Moving to NZ, what is the best way to get one box of stuff to arrive when we do?

[beansmum]

I'm getting all the furniture, toys etc shipped out but I will need some stuff straight away. It'll be one box full of books, clothes and some toys and precious stuff. Should I get it shipped earlier so it arrives when we do? Or send it by air? If I get it shipped how do I work out when to do it? I don't want it to arrive before us. or do I?

If I sent some stuff through the post and it arrived before I got there what would happen to it? Assuming it is too big to fit through the letterbox. WOuld it be held somewhere for a couple of weeks like it would be here?

Hi beansmum, I'm not that sure about this... but, I don't think it would be held anywhere. I had a box arrive from overseas a couple of weeks ago while I was at work, it was just left outside my front gate. So presumably unless yours was with a courier company that required a signature, the same thing would happen. I think the couriers deliver a card if you're not at home, and you have a limited amount of time to contact them (think it's usually a week) or they ship the box back to the sender (not sure about overseas addresses though). Perhaps you could contact the NZ post service and ask them? NZ post

bean
it will be lots to airmail it I should think, so surface mail/shipping would be cheaper, you'd have to send it ahead of leaving.
can you send it to someone over here and they'll keep it? Via the university? you can send it here if you like, I can easily keep it for you if you don't have anywhere else to send it - no problem

The company that's shipping my stuff can do one box by air, but they are being rubbish at getting back to me with a quote. I think I will just have to get the less urgent stuff shipped earlier, soon I suppose, and the stuff I really can't live without sent airmail through the normal post. My mum could post it just after I leave so I know I will be there to get it. Or NZ post could probably hold things for a week or two like they can do when you go on holiday.

It's a big hassle isn't it? I just want to be there and be settled, I don't want to have to faff around with shipping and buying things when I get there and sleeping on the floor and living out of my suitcase for months and months!

MrsJC - Thanks so much for your offer, I might have to take you up on it if I can't work out another way! I do know one family in chch, well I met them once this summer for 10 mins, so I might ask them if I can send some stuff to them, but maybe I should just try and fit everything I need into my suitcases.

it's a total pain the whole thing. I still can't believe we did it and about a million associated things - I was pregnant and I must have been on autopilot - there was sooooooo much to do!

we were lucky because we lived at my parents' house (thye were still in the UK) and it made a big difference

do use my address if it helps - it's no problem at all to store a box for you

oh do you know who you're flying with?
we went Singapore and they let us have LOADS of extra baggage free because we were emigrating and we were very, very nice, and travelling with a child

it's worth checking that out and taking as much as you possibly can on the plane. it's a pain at the time but very worth the hassle

I'm flying Air New Zealand. Who do you think I would have to speak nicely to to get extra baggage? I don't know if I could manage any extra though, 2 suitcases, a car seat, 2 big cabin bags, jackets, laptop, camera and small boy is going to be enough trouble! And then I have to do it all again 2 days later to get from Auckland to Christchurch. I must be insane.

We're getting a ridiculous number of meals so hopefully they are all edible! We leave at dinner time and end up getting 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts. Plus breakfast in Edinburgh and lunch at heathrow.

this is a bit out of date (e.g. the Air NZ fleet has all been upgraded now I think) but gives you an idea. I'm pretty sure that since then the allowance via the US has come down from 64kg, but I think it's still more than the allowance via Asia (not sure though). Looks like if you have permanent residency then you can get an extra allowance depending on your ticket. I'd just call Air NZ and ask AND get definite confirmation of some kind so you've got backing if you rock up at the airport and they are awkward.

basically, the laptop/car seat/cabin bags etc. aren't part of the allowance. you want to pack as much as you can into those suitcases! I bought some of those plastic storage bags that you stick a vacuum cleaner onto to suck out all the air, and that way packed loads more clothes than I would have managed otherwise.

oh yeah, you need to check about that second internal flight as well with whoever it's with. Because an internal flight will have different baggage restrictions to an international one esp. on a one way ticket

Nosing in on this thread. If you are allowed more and are travelling via Asia - especially Hong Kong just make sure each case does not exceed 20kgs - they will not handle it. Learned from experience when travelling alone with baby, toddler, car seats, cases etc etc. I was made to go and buy another case, repack everything then re-join the queue even though at that point the ds;s were psychotic and I was in tears. May not be a problem if luggage is going straight through but they were militant enough to have left it on the runway!!

bloody hell sibble!

eek. Sounds like fun! We are travelling via Hong Kong too.

I'll do some phoning today and try and sort something out. If I can take more on the international flight, but not the internal one, I can leave the excess with a friend in Auckland and get it sent down. At least it would be cheaper than posting it from the UK.

hi beansmum, we are moving to NZ in a few weeks! I have the same problem, so much stuff and it's horrible to think of having to wait 3 months for it
Luckily my Dad was just over and took a little bag back of books and toys for ds1, and we are just going to cram in as much into our 8 suitcases as we can
Where in NZ are you moving to?

ooooh we are importing someone else! where are you going to? bean is going to ChCH where I am

waiting for it really isn't that bad in the end. Quite liberating, yhou realise what the really important things are AND it's so much fun unpacking it all that it's (almost) worth waiting for

kaybee look at my advice re the vacuum bags fro clothes - I got loads more in that way

that sounded really self-important

I mean I live in ChCh and beansmum is moving there too. that sounds better. Even if I am still answering for her!

Ha ha ha well you are importing dh and ds's but i am a kiwi returning home after 6 years We are going to Wellington.
So you used vaccum packed bags in your suitcases? Very crafty!!

I hadn't thought of vacuum thingys, I'll definitely get some.

I think I am going to get one big box sent by air at the last minute. All the quotes are around £200-£300 door to door, which sounds like loads, but I have budgeted £500 for a new laptop so I could not get one and just take my computer instead. It's quite small and light, so if I can find some decent packaging I can just stick it in the box with all the other essentials. Which are not actually looking that essential now I really think about it. Do we really need a playmobil castle immediately? A dictionary? Hair straighteners?

Ha ha ha a dictionary???? Am sure you could manage without that at least

I think I need to start my essentials pile again and be a bit more ruthless this time!