A loophole in Aotearoa's upcoming travel bubble with Australia could open the rest of the world up to Australians who are keen to travel further afield.
All Australians currently require special permission from federal border force authorities to leave the country, but that's not the case in New Zealand where people are free to depart the country should they wish to.
This means that Australians could fly to New Zealand and then on to a third country without needing permission, according to reports in Australia on Friday afternoon.
A spokesperson for Australia's Border Force confirmed to the Sydney Morning Herald that the bubble agreement would not be able to stop Australians from departing to other countries via New Zealand.
"Currently, New Zealand does not prevent Australian citizens leaving New Zealand and travelling onwards overseas; however anyone arriving into Australia or New Zealand from any other country must enter into quarantine or mandatory isolation as directed by the relevant government departments and health authorities," the spokesperson told the newspaper.
While the New Zealand Government advises against people travelling overseas, it doesn't stop them from doing so. However, any globetrotting Aussie travellers who do exploit the loophole are likely to end up in isolation upon their return.
They must have spent 14 days in New Zealand before returning to Australia and would also need to spend 14 days in quarantine regardless of whether they returned to New Zealand or Australia.
