Modmum

Hi there,

We are hoping to move to Perth October time (still awaiting return of our visa's), we have had a few quotes from removal companies and had various discussion on what to take and what not to take. My main question is with regards to outdoor toys and the like - should we take them or sell them here and buy new? The kids climbing frame for one is only a year old - but ELC plastic and vinyl we wonder if it would survice the heat of Perth and for what we could sell it for here could we buy a wooden one when we arrive? We have tried to surf the web on prices of stuff in Perth but could spend then next year doing so - can anyone help, offer any advice or share there own experience of what to take and what to leave.

Also how clean do things really have to be, when we have been to Australia for holidays in the past, we have never cleaned our shoes or the buggy wheels etc and have never had any problems, if we do take garden toys and garden furniture should we scrub it spotless or is it really not worth taking?

I am sure as the time gets nearer I will be on this forum all the time worrying about one thing and another, I guess the real panic will set in once the visa's arrive, then it will be all systems go! We have found lots of interesting and informative info on this forum, it's good to know that we are not alone. thanks for sharing and for listening.

jerzy

Modmum,

We've been pondering the same issue recently.

3 of the 4 shippers we had quotes from advised us to thoroughly clean any item that had come into contact with the ground (bikes, garden furniture, lawn mowers etc), as apparently Oz customs are paranoid about foot and mouth being imported from the UK.

This seems way over the top as far as I'm concerned but being a coward (and a miser) I don't want to run the risk of having our shipment fumigated and then having to pay for the pleasure.
Neither can I be bothered spending the next 2 months meticulously cleaning every outdoor item we own. So we have decided to leave all but the most essential or easy to clean items behind.

We also have a kids climbing frame, this would probably clean quite easily but is so large it would probably take us into another shipping container so this is staying behind too. Groupage in an extra container will cost us around £600 so it's just not worth it.

At the end of the day it depends on whether you can be bothered cleaning everything or whether you are prepared to take a chance that your container won't be inspected.

Good luck whichever you choose.

walla

Hi Modmum

Everything must be cleaned thoroughly. If you're taking plastic toys over that have been in contact with the ground beware that there is an issue with rust with customs, or someone has said on this forum. So although plastic should be fine beware all those little nuts and bolts that hold it together that may have rusted in the great outdoors.

Garden furniture if it's wood is def dodgy, it needs to be treated by some one like Rentokil, so if you have that I would leave it unless it was v expensive.

Everything you ship needs to be spotless, even the soles on your shoes. We're starting the long and arduous process of cleaning, bleaching and fumigating this weekend. The lawn mower is the biggest task as well as my garden hammock which thus far has been used once this summer!!

Hope this helps, alternatively do a search, there has been loads of threads on this subject.

Walla