As coronavirus restrictions continue to ease across the country, some states are moving towards allowing interstate visitors to return, but others are determinedly remaining closed fearing a second wave of infections.
The slowness in lifting interstate border restrictions has frustrated the federal government, made life difficult for businesses and even sparked High Court challenges.
So which states can you travel to and how long is it likely to take before Australians can move around the country freely again?
Queensland
Queensland's border could open on 10 July, with the state government indicating a possible date on Friday after weeks of pressure from the federal government.
"We’ve said very consistently from when we released the roadmap that we would review the borders at the end of June and that, if it was safe to do so, we would relax those restrictions on 10 July," Health Minister Steven Miles said.
"Nothing has changed about that."
Currently, school students, workers and freight drivers can enter the state without an issue, but Queensland is closed to anyone else.
Barriers are seen installed at Miles Street in Coolangatta on the NSW-Queensland border, Tuesday, April 7, 2020 Source: AAP
Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer has launched legal proceedings in the High Court against the state government's border closure.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has also threatened .
"It is unconstitutional for Premier [Annastacia] Palaszczuk to close Queensland's border and her actions are causing me a great deal of concern for the economic viability of our state," she wrote on Facebook last month.
Queensland has four active cases of COVID-19, with two in hospital.
Western Australia
WA Premier Mark McGowan has not announced a date for reopening the border, only saying that it would be done when it was safe.
"I just say to everyone across Australia, states, sovereign bodies, we will make these decisions upon the health advice in due course and in good time," he said on Thursday.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he expects WA to be the final state to open for interstate travel.
Speaking after a meeting of the national cabinet on Friday, Mr Morrison said Mr McGowan had argued keeping the borders shut had allowed more relaxed restrictions in almost all other areas.
At one point, WA was divided into 14 areas, but began lifting the intrastate restrictions in stages on 29 May.
WA currently has 18 active COVID-19 cases.
Mr Palmer has also , arguing it is unconstitutional.
South Australia
South Australia's Premier Steven Marshall announced on Friday that border restrictions will be lifted on 20 July.
Mr Marshall says the state is still finalising some legal issues surrounding the change but doesn't want to block the movement of people from other jurisdictions that don't pose a health risk to the state.
"Now, this could only be possible because of the massive improvement, right across the entire nation," he said on Friday.
Mr Marshall has also announced SA will increase the number of patrons allowed in pubs and restaurants to a maximum of 300 on 19 June.
The changes also come as about 2,000 AFL fans will be allowed in to watch the match between Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Crows on Saturday night.
SA reported no new COVID-19 cases again on Friday, with no earlier infections still considered active.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall speaks to the media in Adelaide, Friday, June 12, 2020 Source: AAP
Northern Territory
Chief Minister Michael Gunner says the territory is “in the final stretch” before it reopens its borders.
On Monday, Mr Gunner said the NT would monitor any potential spread of coronavirus from Black Lives Matter rallies in other states before making a decision on opening the territory's borders.
Any date for reopening the NT's borders is expected to involve about 30 days' notice.
There are no active cases of COVID-19 in the NT and there has been no community transmission, with all of the territory's 30 positive cases connected to returning travellers.
"The absolute best thing for the territory right now is we are the safest place in the country. There is no better advertisement for the Northern Territory over the last few months than how we handled coronavirus,” Mr Gunner told reporters on Thursday.
"People are looking on with envy at the territory and want to come."
Tourism rebound taskforce chair Michael Bridge has welcomed calls for a so-called "centre-west travel triangle" that would allow movement between WA, SA and the NT.
Tasmania
Premier Peter Gutwein on Friday flagged that Tasmania will likely look to reopen its border with mainland Australia in late July.
Mr Gutwein clashed last month with Prime Minister Scott Morrison over his calls for states to reopen their borders.
“The last time I looked, the prime minister wasn’t the director of public health in Tasmania nor was he the premier of Tasmania,” Mr Gutwein said.
“We’ll make decisions that are in the best interests of Tasmania.
On Friday, an announcement on the Spirit of Tasmania website said bookings were open again for travel to the state from 1 September.
“For travel prior to 1 September, Spirit of Tasmania can only accept bookings from: Tasmanian residents returning to Tasmania; Essential Travellers to Tasmania; Freight operators; and passengers travelling to the mainland from Tasmania,” the website’s notice reads.
Any non-essential travellers arriving in Tasmania between now and 31 August will be quarantined in a government facility for 14 days”.
Tasmania no longer has any active cases of coronavirus.
NSW, Victoria and the ACT
New South Wales and Victoria, which have respectively reported the most and second most coronavirus cases in the country, did not close their borders.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has repeatedly urged Ms Palaszczuk to open Queensland’s borders to give both states an economic shot in the arm.
However, Ms Palaszczuk said last month she would not "be lectured to by a state that has the highest amount of [COVID-19] cases in Australia".
As other state premiers began closing borders, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said if people followed health rules the borders could remain open.
"If social distancing is applied, if people use common sense, act in their interest in and the interest of everybody else, instead of acting in a selfish way, then I don't think we need to get to the point (of shutting borders)," Mr Andrews said in late March.
The ACT also chose not to close its borders.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.
Testing for coronavirus is now widely available across Australia. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.
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Additional reporting by AAP.
