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Hi all

Has anybody got any experiences of setting up a PO Box in Aus from the UK? I have been to the Aus Post website and got a form. However, the form does not indicate who you send it to or how you pay - it is probably designed for use in Australia.

I have tried e-mailling the Aus Post Office and have not had a reply. There is a phone number [13 13 18] but no area code!

Any advice would be welcome!

Regards

Steve

MrsDagboy

Steve, thats because that phone number is a toll free number.

Where are you planning on getting the PO box?

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Hi MrsDagboy - that was quick!

I want to set up the facility in Wynnum - near Brisbane.

Steve

juri

I went down this road last week. Look back for te posts or type in PO box in the search.
I gave up in the end as I could not get a box with the PO and private companies were too dear.

MrsDagboy

OOooooh you will be our neighbours then, thats the area we live .

Suggest you try calling the post office direct - hold on & let me find out for you

MrsDagboy

OK, I just called them, you actually need to go to the post office in question to get a PO box. There are ID requirements etc & you have to go to that particular post office. Anyone can do that for you though ie. it doesnt matter whos name the box is set up in & whos mail goes there. So if you know someone here or have a relative they could do it for you.

His suggestion before you come was for you to redirect your mail in the UK to the post office you wish to get the PO box at - so a c/o wynnum post office & then you can get a redirection set up or a PO box when you get here.

Hope that helps, if you need more info or have any other questions I am happy to call them back for you & ask .

yafm

Super info just what I needed I had given up on the web site as they said you needed to go in person but I did not think anyone could open one for you - if this is the case can the name of the box be changed when we eventually get int the area concerned?

pread

Steve,

Before we came out I setup a PO Box with a company called MBE. They provide mailboxes, along with all other kinds of business services. I faxed copies of Id, bills etc beforehand, upon which they sent me the PO Box number. We then could tell everyone the address, and redirect our mail. When we arrived in Oz, I had to present the originals of the Id & bills before they gave me the key. But then we could collect all the post that had accumulated. All very civilised.

Their website is at :
http://www.mbe.com.au

Not sure how many offices they have in Qld though.

Cheers,
Paul.

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Hi all

Thanks for all of the advice. As I don't know anybody in Australia, going through the freind route to a post office is not an option. I will have a look at the MBE site though - thanks pread.

What is Wynnum like MrsDagboy - as we are going to be living there it would be very useful for some real experiences rather than info from the www!

Steve

MrsDagboy

Colin, they told me it doesnt matter whos name its set up in & whos mail goes there. You could probably change the name on it as long as you went in with ID & the original person who set it up went with you.

Steve, have you bought a house down here, renting or staying with someone til you get organised? We love it, so nice to have the bay breezes & be close to the water. Wynnum is the more commercial district & is where the council library, police station, courthouse, banks, shops etc are. Still a villagy feel to it with lots of individual small shops although they have just completed a small shopping mall. Havent been in it yet, so cant comment but it is only small. There are some older parts especially around Wynnum North, but even the older run down houses are being replaced with new as people flood to the area. There are some beautiful old queenslanders in the area as well so its a mix of old & new housing. Manly is more upmarket & has a *high street* with a cafe strip etc. Manly is where the boat harbour & the yacht clubs are & has alot of very high areas which make for fabulous views (& expensive real estate!). Cross section of the community would show a large amount of 40+ professionals & elderly & my guess would be a lower than average crime rate in the area.

You do get quite a few people from the rest of Brisbane down here on the weekends & the waterfront is usually busy with people picnicing & having BBQs especially in summer when they tend to come down to escape the heat. The joys of living somewhere so nice I guess . No different really (& alot less people!) than the Gold or Sunshine Coast. There are only a couple of places where there is actually sandy beach, most of it is silty mud, could be depressing if you saw it for the first time at low tide & you werent expecting it LOL. And no surf. There are 2 swimming pools, 1 council run pool (at Manly freshwater, pay to swim with a small waterslide) & a public (free) saltwater pool that they fill on the incoming tide. Have to say though, I think its more suited to the kids, I dont think Ive seen it much more than about 2 foot deep LOL. The length of the waterfront (about 3 kms) has had a small retaining wall put in & the entire length is park with playgrounds, BBQs, picnic tables & seats dotted around & walking & bike riding tracks. It is extrememly popular with joggers, walkers & families alike & very very safe. The view looks right across the water to Stradbroke & Moreton Island.

For eating out etc, try the Manly Hotel (very very popular with the locals) or the pub across the road from the fish market called Seafood World in Fox Street (name escapes me just now) at Wynnum. There are numerous fish & seafood places, Pelicans Nest is a good one, as is Seafood World that I just mentioned, they do takeaways & have plastic tables setup outside for you to eat at. For a more upmarket experience try Fish Cafe on the corner of the Esplanade at Manly, but be prepared to pay quite a bit more for your fish & chips . We quite often go down & buy fish & chips for dinner from Seafood World or Pelicans Nest & eat it right across the road sitting on the foreshore. Cant get much better than that, but then maybe I am biased .

If you want any more info or to know anything more specific then PM me & I will be more than willing to help

yafm

You forgot to mention the Hogsbreath chain of restaurants whose meals are divine and cheapo

ABCDiamond

Is there a Hogsbreath near the bayside ?

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Not seen one yet - Mrs D will know!

Steve

MrsDagboy

LOL!

No, none near us, one in Paddington (near town), Aspley, Redcliffe & down the Gold Coast.

gavo

You forgot the one at Ipswich!!!