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-   -   What to take and what not to take to Oz (https://britishexpats.com/forum/australia-54/what-take-what-not-take-oz-359289/)

nicanjoe Mar 6th 2006 6:24 pm

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 

Originally Posted by kiwichild
Also check your tv, video/dvd. Australia uses the PAL system for tv/vhs (US Videos don't work here! and 240 volts 2 or 3pin (think most heads can be changed on cords)

Your DVD player needs to be an ALL regions one. OZ/NZ use region 4. You can buy mutli zone dvd players here but take a region2 (UK) dvd along and test it works if looking to buy a dvd player here.

If you like Ben&Jerry's ice cream then eat up large before leaving as you
can't get it here as far as I know.

How about Haagan Daz ice cream?

zbettyboop Mar 6th 2006 8:36 pm

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 

Originally Posted by Bengyboo
I would agree with this........Clean, disinfect, scrub but bring everything you can.

We shipped 90% of our stuff, but still spent $10k's on new kit.

Also ship early and live off friends/family in the UK so you have it as soon as you arrive, much easier to live without in UK than Oz.

BB

Hi BB

We are shipping out stuff over on the 5th April but are not leaving till 5th May.

Beth :)

Vanessa Mar 6th 2006 8:40 pm

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 
For those arriving in Melbourne in the late autumn or winter I suggest you bring your coats in your luggage - we arrived last June and we were cold. Couldn't wait for my container to arrive so that I could get out my coat!

Big Galah Mar 6th 2006 9:04 pm

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 

Originally Posted by nicanjoe
How about Haagan Daz ice cream?

I think it would melt. :)

As for garage sales, we went to one that claimed to be the largest in Essex (I think it was more east London - near Woodford?), and were pounced on even before we could get stuff out of the car, the serious buyers know this is when they get the bargains - they were even going through boxes as I was lifting them out of the car!

After the initial frenzy it was difficult to get anyone to pay more than 50p for anything. If you've got something with a bit of value I suggest selling it separately in loot or ebay or your local paper.

cheers,

big.

Auzziebound Mar 6th 2006 9:20 pm

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 

Originally Posted by karenjc
If your having a container bring every thing you can. It saves the expense of buying it new and time to concentrate on the important things like the beach and beer

What about garden furniture? It is expensive stuff not the PVC table and chairs........... We also thought about the BBQ but the Aussie's may laugh at it....LOL

ex-GLOS Mar 6th 2006 11:12 pm

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 

Originally Posted by Auzziebound
What about garden furniture? It is expensive stuff not the PVC table and chairs........... We also thought about the BBQ but the Aussie's may laugh at it....LOL

To do it over again, I'd ship my mattress and all my sheets and duvets. We were given an allowance to buy new funiture here and I swear I've blown a 1/3 of it on sheets. Unless yours are really needing replacing, i'd bring them. I would ship a lot more stuff - our allowance is not going to go far enough. Even our ikea bookshelves and stuff - wish we had flat packed them down and brought them. It seems like it is cheaper per volume to go for the full container - instead of container share like we did. Good Luck!

tinaj Mar 7th 2006 3:42 am

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 
Things we brought = virtually everything


Things I regret bringing that have sat unused for over 2 years in my garage=

Frost Free upright freezer, Aussies sell very little frozen food and we bought a huge double door job when we arrived anyway.

Garden strimmer: God knows what possesed me, we bought a petrol one here.

Swing set; Half of it has been assembled other half is still wrapped up. Kids play in the pool more!

Winter Coats: depending on where you live, in QLD I have worn a jacket only a few times. But I will save the clothes for a trip to colder climates.

Tent : tents are much cheaper, bigger and better here so don't bother.

Things I am glad we brought:

TV's: we brought 4 TVS with us, the big one we linked up to a video and it worked ( blew up a year later though) 1 portable we use for X Box and another through a video in our bedroom. The other is still sat in the garage!

Furniture: Though some of it is wrong for the house it has been handy.

Beds: we brought 2 beds and bought the others new.

Computer:Still going strong at 3 yrs old.

Clothes: bring the lot apart from big coats if you are going to warmer climates.

Bikes: bring them we had to leave 1 behind and regret it.

Videos/ dvds: bring them ours still all work fine. We unlocked them all with the hacking codes available online. They were only cheapos too.

Chrimbo Decos: reminiscent of the past they have to come ....memories....

The answer is if you have space in the container fill it up! You can always give it to the Salvos here if unwanted. The main downside of bringing the lot is moving it around with you if you keep moving!

Our container was so full we had 2 guys standing on a chair trying to slide a bike in a 50cm gap!

Sandra Mar 7th 2006 10:58 am

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 

Originally Posted by tinaj

The answer is if you have space in the container fill it up! You can always give it to the Salvos here if unwanted. The main downside of bringing the lot is moving it around with you if you keep moving!

Agree Agree with every point

Loads of people have loads of different views, but we found we only missed the things we didn't bring. I will admit we lived in a rental for just over one year and didn't unpack it all. Once we got into to our own house it was a joy again to unpack.

Our biggest gripe, we had the advice not to bring our white goods (why we listened I do not know) so we sold them for a song. We paid through the nose to buy it all back and in some cases the cost is higher here to get an equivalent replacement...eg Washing machine. (Tip check on ebay for those European machine dealers with the $150 rebate they are sometimes below half price).

Do not agree with tinja on some minor points - but we live in Sydney so area counts :D we brought our tents and haven't seen as good or flexible over here. We had a fridge freezer a freezer and a fridge in the UK and missed them all till we had the replacements - but that is down to different personal requirements and not AUS/UK.

Cheers

annqldau Mar 7th 2006 11:37 am

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 

Originally Posted by ex-GLOS
To do it over again, I'd ship my mattress and all my sheets and duvets. We were given an allowance to buy new funiture here and I swear I've blown a 1/3 of it on sheets. Unless yours are really needing replacing, i'd bring them. I would ship a lot more stuff - our allowance is not going to go far enough. Even our ikea bookshelves and stuff - wish we had flat packed them down and brought them. It seems like it is cheaper per volume to go for the full container - instead of container share like we did. Good Luck!

We were advised to leave anything that had touched soil and bbq by Pickfords so gave away bikes, grass cutter, strimmer, bbq and shovels, forks etc to family. Have heard of others who brought bikes and had to pay to disinfect and others who got them through.

We did bring tent (they didn't flacker at that) all white goods including fairly new fridge freezer which survived fine and also all our beds and bedding although it turns out even Ikea here don't do super king size so can't get sheets anymore for it.

remmie1 Mar 7th 2006 11:50 am

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 
This is sad sad sad but we didn't bring our salad spinner thingy (spins lettuce) and missed it so much got the outlaws to bring one over with them.

Just couldn't find one over here.

Agree also re: white goods, after some horror stories over top loaders ended up buying a 'european' front loading washing machine after giving away our other virtually identical one!
:)




Originally Posted by killamarsh
Is there anything you regret not taking with you to Oz or regret taking with you as you could of simply replaced it once you got there? Is there anything you would recommend taking with you in your luggage instead of shipping over?


annqldau Mar 7th 2006 11:59 am

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 

Originally Posted by remmie1
This is sad sad sad but we didn't bring our salad spinner thingy (spins lettuce) and missed it so much got the outlaws to bring one over with them.

Just couldn't find one over here.

Agree also re: white goods, after some horror stories over top loaders ended up buying a 'european' front loading washing machine after giving away our other virtually identical one!
:)

I'm after a British Style Chip Pan the old fashioned type with pan and basket in so if you have one of those bring it as all seem to be deep fat fryers here.

chris and farideh Mar 7th 2006 8:00 pm

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 
did anybody took their microwave & food procesors with them.

farideh

Izzy Mar 7th 2006 11:43 pm

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 

Originally Posted by chris and farideh
did anybody took their microwave & food procesors with them.

farideh


We brought our microwave. Another thing to bring is a load of adaptors and also some of those multisocket things. You will be so excited to unpack your stuff and it is really annoying if you can't use the stuff straight away. We have been here 3 months now and still use adaptors ! Basically bring everything as it is very expensive to set up again and the power is the same so electrical stuff should work over here. We even bought our bin which we now use for our recycling bin in the house !

:)

teach Mar 8th 2006 12:13 am

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 

Originally Posted by Auzziebound
What about garden furniture? It is expensive stuff not the PVC table and chairs........... We also thought about the BBQ but the Aussie's may laugh at it....LOL

Hiya
There is a great DIY store called Bunnings, we reckon that it is a sister company of B&Q. Almost identical even down to the uniforms, just a different colour, :D We have bought a glass table and 6 chairs with comfy cushions for $248, the chairs and table are powder coated metal of some description.
As for everything else, if it fits ship it. We only shipped 8 boxes of personal bits and my books and now regret it. Now we have finally bought a house we have to go out and get all new which in some ways is nice but in other ways it's a pain in the a**e. Want to be spending tine off at the beach or beside the pool :beer: not trawling around shops.
Good luck
Sarah

Ceri Mar 8th 2006 12:48 am

Re: What to take and what not to take to Oz
 

Originally Posted by annqldau
I'm after a British Style Chip Pan the old fashioned type with pan and basket in so if you have one of those bring it as all seem to be deep fat fryers here.

Agree with this one. It took me years to find one here - I prefer the pan method rather than the electric fryers .
I finally managed to pick a second hand one up in a boot sale in the end - and for just $3 .
It's worth keeping your eye out at the markets/Boot sales for them, it's where I finally found one.

or you can buy small frying baskets in places like Kmart - but they tend to be a bit on the small side , ok if it's just for one, and just buy a Small pan to suit.
.................................................. .................................................. ..
coats I say bring them if you are an outdoor type even in Brisbane where I am. I use my coats every winter. It's freezing on the water and on the beaches very late at night, and early morning. Absolutely no way would you not wear a coat on the water in a boat at two ,three, four in the morning mid winter when the temp really drops out there on the water - I have jumpers, coats and woolly hat on, layers on when I'm out on the water , and with the wind factor cold too. If you don't go out late at night/early morning near or on the sea and are wrapped up in your homes - fair enough, a Jacket will do

cheers:)


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