Help! We were estimating a departure from the UK on w/c 20th Aug. We ship on 13th July and expected a 5 - 7 week delay in our belongings arriving in Brisbane but have been advised of an estimated arrival in Brisbane Port for 10th Aug. This is too early for us and we want to know if we definately have to be in Aus to receive our stuff?

Any advice please?
Thanks

Even if it docks on time I still has to clear csutoms and quarantine which can be anything from 2 days to nine weeks or maybe more. In the unlikely even t of it being cleared before you get here the importing shippers can store it for you - just make sure the shipping co knows you may possibly need storage.

Check with your shippers - we are havig our stuff stored by the shippers, but they told us that we would have to there when it docked and cleared customs - BEFORE it went to their storage.

Can you have them delay the departure for a while, and store it this end?

You don't have to be there when it arrives but I understood (and I could be wrong) that if you're not in the country you have to pay to tax on it! You also have to provide copy of passport or ID of someone there who will take responsibility for it. You could always ask the shippers to delay sending it by a couple of weeks or so. I suppose it depends how desperate you'll be for it at the other end!

Our container arrived in Perth 6 weeks ahead of us. It went into storage and we had no problems at all. The only extra costs we had were the storage. It was cheaper to put it in storage in Oz then in hold it up and put it in storage in England.
Good luck
Sharon.