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International and National Competitions Competitor Holding Room The holding room is for competitors only and shall be restricted for the exclusive use of competitors, marshals and authorized officials. Contravention of this rule may result in the offending country / Region's disqualification. A holding room marshal will control exit and entry to the holding room. Cell phones are not allowed in the Holding Room and competitors are encouraged not to bring these to competitions. Where cell phones are bought they must be turned off and handed to the Chief Marshall. Any breech of this will result in disqualification. Contingent managers can refer: "Appendix 1: International Competition Rules" and "Appendix 2: International Competition Marking template" Competing uniform International representatives (competitors) can choose to wear clothing that they would usually compete in during their own National competitions. Dress Codes Formal uniform + medals New Zealand cadets will wear their jackets with the black side showing. Adult members will wear tunics with head dress and medals. Travel uniform Non-formal uniform (as predetermined by your own country or Region). Festival shirt Festival shirt (supplied) with your choice of tidy shorts or pants, as well as the festival cap. Casual dress Tidy and appropriate clothing of choice, for all outdoor activities it is recommended that participants wear a hat. Operational uniform Countries can opt to wear either their operational uniform or their travel uniform on the day of competitions. Farewell Gala Dinner Formal suit, mess kit, black tie or ball gown. Miniature medals to be worn. What to bring Below is a list of items we suggest you pack:
* Daily towels are supplied at your accommodation for showers, etc.. ** Enough medication for more than the duration of your trip Do not pack washing powder or anything powdery (e.g. foodstuffs, drink powder..) in sealed bags as it may draw attention to you when passing through customs. Laundry A laundry is available in each block of accommodation at no charge and is available to all festival participants. Rules and responsibilities Leader responsibilities Contingent managers All travel and accommodation arrangements are the responsibility of competing teams. It is each Contingent Managers responsibility to manage appropriate behaviour for cadets under their care. Youth Leaders (adults/18+ years) As leader you need to ensure the policy contained within the St John Child Protection Policy is to be followed at all times (An overview can be found here). Kiwi Hosts Hosts are available to assist international contingents in their planning before as well as to assist in hospitality during the festival. The host ambassadors which have been appointed are skilled and experienced leaders who will assist contingents in the simplest question through to thorough problem solving when required. Drugs and alcohol Smoking St John is committed to promoting a safe and healthy environment for all members. To purchase tobacco in New Zealand you need to be over the age of 18. Adults may smoke during a recognised break, however smoking in front of cadets or in uniform in public view is not permitted. If necessary, the organising committee will allocate a designated smoking in any area for adults and will advise members of its location. Smoking outside of this area is not permitted. On request a supervised smoking area can be attached to competitor holding rooms during competitions day. This area needs to be out of view of non-smoking youth members and cadets are marshalled to and from this area. Only cadets who hold parental consent to smoke will be permitted in these areas. Alcohol The consumption of alcohol by any leader in direct supervision of cadets is not permitted at any stage of the Festival. Any cadet involved in the consumption of alcohol at any stage will be requested to leave the festival and will cover any additional costs associated with their early departure. International contingents will be responsible for arranging alternative accommodation under their supervision for any breeches by an international cadet. Travelling to New Zealand Passports Passport and visa When you arrive in New Zealand, you’ll need to be carrying a passport that is valid for at least three months beyond your intended departure date. A visa may also be required, depending on your country of origin. On arrival You will need to complete a passenger arrival card before passing through Customs Passport Control. A passenger arrival card will be usually be given to you during your flight; if not, cards are available in the arrival area. After you’ve cleared passport control, you should collect your baggage and proceed through customs and biosecurity checks. Your baggage may be sniffed by a detector dog and/or X-rayed, and it may be searched to identify any risk goods you might be carrying. New Zealand Customs Customs declarations / allowances You don’t have to declare your clothing, footwear, jewellery, or toiletries. These are regarded as personal effects. Customs prohibited and restricted goods You should not bring the following items into New Zealand: - Firearms and weapons (including sporting firearms), unless a permit is obtained from New Zealand Police on arrival at the airport. The New Zealand Police website has more information on importing firearms. - Prescription medicines, unless accompanied by a doctor’s prescription. - Pirated copyright goods. - Objectionable (indecent) articles, such as DVDs and publications. Biosecurity risk goods New Zealand is free of many insect pests, plant diseases and animal infections that are common elsewhere in the world. We put a lot of effort into minimising the risk of these being introduced. When you fly to New Zealand from overseas, it is important to follow New Zealand law. That means you must declare or dispose of risk goods at our international borders. You might have goods with you that could be carrying pests and diseases. These pests and diseases could cause millions of dollars in damage to New Zealand’s environment and economy. Substantial fines may be incurred if you do not declare correctly. Biosecurity risk goods that must be declared include: - Any food including cooked, uncooked, fresh, preserved, packaged or dried goods - Plant or plant products including fruit, vegetables, leaves, nuts, parts of flowers, seeds, bulbs, fungi, cane, bamboo, wood or straw. - Animals, animal medicines or animal products including meat, dairy products, fish, honey, bee products, eggs, feathers, shells, raw wood, skins, bones or insects - Biological cultures, soil or water - Equipment used with animals, plants or water - Articles with soil attached, outdoor sport or hiking shoes, and tents Departure fee A departure fee of NZ$25 is collected from all adult international passengers upon departure from Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown airports. This can be paid by cash or credit card. There is no longer a departure fee charge from Auckland as of 1 July 2008. Baggage Your carry on luggage should include: - Passport - Airline ticket pack snacks such as crackers, help with motion sickness - Wet wipes - Ipods/discman Tips on luggage and travelling: - Place valuables such as jewellery, cash, etc, in your carry on luggage - Avoid wearing clothing, jewellery and accessories that contain metal as they set off the metal detector. - Put all undeveloped film and cameras in your carry-on baggage - Lock your checked in baggage with a mini padlock. Take your spare key and both keys in different areas in you baggage. - Place keys, loose change in your carry on bag - Make sure that you pack enough personal items (toothbrush, shampoo, etc) along with a change of clothes in case your have to spend a day without your checked baggage (i.e. if it gets lost)... Pack smart - travel safe Any liquids, aerosols and gels that passengers want to take in their carry-on baggage will have to comply with the following requirements: - all liquids, aerosols and gels must be in containers of 100mls or less - passengers must carry their 100ml containers in a re-sealable transparent plastic bag of 1 litre volume (this is a re-sealable sandwich bag like those available at your local supermarket) - each passenger, including children, will be allowed to carry on one, 1 litre transparent plastic bag - the plastic bag must be re-sealable and presented separately from all other carry-on baggage at the screening point. There are exemptions for personal medications, baby products and dietary supplements in liquid, aerosol or gel form. Full details of the measures, including exemptions, are contained on www.flysmart.govt.nz Climate Christchurch enjoys a temperate, relatively dry climate with rain falling on fewer days than New Zealand's other major cities. Norwester winds are possible at any time of year. The norwester is a fohn type wind - hot and dry - from the Southern Alps that can raise the temperature by 10 or 15 degrees centigrade within an hour or so. Christchurch sits on a latitude of 43.3 degrees South. Cities on similar latitudes in the Northern hemisphere include Monte Carlo and Boston, Massachusetts. Christchurch is cooler in summer than these northern hemisphere cities because of the moderating effects of the surrounding Pacific Ocean. Climate Data for Christchurch, New Zealand  The main weather hazard faced by Christchurch's residents is the strength of the sun - particularly in summer. In high summer, the sunshine in New Zealand is really strong. You'll burn more easily in New Zealand than anywhere in the Mediterranean. There are three reasons why the sun in Southern Hemisphere is so strong: 1. There is less ozone to block the UV rays that cause sunburn. 2. Earth's orbit takes it closer to the sun during the southern summer than during the northern summer. 3. There is less pollution in the southern hemisphere to block UV rays. The sun's burning strength is measured by the UV index. The highest possible UV index at sea-level is about 20. This can occur at midday in equatorial regions. Any reading higher than 10 is extreme in terms of skin-damage. To help give you an idea of how severe this is in New Zealand - the UV Index in the Mediterranean in high-summer reaches 9 or 10. The people in Florida are fried on just a few days of each summer when the UV index reaches 12. In New Zealand the summer index often exceeds 12. To help prevent sunburn, ensure you bring and use sunscreen with at least a 'Sun Protection Factor' (SPF) of 30. Money The NZ dollar ($) is the basic unit, divided into 100 cents (c). - Coins: 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2 - Notes: $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 Banks, ATMs, cards and cheques Banks open Monday-Friday, 9.30am-4.30pm, and some banks are open Saturday morning. Automatic teller machines (ATMs) operate on a card/PIN number system where cash can be withdrawn 24 hours a day. Use of EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale) is common. All international credit cards (American Express, Diners, JCB, VISA, Mastercard) are accepted. Travellers' cheques may be changed at banks, hotels and large stores in the main cities and tourist areas. There is an ASB Bank located conveniently onsite at Lincoln University which will have bureau de change facilities Bureau de change Go to the ASB website to find out foreign exchange rates and how the NZD compares to your local currency. Goods and services tax (GST) Goods and services are taxed at 12.5%. This tax is usually included in the advertised price. Tipping and service charges If you wish to leave a tip for excellent service this is perfectly acceptable, but is not expected. Service charges are not added to hotel or restaurant accounts. General information Medical, accidents and emergencies Medical care during the festival we have organised a Festival Doctor and Paramedic who will be available as required to deal with sickness and injuries that may occur during the festival. Emergencies Dial 111 for police, fire or ambulance services. For non-emergency calls, full instructions appear in the front of telephone directories. Medicines and pharmaceuticals The nearest pharmacy to the Lincoln campus is in Lincoln township (1km). This chemist will operate during normal business hours. There is an after hours pharmacy in Christchurch which is open until late in the evenings and on the weekends. A certificate for Customs is advised if visitors plan to bring pharmaceuticals into the country. Many drugs sold over the counter in other countries are often not available in New Zealand without a prescription from a health care professional. Accident compensation and personal insurance Visitors are covered by the Government-run scheme for personal injury by accident. Claims may be lodged with the Accident Compensation and Rehabilitation Insurance Corporation (ACC) irrespective of fault. Some medical/hospital expenses and physical disability compensation are covered, but not loss of earnings outside New Zealand. Personal travel insurance should be arranged to cover extra costs associated with accidents as well as to cover other Medical services related to illness. Bites and stings There is no dangerous wildlife; no snakes, and only two poisonous spiders, the katipo and the white-tailed spider. These spiders are rare and bites are serious but rarely fatal. Jet lag In order to reduce the effects of Jet lag, we suggest the following tips: - Don’t take sleeping pills - Spend as much time as possible in the sun – sunlight helps the body adjust - Set your clock to the destination time as soon as you get on the plane and try not to think too much about what time it is back home. Communication Internet Cafe There will be an internet cafe available at Lincoln to keep in touch while at the festival. Postal services Besides specialist NZ Post Shops in most areas, stamps can be bought from supermarkets, dairies, bookstores and grocery shops. There is also a postbox on the Lincoln campus. Making a phone call Most payphones use chip PhoneCards as the payment mechanism. You can also use your credit card or another prepaid calling card such as Yabba. PhoneCards and Telecom Yabba Calling Cards can be purchased from a variety of outlets, including i-SITE Visitor Information Centres, Telecom retail stores and a number of supermarkets, petrol stations and convenience stores. Yabba can be used from almost any touch-tone phone in the world. Yabba uses high quality lines, has free 24hour customer service, and has been in the market for over 14 years. Additional talk time can be purchased with a Visa or MasterCard. Visit www.yabba.co.nz for more information. Other information Electricity New Zealand's AC electricity supply operates at 230/240 volts, 50 hertz. Water Canterbury water is some of the purest water anywhere in the world and is safe to drink straight from the tap. Water sourced from rivers and lakes should be boiled or treated before drinking. Driving in New Zealand Below are some details on driving licences and information on New Zealand road rules: - A current licence and/or international licence is required to drive on New Zealand roads - In New Zealand motorists drive on the left-hand side of the road - It is compulsory for every occupant of the vehicle to wear a seat belt - Pedestrians and cyclists are not permitted on motorways - It is illegal to park your car facing oncoming traffic - It is illegal to hitchhike on motorways - It is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving - Vehicles must not stop on motorways unless in the case of emergency - If you are involved in a crash you must stop and help. If someone is injured this must be reported to the police within 24 hours - Minimum age for rental car driving is 21 years - New Zealand speed limits are in kilometres per hour, not miles Measurements New Zealand has used the metric system since 1975: - 1m (metre) = 1.1 yards - 1km (kilometre) = 0.62 miles - 1ha (hectare) = 2.5 acres - To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit: multiply by 9, divide by 5, add 32 ( {[C x 9] / 5} + 32 ).
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