Shipments done by Travellers

...By air, the bike is considered "A Dangerous Good" but not so by ship. The Dangerous Goods Management document cost $121.00AU (I processed it today), then on to Qantas export desk at the freight terminal (International Air Terminal), $750.00AU for shipment (bike weights 249 Kl), $25.00AU for additional fuel charge, and $60.00AU for their DGM documentation. It will be held for one day - security - and then shipped.

CARNET: Yes, it is quicker with one but no problem without it either.

At the customs office - a five minutes walk from the air terminal at Christchurch - the customs's official will ask for the value of the bike, then take 12.5% (NZ GST) of the amount and that is the amount that will be asked for and kept in an account that is established and held until you depart.

Ministery of Agriculture and Forestery (MAF): A new wrinkle. An official will inspect the bike for cleanliness. No dirt or mud!! The official looked close but not as if it was going into an operating room. A charge of $27.00 NZ.

*** Nick and Kris were in contact: I asked Kris the question, "For the difference of a couple hundred dollars, is it better to ship by air or ship?". His answer, "By air". Reason, there several additional cost at the dock - unloading and an additional MAF charge to traveling to the dock. Also, your additional transportation cost to the dock.

...After 3 beautiful months in Australia and after 18.500 kilometres it is time for my to see something else, New Zealand. I ship the bike at 16 january from Sydney to Auckland, this boat-trip takes about 4 days. I ship the bike with the company AGS international. This company is specialised to remove cargo between Australia and New Zealand (2 times a week). They are using containers to do this and I can put my bike in one of this containers between the other cargo. It is not necessary to crate the bike but it is lways beter to do this. The price for shipping is 130 A$ for 1 cubic metres and this was the most cheap price I could find.

My crate is 2.4 cubic metres and I paid for this 312 A$ + paperwork 46 A$ = Total : 358 A$ for shipping the bike to Auckland. A crate for my bike I found in a BMW motorbike shop on the Princess Highway.

I fly on 15 january from Sydney to Auckland and this is with Air-China (?) and also this was the most cheap ticket I could find and cost my 430 A$. (The same ticket for Ansett, Quantas and Air-New Zealand was more expensive).

...From Melbourne to Auckland I used Draper Parot Int PTY Ltd... Moorabbin, 0061 3 9555 5533. For the R1100GS in a crate (I got mine from BMW Aus)= 500 AUD.

I had to do my own clearance in NZ though. In NZ you have to personally visit local agent APC which is right next to Customs (in Auckland it's near the airport 63 Richard Pearse Drive, Mangere, go straight there when you fly in praps) with Bill of lading and carnet. Then go to the MAF (Anzac Ave., city) to arrange inspection. Then trail out to the warehouse with the MAF guy, get all the clearances, hand over 50 NZD to the warehouse, more if you want to uncrate and ride away. If you use Draper Parot, the warehouse is in Onehunga, you can get a bus 'halfway' there!

Coming back from NZ to Oz I used Hemisphere in Kingdon St Newmarket, tel. 095224903. That cost 360 NZD (cheap, eh?) for a 2.5 cubic metre crate. (rate 110nzd per m3)

(Crate from bikeshop - free). The problem was, once in Aus, there was one heluva pallava to get the darned thing free again. The warehouse is right out in Friendship Rd. Port Botany (buses go there, slowly), the customs office is on the same bus line but way back into the city (sorry no address). I spent 3 whole days of toing and froing to get the bike (it was Oz registered anyway!). Finally with all the payments to customs, MinOfAg, warehouse plus busfares etc the whole thing cost around 500AUD.

For shipping agents in Oz, check out the YellowPages.com.au, go to Shipping Cos and agents and punch in the town you want to leave from, et voila! This is what I did, and it worked out OK.

Hope this helps for anyone interested. I also shipped from Darwin to UK.

Regards,
Andy