Shipping container woes

I know you all have been waiting with baited breath to hear about the location and status of our precious furniture, clothes, bikes, and knitting wool. Yes, even the wool. Well, after learning the boat carrying our container docked last Sunday, we were originally told it would likely be at our doorstep sometime within 7 days, and Wednesday and Thursday were mentioned as likely days.

Alas, it is Friday evening. We figured by Thursday afternoon the truck wasn't coming this week. The trucking company doesn't work the weekend either. Don called yesterday and found out they were targeting Monday. Yeah, for sure, Monday, they said. Alrighty then. So this afternoon we were watching the Agassi match at the US Open. 1pm. 2pm. 3pm. Nada. Don called, left a message. 4pm. 4:30pm. Don called again (yes, at my bitchy insistence) and the bomb was dropped.

Yes, Monday delivery of the truck was confirmed for sure. Don: So we understand we have 2 hours to unload, correct? Moving guy: Uh, unload? What do you mean? We've already unloaded the container and your things are in a truck, our guys are moving it into your place. WHAT?? Freak out time. (And you owe us $1400 for this--NOT, this was quickly rectified.)

Apparently the dockworkers in Christchurch busted open our two steel locks, took out all our stuff in a "secure" area, and put it onto a truck for the 6-hour drive and delivery. We understood the process to be, Don said with raised voice, that we lock the container and it stays locked until it gets to our door. At that time we are solely responsible for unloading it, in coordination with an on-site person from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry AND Customs Agency to inspect.

Guess not. It appears that our Wellington-based moving coordinators were vetoed by the Christchurch shipyard who has changed policy in recent months of opening all containers, regardless of contents, and inspecting them on site in the shipyard. THANKS FOR LETTING US KNOW! If we had known this we would have been present during this process; after all, you were busting open OUR lock and taking out OUR boxes--probably opening some and busting others--and OUR furniture. Thanks for sharing, really!

So, we wait now with fear to see what exactly will arrive in the truck midday Monday. Will it be well-packed or will our stuff be flying all over and have lovely dings and nicks? Will everything be there? I mean, isn't that part of the reason we opted for our own, separate, LOCKED container so that we were entirely responsible for the contents and their condition?? At the least CALL and tell us about the policy change and we can be present at the opening, we could have easily done that. I guess we now join the very, very, very large group of expatriates who’ve had something go wrong with their shipments.

Stay tuned! We may still be sleeping on an air mattress Monday night or we may be missing 10 boxes on someone else's truck. Or Don may be without his Trek road bike (that was indeed his first thought, I thought of the alcohol—we are precious, aren’t we!) WHO KNOWS. Isn't it all part of the adventure (we say, this time, with clenched teeth).