Indonesia info
 

Can anybody give me up to date info on ferry crossings from Malaysia/Singapore to Indonesia and from Dili to Darwin?
Also what are the road conditions like in the islands out east?

Richard & Lisa,

No vehicle ferries. Check out the shipping pages here for the onion boat to Indonesia, etc.

Make sure your carnet is valid for the entire stay in OZ WITHOUT extension (not accepted). Get a new one before shipping to Oz, if necessary.

We'll follow in your tracks next year.

Cheers from 1 1/2 Kiwis in France.

Peter.

Peter-

What's the deal with the Carnet, could it be extended once in Australia? How can the extension not be accepted? Now I'm confused! I am hoping to do Indonesia also on my Europe to Oz trip, so I would be interested in your advice.

Thanks...

Dave

David,

Read and heed the CARNET page, especially the part about Australia and new regulations - see link on left.

------------------
Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------

One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Grant-

I have seen the carnet section of the site, yet this is still confusing. I realize a carnet is needed for Australia, but I don't understand why Australia would not accept a carnet that has been extended, or why one could not extend their carnet once in Australia. If the carnet is valid, extended beyond one year or not extended, why would it matter?

-Dave

First off, you're expecting sense!? http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Second, as I read it, an EXTENDED ALREADY carnet is not a problem.

Extending it WHILE IN Australia COULD be a problem. First off they may not want YOU OR YOUR BIKE to stay over a year. Perfectly valid. A year is longer than MANY countries allow in the first place.

If you arrive in Aus and your carnet expires in the next month or two they could easily refuse you entry. Many countries refuse entry if your passport is due to expire soon. Same thinking. Yes of course it's no big deal to renew both, but that's not their (or ANY customs officers) problem, nor do they care.

I am aware of no definite refusal to extend the carnet while in Aus, that I can remember. I'd suggest searching the site for more. There was someone who had to re-export their bikes because of paperwork last year sometime.

Hope that helps...

------------------
Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------

One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Ok, this makes sense now! Thanks for the advice Grant. Australia would be at the end of my 1 year trip, but it sounds like its no different than any other carnet-requiring country.

Dave

Apparently, it IS! Read the story in Ezine 45! If your bike arrives with a carnet that has been extended it will be refused entry.



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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

Ok, now I am confused again, what am I missing here???

-Dave

Simple: NO EXTENSIONS! Not before or after arrival. (Unless they changed the rules again in the meantime.)

This is how I read the story in the Ezine (unlike Grant, evidently), plus I got it in writing from the ADAC.

If your carnet's validity has been extended before going to Oz or if it needs to be while you are there GET A NEW ONE BEFOREHAND!

I hope this is clearer.



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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

Peter, I think the story in the ezine is specific to that incident:

"...my carnet extension (done in NZ) isn't accepted by Australian customs '...your carnet is expired. You have to get a new one very soon'. What I learned hours later is the bank guarantee which covers my carnet is more or less 'gone'."

Clearly something WRONG with the way it was done.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You NEVER actually "extend" a carnet. You DO get a NEW one.

You send the old one back and it is REPLACED with a NEW carnet. Whatever Jan and Kathrin did to "extend" it wasn't right.

Getting the new carnet is no big deal, so long as the original bank guarantee or whatever is still effective, it's easy. Courier the old one to your Carnet issuer, and the new one will be couriered back to you. DO tell them in advance you will be doing this and make sure that you AND they are prepared for whatever is required.

Note that you ONLY want to do this in a country that does NOT require a carnet, as you may well have difficulties with exiting - since you don't have an entry stamp. It MAY be possible to get your entry page inserted into the new carnet, I don't know. If you think you may run into this issue, check with YOUR carnet issuer.


------------------
Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------

One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com