Our Travel Tips
Our main carrier is Air New Zealand. Air New Zealand has direct flights from San Francisco, LA, and Houston into Auckland which is an overnight 12 hour flight. They also have direct flights from Chicago to Auckland which is an overnight 16 hour flight.
Your final destination in New Zealand will be either Timaru or Christchurch in the South Island. We are 35 minutes from Timaru Airport and just over 2 hrs south of Christchurch International Airport.
- Flying into Timaru Airport your route will be: Auckland > Wellington > Timaru
- Flying into Christchurch International Airport your route will be: Auckland > Christchurch
Some clients will make the trip in one day, others stay a night in either Auckland or Wellington.
Travel insurance is recommended and a passport is required.
Bringing your gun and/or ammunition into New Zealand is quite easy with a little planning. At least 1 month in advance of travel, you'll need to visit the following link to apply for your visitors license and import permit.
Check with the airlines on their specific requirements. Some will require the firearm and ammunition to be in seperate bags, and most require the bolt to be removed from the gun.
You will need to complete a CBP Form 4457 to ensure a problem free return to the US. To complete the form contact US Customs and Boarder Protection to register your firearm for export and reentry. This can be done in advance at a Port of Entry or during the course of your travel (it is advised to allow an extra 2-3 hours if you choose this route).
Individuals are required to have a firearms license authorizing posession of the class of firearm. If the firearm is restricted or prohibited, a registration certificate and an Authorization to Transpoart (ATT) are also required. You can apply for an ATT by calling 1-800-731-4000. If a firearm is transported to another country, it may require an export permit from the Export Controls Division of the Global Affairs Canada. A customs officer may ask to see a copy of that permit upon re-entry to Canada.
You will be given a Passenger Arrival Card to complete on your flight.
To make your trip through Customs and BioSecurity easier:
- Be sure that ALL of your gear is clean. Yes, this includes your boots!
- ALL food must be declared.
Effective 1 July 2019, our government has enforced an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of $35.00 per person which is payable upon arrival into New Zealand. This applies to most international visitors. You can see the details and what it's used for in the link below.
1. Land
2. Proceed through Customs and Immigration with your completed Passenger Arrival Card that will be provided to you on your flight.
*Passengers from UK, New Zealand, Australia, US, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland and Netherlands can use the eGates for faster processing.
3. Proceed to baggage claim and the NZ Police counter to collect your gun (if applicable).
4. Go through Biosecurity with your Passenger Arrival Card.
*Be sure that all of your gear is clean. And remember ALL food must be declared or you may have to discard it.
5. Follow the signs/green line (inter terminal walkway) to the domestic terminal. It's approximately a 10 minute walk, or you can use the inter terminal busses that depart every 15 minutes.
If you are bringing your firearm into the country, domestic flights require the ammunition to be in a seperate bag and the bolt removed.
Allow a minimum of 2 hours between international and domestic flights. There are regular flights on the hour to most cities if connections are missed.
Planning Your Trip:
If you need help booking your flights or plan to stay and experience a little more of the country we would be happy to refer you to our local travel agent for assistance.
Additional Questions:
If you have any questions that haven't been answered here, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to hunting with you for the experience of a lifetime with New Zealand Safaris!
