Louzie Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Hi everyone.....after a long wait to sell our house it looks like we might finally be making the move to Brisbane! We are a family of 6 and are bringing a container full of furniture etc but just wondered if there's anything we should stock up on? What things have you bought in Australia that you wished you'd brought from the UK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gin100 Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Books! We massively downsized our book collection before moving and now really wish we hadn't. Books cost an arm and a leg here & there's no Amazon (well, not in the form we knew it in the UK). You can buy second hand from Abe or Book Depository but then you have to wait for weeks for them to arrive as they're posted from overseas. Clothes, shoes I'd stock up on too before your arrive. Things we brought but shouldn't - Sodastream (gas cylinders here don't fit UK models) and camping stove (gas bottles don't fit). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzy--bee Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Clothes, especially childrens clothes and especially shoes. Go and buy the whole of Primark and M&S and fill up your container. Medicine. eg headache, hayfever tabs etc BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Clothes is a good idea, can be better quality in the UK and cheaper too, so I think worth making sure everybody has a wardrobe refresh. Other than that though, I always thought it is better to adapt to the products that are on offer in Australia, what you bring will soon run out anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I would say shoes and any expensive clothing (e.g. if you need suits/posh stuff for work). Loads of rubbish/cheap stuff here (but not as cheap as Primark) Shoes are hard to buy via the Internet (although the excellent Bells shoes takes the tax off).. Marks and Spencer delivery works like a dream here (4 days I don't know how they do it). Make sure you know your sizes (not easy with kids). If you've got any Victorian/Antique furniture - shove it in, stuff like that goes for a bomb here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beddy Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 If your bringing your beds then stock up on bed linen , sizes are slightly different here ., we wished we had brought more with us and also more towels . We gave loads of both away and had to replace them which was a cost we could have saved . clothes and footwear was another item we spared on .. If you can squeeze them in your container then get them in . The less you have to spend on replacing any items during your settling in period the better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickyc88 Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Books and shoes are great recommendations. Bring all your warm stuff - you will acclimatise quicker than you think. I bought handbags on my last trip back too. Leather was better quality for the price. Good luck with the move! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) Another one here for clothes and shoes. I'd stock up on decent stuff as well as the cheap though. Decent quality pieces that are not dictated by fashion are always good. Kids socks here are shocking and I'm already through about 35 pairs of the school ones this year and there is still another term to go. Son used to wear Next/M&S/JL socks in UK and I only used to buy one batch a year. Decent underwear. That too. FWIW you can order most of the decent brands/stores online atm from the UK so its not such an issue for decent kids/adult clobber. The cheap stuff though, meh. Its horrible here and I spent far too much time trying to find stuff for my son here and gave up. Went to the UK for a visit, walked into Sainsburys and picked up 7 pairs of shorts off the rail in his size, paid and walked out. I'd only found one pair here I'd liked trawling the entire Westfield mall for a day. Meh. Shoe wise for my son I get his feet sized in the Clarks set up in David Jones or someplace here then order online from Clarks UK (usually during the sales so buy a few pairs) and get them delivered free to my parents address in the UK. They then chuck them in with a parcel now and again or bring them over for me when they visit. Or I order online from John Lewis in the sale and get Geox shoes for half the price. As has been said, if shipping your beds then stock up on bed linen for them. Different sizes here so won't fit properly. Also decent quality towels and beach towels. Buy a few bundles. A decent large bath sheet here is silly money. If you have nice curtains, consider carefully if they are worth bringing. Most Aus houses have windows far larger than UK houses and often floor to ceiling so often curtains or blinds won't fit. I left all mine apart from one pair and glad I did as none of them would have fitted in our house. The one pair I bought fit the spare bedroom but would be no good in the master being about half the size! Look into that and check the house sites to see what I mean in pics and stuff. Things like paracetamol, hayfever tabs, sudocrem (extortionate price here if you have a baby and use it) can be handy. I'd not go overboard though due to shelf life. Stuff like shampoo is usually fine to buy here as they rotate the specials and so on so you can buy it for a decent price . If you like a certain brand of makeup or say face creams then check prices here as they can sometimes be more expensive by a fair bit here. But not always. For the rest, nah, nothing I'd bother with. I agree with Bungo that you have to get used to what is available here once the stuff runs out anyways, so don't waste your time before you leave buying something that you'll wait 3 months for and then run out of within weeks. Just get into life in Aus and enjoy the odd treat from the import section in Coles or local Brit shop now and again. FWIW I did stock up on clothes, shoes, bedding and towels and I've not regretted it at all. Anything else I did bring as extras, really wasn't worth it. Most of the meds have been unused although they are handy to have here and I've not had to buy new stuff but next year it all expires and then its a case of replacing it. Edited September 21, 2015 by Guest added a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 (edited) I would not bother bringing anything extra like this. Bring your normal stuff but no need to bulk up. Australia is not a 3rd world country. You can buy everything here and really cheaply too if you know where to look. Edited September 26, 2015 by jumpingjellybean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 I definitely agree on the clothing, shoes and bed linen as a minimum. Books as well. There ae other things but it comes down to the individual really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chall5 Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Weetabix, Weetbix is terrible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 (edited) Weetabix, Weetbix is terrible I don't like either - but really, what's the point of bringing some? If you're emigrating with the intention of making a new life, then you've got years ahead of you - and whatever supply you bring, it will run out in just a few months. Then you'll have to start eating Australian food anyway, so you may as well get used to it from the start. I do think that moving to a foreign country and then trying to live as if you're still in the UK is a recipe for unhappiness. Anyway, surely importing food is illegal? Edited September 27, 2015 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chall5 Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Just answering the OP's question You can get it here in the International aisle of Coles (its called Whole Wheat Biscuits) but a pack is $8.95 so bringing some will save some money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Just answering the OP's question You can get it here in the International aisle of Coles (its called Whole Wheat Biscuits) but a pack is $8.95 so bringing some will save some money But if it's illegal to put it in the container, shouldn't you consider that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 (edited) Agree about clothes and shoes the quality here is rubbish. I always have a buy up when we go over to the UK for a visit. I do buy from some UK places online from time to time mainly when the sales are on. If you are a make up wearer stock up that too and beauty products too. just to tide you over until you work out if your products of choice are available here or you work out an alternative to use. Edited September 27, 2015 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Books! We massively downsized our book collection before moving and now really wish we hadn't. Books cost an arm and a leg here & there's no Amazon (well, not in the form we knew it in the UK). You can buy second hand from Abe or Book Depository but then you have to wait for weeks for them to arrive as they're posted from overseas. Clothes, shoes I'd stock up on too before your arrive. Things we brought but shouldn't - Sodastream (gas cylinders here don't fit UK models) and camping stove (gas bottles don't fit). I can vouch for books shipped out a substantial amount from a very extensive personal library as was unable to discard very much. My partner at present in Germany, is stocking up on shoes, and I mean stocking up. Seriously difficult for her to buy shoes of any quality and a price that suites in Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 While Australia is not a third world country (yet) quality does vary considerably. I would purchase in UK clothing, shoes, and other things listed already on this thread. We stocked up on a lot of the mentioned things when lived in London in 2010 for a duration. The quality, cost and just diversity certainly would have been hard, if not impossible to find in Perth. Sydney and Melbourne will offer more choice of course but still the price factor. Although a weaker dollar will not make it appear as bad as a year or so ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 I don't like either - but really, what's the point of bringing some? If you're emigrating with the intention of making a new life, then you've got years ahead of you - and whatever supply you bring, it will run out in just a few months. Then you'll have to start eating Australian food anyway, so you may as well get used to it from the start. I do think that moving to a foreign country and then trying to live as if you're still in the UK is a recipe for unhappiness. Anyway, surely importing food is illegal? Surely British type shops will sell such items? For a price I was able to buy my favourite Alpen, right here in the centre of Perth. Sadly shop now long gone, and never found another outlet. But in more UK populated areas it may be possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Woolworths sells Alpen on the Sunshine Coast in the British section Flag. can't agree with posters about shoes though, have no problem buying them here, and after the last 9 weeks back in UK, for almost the first time ever I hardly bought anything, clothes or shoes, couldn't believe there was hardly anything I liked. Was really dissapointed as I usually stock up with clothes when back, first time ever I came back with money!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 But if it's illegal to put it in the container, shouldn't you consider that? No, it's only illegal if you don't declare that it's in the container. Most food can be imported although the bio-security on fresh foods and seeds that can germinate are extremely tight. All the imported food you see in the supermarkets arrived in a container (and perfectly legally). You do have to bear in mind that if the (declared) foodstuff is adjudged to be a bio-security hazard it will be destroyed with no compensation so you won't have saved any money. Note however that many shipping companies find the AQIS regulations too inconvenient and so simply choose not to allow you to include foodstuffs in your household effects shipment - and of course you can't declare the items and hide them from the shipper as they get the declaration before AQIS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 I am happy with the clothes and shoes I buy here. Depends where you shop I suppose. I didn't buy any clothes etc when I was back in the UK in May - trailing around shops looking for clothes was not high on my agenda of things to do but then I've never been one for caring much about what I wear. Bit of a scruff - that's me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M1cha3la Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 (edited) I don't like either - but really, what's the point of bringing some? If you're emigrating with the intention of making a new life, then you've got years ahead of you - and whatever supply you bring, it will run out in just a few months. Then you'll have to start eating Australian food anyway, so you may as well get used to it from the start. I do think that moving to a foreign country and then trying to live as if you're still in the UK is a recipe for unhappiness. Anyway, surely importing food is illegal? I agree with this 100%, my parents live in Spain yet my mom has never really settled there. A big part of it is she is always taking bits and bobs back over (granted its an easier thing to do with Spain/UK) and that leads to her constantly comparing prices and missing her old life ect. 9/10 she now shops in Iceland as one has opened near by, she will pay twice the price for something just because she likes that brand. Then she gets angry that Spain is more expensive (never mind that its an imported item?!) and if they lived in the UK they would be saving a fortune on all that Bisto gravy, its a never ending loop. In a way the new Iceland has made her even more home sick, I wouldn't mind but she didnt even shop in Iceland when she lived in the UK :wacko::laugh: Its made me realise that when we move to Aus, we must (and want to) start as we mean to go on. So no stocking up on the favourites for me. Though I must admit I am tempted to stock up on toilet rolls while they are on offer at Costco :laugh: Edited September 27, 2015 by M1cha3la Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 I agree with this 100%, my parents live in Spain yet my mom has never really settled there. A big part of it is she is always taking bits and bobs back over (granted its an easier thing to do with Spain/UK) and that leads to her constantly comparing prices and missing her old life ect. 9/10 she now shops in Iceland as one has opened near by, she will pay twice the price for something just because she likes that brand. Then she gets angry that Spain is more expensive (never mind that its an imported item?!) and if they lived in the UK they would be saving a fortune on all that Bisto gravy, its a never ending loop. In a way the new Iceland has made her even more home sick, I wouldn't mind but she didnt even shop in Iceland when she lived in the UK :wacko::laugh: Its made me realise that when we move to Aus, we must (and want to) start as we mean to go on. So no stocking up on the favourites for me. Though I must admit I am tempted to stock up on toilet rolls while they are on offer at Costco :laugh: Your post about your Mum just made me smile. :smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M1cha3la Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 (edited) Your post about your Mum just made me smile. :smile: I love her to bits but she cracks me up with bisto gravy. Its not just her though, her mates are as bad. Don't ever start a debate about the cost of Bisto in an Iceland in Spain, you will be lucky to get out alive :laugh: I brought some Spanish gravy and printed out "El Bistero" labels for it once just to try and joke her out of the habit, it did not go down well :no: :laugh: Edited September 27, 2015 by M1cha3la Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooba Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Bisto is essential. When we moved to Canada were tried anything we could to get it (instant, regular was available). Fortunately it's sold here now. But once I'm in Australia I will have to find a source of it, or something comparable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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