is tent required??

I've never had trouble with customs - last thing I want is another "didymo" to establish itself. Be responsible about cleaning and declaring your gear, expect to have to show it to them, and they will treat you nicely. Last time I came into the country I declared stuff, said yes I've cleaned it, and showed them my shoes (old toothbrushes are good for cleaning). I was waved straight through, while everyone in the "green lane" ie with nothing to declare got sent to a queue to have their bags and gear xrayed. This was at midnight, arriving in Chch last month

I never would have considered that being clean shaven (or not) makes a difference, but who knows? I have been treated better bringing in heaps of tramping gear than coming in with just the shoes on my feet and a declaration that I'd been in a US forested area recently. Generally I think having a kiwi passport very possibly helps for those who have them... maybe just an oceanic passport, but so does being proactive and positive about showing off and checking what's coming in, and demonstrating concern for being sure that it's all clean and don't want to risk compromising the country. They'll want to check it regardless, but demonstrating that you're not likely to be trying to hide anything will make it a nicer experience.

Getting slightly off-topic, but I've always found that putting down my occupation as "possum trapper" gets an interested but friendly welcome through Aussie customs.

If they grumble invite them to collect as many live possoms as they wish. Do tell them its a 10 for one special. Every one they collect we throw in another 10

Hi, I prefer to carry my tent along because sometimes the weather changes and a tent helps if the weather is not too severe. Also, you can have some privacy in the tent if you are tramping with your mate.

Depending on your location, it's a very good idea to have sufficient shelter to enable you to survive until you are evacuated if you became immobilised. A combination of a compound fracture and hypothermia would require hospitalisation at a main urban centre e.g. Christchurch, rather than Timaru so it's a pretty serious medical scenario.

@madpom that would get a few aussies pretty upset aye, being a protected species over there haha I know a few and they're horrified we cull them hard out. Re NZ customs, only thing I HAVE to point out is if you buy anything duty free over $700nzd you don't want to let them see it in its box or know its been bought duty free. They charge you G.S.T (sales tax) and they are ruthless. Queenstown customs charged our 13 yo daughter!! wan*ers

that would be her pocket money spent for a while?

yea, I paid it for her.. she was actually in tears

Regarding the possums, I always chuckle when I remember someone telling a story of encountering a brushtailed possum in Tasmania when with a group of Australians. You could have heard a pin drop when he said, "it's got a lovely pelt".