Cruisers seeking humanitarian refuge in NZ

[robert sailor]

Australia is a great place as is New Zealand, spent many months in both countries,have family in both.
They are very different countries and slightly different cultures but it's a waste to compare them as both are wonderful.
I'd say the Kiwis are slightly less aggressive and the Australian men a bit more macho..Kiwis have a kick ass rugby team, the All Blacks and they can usually beat the Aussie's but the competition is fierce. Australia has better weather, especially the Gold Coast but Australia used to be a bit more difficult and expensive to check into.
Kiwis invented bungie jumping and have no problem doing it off downtown skyscrapers...go figure! Australia has better diving. On a per capita basis I think the Kiwis have more world class sailors than any other country in the world.
Australia has better restaurants in my opinion and cheaper airlines....didn't I start out saying you shouldn't compare them?

[Americanrancher]

Originally Posted by bobnlesley

They don't, it's more a case of your failing more than most to appreciate their humour; buddy boat with some British, more specifically English in the future and they will treat you like a long lost brother. Your average Aussie will only bother to make the effort - despite it being far easier - to bait a septic when there are no pommies available to barrack.

As to the point about US boats having the option of Hawaii, that's just a fact; from French Poly, Hawaii's a far closer 'safe-harbour' than New Zealand, albeit not in the direction which most people want to progress.

Funny typos in this one! Haha "bait a septic" Ooh smelly!

[Yotiheff]

Why do Skippy’s have issues with Yanks? They do with all foreigners. It’s called an inferiority complex.

[kai kohola]

if you're planning to seek refuge in NEW ZEALAND:

Prepare for an extended stay in the country
since there are limited flights to and from overseas destinations.

Daily arrivals limited to a maximum of 300 people !

A $3100 quarantine CO-payment is required for people entering NEW ZEALAND.

What's your next destination?
Most Island nations keep borders closed.

Even a short break in the Minerva Reef can lead into a stressful experience.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...ectid=12354693

[kai kohola]

New Zealand fruit and farming industry is desperately looking for seasonal workers!

I would like suggest that cruisers seeking refuge in Kiwi Country should look into helping their host country.

BE PREPARED TO BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE TEAM OF 5 MILLION !

[kai kohola]

you might not be able to get back to your boat once you left NEW ZEALAND

[john manning]

Its unfortunate that NZ has not opened its maritime border to yachts currently in the Pacific (a largely Covid free area).
I think the problem stems from our officials and "experts" not really having the knowledge or experience to handle the pandemic. eg. Its only in the last 2 weeks that they have accepted that face masks are useful for limiting contagious transfer.
Despite that film crews from the USA have been allowed to enter with minimal control. America's Cup sailing crews have entered with controlled quarantine arrangements and about 30,000 New Zealanders have arrived home, most with virtually no restrictions at all (apart from isolate at home).
It makes no sense to keep our borders closed to 500 - 600 yachts in the Pacific.

[El Pinguino]

An easing of border closure.. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...illed-migrants
Doesn't look as if Jacinda is terrfied of losing the election by doing it.....

...from 'Stuff'...

“We already have a system in place at the moment, that has an exemption regime where you don't have to be an existing visa holder, but you are deemed to be someone that is going to create those opportunities, or, a sector will close down if you can't come in.”

That sector would be the marine industries on the North Island... sounds like they have a good case..

[barnakiel]

'Essential skilled' is a work visa. Sailors are a tourist visa.


But good news for those who have worked in NZ before as this may be a foot in the door for these sailors.


Then again, if somebody sails away for half a year, they are hardly 'essential' for NZ economy.


NZ has always been a smart business-like country. I am happy they keep on protecting their borders and put their interests up first also today.



Well done again, Jacinda! Keep those borders tight!



b.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Yotiheff

Why do Skippy’s have issues with Yanks? They do with all foreigners. It’s called an inferiority complex.

Nah mate, never had an inferiority complex, more inclined to go the other way and to aman, woman and child are firmly convinced that we live in the best country populated by the finest people in the world. Also we don't have problems with folks from other countries, a very high proportion of the population is either immigrants or children of immigrants. We love yanks and are particularly enamored of the T who we feel is a very caring and kind person and a brilliant political leader.

One of the things that does mystify and sadden us is the degree to which yanks hate each other.

[Wanton]

Originally Posted by ejs

The issue in NZ is really that we have eliminated COVID here completely with a hard lockdown and huge effort in contact tracing. We are still contact tracing a bit, but no one needs to do physical distancing or wear a mask here, so unless you work in tourism, life is mostly back to normal. The only new cases now are returning Kiwis in managed isolation. Managed isolation is currently funded by the government, and there still have been a few people who have escaped and wandered around for awhile before being arrested. Fortunately only one of those tested positive, but they required a city block and a supermarket to be deep cleaned. The government initially tried self policed isolation at home for returning Kiwis, and so many failed to be home when they were supposed to be that they abandoned that program. No one wants to go back to lockdown.

Sadly, the rest of the world is still coping with large numbers of new cases, and in the US in particular (where I’m from BTW) large numbers of people are refusing to take even simple precautions to stop the spread. American yachties are likely being lumped in the same category. The government here wants to manage the risk of re-infection so they are considering who they let in and who they don’t very carefully, which is why the borders are currently closed. BTW the yachties are a tiny revenue generator compared, say, to the 2 million estimated visiting skiers that are currently shut out of the slopes on the south island.

New Zealand did the hard yards early when the Pandemic arrived there in January. We look at what they have achieved and wish that all of our governments were as decisive and New Zealand's. We'd all be better off. So what is being asked here is that NZ should now take the risk of starting the whole process again and let cruisers in. It has been mentioned above that this Pandemic has been known about for at least 6 months. Cruisers enroute to destinations have had plenty of time to turn around and find refuge in their home countries or to make arrangements to leave their boats where they were and fly home.

The problem as has been mentioned is that some people think this Covid-19 is just like a flu. It is not; and it is extremely dangerous. Now some are still thinking that only the elderly and those with some immune deficiency are at risk. That is far away from the truth, but even if it was true, "Would you allow yourself or your child to choose a jelly bean from a jar if you know that 1% of the jelly beans is deadly poisonous."

This is not about whether your nationality is liked or not liked, it is about doing the right thing by the nation. Park the boat somewhere and go home for everyone's safety.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by kai kohola

(...)


Even a short break in the Minerva Reef can lead into a stressful experience.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...ectid=12354693

ROLF


These people truly believed everywhere is their backyard, eh?


An Indonesian fisher seeking refuge from bad weather in Ashmore gets his boat confiscated.


But a Kiwi cruiser in Minerva thinks he has some damn special rights.


Ignorance and impertinence of the whites knows no limits.


;-)
barnakiel

[Scotty Kiwi]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

Nah mate, never had an inferiority complex, more inclined to go the other way and to aman, woman and child are firmly convinced that we live in the best country populated by the finest people in the world. Also we don't have problems with folks from other countries, a very high proportion of the population is either immigrants or children of immigrants. We love yanks and are particularly enamored of the T who we feel is a very caring and kind person and a brilliant political leader.

One of the things that does mystify and sadden us is the degree to which yanks hate each other.

Brilliant ... haha laugh

[Carl-T705]

Originally Posted by td0tz

The change in the world started 5 months ago. It's a plague. Strangers are more likely to be plague bearers than our neighbors.
Good governments exist to protect their communities, not some rando wanderers.

Please, it's not 1820 or 1920. Are we supposed to think that there are cruisers who have maintained ignorance for 5 months of the biggest health threat in a century?

They chose to cast off in the face of it. Bold choice, and this is how it's working out for them.

Pretty hard to argue this logic. Well said

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Carl-T705

Pretty hard to argue this logic. Well said

Five months ago... March?
The puddle jumpers were well on their way by then.... and many... the Europeans ....were already a long way from home.

And if you were still in, lets say, Ecuador or Panama, in the first two weeks of March you would have done what exactly??


http://www.cruiserswiki.org/wiki/Tra...Puddle-Jump%22)
.... a planned departure some time between January and March each year. This would be timed to arrive in the Society Islands after the start of the cruising season (after the end of the cyclone season which runs from November to April), and then continue westwards through the South Pacific until a cyclone safe port is reached before the following November.'

A representive view of yachts currently in FP... where they came from and when they had planned to leave the americas..
Pacific Puddle Jump Fleet 2020

I ask again - what would you have done if you had actually been out sailing???