Travel to New Zealand - Questions

[EmberAndAsh]

This is my first time posting here and I'm hoping you all can help me. My husband and I are planning a trip to New Zealand early next year and are trying to plan what seats we'll use for our 2 kids while we're there. (We're trying to plan now in case what we decide affects what we buy for the baby coming up.) At time time we travel, the kids will be our DD (4.25 and probably about 40 pounds/18 kg) and DS (11 months and if he takes after his sister, about 30 pounds/13 kg). DS will, of course, be rear-facing and DD will still be harnessed at home, and hopefully on the trip as well. We're hoping to find a safe and legal solution that doesn't involve buying a seat to only use for 2-3 weeks.

I've been told that I can't use any seats that we will have since they were bought in the US and won't have the NZ 'S' mark on them. So, we will use a seat for DS on the plane, and then I was thinking we'd rent a seat from somewhere like Plunket for him to use once we get there. My questions here are: should I have any concerns about renting a seat from Plunket and will I have a problem getting a seat that will let him rear-face at 30 pounds (13 kg), if he is as big as his sister?

For DD, there seems to be a lack of options to keep a 40 lb (18 kg) 4 year old harnessed. I've seen that you can buy a harness that you can use with one of these boosters that seem to be made out of EPS foam. But in all the pictures I've seens in ads of kids using them, it looks like they position the lap belt across the childs stomach, which bothers me. Is that really how they fit in real life? Is there any higher weight harness that I could rent somewhere to use for her? I also wondered if the Compass True Fit was available in NZ? And if it is, does anyone know if it has the wording about being approved for use in a vehicle that would make it legal to use in the US, where I can get one, and how much it would cost? One option we were considering if it was available, was to buy that to use for DD while we're there and then take it home with us to use for DS at home (we were planning on getting him one for my car anyway, this would just mean keeping him in his infant seat a little longer, or buying a cheap convertible seat to use in the mean time). Also, do rental cars in NZ usually have top tether anchors?

Does anyone have any other ideas that I haven't thought of? I've gone through so many different scenarios, my head starts spinning!

Thank you for your help!

[desertkiwi]

Hi, hope you have a great trip to NZ! :thumbsup:

I hope noone shouts at me for this but....If it was me, I wouldn't buy restraints specifically for a 3 week trip to NZ. It is true that by law in NZ seats must have the Australian/NZ standard or EU standard. But, in practice, you are highly unlikely to be caught by the police for using your US restraints. After doing a fair amount of international travel, I have decided that I prefer to take my kids' restraints with me. I have in the past borrowed restraints, but they are never as good. Also, it is great to get off the plane and collect your restraints and put them in the taxi that is collecting you rather than relying on the taxi company's restraints which can be questionable. My restraints are EU standard though and so legal in NZ (but I have used them in Australia where they are not legal).

If it will be too difficult to bring your own restraints with you, then I would have no hesitation in hiring seats from Plunket. However, I think you are unlikely to be able to hire a rear-facing restraint from Plunket that has a weight limit higher than 13 kg (I believe the only higher weight rear-facing seat available in NZ is the Brio Zento and I am guessing that Plunket don't stock this one). And, as far as I know, no harnessed restraints are available in NZ with harness weight limit higher than 18 kg. I believe you can buy a separate harness to use with a booster, so this may be an option.

I am sure one of the other kiwis here (who have far more knowledge and expertise than me!) will be along soon to give you some more info.

All the best

PS - In summary, if I was you I would buy the restraint you want for DS in the US. If you are buying DS his own seat on the plane then take the restraint onto the plane (or if DS is going to be travelling on an infant (lap) ticket, put the restraint into the hold as fragile luggage) and then continue to use it while in NZ and don't worry about the legal technicalities too much. If this will stress you out, then hire a restraint from plunket and don't take DS US restraint with you on the plane. If you want DD in a harnessed restraint, I would take her restraint with you too. Otherwise, hire/buy a booster in NZ and use it with separate harness.

[finn]

I also wouldn't hesitate to use your American seats. I would buy the ones you want over there and bring them with you.

You could get a Scenera ($200), we have the old Alpha Omega ($300 ish), also winkalotts (google it) sell the evenflo triumph range ($379-$399) which rear face to 16kg & forward face to 22kgs.

Failing that there is a company over here called baby on the move who hire all sorts of baby products, or plunket might do short term hires.

Most rental car will have the top anchor bolt, we dont have lower latch over here and our seat belts dont lock, so you may need to bring a couple of locking clips if your seats dont have lock offs.

I hope you have a lovely trip :)

[delgirrrl]

Totally agree with previous posters! Plunket will not be able to give you a seat to RF a 13kg child, their convertibles are to 12kg RF, 18kg FF.
(they do have a capsule with a 13kg limit, but having tried to put an 11kg child in one, I can tell you it won't work unless your child has all it's weight in the legs!!)

You could hire a Brio Zento from www.babyonthemove.co.nz which would sort your RF child up to 25kg, but there's nothing available for hire that I'm aware of for FF over 18kg.

To me this is a "safety first" issue. Clearly the seats available in NZ will not suit your circumstances, as indeed they haven't suited many of us with large children. Your first priority is to protect your children, and unfortunately following the letter of the law over here would result in LESSENNED protection for your kids than you using your own seats.

Yes, it's technically not legal to use your US seats, but over here, if your kid is actually fitted properly in a restraint you'll be doing better than a good portion of the population. There are quite a few of us over here using US seats that we "shouldn't" and I have yet to hear of anyone being ticketed for using a non-standards seat.

Taxis over here must have a top tether, so I'm assuming rentals do too. I suggest bringing a tether bolt with you - just about every car here has anchor points, the only question is whether there is a bolt in it. I'd suggest contacting the rental company. A couple of the 'bigger' ones here are www.hertz.co.nz www.avis.co.nz www.budget.co.nz

I suggest you bring your seats, (plus tether bolts and locking clips - just incase!) I'm sure you'll have a great time, and on the off-chance you meet a enforcement officer who actually notices anything beyond the fact the kids are restrained, I would be absolutely stunned if they ticketed an international visitor for using their own restraints, which were well fitted, not expired and in good condition, particularly when suitable alternatives are not available. (believe it or not, occasionally common sense does prevail :D)

Hey, most of all, have a great time visiting NZ!

[ketchupqueen]

I thought that using seats while on vacation in another country is legal, as long as the minimum requirements for that country are met (i.e., you can't FF a child under a year when travelling to the U.S. from a country where that is allowed, a child under 12 must be in a booster in Germany even if they are not in the U.S., etc.) and the stay is not more than 3 months? That is the advice we usually give on this forum. Take your seats on vacation with you. Your seats are not going to get you in trouble as long as your kids are appropriately restrained.

(Don't we have some posters from NZ who have bought their seats from the U.S.? So at least some U.S. seats are legal there under some circumstances? I thought in NZ seats had to meet either Australian, European, or U.S. standards?)

[finn]

Only some US seats are legal here, its odd. Those of us who have bought seats from the US have done it knowing the seats aren't legal to use here.

[EmberAndAsh]

Thank you all very much for your responses! I feel a lot better about just taking our seats, which is what I think we'll plan on doing.

[delgirrrl]

(Don't we have some posters from NZ who have bought their seats from the U.S.? So at least some U.S. seats are legal there under some circumstances? I thought in NZ seats had to meet either Australian, European, or U.S. standards?)

Seats in NZ must meet Australian or European standards. The US standard is only legal if it is paired with a NZ standards "S" sticker. As a result, we have some US seats available here for sale, (no high weight ones unfortunately), but you can't import your own privately (as it won't have the "S" mark). I don't know, maybe there are some aspects of the US standard "we" don't like?