NZ customs

On Wed, 07 Sep 2005 04:33:53 +0000, CathnPaul

Sorry I didn't have them offhand before.

If you have any questions, please do email MAF as they are there to buttist and really can help make the process go smoothly.

I emailed them countless times before I went home in 1999 - nothing was ever a problem!

What I did, was pack boxes for inspection those with bark, fur, feathers or anything I thought needed to be inspected etc, in boxes marked in big letters

FOR MAF INSPECTION LOAD LAST

When I completed the declaration upon arrival in NZ, MAF called me and asked about the items as there was some problem between the declaration and the inventory. When I explained about the boxes, it was cool..

When they arrived they did a general check of the furniture etc - then we stood on the footpath opening 'their' boxes. I had a driveway they couldn't put the truck up so it was plonked on the side of the roadway!

They did take some items for fumigation but I was able to pick them up about a week later - none of the items in sealed bags had been removed.

Word of warning though - small pine cones on the likes of Christmas decorations - REMOVE. These require an additional fumigation process which I did not consider the cost warranted so the MAF officers and I just sat there and picked them off, throwing them into a bag which they took for destruction.

If it is a full container load, do NOT open the container upon arrival at the residence. If MAF arrive and find it open, they will order everything to be returned into the container and it removed; it will most likely undergo a total fumigation.

My son was a truckie in Christchurch and had several instances of having to go pick up such containers!

Cath