Hello,
I just have read the page about Paperwork in NZ, and the linked pages. I am now worried : what do I have to do ? Can I simply go and take my bike from the Airport, and do what they ask me to do (pay, give the carnet, bring the bike to some inspection...) or do I have to book for the Inspection, Wof, and other things like that before going to the Airport ?

Thanks for responses, because I am a bit worried now. (The bikes are arriving in 2-3 days.

Severin

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http://www.petiteviree.com

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250 is enough http://www.petiteviree.com

Hi Severin.
It goes something like this: You will have various fees to pay at the airport (customs, MAF inspection for bugs and insects etc) but nothing unusual. They will give you reciepts for everything. After that you can ride it away, but it is easier to convince a policeman that you are getting it inspected and WOFed if you have a booking. You will have to take it to a VINZ inspection site (Look in the phonebook). There are quite a few around, so it would be better if you booked for a time on the day after you get the bikes cleared. This will allow you the whole day in case you need it. I don't know where you are getting the bikes cleared but down here in Chistchurch that part can take only about 2-3 hours.
The compliance inspection and WOF is the expensive part; about NZ$250-350, although some people have only had to do the WOF part ($25) so I hope you are lucky.
You can pay for as little as 3 months registration fee, but you have to look carefully for the small box on the application form. Most people only see the 6 months and 12 months boxes.
Take your carnet and home registration papers, and importation papers, and try asking only for a WOF. Maybe you will strike someone who has a less than full understanding of the regulations.
Make sure you look us up when you come down south.

Kind regards

Nigel in Amberley

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"The world is a book and those who do not travel read but a page"- St Augustine

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The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with . -- 2200 BC Egyptian inscription

Hello Nigel,
Thanks for your quick answer. I am getting the bikes in Auckland, and I have seen that there is a VINZ close to the airport. I ll try there.

We should be in the south Island in one month more or less. If everything goes well .

Severin.

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250 is enough http://www.petiteviree.com

It would be great with some consistency and some rules. None of the RTW travellers I've met have been required to either register their bikes or get a WoF. Maybe they just weren't listening when the bikes were cleared through MAF and Customs.

The latest one was about 2 weeks ago, and he was allowed to take the bike in its crate from the airport with no need as far as I know for any paperwork other than carnet and original registration and insurance.

Good luck with your paperwork Severin, and enjoy NZ.

I had a look at your website, it's impressive.

I see you've come from South America, I'm headed that way late next year and it'd be great if we could catch up while you're in NZ. I'm in Dunedin, and if you're passing through you should contact me.

Regards,
Matt

PS, second that on the inconsistency of NZ customs. One of my mates has just imported a bike over from Aussie. It took him about a month to get the bike registered after it arrived as someone in customs forgot to fill out the form that says the bike actually entered the country!

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TDM850
www.aussie2006.webset.co.nz
www.europe2007.webset.co.nz

You don't need to register your bike - it is already registered, just in a diferent country....
You should have a WOF - or so I was told by the cop that pulled me for speeding. Act dumb (came naturally to me) and they will suggest you get one in the next town. Cop had no idea about paperwork for foreign vehicles - carnet impressed him even though it was marked 'permantly imported into New Zealand'

All other travellers I met didn't bother with vehicle inspection/WOF

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Rich
www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/richardandlisa
www.youtube.com/richparkie

Doh! Silly old me! Of course you won't have to register it! What threw me off was the last person I helped with this last year was importing their bike. But the WOF thing being enforced only sometimes is true. And one person I know had to fit a NZ pattern headlight to get the dip right. He was dealing with a real wally in the WOF place. I hope I didn't put you too wrong. I'll make up for it with cold home-brewed and a comphy bed when you get down here!
Kind regards

Nigel in NZ


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"The world is a book and those who do not travel read but a page"- St Augustine

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The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with . -- 2200 BC Egyptian inscription

While you may not have to fully register a bike I have met people who were made to buy the rego stickers and pay the normal rego charge. This, of course, includes the payment of ACC levies, i.e. the contribution to the fund that pays for personal injuries due to accidents. Because everybody in NZ is covered by this it is not normally necessary to obtain insurance for the bike.

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Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10

Hello all.

We will see and tell you how it goes. Currently the bikes are already one week late, and still in Santiago de Chile. We are starting to get angry with LAN Cargo, who puts us in 'Low Priority'. This Xmas period seems to be a peak for them and they surely have done some overbookings.

I will have to put a post explaining the other problems we had with the shipping.

Severin

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250 is enough http://www.petiteviree.com

Finally, we got the bikes !

They arrived the 21st at the airport (8 days late). Then the MAF told they had mud in the mud gard. (ok, RTFM). So they asked us to make 'steam cleaned' the bikes, and only one company does that. We had to ask this company to take the crate from the Airport to their place. But they were VERY busy, so could not clean them for the next morning as promised. Same problem the next morning and then they all went to chrismas holiday !!!
So finally today (28th Dec), they went back to work and we now have our bikes. (Still with some mud. They only removed the small amount of mud in the mud gard).
So we are not happy at all, because we had to pay 185NZD for the cleaning, plus two MAF inspections (total 130NZD), and all this for nothing because the bikes are almost as clean as before (or as dirty if you like).
And we lost 15 days. Advice : do not send your bike in December. And now we should also pay for this registration + WOF thing ? Does any other country in the world ask for that ?

[This message has been edited by severin (edited 28 December 2005).]

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250 is enough http://www.petiteviree.com

NO! If you have your bikes get on them and ride. If a cop ever asks for any WoF, rego sticker or whatever, just point out that they are registered in another country where these requirements do not exist. You have legally entered the country.

However, please do NZ a favour and clean those bikes properly, making sure that the dirt goes down the drain and not into the environment. Use a hot water blaster at a service station, where the waste water is collected and treated. The NZ ecology is very sensitive to imported bugs etc., which is the reason for the inspection rigmarole.

And now: have fun.

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Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10

Hi All,
It now makes more than a month that we are happily riding in NZ.
Now my only complaint about the MAF is that they should NEVER have let in the guy who imported the first couple of sandlies.

Severin.

ps, finally, we did not go down to Dunedin.

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250 is enough http://www.petiteviree.com

Sorry, Severin, but the sandflies where there first. They are just collecting tourist tax!

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Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10

Hi Severin,

Are you still travelling the south island? I'll get there on the 22nd of February. Are you interested to meet up with another biker?

Cheers, Bossit!