs in June last year.
While some Swan Draft pouring at Perth pubs is still brewed in NSW, Lion has embarked on a recruitment drive with the aim of bringing all WA keg production to Little Creatures.
Lion WA sales director Jamie Ryan said the local brewing team had undertaken a rigorous emulation process to ensure consistency of taste across the national output.
“Swan Draft kegs are now proudly being brewed locally here in WA for the first time since 2013,” he said.
Mr Ryan added that the homecoming was “a big win in terms of freshness for our loyal WA Swan Draft customers and drinkers”.
Karl Bullers, owner of the National Hotel in Fremantle, said Swan Draft was very popular among drinkers at the busy pub.
“It’s a clear sales leader, head and shoulders above any other tap beer that we do,” he said.
“It’s popular with all different segments from your hardened drinkers that swear by Swan and have been drinking it all their lives, from back in the day where there was very little choice in what they could drink, to students and hipsters.”
The publican, who also owns the Old Courthouse in Fremantle, said pouring locally brewed Swan Draft felt good.
“There was quite an outcry back when they shifted the production — I remember it well,” Mr Bullers said.
“It’s a local product, so it’s great that it’s being brewed back here again.
“It ticks all the boxes for keeping it local and reducing its carbon footprint as well.
“It’s great to be pouring it from just up the road (at Little Creatures) — they could run a pipe from the brewery.”
National Hotel owner Karl Bullers joked that the pub’s Swan Draft kegs could be “the freshest in the world” now that the beer is being brewed locally at Little Creatures in Fremantle. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian
Mr Bullers joked that the National Hotel’s kegs could be “the freshest in the world”.
Before leaving WA, Swan Draft was brewed at Swan’s facility in Canning Vale.
In 1990, New Zealand brewing company Lion Nathan, as it was then known, bought a 50 per cent stake in Swan owner Bond Brewing, before completing the takeover two years later.
Now a subsidiary of Japanese giant Kirin, Lion has no current plans to move production of packaged Swan Draft, nor other WA-born, Lion-owned beers Emu Export and Bitter, back west.
If acting doesn’t work out for Aquaman actor Jason Momoa, he could pick up a career as a jet-setting flight attendant.
Lucky passengers on a Hawaiian Airlines flight were witnesses to Momoa’s first day on the job as cabin crew as he handed out bottles of his water, called Mananalu, from a trolly.
A woman named Kylee Yoshikawa, who goes by the username @livinglikekylee on TikTok, posted the clip which has now been viewed by 3.5 million people on the platform.
“My aunty sent me this vid, i just thought i’d share,” she captioned the video which had an instrumental version of Disney’s Under the Sea — very fitting — playing over the footage.
The 43-year-old even dressed the part in a gray suit complete with a pink flower tucked behind his ear.
He has since shared a behind-the-scenes clip on Instagram, introducing himself to passengers as the “water master” on board the flight.
“Mahalo @hawaiianairlines for allowing me and my team to capture this special moment,” he wrote.
“It’s a dream come true. My idea to create @Mananalu.water came to me while on a flight.
“I’m grateful for your support and it’s an honor to have Hawaiian Airlines be the first airline to partner with Mananalu. We’re on a mission to end single-use plastic. Drink one, remove one – For every bottle of Mananalu sold, we remove one plastic bottle from the ocean. We have removed 3 MILLION plastic bottles from the ocean this year. Don’t stop making waves to save our beautiful planet. hello j”
Mamamalu water was founded by Momoa, who is a passionate environmentalist and even had dreams of becoming a marine biologist as a kid.
For each bottle of Mamamalu consumed, the company will remove the equivalent of one “planet-hurting plastic bottle from ocean-going waste”.
The bottles are made from aluminum and are designed to be reused over and over again.
It was just a quick snack and drinks while on their honeymoon in Greece — and it turned into a whopping bill.
Newlyweds Alex and Lindsay Breen ordered just one beer, one cocktail and a dozen oysters — and were then hit with a staggering $850 bill by the DK Oyster bar on the island of Mykonos.
The Canadian couple were in disbelief when they saw the eyewatering tab, with restaurant waiters handing them menus without prices.
“We went to the oyster bar for a bite to eat and a drink,” Lindsay said.
“They immediately said, ‘Do you want oysters?’ We said yes and he said, ‘A dozen?’, so we said yes because a dozen is a typical order.
“My husband ordered a beer and I asked for a cocktail menu and he came back with the beer but I had to ask again for a cocktail menu and he started rhyming off different kinds of alcohol he had, vodka, gin but I asked for a menu.”
Alex Breen with his beer and oysters at the restaurant in Greece. Credit: Kennedy News and Media/Kennedy News and Media
The waiter eventually brought her a menu “but it didn’t have the brand or the drinks”.
Lindsay gave in and ordered an Aperol spritz.
When they had finished the oysters, the waiter tried to persuade them to order crab legs.
“When we’d finished the oysters, he was trying to get us to have crab legs and thank goodness we didn’t,” Lindsay said.
She said the waiter then tried to pressure them into having dessert.
“The guy came back with a huge trolley of desserts and he says, ‘So of course we’re having cake today’, and starts putting different desserts on our table and we said we didn’t want them and he started getting offended that we didn’t want to take them, so I can see how people would be pressured to take more,” she said.
“As we kept refusing what he was trying to give us, he was getting more frustrated.”
When the couple were ready to leave, they asked for the bill — but rather than giving it to them at the table, Alex was taken to a back room to pay.
Lindsay Breen with her cocktail. Credit: Kennedy News and Media/Kennedy News and Media
On being shown the massive bill, Alex was shocked and asked for a breakdown, which they gave him in Greek.
Feeling under pressure and getting a “sketchy vibe”, Alex paid the bill.
“He definitely felt intimidated and he’s the friendliest guy, so even if the bill was double he probably would have paid it to avoid any problems,” Lindsay said.
“It was pretty crazy. I’m glad in hindsight that we didn’t cause an argument or refuse to pay because it could have ended up worse for us.
“They know when you’re tourists and they take advantage.”
Perth Airport is in chaos after desperately trying to recover from a total blackout because of the severe storms crossing the State.
Flights were up and running but there was a huge backlog with passengers attempting to get through security.
Hundreds of people in high-vis were at Terminal 2 as regional flights were taking off. The line to get through to security was almost out the door as people raced to make their flight on time.
Terminal 1 was less chaotic, almost a ghost town in comparison, as several flights were still cancelled.
An airport spokeswoman said the terminals were “fully operational” as of 10pm last night but the flow-on effects of the impact could still be felt.
Perth Airport has announced a thorough review of its backup power systems in light of the power disruption.
While the backup power for the critical runways switched on, terminals were thrown into disarray chaos as backup power failed to come on.
Chief executive Kevin Brown said the review would start immediately to understand why parts of the back-up generation system did not deploy.
“We apologize for the inconvenience the power outage caused to passengers and we thank them for their patience and understanding that we were dealing with a unique and challenging weather event,” he said.
“The back-up generation system for critical safety systems such as the runway lighting worked as intended, meaning that aircraft could continue to land safely throughout the event.
“Other parts of the back-up generation system that provide power to the terminals did not work as intended.
“We need to understand why that happened.
Perth Airport has experienced a major power outage. Justin Benson Cooper Credit: Justin Benson Cooper/The West Australian
Thousands of passengers were disrupted overnight with dozens of flights delayed or cancelled.
The airport told its passengers to go home and declared all flights were canceled due to power outages “out of their control”, but by 8pm on Tuesday, changed its mind.
“With critical services back online, Perth Airport is now able to process some passengers through the outbound security processes,” a statement said.
“However it will take some time to clear the backlog of delayed services.”
By 10pm, the airport said it was working to activate its systems across its terminals in order to become fully-operational following delays and cancellations across the airline networks.
Passengers were warned some airlines could still decide to cancel and reschedule flights. “We ask passengers for their continued patience as our team and our airline partners work to get flights underway,” the airport said.
Travelers were left sitting in the dark with only torches to light their way.
Severe storms hitting Perth shut all the power down at the airport in what some experienced staff have never seen before.
Disgruntled passengers battled with freshly unloaded luggage as torrential wind and rain pelted them as they left the airport to board taxis.
Perth Airport announced the news about 5.15pm, warning that a power outage would result in lengthy delays for the next two hours.
The airport apologized to passengers, some of whom are understood to be stranded at other airports because they’re unable to land in Perth.
Perth Airport has experienced a major power outage. Picture are Angela and Han Nguyen Justin Benson-Cooper Credit: Justin Benson Cooper/The West Australian
“The safety of everyone who works in or is traveling through our airport remains our highest priority,” the airport said.
“We apologize to our passengers and customers for any inconvenience.”
Perth Airport said the decision to cancel flights earlier in the evening was made based on the advice of Western Power.
“Perth Airport has made the decision to delay all outbound services currently scheduled to depart before 7.30pm,” the statement said.
“All enroute inbound flights will be able to arrive safely. All scheduled flights into Perth which have not yet departed will be delayed until further notice.”
Hundreds of people were still crowding around baggage carousels at 7.30pm waiting for luggage to be unloaded from aircrafts.
Passengers in the Qantas terminal were reminded to stay patient while a “technical issue” prevented people from rebooking flights, as staff handed out water and chips to affected travellers.
A team in Sydney is currently working to “uncheck” passengers so flights can be rebooked. “Please be patient and go home, rebook from home as I’ve been advised delays could take up to another two hours,” staff announced.
Qantas Passengers Angela and Han Nguyen hoped to be on a flight to Sydney for a three-day work event.
Ms Nguyen, who is pregnant, said at about 3pm they were aware of flight delays.
Perth Airport has experienced a major power outage. Justin Benson Cooper Credit: Justin Benson Cooper/The West Australian
“We were Sitting in the lounge upstairs getting notifications from staff that it was out of their control and they had no idea what was happening,” she said.
“Staff working for 20 years told us they’d seen nothing like this.”
While “disappointed”, the couple said they were glad they could return to their Attadale home.
The lights came back on shortly before 7pm.
Passengers were told to leave as soon as their bags were collected and Perth visitors were told to find their own accommodation. Car park shelters were packed, as people waited to be picked up by transport services.
Melbourne woman Caren Vidler said she had no idea what to do as she frantically tried to find a bed for the night.
She was on her way to London when she was stopped at immigration and told her flight was cancelled.
“I’m going to watch some friends, who are divers, compete in the Commonwealth Games,” she said.
“I’ll be gutted if I can’t watch them, this was the whole purpose of my trip.”
“I’ve never experienced this before, I don’t know anyone in Perth…I’m going to need a bed for the night.”
Western Power says emergency crews are working hard in difficult conditions to restore power across Perth.
“Damaging and destructive winds associated with the front have thrown debris, including tree branches, into the network, damaging equipment and bringing down powerlines,” a spokesperson said.
“Our priority during the storm is responding to reported hazards to ensure the safety of the community and our crews.
A power outage has delayed flights at Perth Airport. Credit: Lincoln Baker/The West Australian
“Our network operations team is working to isolate damaged parts of the network and back feed where possible to restore power where it is safe to do so.”
It comes as Perth braces for more damaging winds set to smash the State after thousands were left without power and properties damaged overnight.
On Tuesday night, 11,000 homes in Perth and the South West remained without power.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for Goldfields, Eucla, Lower West, South West, South Coastal, South East Coastal, Great Southern, Central Wheat Belt and parts of Gascoyne, South Interior and Central West districts.
A strong wind warning is also in place for Melville Waters and the Gascoyne Coast.
These winds are forecast to continue through to dawn on Wednesday and the Bureau has warned that wind likes may cause damage to homes and property, particularly along the coast and nearby inland, becoming more isolated further inland.
The times they are a-changin’ at Woolworths stores across the nation, and if you’re a fan of the fresh service counters, then you’ll probably want to double-check the new hours before you run in to grab a salmon fillet or sliced cacciatore salami.
The grocery giant has made a change to the trading hours of its fresh service counters across Australia, “due to a shift in customer shopping behaviour”.
The initiative was trialled in a handful of NSW stores in May 2022 and kicked off across stores in WA yesterday, August 1.
As a result, Woolies shoppers will now have a little less time to purchase fresh items from the meat, seafood, and deli counters.
From now on, the fresh service deli will trade from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week and the seafood and meat counters will be staffed from 9.30am to 7pm on weekdays and 9am to 7pm on weekends.
A handful of stores will operate longer fresh service counter hours, if there’s still high customer demand in those stores.
However, a Woolworths spokesperson told Perth Now that customers can still purchase similar products, such as chicken breast fillets and salmon, within the packed fresh convenience range in-stores.
“We’ve also moved to standardize our overall operating hours so we can offer a consistent customer experience across our store network,” they said, but this change doesn’t affect West Aussies all too much.
“Select stores across the country will open one hour later or close one hour earlier to align with other stores and better match customer shopping patterns.”
The only store in WA to be impacted by changing opening times will be Eaton Fair, as the majority of WA’s Woolies already open at 8am.
The spokesperson said the changes will be monitored over the coming months, and customer and team member feedback would be taken on board.
In-store signage has been placed at the fresh service counters and at the front of stores to inform customers of the altered trading hours.
If you want to know a little more about the deli meats on offer, a Woolworths worker caused quite a fuss last month when she gave a scathing review of the supermarket’s most popular meats.
Customers are encouraged to check the opening and closing hours of their local Woolworths.
Air traffic has ground to a halt at Perth Airport after severe storms caused a power outage on Tuesday evening.
Perth Airport announced the news about 5.15pm, warning that a power outage would result in delays for the next two hours.
The airport warned of lengthy delays and apologized to passengers, some of whom are understood to be stranded at other airports because they’re unable to land in Perth.
It said the decision was made based on the advice of Western Power.
“Perth Airport has made the decision to delay all outbound services currently scheduled to depart before 7.30pm,” the statement said.
“All enroute inbound flights will be able to arrive safely. All scheduled flights into Perth which have not yet departed will be delayed until further notice.”
Travelers were warned to expect delays or even canceled flights.
A power outage has delayed flights at Perth Airport. Credit: Lincoln Baker/The West Australian
“The safety of everyone who works in or is traveling through our airport remains our highest priority,” the airport said.
“We apologize to our passengers and customers for any inconvenience.”
Western Power crews are on site working to repair the damage.
Western Power says emergency crews are working hard in difficult conditions to restore power across Perth.
“Damaging and destructive winds associated with the front have thrown debris, including tree branches, into the network, damaging equipment and bringing down powerlines,” a spokesperson said.
“Our priority during the storm is responding to reported hazards to ensure the safety of the community and our crews.
“Our network operations team is working to isolate damaged parts of the network and back feed where possible to restore power where it is safe to do so.”
It comes as Perth braces for more damaging winds set to smash the State after thousands were left without power and properties damaged overnight.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for Goldfields, Eucla, Lower West, South West, South Coastal, South East Coastal, Great Southern, Central Wheat Belt and parts of Gascoyne, South Interior and Central West districts.
A strong wind warning is also in place for Melville Waters and the Gascoyne Coast.
These winds are forecast to continue through to dawn on Wednesday and the Bureau has warned that wind likes may cause damage to homes and property, particularly along the coast and nearby inland, becoming more isolated further inland.
YREKA, Calif. (AP) — At least two people have died from a raging California blaze that was among several threatening thousands of homes Monday in the Western US
Two bodies were found inside a charred vehicle Sunday in the driveway of a home near the remote community of Klamath River, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The names of the victims and other details weren’t immediately released.
The McKinney Fire in Northern California near the state line with Oregon exploded in size to nearly 87 square miles (225 square kilometers) after erupting Friday in the Klamath National Forest, firefighting officials said. It is California’s largest wildfire of the year so far and officials have not yet determined the cause.
Gusty winds from a thunderstorm powered the blaze of a few hundred acres into a massive conflagration while lightning caused a couple of smaller blazes nearby, including one near the community of Seiad Valley, fire officials said.
On Monday, heavy rain helped dampen the fire but it still threatened structures after torching more than 100, ranging from homes to greenhouses, fire and sheriff’s officials said.
About 2,500 people remained under evacuation orders.
“If you get an order, that means go. This fire behavior, as you’ll hear, is incredible. Don’t try to fight it. Don’t try to stick around,” Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Services Director Bryan Schenone said at a community meeting Monday evening.
Stormy and cloudy weather helped fire crews attack the blaze, and bulldozers had managed to ring the town of Yreka, fire officials said.
As of Monday, the blaze was about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from the town of around 7,500 people.
Valerie Linfoot’s son, a fire dispatcher, called to tell her their family home of three decades in Klamath River had burned. Linfoot said her husband de ella worked as a US Forest Service firefighter for years and the family did everything they could to prepare their house for a wildfire — including installing a metal roof and trimming trees and tall grasses around the property.
“It was as safe as we could make it, and it was just so dry and so hot and the fire was going so fast,” Linfoot told the Bay Area News Group. She said her neighbors have also lost homes.
“It’s a beautiful place. And from what I’ve seen, it’s just decimated. It’s absolutely destroyed,” she told the news group.
In northwestern Montana, winds picked up Monday afternoon on a fire burning in forested land west of Flathead Lake, forcing fire managers to ground all aircraft and leading the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to start evacuating residents on the northeastern corner of the fire.
The fire was putting up a lot of smoke, creating visibility problems for aircraft, said Sara Rouse, a spokesperson for the fire management team.
The fire, which started Friday afternoon near the town of Elmo on the Flathead Indian Reservation, measured 20 square miles (52 square kilometers), fire officials said.
The Moose Fire in Idaho has burned more than 85 square miles (220 square kilometers) in the Salmon-Challis National Forest while threatening homes, mining operations and fisheries near the town of Salmon. It was 23% contained Monday.
And a wildfire raging in northwestern Nebraska led to evacuations and destroyed or damaged several homes near the small city of Gering. The Carter Canyon Fire began Saturday as two separate fires that merged. It was about 30% contained by early Monday.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday, allowing him more flexibility to make emergency response and recovery effort decisions and to tap federal aid.
Scientists have said climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.
The US Forest service shut down a 110-mile (177-kilometer) section of the famed Pacific Crest Trail in Northern California and southern Oregon. Sixty hikers in that area were helped to evacuate on Saturday, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon, which aided in the effort.
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Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporters Amy Hanson in Helena, Montana; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; and Keith Ridler in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.
YREKA, Calif. (AP) — Two bodies were found inside a charred vehicle in a driveway in the wildfire zone of a raging California blaze that was among several threatening thousands of homes Monday in the western US, officials said. Hot and gusty weather and lightning storms threatened to increase the danger that the fires will keep growing,
The McKinney Fire in Northern California near the state line with Oregon exploded in size to nearly 87 square miles (225 square km) after erupting Friday in the Klamath National Forest, firefighting officials said. It is California’s largest wildfire of the year so far and officials have not determined the cause.
The vehicle and the bodies were found Sunday morning in the driveway of a residence near the remote community of Klamath River, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Nearly 5,000 Northern California homes and other structures were threatened and an unknown number of buildings have burned, said Adrienne Freeman, a spokesperson for the US Forest Service.
The smoky blaze cast an eerie, orange-brown hue in one neighborhood where a brick chimney stood surrounded by rubble and scorched vehicles on Sunday. Flames torched trees along State Route 96 and raced through hillsides in sight of homes.
Valerie Linfoot’s son, a fire dispatcher, called to tell her their family home of three decades in Klamath River had burned. Linfoot said her husband de ella worked as a US Forest Service firefighter for years and the family did everything they could to prepare their house for a wildfire — including installing a metal roof and trimming trees and tall grasses around the property.
“It was as safe as we could make it, and it was just so dry and so hot and the fire was going so fast,” Linfoot told the Bay Area News Group. She said her neighbors have also lost homes.
“It’s a beautiful place. And from what I’ve seen, it’s just decimated. It’s absolutely destroyed,” she told the news group.
Firefighting crews on the ground were trying to prevent the blaze from moving closer to the town of Yreka, population about 7,500. The blaze was about four miles (6.4 kilometers) away as of Monday.
A second, smaller fire in the region that was sparked by dry lightning Saturday threatened the tiny California community of Seiad.
Freeman said “there has been significant damage and loss along the Highway 96 corridor” that runs parallel to the Klamath River and is one of the few roads in and out of the region.
She added: “But just how much damage is still being assessed.”
Erratic storms were expected to move through Northern California again on Monday with lightning that threatened to spark new fires in bone dry vegetation, forecasters said. A day earlier, thunderstorms caused flash flooding that damaged roads in Death Valley National Park and in mountains east of Los Angeles.
In northwestern Montana, a fire on the Flathead Indian Reservation that started in grasslands near the town of Elmo on Friday and moved into forested areas had grown to 20 square miles (52 square km) by Monday, fire officials said. Residents of about 20 homes were told to be prepared to evacuate.
The Moose Fire in Idaho has burned more than 85 square miles (220 square kilometers) in the Salmon-Challis National Forest while threatening homes, mining operations and fisheries near the town of Salmon. It was 23% contained Monday.
And a wildfire raging in northwestern Nebraska led to evacuations and destroyed or damaged several homes near the small city of Gering. The Carter Canyon Fire began Saturday as two separate fires that merged. It was about 30% contained by early Monday.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday, allowing him more flexibility to make emergency response and recovery effort decisions and to tap federal aid.
Scientists have said climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.
The US Forest service shut down a 110-mile (177 km) section of the famed Pacific Crest Trail in Northern California and southern Oregon and dozens of hikers in that area were urged to abandon their treks and head to the nearest towns.
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Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporters Amy Hanson in Helena, Montana; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; and Keith Ridler in Boise, Idaho contributed to this report.
In this photo released by the National Park Service, is the damaged intersection of Kelbacker Road and Mojave Road in the Mojave National Preserve, Calif., Sunday, July 31, 2022. Roads in and out of Death Valley National Park were closed after lanes mud and debris inundated lanes during weekend flash floods in eastern California, western Nevada and northern Arizona. Storm cells dumped localized heavy rain across the region, prompting closures of highways and campgrounds. (National Park Service via AP)
In this photo released by the National Park Service, is the damaged intersection of Kelbacker Road and Mojave Road in the Mojave National Preserve, Calif., Sunday, July 31, 2022. Roads in and out of Death Valley National Park were closed after lanes mud and debris inundated lanes during weekend flash floods in eastern California, western Nevada and northern Arizona. Storm cells dumped localized heavy rain across the region, prompting closures of highways and campgrounds. (National Park Service via AP)
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Some roads in and out of Death Valley National Park have been closed after they were inundated over the weekend with mud and debris from flash floods that also hit western Nevada and northern Arizona hard.
Officials on Sunday provided no estimate on when the roads around Death Valley would be reopened.
Motorists were also urged to avoid Southern California’s Mojave National Preserve after flooding buckled pavement on some roads. The rain also prompted closures of highways and campgrounds elsewhere, but no injuries were reported
The storms produced torrential downpours and the National Weather Service reported that more than an inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain fell in 15 minutes Sunday near Kingman, Arizona, which is close to the stateline with California.
In a mountainous area east of Los Angeles at the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest, mudslides sent trees and large rocks onto roads, blocking them near the city of Yucaipa.
Forecasters said more thunderstorms were possible on Monday.
New Zealand’s borders fully reopened to visitors from around the world on Monday, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic closed them in March 2020.
Key points:
New Zealand will welcome all international travelers from July 31
Jacinda Arden says the final stages included welcoming back those on student visas and letting cruise ships and foreign yachts dock in the country
The country imposed some of the world’s strictest border controls when COVID-19 first hit
The country started reopening in February, first for New Zealanders returning home, and restrictions have progressively eased.
The process of reopening the borders ended last night with visitors who need visas and those on student visas now also allowed to return.
New Zealand is now also letting cruise ships and foreign recreational yachts dock at its ports.
International students were a significant contributor to New Zealand’s economy and educational providers are hoping the reopening of the borders will again provide a boost to schools and universities around the country.
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New Zealand’s border opening plan revealed by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday during a speech at the China Business Summit in Auckland that the final staged opening of the borders had been an enormous moment.
“It’s been a staged and cautious process on our part since February as we, alongside the rest of the world, continue to manage a very live global pandemic, while keeping our people safe.”
Opening provides relief for Australia
Pre-COVID, Australia and New Zealand citizens had enjoyed free movement between the two countries since the 1920s.
But for the past two years, New Zealand imposed some of the world’s strictest border controls, which led to headaches for the hundreds of thousands of NZ citizens living in Australia.
As of mid-2018, there were an estimated 568,0000 New Zealand-born people residing in Australia — representing the fourth-largest migrant community.
Economically, tourism was New Zealand’s largest export industry and a huge proportion of their tourists were Australians before the pandemic hit.
Some four in 10 visitors to NZ are from Australia.(Pixabay: Michelle Rapon)
Almost one in 10 New Zealanders were directly employed in tourism and there were 1.5 million arrivals from Australia — accounting for 40 per cent of international visitors to NZ in 2019 — who spent some $NZ2.7 billion ($2.5 billion).
And it went both ways — New Zealanders were the second largest market for visitor arrivals into Australia in 2019.
New Zealand has been slowly reopening, first to Australians in March and then to tourists from the US, Britain and more than 50 other countries in May.
