NZ port of entry changes

[NoTies]

I don't think it unreasonable for them to protect their borders from invasive pests. I do object to them only hitting soft targets such as yachts and missing the much bigger threats.

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by George DuBose

Another nanny state heard from. I don't plan on visiting New Zealand anyway.

Then you are missing a great country to visit. Nanny state? Why do you say that?

[kryg]

In return Australia should reciprocate.

Because the change and reduction of ports for recreational boats from Australia, Makes entering NZ very difficult. It is like All NZ Recreational boats out of NZ should enter ports through the west coast of Australia and Northern Territory Darwin and Townsville Queensland.

Then the Ports brains trust in NZ will get the picture.

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

Formerly NZ had these official ports availible to clear in from overseas.

Former Ports of Entry.

Opua
Nelson
Whangarei
Picton
Auckland
Lyttelton (Christchurch)
Tauranga
Timaru
Napier
Dunedin
Wellington
Bluff (Invercargill)
New Plymouth*

Now it seems like they have been reduced to just four ports

Opua
Whangarei
Picton
Lyttelton

This is fine coming down from the islands as Opua is the logical clearance point, but sailing across from Australia or the Southern ocean the loss of Nelson, Bluff and New Plymouth is a real blow. Picton is hard and possibly dangerous to get to from the west in bad weather. You have to sail through a very tidal areas north of Stephens island and then up a long difficult sound with no option to anchor anywhere. Without an engine and in bad weather the trip would be very dangerous.

Lyttelton is on the wrong side of the island, I can't imagine many boats clearing into lyttleton, Dunedin would be more logical.

Doesn't seem like a well thought out change.

[Big Macca]

The loss of New Plymouth and Nelson is very significant for yachts arriving from Australia. They've removed every west coast port of entry - crazy.

To get to Picton from the west means navigating through an area notorious for bad weather, which could force sailors to duck into the Marlborough Sounds for shelter –* which would raise the biosecurity risks.

This is a "solution" thought up by a landlubber!

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by grantmc

Since that letter was issued things have changed again. On 19 October 2018 the port list for entry by recreational vessels was increased (see this link) to include; Nelson and Bluff again.

Well, reading the linked page, dated 18 October 2018, is that adding Recreational (ie yachts) to Nelson and Bluff is not yet confirmed. But at least they listened to reason.

[Grattaway]

As part of their mandate MPI have an obligation to assist. Having said that we do have biosecurity issues in NZ and have a number of unwanted pests here because we have been to lax in the past. This includes such things as rock snot - Didymo for the correct term - which has most likely arrived on fishing equipment carried by tourist anglers.

MPI has also been implicated in allowing the kiwifruit disease PSA into NZ so they are a bit sensitive about rules being followed

So my advice is please make sure your boat, equipment, mates and pet dog are not part of a biosecurity issues anywhere. BUT feel free to sail into any port and expect to be ok and looked after. All ports that have commercial shipping will have biosecurity officers available and some such as Opua which have a reasonable number of non commercial arrivals will also be serviced.

So if you are coming, relax, enjoy - the wine and craft beer are great as is the food, kiwis are friendly and helpful -wont steal your boat or kidnap your crew

Wayne

[tarian]

Originally Posted by Grattaway

wont steal your boat or kidnap your crew

Wayne

Whats the point in coming then we sailors live for danger

but as posted before why get upset about a countries rules for entering, there not saying no , just follow simply procedures and you will face no hassle, try getting into the US

[charliehows]

thats pretty dubious - Auckland is not only the biggest city in NZ, it has a well developed sailing service industry and one of the few west coast harbours (the Manukau) - I frankly dont believe it has been excluded as an official port of entry.

[Tillsbury]

Originally Posted by stormalong

Then you are missing a great country to visit. Nanny state? Why do you say that?

Don’t encourage him! We don’t want any visitors who don’t want to come. I like empty anchorages not the fiascos that you see on YouTube

[cj88]

The easiest way to check what ports are approved for arrival at or to get approval for arrival at a non-approved seaport is to go here.

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/news-and-res...ival-seaports/

[double u]

Originally Posted by NoTies

I don't think it unreasonable for them to protect their borders from invasive pests. I do object to them only hitting soft targets such as yachts and missing the much bigger threats.

...so the kiwis are going to haul any number of "badly fouled" driftwood & clean it "biosecurely"??? the very biggest "bioinsecure neozoon invasion" is irreversible, homo "sapiens". "sapiens" sure, coming up with regulations like these...!
"right or wrong, our country" - spirit I see here too...

[boatnerd]

Biofouling security seems like an issue that is going to badly effect us long distance cruisers in the future. This seems like the thin edge of the wedge.[/QUOTE]

Funny, the worst fouling of barnacles ive ever had were in opua and whangarei. Within a week all over the underwater metals. No wonder they developed propspeed..

[yeloya]

Isn't it surprising that almost every country is making increasingly difficult the life for cruisers.. In addition to unsafe waters (piracy, terrorism, robbery, etc..), look at the Nooonsite how many times ev ery day you have the contact the coast guard even 200 nm from the shore in Argentina and Chili, how much does it cost to clear in and out in Peru and how much are the fines starting from 5.000 USD and up..
Stupid Schengen restriction for non Schengen boats, insane taxes and mooring costs in Croatia, etc..
It's really pitty and sad..


Cheers


Yeloya

[Evenstar]

We just cleared into Picton a couple of days ago. They send you to Waikawa Marina, not Picton proper, since there's no haulout facility over there that I could see.



The way the biosecurity guy explained it to me, the four ports that are allowed were chosen because they have recapture systems on the bottom spraying in the yards.


So you can get your boat hauled and cleaned in Nelson in theory, but the marina there does not have a recapture system for the runoff. So whatever invasive gunk you might have on your boat just gets blasted back into the water.


That's the rationale, as it was explained to me by the biosecurity officer.



They don't love it BTW, since the guys that clear you in to Picton have to schlep over from Nelson where they are based. If you are arriving in the middle of the night or early AM they've got to come over and spend the night.

[Tillsbury]

Was it mandatory to haul out and clean off, or was that because you didn’t have documentation that it was done in the last 30 days? Asking out of interest for returning. Theoretically you can clear in to Lyttelton but there is no haulout facility there if your beam is over 4m. And there’s no cat 1 inspector there so you can’t clear out either. These things have to be fairly carefully planned it seems.