Shipping from USA to NZ for 5 week trip?
 

My wife and I are planning on visiting NZ in March, 08 for 5 weeks or so. I would love to ship my Sidecar rig if possible (Connie has a condition making the SC a better option for us).

Is there any source where I could determine what I need to do to accomplish this (or determine it isn't feasable)?

Shipping, NZ licencing rules?, insurance rules, other?

Thanks

greg

It's all possible

To ride on a NZ road you need

1. A valid drivers license, and international driving permit.

2. Registration - this is basically a gov't enforced insurance policy for MEDICAL help. The insurer is a gov't agency called Accident Compensation Corporation or ACC. They do not cover damage to any goods, vehicles or any property. It costs about $230 NZ per year. If you don't have it you will be fined about $200. If you're not displaying the sticker and park your bike anywhere and a parking warden sees it he will fine you $200. Get the 'rego' as us kiwis call it from any post office.

Don't quite know the ins and outs if you don't have NZ plates, but I'm sure it's not that hard. Customs should be able to help. Last I looked the minimum period was 3 months, but you can get a refund on the unused portion.

3. A warrant of fitness. (WoF) This is a technical inspection and costs about $25 - $35. Any bike shop can do it. Basically you need lights, indicators, horn, functioning brakes and non worn wheel/steering head bearings and suspension bushes. Tyre tread needs to be 1.5 mm deep or more around the whole tyre and across 3/4 of the width of the tyre. Don't fuss about it too much, it's usually very easy to get. As long as you're not riding a total wreck you'll pass the inspection.

3rd party insurance is NOT compulsory but highly recommended. If you crash into someone Porche you'll be buggered. Try john baker insurance

You basically have two choices regarding import duty at the border.
1. Get a carnet de passage
2. Pay duty at the border, which you will get refunded when you leave. (the duty rate is 17.5%)

You can find info here.

Tourist Vehicles

Any motorcycle shop will help you sort it out. Apparently Kerry at Motohaus Auckland has helped a few travelers.

Are you going to fly your bike or put it in a container?!

For shipping contact mainfreight. They're the big players in the NZ transport market and know what's what. If they can't help try oceanbridge. They do more 'special projects' cargo

If you're flying your bike try Air New Zealand cargo.

Road rules etc can be found here.

Another very important point: Make sure your bike is spotlessly clean. MAF will sting you with a huge fine for fumigation and cleaning if there is any mud or other organic matter on it.

Good luck

Lots of good stuff from Bartman here but there's a few things I'd like to add as I have had probably more than 50 bike travelers stay with me over the last 8 years.

I'll second that too! If you get to the South Island (and you'll regret it if you don't!), be sure to send me an email. There's usually a bed and a shed for travelers at our place.
Cheers,
Nigel in NZ

Thanks for that Nigel

I found some more info here, too.

Factsheet 35 - Importing a vehicle temporarily

Cheers.

Thanks VERY much for your replies. having givin it some thought, we have decided to explore renting a GoldWing.

I will start a separate thread on a tour company we have starting talking with.

greg

Hey guys,

plans to ship my bike to new zealand. I'm on a working holiday for one year in blenheim, working at the bakery in manford st.

This page pretty much shows everthing i need to know, have only one question.

I don't get a carnet, because i'm thinking about another year in australia, and there a carnet is only valid for one year, next year, i have to get another one, and the are expensive basterds.

So try to get a Temporary Import entry.

Called the Nelson customs yesterday, and the nice lady told me that i had to made a 500 dollar desposit, that i will get refunded when i leave the country.
Its a Moto Guzzi NTX650 from 1989, bought it for 250 dollar, wrecked it, and completely build it up again. I thinks, the bike is worth about 2000 dollars or so.
Shipment will be about a thousand dollars.

Does anyone have experience with trying to get a T I E? How long will this take to get? Any further costs?

I'd like to make some things clear in my mind.
1: ships comes in
2: bike gets of the boat
3: get it trough customs and MAF?
4: drive it home
5: whitin 5 day's, get a WOF
6: get it registerd
7: Free to g0000!!

Is this pretty much how it will go, of do i miss some things?

Tnx for your help in advance,

When the bike gets here, i'd probaby had heaps of more questions, because there's a lot that i like to do on the bike, and dreaming about riding it home :scooter:

greetings from tim, blenheim.

(ps, when will it be summer, its freezing out here!!! :D)

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/6...73smallvy7.jpg

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/1...69smallmb7.jpg

Gidday,

You're supposed to have your registration & warrent of fitness sorted out BEFORE you ride the bike on the road.....

No too big a deal though, I'm sure you could confuse a cop with all your paperwork, european rego & license (I did :clap: ).

Fines pretty steep if they don't wear your story though. And of course you would pay it before you left NZ...

:welcome:

I fyou try to bike your bike into Australia with a carnet .. your deposit will be some what larger than the carnet costs .. and there will be a mountain of paper work and talk to go through ..

While a carnet runs for one year .. it can be 'renewed' ie you get another one to 'replace' the expired one.

he guys

bike is finally on the ship, will arrive on the 1 of dec. I believe I sorted all things out, and it seems like its not that big deal. But thanks for your help, might call it in another time!

tim

Frank- if i was to ship my bike over to Australia on a 1 year Carnet, are you saying that I could extend it to maybe 2 years? I had thought I could only bring it over for max 1 year and as I'm planning on maybe a couple of years (I'm aiming for a Long Stay Business Visa), I reckoned I would not bring my bike but buy something there to ride home on. Any advice appreciated.





,

Check with an email to whoever issued you your carnet. Everyone who I know that needed a new one, has been able to get reissued a new one for another year.

Regards

Nigel in NZ