sending new things to NZ

[tomsurf]

Hi My wife's a kiwi and I just got residency. We got married in UK 2 years ago and got lots of lovely gifts. We haven't been living in the UK since our wedding, we work in Spain and so our gifts are all as new but now we want to send them along with other belongings to NZ… What is the policy? I've heard/read that everything has to be used/look used? They are all packed in their original boxes perfect for shipping… It seems a shame and waste to open them and throw away the boxes and protection and then pack them again in other boxes. Anyone done anything like this before? We have the gift list to prove that they were bought in 2013…
Thanks, Tom

[mylesdw]

I would certainly keep your stuff in the original boxes. In my dealings with NZ Customs I have found them always to be helpful and reasonable. If they were to inspect your stuff, and I doubt they will I would be amazed if they made you pay for wedding presents; they really don't seem that interested in personal imports. If you had ten new washing machines and twenty TVs that might be different.