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Thread: For those from Arizona

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    NZ to US to NZ. Opua
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    Default For those from Arizona

    I see a few of you are from Arizona - either already in NZ or moving there shortly. I'm a Kiwi in Sedona, planning to return to NZ within the next year or two.

    Would you mind sharing info on your shipping company? I've got three quotes and don't even know where to start.

    How long did it take for your container to arrive in NZ?

    Any issues with your furniture going from a very dry climate to NZ's higher humidity?

    If you're in NZ, what do you miss? The monsoons?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Northland, New Zealand
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    144

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    Hi Kiwi in Arizona! My husband is a Kiwi in Arizona too! (Chandler) We are moving to Far North NZ at the end of December. We used Ranier Overseas to ship our goods October 20th and just spoke to them yesterday -- our ship is due to arrive in Auckland on Dec 30th. The local packing agents they used were wonderful. They were so professional, efficient and obviously knew what they were doing, including the crating team that came for a few special pkging items (glass table top; large painting; etc). Our container (40') is still on its way there so I can't speak beyond the process so far...but so far so good.

    If you get to Phoenix within the next month, contact us & we'll be happy to share all our learnings and the various spreadsheets and calculations and vendors we got quotes! We are bleeding money at the moment with the move and with building a house on the other end, but there is just no avoiding it! It is expensive to move there but hoping the lower key life at the other end will even things out soon enough.

    Good for you for going for it!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    NZ to US to NZ. Opua
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    Thanks so much for this information - and for all the info you gave me over the phone. I feel encouraged that looking in Northland is the right thing to do. Will be in touch.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Arizona, USA ---> Christchurch
    Posts
    296

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    Hi there, we used Rainer as well and can't fault their service. The guys who packed us up in Phoenix took their time, but I think they must have been paid hourly. They were very nice though, and strong as oxes.
    At this end their local rep was also very good. Everything unpacked in about an hour. When we were done unpacking we gave them a call and they came back and took away all the empty boxes
    What do we miss from AZ? Mexican food, without a doubt. There was one decent mexican restaurant here in town, Alvarados, which got destroyed in the earthquake. In fact it was the backdrop to most of the TV coverage of the quake. Now though we're growing our own tomatillos and jalapenos. The first tomatillo husk just popped out this week actually.
    I also kind of miss the heat sometimes. I loved stepping out of an air conditioned building in to 115 degrees with the warmth just wrapping around you. I used to see how far I could drive before turning the AC on. Maybe that's just me though.
    Good luck with your move and if you have any questions just send us a PM.

    Cheers

    Gareth

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    I don't think I will ever miss the heat. Though in Oak Creek Canyon, where I live, it doesn't get nearly as hot, it's still too hot for me. I see that New World stocks El Paso brand beans, etc. but not sure if you can get fresh tortillas in NZ? I've got a great flour tortilla recipe for my bread machine and I just read here today that I can bring my bread machine to NZ if I buy a gizmo to plug it into! Yay!!

    I will check into Rainier. Thanks for the info!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Oregon, USA
    Posts
    420

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    Dell: We struggled to find corn tortillas back in 2007. Finally found them at our local health food store but paid about a dollar a piece - yikes!

    Last time we flew over we took a stack of the frozen type (that stayed reasonably cool during the trip) that are still in my mums freezer in NZ now! Might be worth packing a bag or two into your carry on

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Arizona, USA ---> Christchurch
    Posts
    296

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    Masa is quite widely available now. Just bring a tortilla press and it's all go. I buy a bag for about $7 and get about 50is tortillas from it. Yum!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Northland, New Zealand
    Posts
    144

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    I have a great flour tortilla recipe you can just do in a pan! I'll dig it up...

    I shipped 2 spice containers of Cumin, so afraid of missing the Mexican food. But we'll try to grow Cilantro and great news on the tomatillos and jalepenos, Lindreth!

    As for the warmer weather.......well, that's why we chose Far north (that and cheaper land!).

    I think Ranier changed their local moving company -- or the way they contract because the guys showed up and just cranked away allll day....not stopping for lunch. I kept offering coffee or water or snacks. They said they get paid a flat rate so are motivated to finish early. My husband supervised most of it (because they WILL pack anything around them if left unsupervised) and said they did a phenomenal job packing everything safely and efficiently. I think the local agent was "Dirk's"?

    What we did is created a "safe" room... which had anything that was NOT going into the container. This was a room that we could shut the door and told the packers to stay out of. (I kept my laptop in there too so I could shut the door and the stress out for a while to get away -- it's quite crazy to have people attacking your house for 2-3 days...)

    Funny so many desert-dwellers in or going to or have come from NZ?!?


  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    NZ to US to NZ. Opua
    Posts
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    Quote Originally Posted by auskiwi View Post
    Dell: We struggled to find corn tortillas back in 2007. Finally found them at our local health food store but paid about a dollar a piece - yikes!

    Last time we flew over we took a stack of the frozen type (that stayed reasonably cool during the trip) that are still in my mums freezer in NZ now! Might be worth packing a bag or two into your carry on
    I'm allergic to peanuts, so rather than risk eating a meal of unknown ingredients on the flt to NZ, I bring flour tortillas and other ingredients to make wraps enroute. They travel well and last a long time.

    Would you like my flour tortilla recipe? Not as good as the thick, flaky handmade tortillas but better than nothing.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    NZ to US to NZ. Opua
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    Quote Originally Posted by cantwait View Post
    I have a great flour tortilla recipe you can just do in a pan! I'll dig it up...

    I shipped 2 spice containers of Cumin, so afraid of missing the Mexican food. But we'll try to grow Cilantro and great news on the tomatillos and jalepenos, Lindreth!

    As for the warmer weather.......well, that's why we chose Far north (that and cheaper land!).

    I think Ranier changed their local moving company -- or the way they contract because the guys showed up and just cranked away allll day....not stopping for lunch. I kept offering coffee or water or snacks. They said they get paid a flat rate so are motivated to finish early. My husband supervised most of it (because they WILL pack anything around them if left unsupervised) and said they did a phenomenal job packing everything safely and efficiently. I think the local agent was "Dirk's"?

    What we did is created a "safe" room... which had anything that was NOT going into the container. This was a room that we could shut the door and told the packers to stay out of. (I kept my laptop in there too so I could shut the door and the stress out for a while to get away -- it's quite crazy to have people attacking your house for 2-3 days...)

    Funny so many desert-dwellers in or going to or have come from NZ?!?

    Thanks for the info on this! I've found Ranier online so will ask for a quote.

    You used a 40' container, so I'm guessing you had a lot of furniture? My house is only 1200 sf, 2 bedroom plus artist studio. Other shippers told me I'd only need a 20' container. My plan is to number everything with sticky-notes. #1 = highest priority. If I run out of room, the things that don't go into the container will be the lowest priority.

    I joke that I have to make my annual trip to NZ so I can rehydrate.

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