Helpful Hints on Importing a New Caravan from Aussie to NZ

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Starting from Scratch

When we first muted the idea of importing a new caravan into NZ from Australia, we knew nothing about the process, the rules and regulations nor who to contact to get the ball rolling.

We had to do all our own research – hence this blog to help anyone else who is contemplating importing a new caravan from Australia.

I strongly suggest that you still do your research and this information is based solely on our own findings and experience.  It may be different for others.

Duty Exempt on New Caravans from Australia

This is an area that you should be guided on from your Shipping Agent.  If you try and research this yourself, it can become quite confusing.  There are many scenarios which involve Free Trade Agreements with Australia etc.

In our case, we did not have to pay duty on our new caravan.  More information can be sourced on the NZ Customs website.

Australia GST Exempt

As we are not Australian citizens, and we were exporting within 60 days of purchase, we were exempt from paying the Australian GST on our purchase (10%).  It is important that you stress this to whoever you are buying your new caravan from.  Their invoice should reflect the fact that there is no GST charged.

We did have to pay the NZ GST (15%) upon arrival in New Zealand.  This was on the invoiced purchase price, freight and shipping insurance premium.

I initially thought that it seemed that we were going to be paying GST twice on the freight and insurance premium but the invoice from the Shipping Company was ex GST.  This meant that we only paid it once.

Further information is available from the Australian Taxation website.

Find Yourself a Good Shipping Agent

There are plenty of shipping agents to choose from.  If you don’t already know of one, the next best thing is word-of-mouth referrals.  There is no better reference than from people who have had dealings with an agent and can vouch for their professionalism, reliability and knowledge of the industry.

We got quotes from two different companies.  The final price was very similar but decided to settle on Oceanbridge and our agent was Sara.   Her contact details:  e-mail – SaraM@oceanbridge.co.nz.  Oceanbridge also has four locations all around NZ.  Click on their link above for further information.

Sara was able to guide us through the process step by step.  Because we were not in New Zealand (travelling around Asia) it was imperative that we had someone who responded promptly to e-mails and was able to answer all our queries quickly.

We also wanted someone based in Auckland which was the port of disembarkation.  At least that way if something was to happen, she was close at hand.

Sara put us in touch with their Australian broker – Navia Logistics.  They took care of everything from the Australian end.

Paperwork Process

Of course, no process can be paperwork free but brokers can make it a little less painful.

We completed an NZCS 224 (Trade Single window Client Registration Application/Update).  Upon completion, we returned it to the broker along with a copy of Scotty’s passport.

Admin from NZ Trade Single Window sent us a TSW Registration Number and an Importer Client Code.  We then forwarded this onto our broker.

The Melbourne contact kept us in the loop with regards to his correspondence with JB Caravans so that we were aware of all instructions and timeframes.

Sailing Timetable

Our caravan was located in the JB Caravan yard based in Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, Brisbane. 

Sara took care of the transportation of our caravan from Burleigh Heads to Brisbane Wharf.  Our shipping insurance started from the moment of pick from the caravan yard.

Oceanbridge sails every two weeks from Australia to NZ.  From Brisbane, it calls into Sydney and Melbourne before crossing the Tasman.  From the time it departs Brisbane, it takes 9 days to arrive. 

We locked in the sailing date but we could delay and change if there was a hold up with anything to do with the caravan.  We just prayed that it would arrive at Burleigh Heads earlier than the expected date of delivery.  This was to give us as much ‘shakedown’ time as possible.

We were fortunate that our caravan was ready to go two weeks before the sailing date.  This allowed us ample time for some minor fixes and a run through of all the gadgets.

It was pretty exciting tracking the ship on her way from Brisbane.

Download the App called Ship Finder Lite, search by ship name

Costings

Our quote from Oceanbridge included shipping insurance.  This was from the time the caravan was picked up from JB Caravans until it was collected from the port in Auckland.

There are many variables when it comes to costs.  The price is dependent on transport requirements from point of pick up, the length/width/height of your van and of course where you are shipping it from and too.

There are some fixed costs which we were charged for the arrival at the port of Auckland.  These costs were as follows (NZD):

  • Customs Entry Fee $45.00
  • Overseas Export Customs Clearance $262.76
  • Bill of landing fee (AUS) $105.10
  • Bill of landing fee (NZ) $100.00
  • IVS Lodgement fee $150.00

The shipping costs will vary greatly and this is where you need to do further research.  To give you a ballpark figure, you may expect to pay $80-$90 per cubic metre (plus NZ GST).

We received two invoices from Oceanbridge a couple of days before the arrival of the ship.  One included all of the above (including their freight fee) and the other invoice was the NZ GST component to pay.  This had to be paid before we could uplift the caravan.

We had to make sure that we had arranged insurance and register the van at VTNZ prior to picking up.  We had to have the plates to fix to caravan before we could leave the wharf.  You also have the option of using dealer plates if you are using a dealer in NZ for compliance.

Customs Clearance

Once our caravan had left Brisbane, we received an e-mail that the Ministry for Primary Industries had updated their records to show that we’d been cleared for Biosecurity.  A second e-mail confirmed that the consignment had been cleared by Customs.  A third e-mail to say it had been cleared for food.

We forwarded this to our broker and we hoped that it may speed up the Customs Clearance once the caravan was on the wharf.

There is no timeframe on how quickly Customs will clear it for collection.

Our caravan arrived on a Thursday morning and we had the clearance by Friday.  Be warned, you need to be ready to pick up the caravan as soon as possible.  You get 5 free days on the wharf before you start to be charged storage fees.  If we couldn’t pick it up before the Monday, we were going to be charged $5.98 per m3 per day@ $74.176= NZ$443.57 per day!  This certainly encouraged us to be ready and waiting for the message that it was all good to go.

Very relieved to hook up at last!

Sara, our shipping agent was amazing.  She met Scotty on the wharf and sat with him through the entire process.  She assisted Scotty with phone calls when he was stopped from leaving the wharf due to a mix up in the paperwork (through no fault of Oceanbridge).  Her time with us was invaluable and we are very grateful that she was there to help.

Rules for Shipping

Because our caravan was new, we didn’t need to worry about cleaning.  MAF look for dirt, leaves and plant material.  We did experience a delay on the wharf at pick up as it had been noted that our van was secondhand.  It was unfortunate that our caravan arrived on the very day that the Queensland Fruit Fly had been discovered on NZ shores, right opposite the wharf.  We’re thinking that this may have been part of the problem.  Thank God for Sara at this point!

We had to hide a key on the caravan before leaving Australia.  This is so Customs could gain entry to inspect the inside of the caravan.  They pay particular notice to inside cargo ie extra chattels on top of fixtures.  In our case, no one used the key to check inside but apparently, it is carried out randomly.

The caravan cannot be shipped with fire extinguishers, gas bottles or of course food.

Check the Tow Hitch!

If you are buying an off-road caravan in Australia, it is likely that it will come with an off-road hitch instead of a standard tow ball type.  There are several brands but our JB Milano came with a Cruisemaster DO45.

DO45 hitch

This can cause difficulties with loading/unloading and moving the caravan on the wharf and ship.  One solution would be to talk to your manufacturer at the time of build, to be able to unbolt the hitch and fit a standard tow ball coupling for this purpose.

Although a bit blurry, this was taken from the top of a crane on the wharf. Oh to know people in high places!

Please Note:

When we purchased our JB Caravan in Australia, there was no distributor in New Zealand.  If you are specifically interested in the JB brand, Drummond & Etheridge (D&E Outdoors) who are based in Ashburton are now the NZ distributors.  They have a great sales team there so touch base with them if you have any questions.

Disclaimer

As previously mentioned, this is the process that we went through when importing our caravan.  Your situation may differ, prices may vary and regulations can change.  This blog is all about how we managed the process.  All advice is very much from a layperson’s point of view.

You will need to do your own research and make the decision as to whether this is the way you would like to proceed.

Please PM us on social media or on our website if you have any other questions.

Check out our other blogs:

So, We Brought an Aussie Caravan

Modifications to our Aussie Van in NZ

 

Posted in Blog, Caravaning in NZ and tagged , , , , , , , , , .

33 Comments

    • Hi Peter, some of the basics will be similar to a secondhand vehicle but I’d say MAF will be paying more attention due to the need for cleaning etc. A shipping agent will be able to point you in the right direction.

  2. Hi guys
    Great to read your NZ travels.Kiwis living in Aust for 40 years.Go back a couple of times a year for extended periods.Mostly stay in AirBB etc..Now keep a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee in NZ for our travels.Did house sitting in Wanaka for a month a few weeks ago.Going to spend 3 months over summer in both NI and SI.Now looking at the economics of buying a cheap pommie van (with no rot!! Have a Jayco Outback Offroad poptop here in Aus.) only trouble with NZ van is storage cost when not using it.!! Only realize the beauty of NZ when you go back.Main NZ problem appears to be too many tourists .!!

    • Thanks for your feedback Barry. Yes, you’re so correct about appreciating our country when you have been away from it. Our two years full-time travel to 3rd world countries taught us that for sure. Might meet up on the road in the motherland one day.

  3. Seems like a hell of a lot of effort. Why not just but it here from a dealer? What happens with warranty? Hard to take it back to get things repaired.There is no part of this that makes any sense to me.

    • Thanks for your feedback. We underwent extensive research when looking for a caravan to suit our needs and the JB ticked the most boxes for us. At the time there were no distributors for the JB in NZ so we had no choice but to import one. We ensured that our warranty was covered in NZ so fully covered there. With regards to getting things repaired here in NZ, there are no issues as everything can be sourced here. It actually worked out considerably cheaper to purchase and import. This is not everyone’s choice or ‘cup of tea’ but suited us which is the main thing.

    • Hi Mary, we started to get quotes based on size and purchase price. We had the Chassis Number so could have everything in place once we registered it so it was covered as soon as it arrived in the country. Prior to this, all other insurances was covered by the shipping agent. Hope that helps. Linda

    • Hi Patricia, we imported about a year ago, but have just had friends import a similar caravan. Including shipping costs, customs, insurance and compliance in NZ, you would need to allow $10-$11k. If it is a new van you will also need to pay NZ GST as you will be exempt from AUS GST. Costs of course, are different for every vehicle depending on size etc. I noted in my blog, the cost per square metre to give an idea. It’s really easy and quick to get a quote from a shipping company once you know which port it would be leaving from and arriving at. Hope that helps. L

  6. We are just starting the process of importing a caravan from Australia. We found your article really helpful – thanks.
    We’d love to hear if you have any other advice?

    • How exciting for you. As long as you have a good shipping agent, just go through it all step by step. Everything was pretty much covered off in our blog. Some people’s situation is different to ours so you will need to roll with it as it comes. Glad some of the information has helped.

      • Hey Jack, hope your researching is going okay. Let us know if we can help with any questions. Linda

  7. Agree that there are several considerations when importing a car from one country to another just like what you mentioned above and certainly, having a good company to help you can make it less painful. That being said, thank you for sharing your experience that could be relevant to others wanting to do the same.

    Just wondering though, how long did it take you to complete the whole process?

    • Thanks for your feedback. The whole process was quite quick to set up, once we had all the information. Everything was well in place by the time our caravan was built and ready for shipping. It would also depend on availability onboard the ship.

      • Hi there,just followed you from Lumsden,and was green with envy.We came back from Aussie just before Covid lockdown.After spending two years travelling and working our way around with our semioffroad Kokoda caravan ,our caravan and vehicle are in storage in Esperance. Your article is very interesting as we want to bring it back to NZ.
        Definitely love Aussie caravans and JBS were our caravan of choice but not in our budget,unfortunately.

        Cheers
        From Green with Envy
        Bridie and Chris Dunn

        • Haha, how funny. Thought you were going to comment about Scotty’s driving. Glad our blog helped. Good luck with the plans and hope you can get your van over sooner rather than later. L

    • Hi Jack,
      We have gotten in touch with an agent here-the same ones “Kiwis fly the coop” used. They’ve been really helpful so far with import costs, how we collect our caravan at this end etc.
      Yvonne j

  8. Picked up our caravan today from Ports of Auckland- from Australia.
    It was all seamless and Oceanbridge were great with communication.
    The only down side was a broken tow hitch during shipping.
    The caravan is awesome!!

    • Oh what a wonderful Christmas Pressy. Shame about the hitch but from memory, ours got a little bashed around too! All the best for hitting the road and getting out there making new memories. L

    • Hi Ricky, our van including drawbar is 9m and width 2.4m which is what the overall price is based on. Hope that helps. Linda

  10. Hi Linda, I have just purchased a 2nd hand caravan and ute and currently in storage in Perth. Plan is to travel around for 2 years when we can get over there and bring them back to Auckland in 2 to 3 years. Most transport logistics companies state that you cannot leave personal belongings in the van. What about linen, annex, etc.? Also, did you bring your van in a container or roro?
    Thanks for your blog, very informative, cheers, Greg

    • Hi Greg, thanks for your feeback. We were a little different as our caravan was new. However, there were a couple of items that we purchased in Aussie which did come across inside the caravan. We didn’t get it searched on arrival, maybe with it being new, we weren’t on their radar. It was a roro not in a container. I’m sure you are also aware that the caravan has to clean inside and out (including underneath) if it has been used in Aussie. No gas bottles or fire extinguishers. I’d like to think that you could keep your linen, kitchen utensils etc but you do at your own risk. We had been told that if it is a 2nd hand van you may be able to list contents in an inventory of some kind. Sorry I couldn’t be any more helpful. Good luck and hopefully the bubble opens back up to Perth again soon. Enjoy. Linda

    • Hi Ken, the only changes we made was changing the outside electrical plug. All other gas and electrical set-ups are compliant with NZ regulations.

    • Hi Annette, you can ship it to NZ at any stage, whether new or secondhand. It is all about the amount of Aus GST you need to pay if you keep it in Australia. It would be best if you do some google searching to get the most up-to-date information.

    • Hi Sue, costs would have changes quite a lot since we imported ours 3 years ago. It would be best for you to source an importing or shipping company to get an up-to-date quote for a more accurate costings. Good luck with your researching. It can be exciting times. L

  14. Hi, did your caravan include gas appliances installed in Australia? You mentioned in a comment above that you only had to change the exterior electrical plug and the gas was ok. I am assuming you did have gas appliances but i just wanted to check. NZ as 40% butane whereas Australian gas has 0% butane. I left NZ 46 years ago and am currently travelling around Australia in a MH. I would like to take it to NZ and reconnect with my country of birth in the next year or two.

    • Hi Glenn, we do have gas appliances on board. The gas certification is the same in NZ as Aus. We did have to get the pressures altered by a gas fitter after we’d been using it for a few months as we had issues with the gas HW. Had no more problems since. Happy travels and I hope you manage to make it back to the motherland at some stage.

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