New Zealand-born Wagga man Simon Dyson has missed key family milestones back home, but the fear of getting caught up in a fresh COVID-19 outbreak is keeping his feet firmly on Australian ground.

"My sister had a baby last October and that was the first of my siblings or I to have a child and make my parents grandparents, so that was pretty special but we felt that we couldn't travel for that," he said.

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Though eager to meet his new nephew, he said it is too risky to book a flight home.

"I'd be hesitant to book anything before late this year," he said. "It doesn't seem like there's any certainty that any plans you put in place will come through, and we're conscious that the situation can change very quickly."

Mr Dyson said he remains fearful of a sudden outbreak that would force him to quarantine for two weeks, cutting into annual leave or his ability to work, or of having travel plans cancelled days before they're scheduled, as so many have been.

Australian National University infectious disease expert Professor Peter Collignon said risks associated with travelling won't go away anytime soon, though they can be and have been lowered significantly in some cases.

"If you want to travel overseas, the reality is this disease is everywhere and it's going to stay at some levels in most countries around the world possibly forever, but at least for the next four or five years," Professor Collignon said.

"Eliminating it is next to impossible, so what we can really do worldwide and in Australia is make the risk as low as possible and you do that by vaccinating people with effective and safe vaccines."

Professor Collignon said the risk of travelling to New Zealand is similar to crossing an Australian state border, in other words "pretty remote at the moment".

Executive director of the Australian Tourism Industry Council Simon Westaway said many people are excited about the bubble and that it is vital for the economy and society that we open borders where it is safe.

"We're an economy and society that's always thrived with an open international border and we need to stay the course," Mr Westaway said.

Mr Dyson said the hiccups in the national vaccine rollout have done little to assure Kiwis like himself that a trip home is a good idea.

"I'm just conscious that the vaccine rollout seems pretty poor and there's no sign that it's going to be anytime soon that most Australians are vaccinated," he said.

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