[veronica]

There seems to have been a few threads recently on MAF and muddles at this end. For anyone who is coming over then the type of things they are looking out for is anything that is organic and stuff on the prohibited list.(guns and nasties.)

It does help you if you make a rough list on the outside of each box whats in them, and if you pack all the things that maf may be interested in into separate boxes and get them packed into the container last it's easier at this end. If you have any doubts then email them, we have found them to be helpful.

Ditto anything that has had contact with mud. golf clubs and bag (inside too, we got caught out cos there was a bit of mud inside the tee pocket) bikes, football stuff, any outside sports stuff or garden equipt. Just make sure its all clean and it helps to give it a wipe over with Jayes fluid or equiv.

As has been said in other posts its wooden ornaments, pine cones for the christmas tree, fur, feathers, shells, dried flowers and so on. if you can make a list as you go, and as I said, mark the boxes up, its a lot easier at this end for you and the customs guy.

They aren't being awkward by doing their job, they are protecting a largely agricultural ecomomy and eco structure from anymore depredations and diseases, and I am all in favour of that.

[wilson182]

I made out a "packing list"... Basically, I numbered all the boxes and then made a list of each box and what was in it . I made a few copies, one went with the shipment and a couple came with me.

[willsken]

Yes, we packed anything they may want to see in seperate boxes. We also clearly marked on all the boxes what they contained

[Jo_b]

My shipping agent suggested I didn't write on the boxes what was in em, as we are going in a shared container. He said that if you have stuff with things like "DVD player" written on em they are more likely to "go missing". Technically I suppose he is right, and to be fair he said it was rare for anything to go astray, but it didn't inspire confidence!

So, I have numbered boxes and the most detailed spreadsheet ever!

[veronica]

just number the boxes and have a separate list that you can hang on to. that works too. and if a box does go missing you will know which one and what was in it.

[jess]

We were told we had to write on the boxes in addition to our list for our particular mover... so the stereo was in a box marked "A.V. equipment" and the playstation went into a box marked "game". Both were correct though a little less obvious. (Ours arrived with everything intact, but we did not have a shared container, so the padlock on the container was removed at our house.)

[jonSE]

Just don't put miscellaneous on the inventory or the box - they'll definitely want to open those.

When we moved from NZ to OZ we did a very detailed inventory and had very few boxes inspected by AQIS (OZ verson of MAF) purely because of that, - the inspector had a good laugh at one box of left overs from the garage, inventoried as "car parts for cars we no longer own, odd tools, lights, old nuts and bolts and other sh!t"

[beano_bill]

For anyone who is coming over then the type of things they are looking out for is ........fur, feathers, ........

Damn, there goes my entire wardrobe. Oh well, I told OH that I needed a new one anyway :D

We're thinking of self-packing, but really need to look into it & removal companies attitude towards it properly. Seriously, does anyone have the MAF website handy?

Beano

[Caroline and Dave]

Hi Beano,
Here you go
www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet

Kindest regards

Dave and Caroline

[Ana&Steve]

Damn, there goes my entire wardrobe. Oh well, I told OH that I needed a new one anyway :D
Beano
I don't think furs and feathers are automatically disqualified, they may want to inspect them, though, and maybe spray them. I don't know what would make them want to confiscate them, however. Maybe if they look mangy or have fleas? :D *jk*
Ana