What does trans Tasman mean?
Trans Tasman means across the Tasman Sea. It is a term used for many things that involve both Australia and New Zealand.
Spend a bit of time in Australia, and there’s a fair chance you’ll hear the term “trans Tasman” come up. It might be in the context of a trans Tasman travel bubble or trans Tasman rugby.
To an outsider, this is a somewhat baffling term, and understanding it requires a knowledge of Australian geography.
Who is the Tasman Sea named after?
The Tasman in question is not Tasmania, the island state at the bottom of Australia. It is the Tasman Sea, which lies of Australia’s east coast. Both Tasmania and the Tasman Sea are named after the same person – Dutch explorer Abel Tasman.
The important part of the Tasman Sea is what’s at the other end of it – New Zealand. Sometimes, New Zealand is erroneously regarded as part of Australia, but it isn’t. New Zealand and Australia are separate countries, albeit ones with high levels of cooperation.
Meaning of trans Tasman
So what does trans Tasman mean? Well, in Australia, Trans Tasman means across the Tasman Sea. In other words, trans Tasman means something to do with both Australia and New Zealand. A trans Tasman pact is an agreement between the two countries. Trans Tasman rugby is played between an Aussie team and a Kiwi team. And a trans Tasman flight is one from Australia to New Zealand, or vice versa, on a route such as Sydney to Auckland or Melbourne to Auckland.
The most important use of trans Tasman is in the Trans Tasman Travel Arrangement. This allows citizens of Australia and New Zealand freedom of movement between the two countries. The arrangement has been in place since 1973.
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