TOP

BORDERS CLOSED! How we snuck into New Zealand.

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”

Additional NZ Yacht Arrival COVID-19 Resource

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.

Get Surfshark VPN

🙏 THANK YOU!

Thanks for joining us, it wouldn’t be the same without you. 🤗

Ups, downs, and all arounds, we share it all. We’re able to do so because people like you show up each week, read, watch, comment, share, shop our gear, and toss a tip in our production jar. If you like what you see, there are lots of ways you can show your support.

 

🎥 CAMERA GEAR USED TO FILM THIS VIDEO

🎶 MUSIC IN THIS VIDEO:

Hello there! I honestly don’t know what to say, so I am going to tell you a bunch of random facts instead. I'm a fish eating vegetarian who hates spiders and loves snakes. I almost never took vacations growing up. I wanted to be Pippi Longstocking (still do). I misspell about every other word I write and still struggle with grammar. I love splurging on a good high tea (which is really hard to find these days). And whatever you do, don’t tell me I can’t do something, because then I'll HAVE to do it!

Comments (31)

  • Ed Lloyd

    Have you started the boat repairs in NZ yet? Like videos of repair plan / process details. Stay warm you guys.

    reply
    • Curious Minion

      They took a little breather from boat stuff to do the road trip and boat repairs are slowly ramping up. I think there will be one more road trip video and then you’ll be up to your eyeballs in boat projects. Stay tuned!
      Curious Minion

      reply
  • Deborah Kerr

    BEAUTIFUL scenery!! Thanks for sharing!

    reply
  • Jeanette Brennan

    Wow!! Dolphins welcoming you — the best kind of welcome! Love that you’re safe and sound and getting ready to explore with your camper van! Can’t wait to see NZ through your eyes. Thrilled to be tagging along with you. Stay safe and good luck with all your repairs! Happy 15th Wedding Anniversary to you two intrepid explorers. 💖🎊⛵️🙏

    reply
  • Jeffrey Stenberg

    Happy to see the local Dolphin population welcoming and guiding you in, so intelligent and big hearted. Happy Anniversary !!! Hope repairs and travels on Land go smoothly for you.

    reply
  • Stan. & Carol SWAN

    We’re well travelled sociable seniors,with 4 adventurous offspring much your age, & live around Wellington Harbour at the bottom of the North Island. Contact us for a possible half way house !

    reply
  • Peter Davies

    Thank you both for showing us how life can be an amazing adventure with some limits now and then. You have shown us how living on a boat can be constant repairs every day and how you repair things to keep it functional. I think many would have given up and said forget it, I can’t do this anymore. Jason for a photographer you sure know a lot about boats with a short training period, I know friends and goggle help you. Then there is your amazing wife Nikki who does everything and cooks breakfast while hitting the big waves. From a fellow traveler I take my hat off to you for what you have done and what you will accomplish in the future. New Zealand will be a great place to explore. Queens town is favorite of mine with skiing and Lake Wakatipu jet boat rides.

    reply
  • David and Karen

    How lovely to see New Zealand from the water again. Those points and rocks you passed are so familiar , but memories from too long ago. Isnt that area beautiful – even when its only 3 or 4C! You are going to have a great time over there, and we guess in your campervan travels, you will be visiting Mt Ruapehu, Tongariro etc further south (there is a great day walk there to the crater etc). Looking forward to seeing your NZ adventure unfold. You are certainly in the right place for many reasons (here in Australia, half the country is in lock-down, wheras NZ has not had a case of community transmission for over five months now).

    reply
  • Alan Solomon

    Hello there! 😎 Top o’ the morning to ya!
    Nikki, it looks like you and Jason need some gloves due to this new climate?
    If you have an address I will mail you both some. Probably take some time to get there though. Let me know?
    The Dolphins were really amazing and refreshing to see. Great mates.
    Also, I am not much of a recipe person but I learned of an Online Vegan recipe that might be of great interest to you both. I will email it over.
    Happy Ongoing Repair.. ⛵

    reply
  • John S.

    Remember the good ol’ days when you were posting videos of your RV travels? One feature I really liked is that you published the actual dates you were travelling in places in the video. That way we knew if you were five weeks or five months behind the current time.

    Wish you’d do that again. (Yes, I do follow you in instagram so I have a general idea but . . . . would still like it mentioned in the videos.)

    reply
  • Jimbo

    Dolphins were beautiful. Love following your travels

    reply
  • Lara Pape

    Nothing better than Dolphins off the bow! Stay safe and warm!

    reply
  • Alan Daniels

    Hope you come to Australia one day and we can get to meet both of you !

    reply
  • Steve Gibbons

    Hi guys, New Zealand [ Nu Zilund ] is a wonderful country and feels like my 2nd home. With regards to fishing, seeing you are mainly trolling Your likely to get King Fish. There is also a surface fish we call Australian Salmon locals call it Kahawai. Yrs ago it was commercially fished for the cat food industry BUT it makes just fine Thai fish cakes. SO trolling a herring lure, something like a Rapala X-rap Hard body lure 12cm Ghost should get you a feed. Don’t forget the thermal pools DeBretts Hot Springs in Taupo did have private and communal pools and they were divine. Have fun on the shaky Islands and if you venture STH on the ferry be sure to visit Lake Wanaka and to ski Cardrona. Cheers Gibbo

    reply
  • Pat

    It was absolutely wonderful to see the dolphins riding with you .

    reply
  • Engr. Mark

    Hi good day ! jayson and nikki 🙂im a fan from philippines.

    Happy 15years wedding anniversary ! Hhoorrrayyy!!!! 😁

    Take care for everyday curiosity crew..
    Godbless !

    reply
  • Robin

    Is the YouTuber you refer to as filming entry into New Zealand from Texas?

    reply
  • Mary Lou Schubert

    What fun to see the welcoming committee of Dolphins ❣️It really felt like they were bringing you into their territory! Enjoy your road trip. I loved your online videos and travel as well! I always feel a kinship with Curiosity having lived in Vero Bach for 20 yr 🥰 Happy 15th Anniversary 🥂🍾

    reply
  • Lee Hudson

    Jason is one of the luckiest men in the world to have such an intelligent, talented and needless to say Gorgeous woman in his life. I have to give him props as well. He is a very talented man. Happy Anniversary to you both and I wish you many more years of happiness. Congratulations to you both. I love your videos. Maybe one day I will find my Nikki. God only knows. Wait, isn’t your mother single Jason? LOL

    reply
  • Bob Wolford

    I just signed up for Surfshark…thanks for the suggestion. As always, my Sunday morning coffee and vicarious traveling with the Wynns! What a wonderful way to start my Sundays.

    reply
  • Lee

    Hopefully you won’t have to spend the next two years in NZ. With pandemic cases rising once again around the world no one knows what will happen next. Have a great time and don’t forget to go see Bilbo Baggins house while you are there.

    Maybe it is warmer on land because NZ is sitting on top of lava.

    Enjoy your visit no matter how long that may be….

    reply
  • Stella MacDonald

    Loved the dolphin welcoming committee…..enjoy your NZ tour. And Happy Anniversary! 🥂

    reply
  • Bernard Schaer

    Hi guys, thanks to you I am using Surfshark at both my apartments/studios in Mallorca, Spain and in Germany! I hope you get all your projects taken care of in NZ. Cheers, Bernard

    reply
  • Simon Bretherton

    So very glad you made it to NZ safely. I hope that you can get the necessary repairs done there. Can Kent help from a distance? Question: do you still use paper charts for the longer passages? And if so, how do you obtain them and are they expensive? Sorry if this has been asked (and answered) before but I’m a newbie..

    reply
  • Chad Hanson

    Beautiful country! Fun dolphins welcoming committee!

    reply
  • Mary Van

    It was like I was having breakfast with you this morning! Everything but the parsnips and the beautiful pink plate. (I only get those that when I have company).

    The Dolphins were amazing! I think that’s a good omen! Do you remember the time in Panama when we caught all those dolphins playing along side the boat? Tge flying fish things that flew out of the water? The whales that greeted us and then riding back In the dinghy from the sharks? Such an awesome trip!

    You know how much I am missing you!!

    Making my own way and loving every minute of it! ❤️❤️❤️

    reply
  • Dennis Kohler

    with all the problems you had the last couple years did you ever think of just going back to rving around the world it must be very difficult to live in a space the size of my kitchen

    reply
  • About Creativity

    Very good, Confidence, Clarity, and a sense of purpose are all things that need to be established, and re-established, daily.

    reply
  • Shirley A Hanson

    I have been waiting to get this weeks video to see how things are going with you two!
    It must take a bit of getting used to the colder weather after living in the tropical islands.
    I look forwar to reading and watching your next episode.

    reply
  • Michael Hinchey

    *Is* there a video? I don’t see a link.

    reply
    • Michael Hinchey

      Never mind. Refreshed the page and it was there.

      reply

Post a Comment