[RoadRunner]

We're wondering if we should take our gas BBQ Grill with us to NZ?

We currently have a small propane tank that we simply refill every couple of months at a local gas station (for approximately US $7). We also could buy a kit that would allow us to hook the gas grill directly to a gas line.

Can you refill propane tanks in NZ? Do most homes have gas lines on the patio for BBQ grills?

Thanks in advance for any advice on this.
RoadRunner

[Moorf]

Hi

Yes, you can refill the gas bottles at most garages here... or they do a bottle swap where you drop your bottle off and just pick up a full one.

Haven't seen any properties here with a patio gas connection.. but we don't have mains gas on the South Island so that's probably why!

We didn't have a decent BBQ in Scotland so not sure whether it's a good idea to bring yours.. but a good one here can cost upwards of $299nzd (imo) - ours is a hooded 4 burner with wok burner on side and it cost just over $400nzd at Bunnings.

Moorf

[RoadRunner]

Thanks, Moorf. Sounds like we'll plan on bringing the grill with the gas "bottle" and skip the gas line kit.

(I need to start learning the lingo!) :yes

[Diny]

I bought a new gas BBQ in the summer as our old charcoal fired Weber had rusted into oblivion. I was very proud of my BBQ, lots of places to put things, a retractable hood, different burners, and natty little cups underneath to catch any drips - thought I was Queen Bee of the BBQs.

That was until PB saw it :no :no :no

Everytime we fired the darn thing up he starts ranting about what a useless piece of junk it is, how you may as well go and stand by the cooker in the kitchen, how a 'real BBQ' is coals only and usually making comments along the lines of "you Poms have got it all wrong - a barbie should have a solid plate, not a grill".

I initially included it on the list of things to ship to NZ - he soon scrubbed it off the list, telling me that he'd die of shame if he stood there cooking on a ponsey thing like that infront of his Kiwi mates & family.

So there you go .... make of that as you will.

p.s. In one of our old houses he did actually build a BBQ and it was for charcoal and it did have a solid plate. I have to admit it was brilliant. The plate has the occasional hole in it to let oils drip away and to let the BBQ smoke get to the food. Never had any disasters.

Doesn't alter the fact that I like my gas barbie with a grill.

Diny

[Moorf]

How odd!!

Ours is gas and compared with all the faffing around with coals we had in the UK we're WELL chuffed with it.. it has a grill plate and a solid plate and its a joy to use!!

We've plenty of Kiwi friends, none of whom have said anything remotely derogatory.. and they would.. they're the "Deliverance" hummers trying to put us off Rangiora!

I don't give a monkey's what anyone else would say.. :laugh

[DB]

Can you refill propane tanks in NZ?

No.

The gas bottles referred to by others are LPG, not propane.

I wrote a story up on this on another site, see my entry on this thread: http://www.uk2nz.co.uk/chat/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3421

We brought a UK patio heater designed to run on propane, using it with LPG and locally bought LPG regulator, it runs just acceptably well on LPG, but not as well as on propane.

Do most homes have gas lines on the patio for BBQ grills?

Most homes dont have gas :eek Depends where you're moving to; some parts of the north island have piped natural gas, outside that its LPG generally out of bottles, or some places (Christchurch CBD for example) have piped LPG. Every gas barbie I've seen just has a LPG tank hanging off it...

And... err... bringing gas bottles in a container - I'd hope your shipper wouldn't allow such a thing; the consequences of a gas leak into a container could be <fill in you choice of bad news adjective here>. When new gas bottles arrive here from wherever they come from, they are filled with a bit of nitrogen only, you buy them empty and then get them filled at the gas station.

[veronica]

PB might have a bit of a shock when he has a look around the shops here at BBQ's as they all seem to be gas and its Kiwis buying them too, not just immigrants.

[Diny]

Hope he reads this thred - I may be able to take my prized gas BBQ with us.

Although I'm not holding my breath.

Diny

[sarahw]

Hee hee! Veronica is right - its not just us 'Poms' that have gas BBQ's most of the BBQ's on sale here are gas & big beasts they are too! (which makes us really glad we've shipped our lovely gas BBQ from home) By the way - if anyone is bringing a BBQ & needs to know what will clean the grill - Fairy Powerspray (for those in the UK don't know if its sold anywhere else) is fantastic - it cleaned our entire Grillplates & hotplate all sparkly like new!

Is PB going to be there when the container is packed? Can't you just get the shippers to put it in the container?! whilst he's not looking (oops he's probably reading this! and I'm going to get told off for leading you astray!) :laugh

[Diny]

Nahh - I'll let him build us one - it'll keep him out of mischief. Far be it from me to arrive in the country and start telling his family and friends that they've got it wrong.

Although I'm a great fan of the gas grill BBQ (would be my first choice every time) - when I actually think about the BBQs I've been to over there (family & friends etc) .... I have to say that I think I remember them all being solid plate charcoal contraptions.

One thing I am sure about .... with everything else to do with immigration, I'm not going to spend too much time worrying about a BBQ at this stage :nice1

Diny

[Moorf]

There are lots of fire restrictions in place here at the moment - including on beaches. BUT.. do those little tin foil disposable BBQ's count as a fire? Just fancied a bbq of sorts on the beach but no fires without permit and in Banks Peninsula an outright fire ban :(

[veronica]

We're dryer down here than they are up there. They're a bit wet on the north island weatherwise, theres no fires within the city limits as I understand it u wouldn't have a clue about the disposable bbq. try phoning (or even better calling in) the fire brigade in the city to ask.

[Moorf]

They're a bit wet on the north island

:eek Can you say that!!

haha - don't u just love sound bites! :laugh

[Pakeha Boy]

Among many things, I am first and foremost a barbecue purist........

Gas bbqs are *****!!!
The manufacturers of them are the grotesque evil seeds of the devil at work in his quest to rid the world of the ancient and time honoured tradition of one man, his kill, and his fire!
I will never lay down with the devil and give up my God given right to heat my own meat :nice1
Operators and supporters of said artificial bbq devices are traitors to the "Order of the True Fire" and should be shot!
They have become the unwitting imps of the devious and insidious machinations of the ungodly global corporate enterprises to de-humanise the populace of the western world with synthetic substitutes and political correctness all rolled in to one, to squash the ideals of free thought and movement for all except the very richest evil on the planet.
I for one stand up and I say NO!

GIVE ME FIRE OR GIVE ME DEATH !!!

[Moorf]

:uhoh Correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't like gas BBQs do you?!

:laugh :laugh :laugh

Been waiting for that post for a while now!!

[StevieD]

Hmmmmmmm :?
Methinks that rant is a bit over the top :P

[Diny]

So .... I guess I won't be taking the gas BBQ with us then.

Diny

[veronica]

OK PB when we have a BBQ we will make sure you're not on the invite list. Diny can come though.

[Nicola]

BBQs serious business this. I nearly lost my life long best friend when Peter had the temerity to laugh at her giant enormous gas guzzling BBQ.

I think he still has the bruise where I had to kick him on the leg.

:nice1 PB You have a household of supporters here. Nothing better than one man, his meat and his fire. I just sit back as one woman, her glass of wine and her deckchair.

Nicola

[veronica]

Its funny though because my own preference is for a wood fired bbq and solid plate, just that running a bbq at a backpackers in the centre of a town filled with wooden houses it just seems a tad more sensible to go with the gas. Far to many piromanics about once the other sort gets going.

[Diny]

Nicola

I have to agree. I make the salads and put them in the fridge. The rest is up to PB while I say 'chin chin darling' to a glass of G&T.

No matter how many 'modern' gas BBQ's are sold, according to PB ...

A ..... only a ponce would cook on a gas barbie, and ..
B ..... You don't let a Sheila do the cooking - it's a mans domain.

I'm more than happy to go with that................ anyone for a top up? :cheers

Diny

[sarahw]

OK we've got all our stuff - yay! The only thing we've had a problem with is our Outback Gas BBQ (which being an Aussie make you'd think it'd be OK over here!) The BBQ connection pipes don't match the BBQ we have. So we've got to get a gas bottle & a connection pipe specially made for us! :eek For anyone else with an Outback BBQ (have no idea if its the same for other UK BBQ's) you may want to check the kind of connections available from the UK before you leave. (Wish we'd bought an empty gas bottle with us!!!

Still managed to have a BBQ last night though - bought a small portable BBQ so we can take it on day trips/weekends with us! :cheers

[Diny]

Sarah
Ours is actualy an Outback !!!!

This is NOT good news. If there's a potential problem with the pipe fittings there's no way PB will allow it in the container.

Dinyhttp://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/mittelgrosse/medium-smiley-049.gif

[StevieD]

You know, having met the guy and listening to his pearls of wisdom, it really does bring this forum to life!

Diny, I'm sure you'll get on fine with your gas BBQ. Me, well we'll decide what we'll do when we get there, as you say, a bit more to worry about than BBQ's at the mo :yes

[Diny]

So true Stevie ..... I'll just stick to my normal methods of cooking and leave the outdoor dining to the hunter gatherer.

Dinyhttp://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/ernaehrung/food-smiley-013.gif

[sarahw]

OK good news for all you bbq fans! Diny you'll be OK :nice1

We've sorted the bbq problem & we think the same problem may (although not 100% sure) be encountered by most bringing UK gas BBQ with British Standards blue connection regulator.

Just went to LPG specialist filling & testing station in an industrial estate & he fitted a NZ standard gas connector & filled a bottle with gas for $100. You don't rent the gas bottle from the supplier like you do in the UK - its yours so I've now connected the bbq up for tonight & am very, very happy!!! :cool

[richsadams]

Hi All :cool

We've had the pleasure of going to a number of barbeques at friend's houses and have hosted our own. Since the one we had in the U.S. was on its last legs, we bought a new one here. We've yet to see one that uses the standard coals...all have been gas and no one seems to think anything about it one way or another. I do miss the smell of lighter fluid in the morning though. :laugh

Mind you, barbeques are very "dear" here as compared to the U.S., about 25% to 50% more. But we did find a great deal at Mitre 10 Mega - 4 burner with a nice closing cover (not the flat variety commonly found in NZ) with a double grill on one side and frying plate on the other for NZ$250 including the tank! Sweet. :yes

The gas tanks are identical to those sold in the U.S. So if you have a good gas barbeque, bring it with you! They sell propane at many gas stations as well. I think we paid about $2/liter to fill ours.

Of course you can't pack your tank for shipping, you'll have to leave it or donate it to a poor, deserving family that is tank-challenged. ;)

And just as an FYI, LPG and propane are basically one in the same. LPG is the generic name for commercial propane and commercial butane. They are both hydrocarbon products. Commercial Propane predominantly consists of hydrocarbons containing three carbon atoms, mainly propane (C3H8). Commercial Butane predominantly consists of hydrocarbons containing four carbon atoms, mainly n- and iso - butanes (C4H10). Lesson over...happy cooking everyone! :nice1

[Dave & Sandra]

Glad to see you are still with us Rich - but the chemistry was a bit much for me :eek

[RoadRunner]

Rich,
Many thanks for clearing that up!

I know that BBQ Grills are not the most important thing when it comes to moving your entire family halfway around the world. But we just spent quite a bit of money on the one we have now. If we can take it with us to NZ, it is just one less expense to worry about on the other side!

Thanks again, Rich! :nice1

RoadRunner

[richsadams]

Hi All :cool

Glad I could help...and apologies for the techno-babble...Sandy (wonderful spouse that she is) has a degree in chemical engineering...kinda rubs off I guess. :eek