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Tips for packing for move to Aus

Tips for packing for move to Aus

Old Apr 30th 2010, 5:06 pm
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Question Tips for packing for move to Aus

My other half got his spouse visa 100 in January. Hoorah!
He has until 9 december to validate so we have decided to move out there at the beginning of sept this year. But we have a house to sort out and get good for rental.
I have looked at various packing companies and requested that a couple come and give us quotes (although no-one has come back to me yet?). We are currently packing a few items to make way for decorating.
Does anyone have any packing tips. I noticed someone mentioned contents lists and wondered if Australian customs have particular rules as to how this is done or how much detail is needed. We have a few wooden ornaments and I wondered if this is going to be a problem. Just wondering how much detail to go into and if there is a set format? We are only taking small to medium sized items (biggest probably a bicycle), no furnture - not worth the expense of a part container, we are hoping to get everything onto a pallet. Has anyone done just the pallet thing? Sorry too many questions so any tips on packing are gratefully appreciated.

Last edited by crispybacon; Apr 30th 2010 at 6:33 pm. Reason: to make it a qestion.
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Old Apr 30th 2010, 10:57 pm
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Default Re: Tips for packing

If you organise a removal company, they will pack everything for you. From reading previous posts on here, there is very little price difference between them packing and you packing so most people go down the route of getting packers in. Plus it saves you from doing it at a very busy/stressful time.

With regard to what to put on the packing list, again the removal company will do this for you as they go. Customs will look at but not limited to:

Christmas decorations,
Shoes,
Tools,
Wooden iems (probably your ornaments)
Garden furniture
Bikes

You need to make sure these items if going are spotless and that you don't have any pinecones on your tree if taking one.

I think you will find that if you pack yourself, you are more likely to have a full inspection whereas customs and quarantine may be only select a few boxes packed professionally.

At the end of the day, the packers do this every day and know how to get as much stuff into as little a space.

Good luck.

There are hundreds of packing threads on the forum so have a little search and see what you can come up with as there is lots of ifnormation.,
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Old Apr 30th 2010, 11:24 pm
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Default Re: Tips for packing

AQIS are very fussy about dirt being in items such as shoes, bikes, golf clubs etc. Remember if you have golf clubs to shake the dirt out of the bag (apparently a lot of people clean the clubs and forget the bag!)

Either have them professionally cleaned or wash them yourself and then douse liberally with a disinfectant. We used dettol on our golf clubs & shoes and hung little labels on them that explained how they were cleaned - despite the boxes being opened we weren't charged by AQIS to clean them).

We didn't go into much detail on the contents. We just listed the main items and put all the bits and pieces down as "personal effects". If you are getting insurance make sure that anything valuable is on the list otherwise you won't be able to claim for it.
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Old May 1st 2010, 5:10 am
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Default Re: Tips for packing

I brought a load of bedding....but alas the beds are different sizes here!
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Old May 1st 2010, 6:10 am
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Default Re: Tips for packing

Originally Posted by Joannec2014
I brought a load of bedding....but alas the beds are different sizes here!
You can get pretty close though - work on an Aussie double = English Queen, Aussie Queen = English King.

For the OP - if you have Christmas Decs get rid of any trace of bark or pine cones, they will charge you to destroy those.
Make sure everything wooden gets declared.
Don't bother ringing cane or wicker stuff - almost certainly will get charged for destruction.
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Old May 5th 2010, 7:07 am
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Default Re: Tips for packing

Hi there everyone, I emailed AQIS in the end to find out what I needed to do re cleaning contaminated items (such as bicycle) this is their reply:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for your inquiry. The current import conditions for many items can be found on the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) website on the Import Conditions Database (ICON). Just click on the link http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_querycontent.asp and search ICON for any items of interest to find out more.


Your bicycle and shoes should be clean and free from contamination with soil, plant and animals material, weed seeds etc. We don't specify any particular cleaning method, just that they are free from contamination. Wooden ornaments should also be free of contamination and have no insects (e.g. timber borers). ICON cases for these below

Bicycle
http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex...eryType=Search

Walking Boots
http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex...e=All+End+Uses

Wooden Ornaments
http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex...eryType=Search

Further information on importing personal effects into Australia can be found at the links below

http://www.daffa.gov.au/aqis/travel/...ing-emigrating

http://www.daffa.gov.au/aqis/travel/...rsonal_effects


If your require any further information do not hesitate to email again

Regards

Sea Cargo Program, Cargo Branch
Quarantine Operations Division - Biosecurity Services Group (AQIS)
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Email: [email protected]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope this is of help to some. Chris n Paul

Last edited by Pollyana; May 5th 2010 at 9:22 am. Reason: name of employee removed
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Old May 5th 2010, 9:19 am
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Default Re: Tips for packing

My tip would be to clean thoroughly and use jeyes fluid on anything that has come into contact with soil. The golf-bag tip was good, there is so much soil in the bottom of these.

I was meticulous when cleaning and sorting out Christmas decs etc but still got charged for destroying 3 Christmas decs that had artificial pine cones To destroy 3 small decorations cost $82 ($429 to clean) so be careful.

Funnily enough an identical decoration to the ones that were destroyed got through.
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Old May 5th 2010, 9:34 am
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Default Re: Tips for packing

Originally Posted by aglassofwinehelps
My tip would be to clean thoroughly and use jeyes fluid on anything that has come into contact with soil. The golf-bag tip was good, there is so much soil in the bottom of these.

I was meticulous when cleaning and sorting out Christmas decs etc but still got charged for destroying 3 Christmas decs that had artificial pine cones To destroy 3 small decorations cost $82 ($429 to clean) so be careful.

Funnily enough an identical decoration to the ones that were destroyed got through.
I'm almost convinced that the plastic pine cone destruction is some sort of scam. The amount of people, over the years, posting on here, myself included, who were charged for destruction of plastic Christmas decorations is ridiculous.
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Old May 5th 2010, 9:42 am
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Default Re: Tips for packing

Originally Posted by iamthecreaturefromuranus
I'm almost convinced that the plastic pine cone destruction is some sort of scam. The amount of people, over the years, posting on here, myself included, who were charged for destruction of plastic Christmas decorations is ridiculous.
Same as the plastic seeds on my hat that got destroyed - they just can't tell the difference between plastic seeds and real ones
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Old May 5th 2010, 10:11 am
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Default Re: Tips for packing

Originally Posted by Pollyana
Same as the plastic seeds on my hat that got destroyed - they just can't tell the difference between plastic seeds and real ones
Now admittedly they also stopped my gardening boots coming through, which I had put on top of the wheelie bin and the packers had thoughtfully rescued and put in the container. They had so much soil on the soles they looked like Frankensteins monsters boots.
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Old May 5th 2010, 10:24 am
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Default Re: Tips for packing

Originally Posted by iamthecreaturefromuranus
Now admittedly they also stopped my gardening boots coming through, which I had put on top of the wheelie bin and the packers had thoughtfully rescued and put in the container. They had so much soil on the soles they looked like Frankensteins monsters boots.
LOL, you gotta love the packers.

Apparently customs don't check so thoroughly when they see that a professional company has organised the packing but so many times you read they pack the daftest things.

Last edited by aglassofwinehelps; May 5th 2010 at 11:41 am.
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Old May 5th 2010, 12:33 pm
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Default Re: Tips for packing

Hi. The replies have really helped me. We get our stuff packed on 21st June by the shipping company. Just to add a couple of not to pack things the shipping company advised. Candles because of beeswax, anything with feathers on it and shells. Paint anything with little bits of rust with hammerite as customs will not let anything with rust on in. Good luck with your move.
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Old May 6th 2010, 9:52 am
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Default Re: Tips for packing for move to Aus

Is there a tax or duty to pay if you bring a brand new bike into Australiain your container?
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Old May 7th 2010, 8:59 am
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Default Re: Tips for packing for move to Aus

We have a rug made of 100% wool, kind of shaggy texture. Anyone any ideas if this'll be ok?
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Old May 7th 2010, 12:16 pm
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Default Re: Tips for packing for move to Aus

Originally Posted by stuart.and.michelle
We have a rug made of 100% wool, kind of shaggy texture. Anyone any ideas if this'll be ok?
It'll be fine
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