Australasia and Pacific Islands Warnings

Kotiti Haere - Wanderers wrote:Customs Warnings for NZNever, never, never bring fruit into the country. Check your backpack before you leave to come to NZ to make sure you have not had an apple that you bought 3 days ago in your backpack and have forgotten about it, for when it is found you WILL get fined NZ$200 on the spot and not even be able to eat the apple! This applies to any fruit, seeds or food.Being a movie star will not save you either as Hillary Swank found out!

This might sound like a stupid question but does this include in my luggage if I'm only in NZ for a lay over? I will be studying in Australia for a full year and might find food I enjoy or want to bring home for friends/family. If it is indeed illegal to bring it back what would you suggest I do?? Would mail work for packaged food like candies, chips, etc??

Cody R. Hough wrote:

Kotiti Haere - Wanderers wrote:Customs Warnings for NZNever, never, never bring fruit into the country. Check your backpack before you leave to come to NZ to make sure you have not had an apple that you bought 3 days ago in your backpack and have forgotten about it, for when it is found you WILL get fined NZ$200 on the spot and not even be able to eat the apple! This applies to any fruit, seeds or food.Being a movie star will not save you either as Hillary Swank found out!

This might sound like a stupid question but does this include in my luggage if I'm only in NZ for a lay over? I will be studying in Australia for a full year and might find food I enjoy or want to bring home for friends/family. If it is indeed illegal to bring it back what would you suggest I do?? Would mail work for packaged food like candies, chips, etc??

Our customs are indeed very strict because our climate is very attractive to bugs and animals and they tend to over populate once they arrive (bee mites, spiders, possums etc). They will fine you on the spot if you do not declare things especially fruit, meats (including dried meats from Asia), dirty golf gear, dirty hiking boots/tents etc. They are fine with chocolate and candy.

The best advice is to declare any edible item you have and they can then determine if it can be brought in or not and you will not be in any trouble because you declared it. I always declare every food item I have just to be safe. Often the declare lines are shorter anyway at the airport.

This is good to know before I make arrangements to travel there. I was planning our honeymoon to Fiji but was concerned about these types of incidents. I also recently was informed about some other incidents involving honeymooners getting killed.

I was forwarded the information here http://bit.ly/2MOYCR.

I'm glad we are being informed about this. Please keep us posted on any more information like this.

Better lock yourself in a room then, people get killed in every country in the world. I've been to Fiji in the past 6 months and can safely say that unless you ignore the usual advice about walking around late at night then you'll be fine.

Suva was the only place I felt unsafe, but that was more to do with a bomb threat with several streets being closed...

If I visit Suva Fiji for a couple of weeks, can you give any suggestions and what to take or do?

Yiddogray wrote:Better lock yourself in a room then, people get killed in every country in the world. I've been to Fiji in the past 6 months and can safely say that unless you ignore the usual advice about walking around late at night then you'll be fine.

Suva was the only place I felt unsafe, but that was more to do with a bomb threat with several streets being closed...

clareb wrote:

Cody R. Hough wrote:

Kotiti Haere - Wanderers wrote:Customs Warnings for NZNever, never, never bring fruit into the country. Check your backpack before you leave to come to NZ to make sure you have not had an apple that you bought 3 days ago in your backpack and have forgotten about it, for when it is found you WILL get fined NZ$200 on the spot and not even be able to eat the apple! This applies to any fruit, seeds or food.Being a movie star will not save you either as Hillary Swank found out!

This might sound like a stupid question but does this include in my luggage if I'm only in NZ for a lay over? I will be studying in Australia for a full year and might find food I enjoy or want to bring home for friends/family. If it is indeed illegal to bring it back what would you suggest I do?? Would mail work for packaged food like candies, chips, etc??

Our customs are indeed very strict because our climate is very attractive to bugs and animals and they tend to over populate once they arrive (bee mites, spiders, possums etc). They will fine you on the spot if you do not declare things especially fruit, meats (including dried meats from Asia), dirty golf gear, dirty hiking boots/tents etc. They are fine with chocolate and candy. ....

Only if the packet is still sealed and completely intact. We Aussies and Kiwis seem to have a very, very, very low tolerance for food and animal material, mainly because so many of our critters are already endangered by foreign pests (rabbits, foxes, cats, camels, horses, european wood-borers, fruitflies). You aren't even allowed to take plant/animal material between our state borders (unless it's been declared and quarantined)! And really, I'd chuck it out anyways, anytime you are entering or leaving a country, you should most probably make it a habit to throw any fruit or veg away, and thoroughly clean any hiking/camping/golfing/etc. gear so there's no dirt or plant material on them.

The best rule to follow when entering a foreign country with any fruit, veg or animal materials etc. is "When in Doubt, Chuck it Out!" And declare anything you are iffy about so it can get the 'yay or nay' from the relevant authoity.

If you hold a One World RTW with an open flight out of Australia on Qantas BEWARE as Qantas held me hostage claiming all flights to my booked destination were fully booked for the next 30+ days & it cost me 1,000+ d9llars to reroute with an extremely pompous & rude rep who didn't know her business!

Don't pick up conical shaped shells on the beach in Australia. It MIGHT not have anything wrong with it but if it does, it can kill you in seconds.

Please don't walk around late at night in Cairns - while it is a safe city during the day and safe to go out and party it is the opposite for a female walking alone late at night, as has been in the news recently.

thats the reason why i affraid to travel there!! i dont feel safety especially in the Pacific islands

I've heard that there are violent protesters there that uses guns and etc. just to make violence during any protest.

Visiting Australia in Nov-Jan? The annoying bush flies descend on big cities. They're relatively harmless, but a shocker the first you see folks doing the Aussie wave.

http://ow.ly/dnrFa

Beware of pick pockets and robbery. Although it is safe to walk alone just be aware and be sure you stay out in dark.

aussiegirl wrote:Don't pick up conical shaped shells on the beach in Australia. It MIGHT not have anything wrong with it but if it does, it can kill you in seconds.

The shells you are referring to are actually Conus snails...DEADLY!

Aussie girl is correct best not pick up this cone shells just in case...you won't know if there's something inside wishing to say hi!