Ask Andrew: Will New Zealand let me in on an Aussie visa?

23 October 2016 - 02:00 By ANDREW UNSWORTH

Our travel adviser tackles your destination dilemmas, visa puzzles and itinerary ideas ONE VISA FOR NEW ZEALAND AND OZ?I am travelling to Australia from March to May next year and then have booked to fly into New Zealand for the month of June. I have an Australian visa, which expires in July 2018. Will I still need a separate visa for New Zealand? - Jane DeanAlthough Australians like to joke that the Land of the Long White Cloud is the Eastern Australian Islands, New Zealand is of course a separate country with no passport-free entry arrangement for tourists visiting both countries.So yes, if you are a SA citizen, you will need a visitor's visa to go there - unless you are in transit - as of November 21 this year.The cost of a visitor's visa will be NZ$165 (about R1,636).For more information, go to immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas.mini_story_image_hleft1WAYS TO SEE THE WILDEBEESTTwo friends and I want to see the wildebeest migration on the Mara River in March 2017. We would also like to visit other sites close to the river to see the areas where the game is plentiful.Ideally, we would like to do the trip in about 10 days. Being old ballies, we are not keen on roughing it, but five-star accommodation would probably prove too expensive.Can you give me some advice on who might be able to package such a trip? - Ron McDowellThe migration is a continuous, largely clockwise movement through Tanzania and into southern Kenya.The wildebeest herds are most likely to be in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in southern Tanzania in March and will cross the Mara River into Kenya around August and September. The crossing of the Grumeti River is equally dramatic and will take place in May and June.If you are not interested in roughing it, then a package is indeed the way to go as it removes all the hassle of finding transport and accommodation.There are many companies offering trips to the Masai Mara. You could opt for a local operator and fly yourself to Kenya, or a South African operator who will organise the whole thing for you, flights included.Thompsons, through &Beyond, offer packages to Tanzania include camping, hotels and luxury safaris but the game-viewing experience is the same for all. They will offer a tailor-made package to suit your budget. Call Thompsons on 011-770-7677.Nomad Africa Adventure Tours is a good local operator, but do not have a tour of the length you mention. They may be able to design you a tailored trip. See nomadtours.co.za/discover/highlights/masai-mara.A great website for exploring all the options is Safari Bookings, the largest online marketplace for African safari holidays, which has 1,210 Masai Mara Safaris & Tours. See safaribookings.com/tours/masai-mara. Alternatively visit any reputable travel agent.story_article_right1OLD PASSPORT, VALID VISAWe intend travelling to the UK for Christmas. I have a new passport as my previous one expired but my UK visa is in the expired passport. Can I travel with both passports or must I apply for a new visa? - Pat PretoriusI am in exactly the same position and although I have not had the opportunity to put it to the test I am told that it is fine to travel with both passports, so long as the UK visa is still valid.You could, of course, submit both passports to the consulate to have the same visa added to your new passport if possible, but there may be a charge...

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