NZ is very serious about not allowing unwanted pests or prohibited items into the country. All sports equipment, including hiking boots must be declared. I obviously had a bicycle and camping gear! That resulted in me being shunted off to one of the slow moving lines at the inspection stations!
The couple in front of me had hiking boots in their bags and the agent took them, had them sterilized, and returned them to the couple in a plastic bag after about five minutes. They were then allowed to continue on their way.
The agent was most interested in my tent, even though I told her I hadn’t used it for two years! Nonetheless, she took my tent, gave me a claim check, and told me she was taking my tent to the lab and I could claim it in about 10 minutes at the Bioservices Window on the outside. Given all of this, it took me about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get through customs from the time I deplaned!
If you come to New Zealand be prepared And if you decide to not declare those hiking boots/shoes in your bag and they find them – instant $NZ 400 fine and you will likely have your boots/shoes confiscated. The agents were all very nice and professional but it was a new experience for me.
Got to the hotel with no problems and got settled in. Unfortunately I seem to have caught a small cold somewhere along the way but hopefully a little sleep will help me kick it quickly. I went and wandered around a little bit and had to snap the pics of the large Santa ( they get started early also!) and the Starbucks! Now a little sleep is in order and we’ll see what tomorrow brings.