I'm driving/riding illegally

**jazbug5** · 19th May 2005, 15:00

Originally Posted by Bykey Cop

I knew the 12 month period started from the time you first entered the country but I thought if you left and returned, you only lost the amount of time on your first visit towards the 12 months...

e.g if you came here for a month in February and left NZ and came back in October you would have 11 months left on your overseas licence. That's how I thought it worked, maybe something to look into.

I would suggest you just carry your passport with you to show entry / exit dates - makes life a lot easier for the cop (should you get pulled over that is).

BC.

Sadly, it doesn't work like that. I know because *sigh*
[admission] I work at LTSA and asked the lady in Overseas Compliance.[/admission]
*dons armoured gear*
On the upside, she thought it was very unlikely you'd get into trouble for something you hadn't known. As Mr. Bykey Cop suggests, it might pay (in the meantime) to carry your passport. As in 'just happen to be carrying this, look'. Still, it's not exactly hard to get your scratchy test right, eh?

**Wolf** · 19th May 2005, 15:27

Originally Posted by jazbug5

Sadly, it doesn't work like that. I know because *sigh*
[admission] I work at LTSA and asked the lady in Overseas Compliance.[/admission]

Oh, Jaz, and we thought you were such a nice girl...

Originally Posted by jazbug5

*dons armoured gear*

Better be durned heavy armour.

Originally Posted by jazbug5

Still, it's not exactly hard to get your scratchy test right, eh?

Apparently the boi racers manage it - or do they get daddy to pay $400 for a licence in addition to buying the Mazdabator for them?

Bit of a bugger tho', having to suddenly shell out for the tests earlier than expected - I hope Mrs Biff wasn't counting on flowers and a night out this week - not unless Biff earns a damn sight more than some of us here.

**FROSTY:Me** · 19th May 2005, 15:55

The official line is that as at 1999 you only have 12 months as of FIRST ENTRY into the country. even if ya only stayed 2 hours.

**Biff** · 19th May 2005, 15:56

Wooohooooo!!

Thanks everyone for your advice.

I'm now hofficaly a fully legal NZ licence-totting driver.

I've just got back from the local AA office (miserable sods) after an hour of scratching car and bike test papers. I passed!

I'd like to thank my mother for making it possible for me to be here etc etc

**SPORK** · 19th May 2005, 16:17

Excellent! So you're on ya learners now?

Wanna lend me the bird?

**Biff** · 19th May 2005, 16:27

Originally Posted by Bloodninja

Excellent! So you're on ya learners now?

Wanna lend me the bird?

*cough*
*cough*
*cough*
*cough*
= 4 cough.

Incidently - one of the motorbike test questions I failed went something like:

If you come accross rough ground or a road with a loose metal (stone I guess) surface do you:

a. Drop a gear and accelerate
b. Carry on as normal
c. Dismount and push the bike
d. Brake hard

Now - excuse me for being a pleb - but under no circumstances, when riding a road going (as opposed to off road) motorbike, would I recommend either a or d. I was therefore very surprised to hear that the answer was a - drop a gear and accelerate..... and watch the back end of your bike slide out faster than I'd gladly give a portion of pork sausage to Kylie.

**BM-GS** · 19th May 2005, 16:29

That "date of first entry" thing is a bit iffy, from an ethical point of view & practically.

I came here on holiday for Feb 2002, came back for interviews (& checking I wasn't about to drag the family across the planet on a rose-tinted memory) in May 2003 and moved properly in Aug 03. Was I flouting laws the minute I fired up the rental on the second trip? Nothing told me about a date of first entry, all the lit said about 12 months from date of entry, which I took to start from when I first arrived with the intention of living here.

Is there a reset after a year without setting foot in the country, or something? Otherwise it's a bit crap for business visitors, or people with rellies here. I must have ben illegal before I did my test in July though, if the May thing counted - pass me the handcuffs...

I suspect the secret lies in not getting nicked for anything, ever - though it'd be a very bored copper who's going to trawl through immigration records to find who landed when.

Maybe it's a new govt revenue-raiser: anyone who comes here must take & pass the test before they're allowed to enter the country again? Winston'll love it!

BMbloke

**Ixion** · 19th May 2005, 16:31

Originally Posted by Biff

*cough*
*cough*
*cough*
*cough*
= 4 cough.

Incidently - one of the motorbike test questions I failed went something like:

If you come accross rough ground or a road with a loose metal (stone I guess) surface, do you:

a. Drop a gear and accelerate
b. Carry on as normal
c. Dismount and push the bike
d. Brake hard

Now - excuse me for being a pleb - but under no circumstances, when riding a road going (as opposed to off road) motorbike would I recommend either a or d. I was therefore very surprised to hear that the answer was a - drop a gear and accelerate..... and watch the back end of your bike slide out faster than I'd gladly give a portion of pork sausage to Kylie.

\
Nah. Fistfulla fwottle. Never fails. You'll probably still crash but at least you'll get bonus points for style

**sAsLEX** · 19th May 2005, 16:42

Originally Posted by Ixion

\
Nah. Fistfulla fwottle. Never fails. You'll probably still crash but at least you'll get bonus points for style

Like FF went he lost it in to a ditch, kept the throttle pinned untill it was certain he wouldn't regain it!

**Hitcher** · 19th May 2005, 16:51

I really worry about recent immigrants with English as a second-language and poor comprehension skills...

**inlinefour** · 19th May 2005, 16:51

Just get into it and get yer licience. It'll be much cheaper than getting busted dude.

**Skunk** · 19th May 2005, 16:53

Originally Posted by Biff

Incidently - one of the motorbike test questions I failed went something like:

If you come accross rough ground or a road with a loose metal (stone I guess) surface, do you:

a. Drop a gear and accelerate
b. Carry on as normal
c. Dismount and push the bike
d. Brake hard

Now - excuse me for being a pleb - but under no circumstances, when riding a road going (as opposed to off road) motorbike would I recommend either a or d. I was therefore very surprised to hear that the answer was a - drop a gear and accelerate..... and watch the back end of your bike slide out faster than I'd gladly give a portion of pork sausage to Kylie.

Just so the newbies reading this get the idea... down a gear (to keep the bike in a useable power range) and GENTLY 'on' the power to keep the load off the front wheel (that means not slowing or braking, but not accelerating really neither). The idea is that with a light load on the front wheel it will not wash out. You steer more with your weight (which is possible on the road anyway).

Is that clear?

No?

OK then. Carry on.

**White trash** · 19th May 2005, 16:55

And Ive gotta say, I'm fucken good at it

**Ixion** · 19th May 2005, 16:56

Originally Posted by Hitcher

I really worry about recent immigrants with English as a second-language and poor comprehension skills...

T'is OK. They can have a friend to translate for them. Said friends have NEVER been known to read the translation of the correct answer in a lower louder and clearer tone than the other answers. So that's all right then.