What to Bring to New Zealand
One question I hear a lot is “should I sell all of my stuff and start fresh in New Zealand, or should I pack a container?” Of course the right answer to this question varies greatly based on your circumstances. If you’re just planning on staying for a year, it may not make sense to pack up all of your belongings and ship them to a tiny island nation. If you’re planning on making the move for an extended period of time, I would say BRING ALL OF THE THINGS.
After doing a typical pre-move purge of things that aren’t in good shape, don’t serve you anymore, or are broken, bring as much as you can. As I wrote about in this post, goods can be expensive in New Zealand if you don’t have the luxury of waiting for a sale. Plus, it takes time to do the legwork to find the right places for the right things. I’m still very much in the learning phase, and I’ve been here for eight months. I don’t think anyone would want to sit around and wait eight months for a sofa, or cookware that you actually like, or a shower curtain that reflects your style.
My only exception to this rule is to not bother with many household electronics. If you’re going to be here for a long time, go ahead and get new hair dryers, food processors, and TVs. It is a lot easier than dealing with step-down transformers and converters everywhere. New Zealand’s power is 230/240v 50hz, while US equipment is typically 110v 60hz. New Zealand also uses type “I” plugs that look like this:
On a side note, see that little flip to the left of the outlet? It is necessary to turn the outlet on before power will run through.
I know a lot of people will go the start-fresh route, so here’s my advice on things to bring if you just want a few suggestions:
Sentimental items: photos, jewelry, artwork - anything that has more value to you than to anyone else.
Versatile clothing you can wear in any situation. If you haven’t checked out my 3 Month in 1 Suitcase section of this blog, you should. I packed everything I needed for our first ninety days into one suitcase, and I felt prepared for every situation that came my way.
Toiletry items you can’t live without. Certain items just aren’t the same here. I have yet to find bar soap that is as perfect as Ivory soap or toothpaste that is as good as Arm & Hammer. And in some cases, items look the same, but have a different formula. (Here’s looking at you, Colgate.)
Computers and Tablets. All of our computers, tablets, and smartphones work well with a simple change in the power cable. I can’t lie, we’re kind of addicted to our iDevices, and I’m not sure what we would’ve done those first few months without Netflix for the kids.
Luxury items. Unless they’re not serving you anymore, bring any fancy shoes, purses, coats, etc. with you. The 15% GST means all of these goods will be more expensive to replace, if you can even find them here. If you order them online, you’ll end up with extra customs and duties. (Which I learned the hard way.)
US history books (for kids). I’m not sure what our future holds for us, though I hope we stay in New Zealand. However, I want my kids to know where they came from and be familiar with some pieces of US history should we ever return to the US. I’ve stocked up on all sorts of non-fiction to read to them. The Step Into Reading and I Can Read books are especially great for short, historical snippets. As you can imagine, these books are not readily available in New Zealand, so I brought a lot with us and always ask for more when our American family asks what presents to send.
Favorite spices and food seasoning products. Yes, you can bring quite a lot of food into New Zealand if they are commercially prepared and packaged. Sometimes a favorite spice is all it takes to help a meal feel like home. So if you’re really into, say, Mexican food, bring a small stash of your favorite flavours. Check out this MPI page to make sure you’re in the clear, first. This isn’t to say that you can’t get most spices here, but again, it can take time to find the perfect substitute for what you’re used to.
Last, but not least, check out my packing and shipping page to learn from our mistakes. I can sort of laugh at it now - sort of - but we certainly made a comedy of errors with our experience. Hopefully you have a smoother time than us!
