Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
18
New Zealand Citizens
The duty-free allowance for
New Zealand
is NZ$700. Citizens over 17 can bring in
200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or 250 grams of
tobacco (or a mixture of all 3 if their com-
bined w eight doesn 't ex ceed 250g); plus
4.5 liters of wine and beer , or 1.125 liters
of liquor. New Zealand currency does not
carry import or export restrictions. Fill out
a certificate of export, listing the valuables
you ar e taking out of the countr y; that
way, y ou can bring them back without
paying duty. Most questions are answered
in a fr ee pamphlet av ailable at N ew Zea-
land consulates and Customs offices:
New
Zealand C ustoms G uide for Travellers,
Notice no. 4.
For more information, con-
tact
New Zealand Customs,
The Custom-
house, 17-21 Whitmore S t., Bo x 2218,
Wellington (
&
04/473-6099
or 0800/
428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).
volume); 2 liters of for tified wine, spar-
kling wine, or other liqueurs; and £300 of
all other goods, including per fume and
souvenirs. P eople under 17 cannot hav e
the tobacco or alcohol allo wance. F or
more information, contact HM C ustoms
& E xcise at
&
0845/010-9000
(fr om
outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or
consult their website at www.hmce.gov.uk.
Australian Citizens
The duty-fr ee allo wance in
Australia
is
A$900 or, for those under 18, A$450. Citi-
zens can bring in 250 cigar ettes or 250
grams of loose tobacco, and 2.25 liters of
alcohol. I f y ou're r eturning with v aluables
you alr eady o wn, such as for eign-made
cameras, y ou should file form B263. A
helpful brochure available from Australian
consulates or C ustoms offices is
Know
Before You Go.
For mor e information, call
the
Australian C ustoms S ervice
at
&
1300/363-263,
or log on to www
.
2
customs.gov.au.
3
WHEN TO GO
Because summer is when most kids hav e
vacation, you may be planning to visit San
Francisco sometime betw een
June and
August.
Just be warned that the city is at
its foggiest at that time. The good news is
that most of California is v ery warm
then—so if y our trip includes other stops
in the state, y ou may ev en w elcome the
city's brisk morning fog.
Expect cr owds ar ound F isherman's
Wharf and on the F-M arket str eetcars.
Book Alcatraz Island tickets at least 1 week
ahead of time and, after 9am, expect to
wait in long lines to boar d the P owell
Street cable cars. F ortunately, because San
Francisco sees fe wer conv entions in the
summer, you may actually get better hotel
rates at the business-oriented hotels down-
town (although not at F
The city puts on a show all summer and
into fall, with music and dance festiv als,
street fairs, and special events. Yerba Buena
Center, one of the best places for families,
offers free world-class concer ts in the gar-
dens. I t's also prime baseball season; if
you're all fans, you'll be delighted to spend
the afternoon at AT&T Park.
September and O ctober
are usually
great months in S an F rancisco; the fog
disappears and the air is warm. O f course,
school schedules may be an issue, but
perhaps you can fit in a long w eekend in
the city. Fall brings a huge spike in con-
ventions, but business is normally con-
ducted during the w eek, leaving hotels to
offer weekend packages and discounts.
If y ou can handle the v agaries of the
weather,
winter
is a terrific season to visit.
You'll feel like you have the city to yourself
isherman's
Wharf).
