There is pretty much free movement between Australia and New Zealand. In order to get things across, you either need to ship by sea, which normally takes 4 to 6 days, or airfreight which normally takes between one and three days.
In this piece, we will take a look at the differences between airfreight and sea freight, and some of the details you need to know through the process.
How Much Does It Cost to Move Your Home?
In order to move a one bedroom flat, you are going to spend somewhere in the region of NZ$1400. If you were to airfreight it rather than ship that same quantity, you’ll be looking at somewhere around NZ$5000. It's pretty difficult to airfreight a three-bedroom house or five-bedroom house worth of possessions. To ship three-bedroom possessions, you're looking at around NZ$2000. For a house with possessions to fit five bedrooms plus the normal extra rooms, you are probably looking around NZ$3000.
Around 4 1/2 million people live in New Zealand, spread across the North and South Islands. There are some pretty cool cities like Auckland and Wellington on the North Island. New Zealand is a beautiful country with a great way of life and the Kiwis are terrific people. There are lots of good reasons to move to New Zealand, just as there are great reasons to move the other way to Australia. Here’s more about the shipping process.
The Shipping Ports
The primary ports for New Zealand are the port of Tauranga to the north of the North Island, on the Pacific Ocean, and port of Lyttelton on the South Island. If you're moving from Auckland or Wellington, you will be shipping from the port of Tauranga. If you're moving from areas like Christchurch, you will be moving from the port of Lyttelton.
Shipping Containers
There are different sizes of shipping container that you can choose. The two main ones are 20ft shipping containers and 40ft shipping containers. It may also be possible to get a half container, especially if you know someone else that is moving and you can share a container. It's also possible to get a car shipped in a specialist container as well.
There are lots of obvious restricted items that should be declared, or simply can't be shipped. They are electronics items like radio jammers and laser pointers. Sports equipment like golf clubs, especially if they haven't been cleaned properly. There are pipes and smoking utensils which are prohibited. Plants including cycads and orchids may also not be allowed. Of course, certain foods and weapons will also be on the restricted status.
Choosing An Agent
When moving between Australia and New Zealand, you need to choose a great shipping agent that can make the process hassle-free. The agent will have experience of customs clearance and dealing with various items that you may have in your possession that you need to transport. The transport and logistics process is a fairly easy one, because the route is well-established and a well-trodden one.
However, you don't want the stress. There are lots of companies out there that can help you to do the process of moving from Australia to New Zealand and also back again. Some of the ones that come highly recommended include Ausmove, and ausff.com.au. Another one worthy of mention is MoveHub.
Get Moving
Make sure you organise your stuff so that you don't ship stuff that you don't really need. A good guide is that if you haven't touched or thought about something over the last 12 months, you probably should be selling it or scrapping it, as you probably don't need it.
