Three weeks to go..... container queries

[janbear]

Hi everyone,

I have not been on here for a while as things have been pretty hectic. We were finally granted residency in June, have sold our house, left work yesterday, have job in Auckland and fly out on the 21st October!! We have soooooo much to do but we are all so excited!

I am just having a little panic about xmas (silly I know). I have three children and would start buying stocking fillers round about now (chocolates etc) and was wondering if I am allowed to take some chocolate and unopened christmas presents in our container.

Has anyone done the same or even worried about the silliest things like me???

Thanks


PS We are moving to Titirangi - anyone been there before??

[lou76]

Hi there

I dropped my stuff (1st load!) at the shippers yesterday. I too packed chocolate as I make chocolates as a hobbie and owe lots of chocolates to my friends over in nz! It amused the packers, but looked like they have seen it all before! MAFF are fine as long as its commercially packaged. You will need to declare it on the shipment paperwork and it might get inspected on arrival.

It may melt enroute thats the only issue, so it may be better to take it in your suitcase (quantity dependant!). I will re temper when it arrives, so its not really an issue for me.

[JandM]

PS We are moving to Titirangi - anyone been there before??

I love that place. Which part are you going to? I'm familiar (because of where family live/have lived) with 'the village' centre and the southern part.

[janbear]

Hi there

I dropped my stuff (1st load!) at the shippers yesterday. I too packed chocolate as I make chocolates as a hobbie and owe lots of chocolates to my friends over in nz! It amused the packers, but looked like they have seen it all before! MAFF are fine as long as its commercially packaged. You will need to declare it on the shipment paperwork and it might get inspected on arrival.

It may melt enroute thats the only issue, so it may be better to take it in your suitcase (quantity dependant!). I will re temper when it arrives, so its not really an issue for me.

Thanks Lou - I don't really want to put it in my suitcase as will have to declare it at the airport and then the children will know I have it!! Think I will chance a box of bits in the container and keep my fingers crossed some of it doesn't melt!!

Wow making chocolate as a hobbie - thats my dream job! I so love chocolate !

[janbear]

I love that place. Which part are you going to? I'm familiar (because of where family live/have lived) with 'the village' centre and the southern part.

We are staying in a house in on the waterfront in Titirangi for our first week and the at a place in Huia for the next 5 weeks while we wait for our container to arrive and we find somewhere more permanent to live in Titirangi itself. My children are enrolled at the Steiner school there and I am working in Onehunga so will be a bit of a trek for me when we are in Huia but am sure it will be ok. Great that you know it and love it - what do you love about it??

[JandM]

It's all surrounded with natural vegetation (known as 'native bush'), so individual and unlike anything in Europe. (Don't get yourself a house where the trees lean over it, though, as this can be very conducive to damp indoors.) In lots of places, you can hear kiwis in the night, and moreporks. And the tuis are wonderful - such a mad range of sounds, I could listen all day! I love the glimpses of the sea, in various directions. I remember standing with my toes in the water, and finding that what was bumping against my toes in the little waves was a mangrove, starting to sprout! It's amazing to see ordinary ducks which live in the sea! There's a notice part way down South Titirangi Road which tells people to watch out for ducks crossing, and those are ducks which live in the swimming pool of a rental. There are all sorts of things going on at Lopdell House (theatre, clubs, etc.), and nice places to eat in the village. I know it's a pest, but I love the invasive ginger that grows in various places, including at the back of the car park behind the shops. If you join the RSA, there are all kinds of activities, and people are very friendly. There's a good library, and the librarians are brilliant with youngsters. There's a craft market once a month. The ride out around the Waitakeres on Scenic Drive is beautiful, as is pressing on to the west coast black sand (it sparkles!) beaches - don't miss the gannets at Muriwai.

In short, it's a place on the other side of the world where I've got some roots.

Oh, and look out for the sculptures on the roundabout at the end of the village - we call them the Monster Munches! http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=tit...r:5,s:24,i:174 (In the background of that is one of my favourite trees, a Norfolk Pine - I know it's originally Australian, but they are beautiful.)

[doreysc]

If you have room put the chocolate in your bag - we've never had to open our bags to show what we declared so the kids won't know it's Xmas chocolate. We had some in our container and it got ruined by the heat. It got so hot the air bubbles in some glass ornaments popped so chocolate did not stand a chance.

Simon

[janbear]

It's all surrounded with natural vegetation (known as 'native bush'), so individual and unlike anything in Europe. (Don't get yourself a house where the trees lean over it, though, as this can be very conducive to damp indoors.) In lots of places, you can hear kiwis in the night, and moreporks. And the tuis are wonderful - such a mad range of sounds, I could listen all day! I love the glimpses of the sea, in various directions. I remember standing with my toes in the water, and finding that what was bumping against my toes in the little waves was a mangrove, starting to sprout! It's amazing to see ordinary ducks which live in the sea! There's a notice part way down South Titirangi Road which tells people to watch out for ducks crossing, and those are ducks which live in the swimming pool of a rental. There are all sorts of things going on at Lopdell House (theatre, clubs, etc.), and nice places to eat in the village. I know it's a pest, but I love the invasive ginger that grows in various places, including at the back of the car park behind the shops. If you join the RSA, there are all kinds of activities, and people are very friendly. There's a good library, and the librarians are brilliant with youngsters. There's a craft market once a month. The ride out around the Waitakeres on Scenic Drive is beautiful, as is pressing on to the west coast black sand (it sparkles!) beaches - don't miss the gannets at Muriwai.

In short, it's a place on the other side of the world where I've got some roots.

Oh, and look out for the sculptures on the roundabout at the end of the village - we call them the Monster Munches!

Oh God - now I am just so excited!!! What a great description - can't wait to get there! Come and look us up when you are next there xx

[lou76]

Thanks Lou - I don't really want to put it in my suitcase as will have to declare it at the airport and then the children will know I have it!! Think I will chance a box of bits in the container and keep my fingers crossed some of it doesn't melt!!

Wow making chocolate as a hobbie - thats my dream job! I so love chocolate !

My family and friends in the Uk are really going to miss me!!! I leave mid November so I need to make lots of chocolates for their xmas before I go- helps with the guilt! I'm not sure the shippers have seen so much chocolate and chocolate moulds before!

Even if it does melt, it will should still be edible- just a bit mishapen and a slightly different texture. The white bloom after melting is just fat coming to the surface but the kids wont notice that. Might be wise to put the chocolate in a container just in case it does melt.

[lou76]

If you have room put the chocolate in your bag - we've never had to open our bags to show what we declared so the kids won't know it's Xmas chocolate. We had some in our container and it got ruined by the heat. It got so hot the air bubbles in some glass ornaments popped so chocolate did not stand a chance.

Simon

Wow that is hot! Could be interesting when my shipment arrives! I guess it also depends what time of year the ship leaves? I'll report back in a few months!