Planning is the key to settling your pet into its new homeland, according to Ross Fraser from airfreight specialists Extrodinair. He tells us why….

Most responsible owners naturally have concerns about transporting the four-legged members of their family, but the process is easier than you may think.

However, advanced planning plays a big part in ensuring everything goes smoothly, especially as most countries have different rules and regulations.

Travelling pets are well looked after in the cargo hold. The area is kept dark to keep your pet calm; it is the same air pressure and temperature as the cabin (between 12-18°C).

Here’s our top tips:

• Follow the rules and regulations precisely, to avoid your beloved pet spending a period of time in quarantine, which can be expensive. Hold ups can be caused by incorrect health paperwork, e.g. incorrect microchip reading, rabies paperwork, invalid tapeworm treatment etc. You can send your pet’s paperwork to your destination airport Border Inspection Post in advance so that it can be checked with the requirements;
  
• Do not to feed your pet before their flight to avoid sickness and mess in their kennel. This may cause your pet unnecessary distress;
  
• Buy a suitable kennel/cage, which meets International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations, before your trip so your pet can get used to it as their bed, particularly if they have never travelled in one before. This will help them feel more secure as they will be familiar with their new surroundings. We would recommend that our clients come to our office with their pet for a ‘fitting’.
  
• Contact your destination airport to ensure they have space to accommodate your pet on arrival (Animal Reception Centre);
  
• If travelling to the UK from a non-EU country you will need to complete a C5 customs form. 
  
• Work closely with your freighting company who should:

               o   check with the airline to confirm they have an approved route for transporting your pet to the        required destination;
               o   check with destination authorities, for advice on the health regulations, e.g. export/import licence requirements;
               o   Liaise with the destination airport to ensure there are suitable facilities for animals i.e. Border Inspection Post;
               o   advise you on the kennel/cage required depending on the size of your pet. It is very important that you use the correct size as per the regulations. If you arrive at the airport with a kennel that is too small the airline will refuse to carry your pet on-board.
               o   line your chosen kennel with vet bedding, which is absorbent and keeps your pet comfortable during its journey.

Some airline routings require an overnight stop before onwards travel. Your pet will be housed in an animal facility with staff in attendance 24/7. They will be let out of their transport box, into a bigger kennel, where they have access to food and water.

At your destination you’ll need to make arrangements to get your pet home. Remember some of the larger travel kennels do not fit into cars. Check whether your transporter offers a pet taxi service. If you are travelling on the same flight as your pet, this means that you can travel home, unpack and settle in while your pet is brought to you.

Then you can put the kettle on and enjoy your new home with your pet.
………
With more than 20 years’ experience assisting furry friends to travel safely and correctly, Extrodinair offer their advice for free. Contact them for more information. www.extrordinair.co.uk or email arc@extrordinair.co.uk

The DEFRA website confirms the UK import requirements and approved routings.
www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad

#expatproblems

Time for a rant. Let's talk about money. Not about getting rich, saving it or the warmth of happiness when you find a small stash down the back of the sofa. I mean tax. A horrible, three-letter word that strikes fear into the heart of all adults. The bogeyman to most grown-ups.

If you're a Brit and you haven't filled in your tax return, you will (hopefully) be painfully aware that the submission deadline is this week. If you had forgotten that we are already at the end of January you might be having a few sleepiness nights as you scramble to gather your paperwork in time. If you are an expat and filing an online tax return for the first time, I'm afraid my friend, you're stuffed. So here are some observations, and please also allow me to use it as an excuse to get a few things off my chest.

Expats are not exempt. While you soak up the sun in your expat homeland, the drizzly, grey UK days might be a distant memory. Put the Mojito down. You still need to fill in a tax return even if you don't have any earnings. You have to account for any interest you make on savings (fat chance), and any income if you rent out your UK home.

You have to register. If you haven't filled in an electronic UK tax return before, you will have to register in order for your name to be on the system. The process involves HMRC sending you an activation number...by post. Now given the wonderful world of technology, and the fact you wish to file an electronic tax return, presumably because you're late, don't want it to get lost in the post, don't have a postal system that works where you live, or all of the above, this seems a daft system. I have to admit to waking up in a cold sweat at 3am one night last week because despite living abroad for four years I had forgotten all about the UK tax system – it’s not at the top of my thoughts usually. I have my excuses, don't we all: we've just moved country (third time in four years) and my husband has changed job. This means all our stuff is on a ship somewhere.

You need more than the HMRC. I’m not a rule breaker. I feel a little uncertain if the grass in the park is not clearly marked to tell me whether I’m allowed to walk on it or not. I panic on stairs – do I keep left or right? And don’t ask me to put a glass bottle in a rubbish bin. In essence, I try to do the right thing. The HMRC online system isn’t helping me to do this. It’s not the end of your taxing journey. It’s just the beginning. If you’re an expat, there is additional paper to fill in, not available on the HMRC system, which means you have to buy a commercially available product. And if you have a Mac, the number of products is limited.

Gathering tax receipts in one problem; Some banks only provide electronic information, some only provide it by post. However, actually filling in a tax return is another problem.

I’m feeling a little lighter sharing this burden. It’s time I found a Mojito. Good luck.

Heading south: from adrenaline to fresh air
The ferry across the Cook Strait, from Wellington to Picton, is a slow and laid-back affair, but it fits in with the attitude and reflective pace of life in New Zealand. It’s also a journey not a rush, given the stunning secluded bays of the Marlborough Sound.

We headed straight to Blenheim, centre of the Marlborough wine region, to a little B&B, the Dry Olive, nestled among beautifully manicured vineyards and olive groves. Whether you want to hire bikes, hike, or nominate a driver, the vineyards are conveniently located quite close together. They do tend to close quite early though, around 4pm, to put off drunken pelotons of cyclists.

Our next stop, a little further down the coast, was Kaikoura, famous for its whales. We’d booked an afternoon trip, which was extremely well organised. I must admit to be a landlubber, and the waves were a little too choppy for me, but that said, it doesn’t take away from the experiences of spotting these majestic creatures up close. We had two sperm whale sightings, which is fairly lucky seeing as they can dive for up to two hours. Trying to comprehend their sheer mass is something I’ll never get my head around. We watched them blow water and catch their breath, and then submerge like a gracefully submarine, flicking their tail behind them.

Apparently there are beautiful snow covered mountains that descend directly into the sea. I saw “apparently” because the weather was too poor for us to see any mountains. In fact, it was only because our landlady mentioned them that we were any the wiser. And then at breakfast we had the briefest of “ah-ha” moments. The clouds parted just enough to offer a glimpse of hidden peaks, which harpooned the clouds, before zipping itself backup again, almost embarrassed to be caught with its trousers down. The cloud cover was so thick and even it was impossible to know anything was hidden behind the fleecy coat.

Most towns evolve slowly over time, but after the devastating impact of the 1931 earthquake, Napier was virtually wiped clean. Even the shape, level and site of the beach front was changed in the disaster, when 40sq km of land were raised from the seabed. A few of the wooden weatherboarded buildings survived, but redevelopment in the 1930s meant that the town architecturally took on an Art Deco vibe. The town, which is said to rival Miami as the Art Deco capital of the world, still likes to don its feather boa and cloche hat, and the Art Deco Trust ensures the buildings are preserved.

The vineyards are another draw to the Hawkes Bay area, and coincidentally it is the birthplace of New Zealand wine after French missionaries settled here in 1851, now the Mission Estate. Set in-between beautiful, steep, green rolling hills the connoisseur and the novice will not be disappointed. Many vineyards have cafes, with visas to soften the heart. Travelling with small children we have seen people raise their eyebrows when we mention our love of the vine and wine tasting, but having children doesn’t mean you have to stop your favourite activities. Of course, we haven’t been able to take any long, languishing, inebriated lunches, but a quick stop for some tastings can be educational, and good fun. We stopped at Clearview Estate at Te Awanga, near Hastings, a particularly children-friendly vineyard with chicken scratching around and a playground.

One final stop worth making is at the top of the Te Mata Peak, about 16km from Havelock North. You could just go for the spectacular view the summit commands over Hawkes Bay, or spend some time hiking the various paths that criss-cross over this rugged cliff.

Where to stay: The owners of the Mission B&B are very welcoming, and they know their wines.

It’s a long drive to the Waitomo Caves, but hearing that it was such a spectacular site, and with Middle Earth countryside to keep our imagination satisfied, we decided it was worth the effort.

Although known to the Maoris, it was only discovered by Westerns in 1887 when English surveyor Fred Mace was introduced to it by local tribesmen. The commercial viability of the site was soon realised and it became a tourist spot overnight. The caves have the usual beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, lit in interesting ways to resemble elephants, Bob Marley’s hair or the pointing finger of ET, but its real draw are the glow worms: thousands of tiny blue lights that cling to the ceiling and are only revealed in the pitch dark.

A boat ride, where the participants remain respectfully silent, makes this a haunting trip. It’s a clique to refer to the ceiling as the night sky, but there is simply no other comparison. Our Maori guide, a descendant from Tane Tinorau, the chief who introduced Mace to the caves, was able to show us the ethereal beauty of the darkness, and then the amazing transformation of the scene when the lights were switched on, which was met by audible awe from the tour group. The glow worm lights disappeared and the first thing you noticed were hundreds of sticky threads dangling from the cave roof, often up to 40cm long, waiting to trap unsuspecting insects attracted to the light. Sometimes the strangest sights are offered by nature.

Rotorua is a well-known tourist magnet, and although commercialised it still retains its charm and is a pretty chilled-out place. That said, if you’re looking for adventure you won’t have to go looking for it. It will more or less hit you in the face. And while you’re looking for excuses not to go zorbing, or rafting, or dangling in the air at the end of a piece of string, there is plenty to keep you occupied. Rotorua is a place you can smell before you arrive, and you just have to walk through Kuirau Park in the centre of town to discover the source of the sulphur. Boiling water and mud literally bubbles out of the ground, in swamps, lakes, and sometimes car parks. If you worry about your child falling into the local duck pond, you might want to keep them closer to heel. First-degree burns from a fall in these ponds are likely. It is a mesmerising sight however. At every turn steam rises from the ground.

We headed 30km south to Wai-o-Tapo geothermal park, where we were able to walk around glugging mud, shooting geysers and rainbow-colored lakes. The eggy pong can be nauseating after a while, but regardless this is an amazing moonscape to visit. The pictures just say it all.

Often travel is punctuated by photo moments; they help to keep my memories fresh. One such moment was created this evening. We’re staying at a lakeside motel and writing these notes I have a breathtaking visa across Lake Rotorua. There’s a jetty, with seagulls enjoying the rose sunset, so I decided to stroll across to see the lake at this peaceful time of day. The clouds glowed pink, reflected by the lake and, in between, the silhouetted hills just enhanced this framed moment in time. After I’d take the photo I turned 180 degrees to be greeted by one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.