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Trans-Tasman

Trans-Tasman is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Trans-Tasman rather than just read about it. In short: Trans-Tasman is an adjective used primarily to signify the relationship between Australia and New Zealand. The term refers to the Tasman Sea, which lies between the two countries.

Trans-Tasman — main illustration
Trans-Tasman — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Trans-Tasman belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Trans-Tasman to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Trans-Tasman from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Trans-Tasman is an adjective used primarily to signify the relationship between Australia and New Zealand. The term refers to the Tasman Sea, which lies between the two countries. For example, trans-Tasman commerce refers to commerce between these two countries.

A trans-Tasman flight is a flight between Australia and New Zealand. The Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement is an agreement between Australia and New Zealand allowing their citizens free movement between the two countries. The Trans-Tasman Trophy is a Test cricket trophy.

Trans-Tasman events November–December 1642: In a Dutch expedition captained by Abel Tasman, the Heemskerck and Zeehaen cross the Tasman Sea from Tasmania (Lutruwita, then inhabited by indigenous Tasmanians) to the South Island (Te Waipounamu, Te Waka-a-Māui, inhabited by the Kāti Māmoe and other Māori). 18 February 1876: The first trans-Tasman submarine communications cable is completed, allowing telegraph communications between New Zealand and the rest of the world. 3 February 1908: first trans-Tasman radio transmission (via HMS Powerful in Tasman Sea).

10 January 1928: Moncrieff and Hood vanish without trace during the first trans-Tasman flight attempt. 10 September 1928: Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and his three-man crew complete the first successful trans-Tasman flight. 7 January 1931: Guy Menzies flies the first solo non-stop trans-Tasman flight (from Australia to New Zealand) in 11 hours and 45 minutes, crash-landing on New Zealand's west coast. 30 April 1940: Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) begins commercial trans-Tasman flights between Auckland and Sydney using Short S.30 flying boats. 11 April 1965: Qantas begins commercial trans-Tasman jet service, between Christchurch and Sydney using Boeing 707 aircraft. 1969: Anders Svedlund attempted a crossing from New Zealand to Australia; however, he was over-turned five days after leaving from Auckland's Manukau Harbour and returned to New Zealand. 1977: Colin Quincey, an England-born New Zealander, made the first successful human-powered trans-Tasman crossing. He took 63 days 7 hours to row his Yorkshire Dory row-boat from Hokianga, New Zealand to Marcus Beach on the Sunshine Coast of Australia. 24 February 2000: Dick Smith crossed the Tasman Sea in a hot air balloon. The flight was from Kaitaia on the northern tip of New Zealand to Ten Mile Beach in northern New South Wales, Australia. 2167 km were covered in a 55-hour and 12-minute flight. 30 December 2007: Four Australians, led by Steven Gates, departed from Hokianga, New Zealand on 29 November. They rowed to and arrived in Sydney Harbour on 30 December at 8:15 am, having taken 31 days to make the crossing. 13 January 2008: crossing of the Tasman by kayak completed by Justin Jones and James Castrission; expedition named Crossing the Ditch. March 2010: Shaun Quincey completed the solo row from Australia to New Zealand in March 2010. Shaun is the son of Colin Quincey, who completed the reverse journey in 1977. July 2018: Scott Donaldson completes the first kayak solo row from Coffs Harbour, Australia to New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Trans-Tasman relations

Trans-Tasman relations refers to the historical, cultural, political, economic, and social relations between countries within the Trans-Tasman region, namely Australia and New Zealand. The two nations share joint histories and similar cultures, such that there are significant numbers of both populations who embody a transnational identity.

Union community There is a shift in the largest union communities Australian Council of Trade Unions and New Zealand Federation of Labour towards a global solidarity. This shift can be seen through the cultural recognition of a Trans-Tasman world of work.

Arts and culture Cultural relations in the Trans-Tasman support a cooperative relationship with the sharing of art between Australian and New Zealand galleries. However, the two become competitors when seeking to secure international blockbuster exhibitions and audiences.

Food standards The harmonization of trans-Tasman food standards led to lower compliance costs for industry, fewer regulatory barriers, and more consumer choice.

Economic relations The New Zealand and Australian economies are deeply enmeshed as both nation's economic traffic receive flow from a single economic market. Prime Minister Fraser from Australia and Prime Minister Muldoon from New Zealand committed themselves to a liberalisation of the economy for goods from both countries and proposed tax reductions. Since then, future prime ministers have reflected this trade liberalisation. The Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement signed in 1983 has been used to guide trade between Australia and New Zealand. The two nations have an economic power imbalance however, as Australia plays a more important role in the New Zealand economy than New Zealand does for Australia. Australia in comparison will conduct more trade with North and East Asia. As such their bilateral relationship can be uneven and relies on the consulting and weighing of concerns.

Memorandum of Understanding 1992 In 1996, Australia and New Zealand agreed to create a single market for air transport that was distinct from the previous agreements which were more restrictive. Some notable changes that affect Trans-Tasman travel include allowing Australia and New Zealand to operate in each other's domestic markets. This was followed by an endorsement of the open skies agreement under the International Civil Aviation Organization in 2007 which further allowed Australia and New Zealand's international flights to operate in each other's domains beyond to third countries without restriction.

Defence and security The two countries defence forces are complementary, and co-operate closely on the international scale, and in maintaining Trans-Tasman security. The equipment is often shared to defend the borders of the nations in the south pacific given the common security purpose of the nations.

Trans-Tasman crossing

The modes of transport for crossing the Trans-Tasman Sea include by sea and by flight.

By sea The Trans-Tasman crossing can be undertaken by sailing ships, passenger liners and smaller vessels. There are a range of cruise ships including those from companies Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Group, Holland America, Silversea and Oceania Cruises. Private vessels are also allowed to cross this Sea.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Trans-Tasman illustration
Trans-Tasman: Moncrieff and Hood's Ryan B.1 Aotearoa', Mascot, Sydney, 10 January 1928
Moncrieff and Hood's Ryan B.1 Aotearoa', Mascot, Sydney, 10 January 1928
Trans-Tasman: Airplane Southern Cross at Mascot Sydney, January 1933
Airplane Southern Cross at Mascot Sydney, January 1933
Trans-Tasman: Australia and New Zealand highlighted in green, in the southern hemisphere of the Earth
Australia and New Zealand highlighted in green, in the southern hemisphere of the Earth
Trans-Tasman: Air New Zealand Trans-Tasman Flight Routes
Air New Zealand Trans-Tasman Flight Routes

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Trans-Tasman

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Trans-Tasman claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Trans-Tasman before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Trans-Tasman ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Trans-Tasman

In research
Trans-Tasman appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Trans-Tasman in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Trans-Tasman is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Australia–New Zealand relations, History of aviation, New Zealand civil aircraft, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Trans-Tasman outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Trans-Tasman in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Trans-Tasman means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Trans-Tasman out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Trans-Tasman in simple terms?

Trans-Tasman is an adjective used primarily to signify the relationship between Australia and New Zealand. The term refers to the Tasman Sea, which lies between the two countries.

Why does Trans-Tasman matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Trans-Tasman?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Trans-Tasman.

Tags

  • Australia–New Zealand relations
  • History of aviation
  • New Zealand civil aircraft
  • Tasman Sea
  • Tasmanian law
  • Trans-Tasman organisations

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