Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Cabinet will announce the commencement date of the transtasman bubble on April 6.
She said people want certainty about the bubble - Ardern wants to be able to offer that. But the bubble is "highly complex".
Ardern said this week marks a year since New Zealand went into level 4. She said New Zealand succeed in what it sough out to do - eliminate the virus.
But the strategy has changed - now, the Government is looking at vaccines.
Ardern and her Cabinet ministers have been locked in discussions for much of the afternoon deciding the next steps for the bubble with Australia.
She said 2021 is the year "possibilities" begin - such as quarantine free travel with Australia.
She said this has always been the Government's priority, but many New Zealanders "are nervous".
Last week, the Herald reported Cabinet would discuss the issue today, with a view to mid to late April as a potential start date.
That came after Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins indicated a bubble would be at least three weeks away because airports and airlines would need time to set up the necessary systems.
What if there's an outbreak in Australia?
One of the key things they wanted to get right before opening a two-way bubble with Australia was a system to pause or stop travel from across the Tasman if and when an outbreak there happened.
And Ardern reminded Kiwis who were over there when and if that happened that they would effectively find themselves stuck.
"Just keep in mind, if something goes wrong - if there is an outbreak, we do not have the capacity in our managed isolation for everyone who would be in Australia who'd need to come back.
"So that's one of the things we'd need to work through."
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has continued to push the move in the past few weeks.
Speaking to reporters earlier this month, he said he was "happy" for New Zealand to open its borders to Australia - before giving a low key jab to the Kiwis.
"If the New Zealand Government doesn't wish Australians to visit New Zealand and spend money in Queenstown or Wellington or other parts of the country, that's a matter for them.
"But if Australians can't go to Queenstown, I'm hoping they'll go to Cairns."
Speaking on the AM Show afterwards, Ardern again reiterated there was a need to "get it right" before the borders opened completely to our Aussie cousins.
One issue brought to her attention was the potential of someone travelling from a country where Covid-19 is rife and then transiting through Australia and into New Zealand - quarantine-free.
Put to her again that many people here were calling for the transtasman bubble to open now, she said officials made decisions based on health advice, not on public petitions.
"It will be soon," she told the programme. We never do anything we're not ready to do."
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""Just keep in mind, if something goes wrong - if there is an outbreak, we do not have the capacity in our managed isolation for everyone who would be in Australia who'd need to come back". No, because you are letting others in like the Wiggles, the Lion King etc. Perhaps if you didn't let them in there may be the capacity for Kiwis to come home if they so choose.
Right from the start they said the would be a small percentage of space set aside for events etc . However the majority of space is set aside for returning citizens.
By the way for your information our MIQ capacity is nearly 50% larger than aussies despite aussies' pop being 5x larger
Spoken like a true labor supporter, when you favor "events" over your own countrymen then you are not doing the job you were elected for.
April 6 is way soon enough thanks.
"One issue brought to her attention was the potential of someone travelling from a country where Covid-19 is rife and then transiting through Australia and into New Zealand - quarantine-free."
What are Passports for Jacinda ? simple to check at border when departing from Australia or vice versa !