# Shipping advice



## outta_here (Jan 24, 2012)

I know this type of query has been asked many times so it's a different kind of question which I'm hoping someone can clear off for me.
We have just had our residence approved and will be looking to move across to NZ in autumn next year.
In terms of preparation we have alot to do .... dogs not being the easiest of matters to navigate around.
I have a number of queries :-

In terms of container shipping I recall reading around the cleaning of items and the suggestion that certain chemicals or cleaners are used as part of the prep process to avoid the agriculture inspections etc (I'm thinking bikes, outdoor stuff, garden equipment etc)

Is there a product that people can recommend or should I ask the shippers?

Secondly, in terms of importing stuff I cant find (and I probably need to look harder) but does anyone know about importing kitchen stuff like herbs and spices (we have LOTS) and alcohol (we have a cellar full of wine for example) which i'm either going to have to drink  or ship a sizeable portion of...

lots of dumb questions ...

thanks for patience


----------



## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

outta_here said:


> I know this type of query has been asked many times so it's a different kind of question which I'm hoping someone can clear off for me.
> We have just had our residence approved and will be looking to move across to NZ in autumn next year.
> In terms of preparation we have alot to do .... dogs not being the easiest of matters to navigate around.
> I have a number of queries :-
> ...


Jays fluid, however you'll not avoid Maf inspection by using it.
Maf will certainly inspect anything they spot on your inventory that has been outside so all you can hope is that by using the above disinfectant they are happy that all items are clean and free of plant or animal matter.

The shippers will tell you - no food items so herbs and spices best left out. If you must take them just make sure they are sealed and unopened in their proper retail packaging and it's a good idea to have them all together as you must declare that you have food items so Maf will surely want to inspect them. 

Anything that Maf inspects will cost you money even if they find it satisfactory. They looked at 35 of our packages and charged us $440 for the privilege plus they found one stray grass sead in a tent that had never been used (it was new) and ordered it away for washing by the shippers. ....another $100.

You can bring in alcohol but you must declare all the bottles of whatever you have. We had loads of bottles also and many spirits. They must be full and sealed. No half bottles or opened bottles. 
Youre only allowed the standard duty free allowance per adult so if you're bringing in heaps you are gonna be charged heaps in customs duty charges on the remainder. We decided it wasn't worth it and gave virtually everything away to family / friends other than a couple bottles of good vodka....Damn shame!


----------



## Rosieprimrose (May 9, 2014)

We have never been charged extra for inspection, however we have, up till now got the moving company to clean all the garage stuff. This time, the moving companies we have got quotes from just 2 weeks ago say they will sell us a product the NZ MAF have endorsed them to sell, probably Jays fluid at ten times the price (buts that OZ for you).
We have never put wine or sprits in the container, you are still only able to bring in the same limit per person you can on the plane anyway, that really appears to be pretty universal. We do take unopened cans and jars from the pantry, washing powder and stuff, as sometimes I have have huge bulk boxes of the stuff. Our last entry into NZ, my husband cleaned his own golf clubs, wrapping the head in plastic wrap along with a note to MAF, saying he cleaned them till an inch of their lives, MAF took one look at the clubs and didn't even look at anything else.
However, I have had five friends return to NZ from OZ this year and they tell us they all had their stuff inspected for age, that might be something they really come down hard on moving across the Tasman, not sure, anyway they were made to produce receipts for furniture, BBQ etc to prove they had had them for a year, I would really be in the poo if they made us do that. I am not looking forward to our MAF bill, we are bringing a horse float and all the horse gear, we come from a know Hendra virus area, I don't mind though,NZ really would not want that!


----------



## Rosieprimrose (May 9, 2014)

OH yes BTW, just discovered something, our quotes include up to 12 weeks free storage (OZ side) if we need it, I only found out when asking about possible storage in NZ. They said it was a usual service, moved lots of times, never knew that!


----------



## God (Jan 23, 2014)

Hi There, We recently moved to NZ from the US. We were given a great piece of advice from a moving company to take pictures of us washing our tools, bicycles and other outdoor equipment. We did not use any special detergent to wash anything but we did do a thorough job. When it came to passing bio-security we attached our photos to the contents list and I feel our clear intention to follow and respect the rules went a long way. We got lucky as we were able to have the inspection done at our home, (a new procedure that moving companies have to qualify through bio-security to do). Rather than have our container sitting at the port, it passed through after bio security looked at our contents list and marked what items they wanted to inspect. When our container was unpacked at our home, the bio-security approved moving company had to put aside all of the boxes that had been highlighted on the contents list. We were not allowed to open those boxes. That same day but after the container was unpacked and the moving company long gone, a bio-security agent came to our house and examined a small portion of the stack of boxes we had put aside. All in all they were only at our place for 15 minutes. In the end it was easy and painless. My sense is that once he saw how cautious we had been to clean our things to avoid bringing contaminants into the country, he decided not to inspect every box. If you have outdoor gear make sure to write cleaned bicycle, cleaned tent, cleaned hiking boots etc.....on the box and contents list. 

As for the spices, you can bring them in but unless they are packaged and sealed they will likely be confiscated and you may have to pay for their disposal too. U was told that once they start charging you to destroy items you brought in that are not allowed, it can get expensive quickly. We brought in quite a bit of food items, mostly organic products that are super expensive here. We wrote processed, sealed and packaged........on each box. Do not bring in any type of seeds, sesame, popcorn, chia etc.....If you bring in food, put it all in one box (or several boxes packed near each other) and make sure they are easily accessible in your container. For if you have food items packed in the back of your container and they inspect your stuff at the port rather than after it is unpacked at your home, bi-security will have to dig through everything to find it and you will be charged for their time. It is also advisable to pack all of your outdoor gear towards the front of the container as well for the same reason. Anything you feel they may want to see pack towards the front of the container. Again, this shows conscious effort on your part which goes a long way with government systems. As for the alcohol, you can bring it but you will be charged duty, not to mention the container can get pretty darn hot in it's travels and this may not be optimum conditions for wine. Best to have a going away bash and begin re-stocking when you get here. 

All the best with your move. CL


outta_here said:


> I know this type of query has been asked many times so it's a different kind of question which I'm hoping someone can clear off for me.
> We have just had our residence approved and will be looking to move across to NZ in autumn next year.
> In terms of preparation we have alot to do .... dogs not being the easiest of matters to navigate around.
> I have a number of queries :-
> ...


----------



## Rosieprimrose (May 9, 2014)

Brilliant God, the horse float can go through the car wash, I will be there with my camera!


----------

