We actually left NZ first week of March 2020 and only got as far as Texas when Covid ‘exploded’ so we turned around and flew straight back home to NZ where we have been lucky to have lived without covid in the community for most of the last 12 months.
Now that we are vaccinated (and the rest of the world is well underway with vaccination programes) we decided to restart our European house sitting adventure.
Can hardly wait for the adventures to begin …
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Hi! Nice to see another Kiwi round here 
. I hope you’re keeping warm as tis def not on the Central North Island 🐻❄.
I’m hoping to get a covid vax in Aug or Sept 
.
Have fun away from the fortress 
.
C
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Hi SueH Welcome to our community forum, thank you for joining from beautiful NZ and how amazing to have lived COVID free for the past 12 months. March 2020 stopped so many in their tracks and at the time none of us, I’m sure, thought it would last this long.
We will all remember where we were in March 2020 … I was in Seattle WA and just caught the last BA flight to London, March 17th and I don’t remember dates!!
I’m sure you will get to restart your European adventure very soon and we can’t wait to share in the journey.
Enjoy the conversations and connecting with members from around the world, we have much in common, besides COVID … Pets, People & Places.
Angela & The Team
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Hello Sue! I’m new to THS and this forum so I’m trying to click my way around and figure it out. I had to reach out when I saw you are from New Zealand. I spent 3 glorious weeks there in January 2020 and I’m obsessed with the beauty, culture and great people, many of which I remain in touch with. It is my greatest hope to find a nice long pet sit in NZ ASAP. I’m in the US and it’s my understanding that it will be awhile before boarders are open to us. I’m fully vaccinated and like so many others I’m very anxious to spread my wings internationally! If you have any tips I’d 
to hear them!
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Hello @1gypsygurl welcome to our community forum thank you for joining us from the US, New Zealand is a beautiful place, that must have been a wonderful 3 weeks. Hopefully it wont be too long before we can all start sharing in each other’s homes and countries once more and that your wish to return to NZ becomes a reality.
Enjoy the forum, the conversations and connecting with members from around the world.
Angela & The Team
Good luck and welcome to the forum. I spent 5 weeks traveling NZ back in 2017 and would love to return, especially for a sit - when you all decide to let us back in.
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Hi Tom,
We have been very lucky here in NZ that as an island nation we could close our borders and set up managed quarantine facilities for returning Kiwis and special work/business visa holders.
On the down side, the vaccine rollout for our small population of 5 million has been shamefully slow. I was only able to get fully vaccinated due to underlying conditions.
It would seem that our Prime Minister, for all of her empathy and likeability, seems intent on keeping our borders closed until at least the end of 2022 and the government is getting a lot of flack for its lack of planning on dealing with covid in the future !
Vaccination, a digital covid certificate & other requirements would seem the logical first step to opening our borders and,believe me, most Kiwis want the border restrictions to ease, open up travel and welcome tourists again.
So, Tom, perhaps plan for a return to our stunning country in 2023
Meanwhile, I can’t wait to fly out to Paris next week
Sue
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Hi
Yes, it is finally getting cold. The weather has been so mild in Auckland that many trees haven’t even lost all their leaves and yet spring flowers have appeared!
I can hardly wait for my flight to Paris next week. And, only 35 people booked on my 777 - I’ll definitely have good sleep on the way. 
Timing is good too - Europe is open to vaccinated tourists, hotels are cheap and not so many people around. Just a little concerned about the UK as their Delta variant is rampant.
Let’s hope that the government get their act together and present a sensible strategy and entry requirements to get our borders open again! We’ve been damn lucky so far and, although I hate to say it, I’m sure we will end up with the Delta variant flying across the Tasman 
Stay warm.
Sue
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Hi
Yes, we are indeed lucky to live in such a stunning country, and I’m glad that you enjoyed your stay here.
You will see that I replied to another post about our borders - we have a Prime Minister & Government that are coming under fire for their disorganised approach to the borders and the vaccination rollout. I even heard one international virologist say that they were amateurish!
The USA might have had a false start with vaccinations but it has been an impressive rollout these last few months, so well done USA
I am pleased to be leaving for a while.
I do love my travel.
This time next week I will be winging my way to Paris! 
Not sure what tips you are looking for ?? In NZ??
It’s chilly here near Tauranga but all good. I’m heading on a wee road trip Cch-Invercargill-Te Anau for a run & may encounter a few more frosty temps. 🐻❄:penguin:
My husband’s flight from Auck-Qatar had around 30ppl on it so a whole row &more to himself! He’s had his first covid jab but I now need to hunt one down somehow before mid September 
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Enjoy your Euro adventure! Do you have everything you can think of for your MIQ time when back? If I need to do any hotel quarantine, I have a trx,skipping rope, theraband, books & cold brew 
We are very grateful Americans that have been lucky enough to be “stuck” in NZ since March 2020. We’ve been full-time house sitters for for 3 1/2 years and were house sitting in Australia when COVID was unfolding and had to cance our scheduled house sits in S. Korea, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. We had to leave Oz due to our visa limitations and thought we would come to NZ for a few weeks until COVID blew over. Well here we are and we’ve been house sitting full-time in NZ since June 2020. We’ve had nothing but wonderful experiences with our house sits and our breaks in between. Such a stunning country with so much to do and see!
Can I ask why you’ve not left as you can get a covid vax faster back in the US?
I’m not sure if this is directed at me, but I’ll answer? We have no desire or plan to return to the US in the foreseeable future. We’ve both received our first COVID jabs and will get our second ones at the end of the month.
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It was directed at you .
I hope to get a jab one day…
Not sure why you are unable to, but I called Healthline and they referred me to another number. I called that number and was able to book first and second vaccines for both of us. Best of luck to you 
I’m in the wrong age group…
I’ll hunt one down