* Travel stocks rise on open-border system between Australia-NZ
* Lithium miner Orocobre among top gainers on Galaxy buyout
* Energy stocks slip on weaker oil prices amid surging cases (Updates to close)
By Vasudha Kaukuntla
April 19 (Reuters) - Australian shares closed flat on Monday as losses among energy and technology sectors erased an early mining boost, while tourism-related stocks found some respite as a travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand kicked off.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO closed flat at 7,065.6.
Energy stocks .AXEJ slipped 1.4% as oil prices slumped amid a surge in COVID-19 infections in India and other countries. Woodside Petroleum WPL.AX fell nearly 2% while Santos STO.AX lost 1.3%.
Technology stocks .AXIJ shed 0.8%, with buy-now-pay-later heavyweight Afterpay APT.AX losing nearly 1%.
The mining index .AXMM rose 0.8% as ironore and copper prices held firm. Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) RIO.AX gained 1.7% while Fortescue Metals Group FMG.AX added 1.8%.
Orocobre ORE.AX soared 5.7% after the lithium miner said it was buying smaller domestic peer Galaxy Resources GXY.AX for $1.4 billion to create the world's fifth-most valuable producer of the key raw material for electric vehicle batteries. hundreds of passengers from Australia began arriving in New Zealand airports on Monday, as open-border system between the countries allows Australia residents to fly across Tasman Sea without having to quarantine. stocks edged higher, with Helloworld Travel HLO.AX advancing 2.4% and Sydney Airport Holdings SYD.AX rising 0.5%.
"The travel industry took a hit last year due to the pandemic and the ones that survived now started to look of good value to most people," FP Markets - APAC Chief Executive Officer Nick Twidale said.
"But for the travel sector to really pick up and be performing anywhere near like last year, we need the rest of the world to come out of the pandemic, with better vaccine rollouts," he added.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 was up 0.7% at 12,767.83, with Auckland Airport AIA.NZ gaining the most after rising 4.7%.