What did you pack that has *actually* been fumigated or rejected by MAF?

[sophiedb]

hi all,

I'm just wondering what forumites' direct experience is of MAF, mainly because the last time I had a bunch of shipping reps come round they gave a few mixed messages and some sounded a lot like "please don't pack this because while it's probably ok we don't want the hassle".

Things like wicker baskets, Christmas decorations, tents, wooden furniture or niknaks, gardening equipment.. I know I've read tales of these getting through before on various threads, so am hoping to collate a few tales here for the use of numpties like me in future days

What didn't make it though, or what did when you thought it might not?

Disclaimer: MAF itself is of course the authority on customs and biosecurity. Official info can be found here. Please read and inwardly digest.

[Sam B]

My partner's mountain bike and some twig christmas decorations.

[Nathan]

I shipped some hiking staffs separate from the container because I thought they would have to be fumigated. They did at NZ$20 for the box. Everything in the container was fine, from garden tools and lawn mower, to bikes, to tents, .... They were inspected, but not taken away or fumigated or anything like that. The inspector just wanted to see that it was all clean.

[sophiedb]

Thank you

Another thing they mentioned before was that our big plastic boxes (handy for storage, camping, car boot sales etc etc) would have to be empty. Same for chests of drawers and so on.

True, or just another way to make our stuff fill more space in the container??

[Nathan]

Thank you

Another thing they mentioned before was that our big plastic boxes (handy for storage, camping, car boot sales etc etc) would have to be empty. Same for chests of drawers and so on.

True, or just another way to make our stuff fill more space in the container??

It's BS.

[girlwithanewf]

Sophie, that's nonsense, that they have to be empty. My packers took my wooden trunks full, and chest of drawers. I would query that. Have they given you a reason?

My experience:
Date container arrived: April 2010
Country of origin: Scotland
Items I thought MAF would be interested in: wicker baskets (all packed together inside the laundry basket), wooden/straw Christmas decorations, wooden furniture, cat basket, 2 bikes, outside toys (swingball), ceramic garden pots
Items MAF wanted to inspect: NONE!

It might be useful if people say where their container was shipped from.

[girlwithanewf]

And we brought our car too. That was externally steam cleaned and the boot and internal vents vacuumed.

[JandM]

Who was the 'they' that told you that, Sophie?

[alldone]

Our old (10 years) and beat-up lawnmower had a steam clean ($50) and lots of items inspected but no rejections.

Our chests and storage boxes were shipped full of clothes, pillows etc as long as the total weight wasn't too heavy for the mover to carry downstairs.

[Nikki_d72]

Hubbies cement mixer, all covered in dry cement but cleaned with jeyes, his shovels, landscaping tools, plaster-encrusted ladders etc, bikes, outdoor furniture, wicker baskets, outdoor pots, xmas deccies (all clean, no pinecones etc) all were inspected and no cleaning required, or rejections. I biffed the lawnmower because I thought there'd be no way they'd allow it and deeply regret it now, even if we'd paid for a stem clean it would still have been worth keeping it. Sophie, our packers used chests of drawers etc to pack all sorts in, we just took all the clothes out that we were bringing in our suitcases, so that's all nonsense. The only thing they said not to pack was candles, as they may be beeswax and MAF would reject unless we could prove the origin of the wax. Just not worth the hassle.