Explosion in Australian COVID-19 cases casts doubt over trans-Tasman bubble dream

New Zealand had just one new case of COVID 19 on Monday - caught at the border before the man even made it into managed isolation.

But across the ditch it's going from bad to worse, with 127 new cases in Victoria alone today. That's led to questions about how realistic our trans-Tasman bubble dream really is.

School's out for winter and families have been hitting the slopes as they explore our beautiful backyard.

But while they're expecting a blockbuster couple of weeks over school holidays, ski fields are missing our snow-loving cousins across the ditch.

It was initially hoped that we might get Aussies in for ski season, but the Prime Minister cannot give that assurance.

A report from Ernst and Young estimates if we were to open a trans-Tasman bubble today Aussies would spend at least $2 billion - and possibly up to $4 billion in New Zealand over the coming six months.

But before you get too excited, here's the rub. The Aussies are shutting down to each other as COVID flares up in Victoria, with 127 cases on Monday and two deaths.

So New South Wales is cutting them off - dubbing Melbourne a hotspot and shutting the state border.

The Prime Minister still says the ball is in Australia's court - and if they want the whole country to move at once, we're going to be waiting a long time.

Watch the video for the full report.