NZ date for Australians to return 'about staggering the risk'

The New Zealand government's decision to shut Australians out of the country until April next year has been blasted by the travel industry.

Before the pandemic, New Zealand was Australia's top travel destination, with more than 1.5 million people making the trip across the ditch each year.

The country is set to reopen to fully vaccinated foreign travellers on April 30.

Newstalk ZB reporter Joey Dwyer said the delayed date is about "staggering the risk".

"Our COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says it's about staggering the risk, making sure that people aren't coming here all at the same time," Mr Dwyer told Sky News Australia.

He also said COVID cases which come through the borders are harder to trace than those which originate within the country.

"So that's the rationale behind the decision," he said.

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