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DRIVERForeign affairsThe AA’s Donavan Edwards explains the Carnet de PassageEVERY YEAR, AROUND100 New Zealanderstake their vehicles onholiday overseas.Usually, they have arrangeda Carnet de Passage en Douane,an international customs documentissued by the NZAA. The documentis like a passport or a visa for a car,motorbike, campervan or trailer.It proves to customs officials that abond has been left in the country oforigin and guarantees payment ofduties, if the vehicle isn’t exportedwithin the stipulated time frame.Without the document, touringmotorists have to place a customsbond at each border they cross.The bond is refundable on departurebut, in most cases, that doesn’thappen immediately and, if theyare crossing several borders, thosecosts quickly add up. Plus, it canbe tiresome trying to reclaim moneyfrom foreign officials. Sorting outthe paperwork before leaving NewZealand avoids a lot of this hassle.The carnet is accepted bymany countries around the world,including parts of South America,Africa, Asia, the Middle Eastand Australia, with Australia themost popular destination for Kiwicarnet applications.The AA hears fascinating road tripstories when carnet holders return.One account reveals how Ken Wilson,an adventurous weekend motorbikeenthusiast, became an addict oflong- distance riding.Wellington-based Ken shippedhis motorbike to Australia and,with a carnet, he was able to usehis New Zealand-registered bike tocircumnavigate the country. A friendaccompanied him and they rode morethan 23,000km in a couple of months.It wasn’t long before the two friendsdecided on another challenge. Thenext journey was from Alaska downto Argentina and this time Ken’swife Shirley accompanied them,as pillion on Ken’s motorbike.One of the advantages of takingyour own transport is being ableto customize it for the trip, as Kendid. Additional safety features,such as extra lights and crash bars,protective guards, more storage andcomfortable sheepskin seat covers,ensured the ride was as smoothas possible.The carnets were sorted and Ebony,Ken’s BMW motorbike, was crated andshipped to Canada. A few weeks later,he and his companions had collectedtheir bikes and started the journey.The route to Alaska consistedof roads alongside snow-cappedmountains and a glacier-fed alpinelake. Once Prudhoe Bay wasreached, the bikes were pointedsouth. They crossed back intoCanada, then into the United Statesof America, with a plan to visit asmany national parks as possible.On the route they stopped at theremote Four Corners monument,located in Navajo country. This is theonly place in the USA where fourStates meet at one point and, if youare a bit flexible, you can literallybe in Arizona, Utah, New Mexicoand Colorado at the same time.They rode further south down theiconic coastal route through Big Sur,past the Hearst Castle museum wherethe late publishing tycoon WilliamRandolph Hearst’s art collectioncan be viewed, then crossed overthe Bixby Creek Bridge en route toHollywood’s Santa Monica Boulevardfor a night out on the town.PHOTOGRAPHY: KEN WILSON46 AA Directions Winter 2013