SYDNEY, July 23 (Reuters) - New Zealand will pause its quarantine-free travel arrangement with Australia for at least eight weeks from Friday night, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, as Australia fights an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta virus variant.

"We've always said that our response would evolve as the virus evolved. This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but it is the right decision to keep New Zealanders safe," Ardern told reporters in Auckland.

The "travel bubble" had already been paused for travellers to and from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.