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Packing house for move to New Zealand

Packing house for move to New Zealand

Old Mar 31st 2014, 8:32 pm
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Question Packing house for move to New Zealand

Hi All, first post.....

I am in the process of selling my house in the UK. I plan to move to rental accomodation before making the move over to NZ (i need to pass an exam/find a job first).
Most of my household belongings are going to go into storage for a year or so before i decide to ship them over - once i decide i like it enough!
The question i have for you experienced people is is there anything i really SHOULDN'T be packing? I have tried to find a definitive list, but other than no food there isn't much.

Things that i am wondering about:
- Cleaning products, kitchen type things- i have loads of stored up products (i buy in bulk) that are new and too good to throw away

- DIY equipment, tools and bits (screws, nails, bits of wire, glue, DIY products like degreasers etc) Garage/Typical man cave contents!

- Toiletries, including lots of medications (old not current- i like to keep them- don't ask, but i know what i am doing, habit of my profession )


If i did ship any of this out- what happens? Do the customs people pore through the boxes of your belongings? What do they do if they find something they don't like? I don't like the idea of something being destroyed without me being informed first.... (or am i just confusing this with American customs agents, who do...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzBFwFos-o0)

All advice gratefully received
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Old Mar 31st 2014, 8:48 pm
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

Remove Christmas decorations with even a hint of pine cone or similar.
No aerosols.
May be best to leave cycles.
Jet wash anything that has even the slightest hint of soil or dirt.
No ivory or similar.
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Old Mar 31st 2014, 9:22 pm
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

Originally Posted by snaps
Remove Christmas decorations with even a hint of pine cone or similar.
No aerosols.
May be best to leave cycles.
Jet wash anything that has even the slightest hint of soil or dirt.
No ivory or similar.
Thanks.
Guess my pine cone collection table decoration is out too

Not heard the aerosols thing - that means a lot of items

The bike point is important as i have an expensive mountain bike.

I see you are based in Rotorua- that's where i am fishing for a job......
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Old Mar 31st 2014, 10:04 pm
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

Just bring everything (except pine cones, on move day the movers had the good sense to take the pine cones off our ornamental Christmas tree !)

The wooden ornaments, wooden kitchen utensils etc that we owned didn't seem to matter.

I cleaned everything that needed to be cleaned i.e. the soles of hiking boots etc.

Some people use Jeyes Fluid to clean things. I didn't.

I couldn't get things forensically clean, I don't think anyone can. Bring your bike. It's probably only making sure the tyres are clean. just use soap and water i.e. washing up liquid.

Bring your aerosols. They are not going in a pressurised container are they ? They are travelling by sea cargo i.e. surface travel, so what's the issue ?

When we turned up in NZ 2011 the MAF guy was all over our vacuum cleaner. Other than that he was satisfied that the other things he saw were ok. I have an ornamental ostrich egg brought whilst on holiday in South Africa. He asked if it was purchased commercially. Yes I said, and he went away happy.

It's only on packing I realised how many of our possessions are made of natural things: leather belts, bags, jacket and trousers, sheepskin underlay, silk wedding dress, bone handled steel for sharpening knives etc etc

Last edited by Snap Shot; Mar 31st 2014 at 10:18 pm. Reason: formatting
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Old Apr 1st 2014, 2:13 am
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

Aerosols - The removers told us that insurance cover could be invaildated if carrying aerosols, due to the issue that something heavy fell on one it could ruin many items. Not sure it is an NZ issue.

Too right about the vacuum cleaners, make sure every nook and cranny is spotless, I brought ours across after listening to poor reports on this forum for NZ vacs.
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Old Apr 1st 2014, 4:54 am
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

We bought 2 bicycles to New Zealand. We cleaned the spokes and tyres with a toothbrush and Jeyes Fluid then did not put them on the ground but kept them on a clean cloth until the removal men arrived. The men then proceeded to wheel the bikes to the container!!!

Last edited by Paula2007; Apr 1st 2014 at 4:55 am. Reason: spelling
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Old Apr 1st 2014, 7:56 am
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

I would ship your bike out, particularly if you have a good bike. No point shelling out on a decent bike out here if you already have one As people have mentioned before just ensure you clean it thoroughly before you pack them. I can't comment on the north island but the biking down south is excellent. We've had many good adventures out on the mountain bikes!
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Old Apr 1st 2014, 6:43 pm
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

Just remember the inside of a container crossing the tropics becomes a steel oven heated to high temperatures and a fridge on some nights. Expansion and contraction become extremes so fluids and containers need to be able to change volume.
Use Virkon S as a disinfectant.

Last edited by Stormer999; Apr 1st 2014 at 6:47 pm.
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Old Apr 2nd 2014, 9:02 am
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

Bring EVERYTHING, including all the bicycles. I brought 6 over and had no issues at all.

Anything shipping companies say no to double check, often immigration say yes, even if they say no.

For example I was told no to wicker furniture and almost sold it. But immigration said it was ok.
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Old Apr 2nd 2014, 11:12 am
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

Originally Posted by M_and_M
Bring EVERYTHING, including all the bicycles. I brought 6 over and had no issues at all.

Anything shipping companies say no to double check, often immigration say yes, even if they say no.

For example I was told no to wicker furniture and almost sold it. But immigration said it was ok.
Good idea. I think you mean MPI (formerly known as MAF) that have the answers, rather than immigration.
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Old Apr 2nd 2014, 11:37 pm
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

Originally Posted by Stormer999
Use Virkon S as a disinfectant.
I've used Virkon since the days of my PhD, got loads in the cupboard, use it for my reptile pets. (no, the reptiles aren't coming with me!)

But, how will immigration/customs know i have used it?


I also plan to bring over my Land Rover defender if i decide to stay. I am guessing this will cause a serious complex for customs- not only is it muddy (which will need cleaning) but it is heavily coated in a thick, THICK layers of Waxoyl......... god only knows what they will make of that. Google tells me Waxoyl doesn't get sold in NZ. I just hope they don't want to pressure wash it off. I'd rather they virkon it instead and will readily supply the virkon.
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Old Apr 2nd 2014, 11:48 pm
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

There is a question on the form about cleaning materials used.
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Old Apr 3rd 2014, 1:45 am
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

Originally Posted by physeptone
I've used Virkon since the days of my PhD, got loads in the cupboard, use it for my reptile pets. (no, the reptiles aren't coming with me!)

But, how will immigration/customs know i have used it?


I also plan to bring over my Land Rover defender if i decide to stay. I am guessing this will cause a serious complex for customs- not only is it muddy (which will need cleaning) but it is heavily coated in a thick, THICK layers of Waxoyl......... god only knows what they will make of that. Google tells me Waxoyl doesn't get sold in NZ. I just hope they don't want to pressure wash it off. I'd rather they virkon it instead and will readily supply the virkon.
Dinitrol is used on old LR bottoms here.
http://www.abe.co.nz/productitems.php?brand=Dinitrol
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Old Apr 6th 2014, 11:19 pm
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

Just a quickie on the Land Rover...

My hubby bought one out here (as his vehicle of choice...foolish boy...) and, even as a seasoned tinkerer/mechanic is struggling to find major parts for a decent price. He's joined the Land Rover Club of NZ to access a tone of information and access an amazing network of like minded people.

Bottom line; LR will be good fun out here but expensive to fix... OH has already chewed a *lot* of our savings up on parts and getting it to a decent state...
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Old Apr 8th 2014, 10:43 am
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Default Re: Packing house for move to New Zealand

We had 1 bicycle pulled by MAF to be cleaned it had only been used twice on the road and was cleaned before packing took 2 months to get back from cleaning facility and was thick with dust, car was in container also and plant matter was found in engine bay the car was garaged and used only in summer at weekends was cleaned weekly also wax oiled and was steam cleaned immediately before it went in container, also came back from cleaning as though it had been stored in a scrap yard also had been damaged in transit looked like had been lifted by fork lift due to damage underneath to chassis rails and dent and scratches on sills, then compliance wanted all wax oil cleaning off and sandblasting and resealing at my expense shipping company washed they're hands completely of any responsibility even though they promised we would be there when container is sealed and opened, that didn't happen, took 4 months to get car back and thousands of dollars.
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