avatarworf

What we read on travel forums suggested the problem first materialised with the airlines, who won't let you board unless you have the onward ticket. Anyway, we will have our onward tickets so for us it shouldn't be an issue. Fingers crossed! I was surprised to learn that to get to the USA by cargo ship you need a visa, even if you wouldn't need one flying in on the same passport. From what I understand Canadians are exempt from this (found info on the US immigration site) but I am double checking with the embassy to be sure!

stevage

Incidentally, here was a route I planned from Portland to Adelaide - but have not done yet:
* https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/119812

Bear in mind that it goes through the Coorong national park which is very stressed atm due to low water

And here was an earlier incarnation, from Melbourne to Adelaide:
* https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/119444

I've now done the Ararat-Hamilton leg (almost as on this route) and can highly recommend it. But I think Ballarat to Melbourne would be pretty boring.

Steve

Chris L

One more thing about New Zealand that may not have been mentioned yet -- customs are VERY scrupulous about dirt coming into the country. Ensure that your bike, shoes and tent pegs in particular are spotless before you head over. I've heard stories of tents and shoes being confiscated by customs and not returned. While I had nothing confiscated on my entry into Christchurch, they did thoroughly inspect everything.

Rowan

Same with entering Australia. About a month ago, I had to unpack a large bag because the screening agent had spotted "boots" in there -- my cycling shoes with cleats -- at the bottom of the bag. He was determined that the cleats were clods of earth... and looked quite stunned and confused when he saw the brass Atac cleats. He was very apologetic.

You will get questions about your bicycles, and where they have been and if they are clean. Likely you will be asked to open the box either before or after it has been through the xray screening.

You also will be required to fill out an immigration card on the inbound plane that you have to present to customs and immigration. There are questions relating to soil and farms.

Unlike many others, I maintain that honesty is the absolute best policy, from declaring your bike at check-in to telling customs and immigration where you have been. Even if it means being taken aside for a closer inspection. In the case above, I told the guy it was all OK because I worked in the rural industry, and was happy he was checking.

Customs and immigration in Australian, obviously NZ, the US, Canada and the UK are no longer mere formalities and you should build an extra hour or two into your itineraries for connections to take account of this.

On my way out of Australia last time, the luggage handling system for the entire international airport broke down, and everything had to be moved to planes by hand. My flight was two hours late taking off, including an hour sitting on the aircraft.

A woman (as it turned out, and Aussie) turned on a real hissyfit at the Air Canada counter when she was told she was too late to board the connecting flight. She had just arrived from Sydney, and her baggage took an extra 30 minutes to come out at LAX (not connected to the system breakdown in Australia). Her connections were just too fine, and I gather she was in deep pooh for missing business meetings in Vancouver.

This is probably not all relevant to avatarworf and their plans, but threads like this, I think, are useful for chatting about these issues so others planning similar trips are a little more familiar with what can and does happen.

I'll stop now.