dehy hummus?

You can make your own homus and dehydrate it - I do - you can add your own other flavors (eg chilli). There is no problem with biosecurity - just declare it. I would advise grinding the dried homus into a powder as it then rehydrate almost instantly.

I saw Casbah hummous in a New World supermarket here in Chch a couple of days ago.

thanks Honora, that's really helpful berniq - we dehydrate our own hummus at home, but we understood that any food not commercially prepared and packaged was likely to be confiscated when we come in. if you have had another experience we would be glad to hear about it as it might save us a lot of money

Hi ebirch. Correct...if you want to bring food to NZ make sure is processed and that you bought it at the supermarket with label still on. Don't bring any fresh food with you like veggies,fruit or meat/fish otherwise will get confiscated. I come across from Australia and customs in NZ is pretty severe. Always declare everything and if they don't like it they can always confiscated but at least you avoid a fine. When I say veggies fruit and meat or fish I mean only if fresh but if is for instance backcountry food you should be sweet.

There are, indeed, many restrictions and "fresh" is one of them (but dehy homus isn't fresh, is it :) However, I have, on half a dozen trips, brought across from Aus most of my tramping food (usually enough for 12+ days tramping - approx 5kg). Home dehy meals (chicken, tuna, veg) and soups, dehy fruit (mango, pineapple, papaya, stonefruits, kiwi, apple), coffee and scroggin made from (commercially sourced) nuts, sultanas, etc. BUT some things are no-go like : red meat (beef, lamb, pork), non-pelagic fish (salmon). It is critical to declare everything. I have a printed list of ingredients, everything readily accessible for inspection, spotless boots (which I wear off the plane), tent, gaiters, poles & pegs etc. I'm serious about bio-security and I think that's clear to the inspectors. If they have any doubts they'll treat or confiscate - but that's not happened to me to date.

@bernieq have you ever take with you a small knife as well ? I was wondering if you usually have or not just because a couple of friend of mine bought a little knife for of probably 5/6 cm of blade. Any experience in that?

Yes, I have a Victorinox blade (in checked luggage, obviously) - it's 8cm.