Just realised I’ve left it quite late to be cleaning my bikes for the container coming later this week. And I’m still working.

Just how strict / thorough are immigration/inspections on containers? Tyres are cleanish. No obvious mud but a little bit greasy/grimy here and there.

New tyres all round the safest best? Do not want container on the docks for months. Would prefer to buy new tyres (and presumably pay aussie tax on them)

Cheers.

bit random…
7 via air freight and no boxes opened (I didn’t want to wait for sea freight to ride)
Airport always checked – I’ll be getting new rubber when I come home.
Sea self import – checked and rejected & about $300 fees
Sea freight via importer only the box with the hoover was opened despite their being camping gear etc in load of others.

Luck of the draw really.

Anyway welcome, where are you heading?

I shipped all my stuff with Crown. Any box that was remotely outdoorsy (shoes, camping stuff etc) was opened by customs.

My bike box was opened too….. but I had cleaned it to within an inch of it’s life.

Brand new wheels (bought from Merlin and delivered to Oz) have also been opened.

I think if it;s obvious you’ve made a half decent effort to clean it – you shouldn’t get charged – but that’s based on no facts/evidence whatsoever 🙂

Would prefer to buy new tyres (and presumably pay aussie tax on them)

Most big online bike shops ship to Aus for free these days (as long as you order over $100 or whatever) – you don’t pay VAT because it’s outside the EU, and you don’t pay Aussie import duty on anything under $1000. So it can actually be cheaper.

I think if it;s obvious you’ve made a half decent effort to clean it – you shouldn’t get charged – but that’s based on no facts/evidence whatsoever

The quote from the customs lady who looked at mine was lets see a boot and we will go from there, the first one out was the last minute ones that went in with 1 stone in the sole, everything was then checked….

Depends on the day of the week. I would seriously consider flying at least one bike out though air freight was reasonable and the volumetric weight of the bike box was 32kg so I got an extra 15kg of stuff in each box (basic but really nice to have immediately stuff)

Also shopping round there are plenty of good deals to be had over here on bike stuff (Maxxis TR tyres 2 for $100 at the moment & XT brakes comparable with CRC prices). I’ve probably ordered $1000 worth of stuff in 3 years – mostly hard to come by stuff or out of stock here (there were no Stans rims for a month earlier this year) the rest has been sourced locally.

Mrs Doubleu has a new job in Sydney. NHS has trained her but no suitable consultant jobs available in her specialty.

I’m a GP and will be working too when I get all my paperwork sorted. Mine “might” have been delayed meaning I get the end of summer on the beach!

No wonder the NHS is going to the dogs, etc. I’m following the occasional Australia thread with interest.

Good luck Mike!

The two Amongst the best bits of advice i can give you are:
1) Crown relocations. A bit more, but A LOT better.
2) Commonwealth bank (made the whole thing laughably easy).
3) Don’t live west of “inner west”
4) Bring lots of money 🙂

Actually that last one is not so important – as soon as you start earning AUD you will be fine.

We used Bournes successfully and the local guys were very happy with the standard of the packing etc. Only lost a plate and a glass.

Spend the last of your cash at the airport on the way out it’s worthless here (well worth a bit more than when I came out but not much)

The medical system is mental here. Know someone who trains GP’s (doctor to GP conversion) and the billing/pay stuff is interesting. That and you may have to choose weather to charge your patient an extra $5 or pay it out your pocket.

If you are delaying make sure you bring toys out ASAP…

Enjoy Sydney, not sure if I could cope with it myself for more than a few days.

On the money thing try and stop converting and comparing ASAP, it’s a different place, taxes are low on most things so the cost of living seems strange when you compare to the UK at times – everyone tells you the price of a pint but forgets the cheap fuel and 10% VAT equivalent.

Internal flights are like buses, go and explore, hot places in Winter, cold places in Summer.

On the money thing try and stop converting and comparing ASAP

I completely agree. I actually think (relative to salary) I’m better off out here – but people like to point at the price of a loaf of bread and start frothing. The beach is free.

Took 3 bikes. Cleaned to forensic levels. Didn’t even open the boxes. Impossible to say if they’ll look at them but don’t forget to clean the chain, under the saddle and in the mechs and cassette.

Great place to live and the best decision I ever made. The kids (well ones only 6 months) but the 3 year old loves it. Beach, park, back yard, chooks. I’ve just done my bacon and sausages on the bbq and sitting outside drinking a coffee while the bub’s asleep and the lad’s at daycare. About 26c, lovely breeze, trying to avoid the media aftermath of yesterdays events.

i moved out to sydney for work in october with the Mrs. Brought 2 bikes on the plane for free which were cleaned within an inch of their life, customs didn’t even bother to open the cases to look at them. Haven’t had our stuff arrive as yet so can’t comment on shippers.

As for not living west of inner west, i would agree whole heartedly. i live west of the inner west and it sucks – just endless suburbia with little to do and it takes forever to get anywhere. We will be moving inwards or to the Illawarra coast as soon as we can afford it.

My wife is currently jumping through a lot of expensive hoops to be able to work as a physio, hopefully both of you will have it easier than she has…

by the way, where are all the other sydneysiders residing? We are in newington (Olympic Park)

I was right on the beach at Bondi until last week, I’ve now swapped that up for some city living (surfing doesn’t suit me 😆 ) and I’m on Clarence Street

just endless suburbia with little to do and it takes forever to get anywhere.

Yeah, I think it took me a couple of hours to get down to circular quay last time – from Tasmania 😉

Adelaide singletrackworlder here!

Love the little Country town! (1million population)

We went with 7 seas IIRC, all went well but we only shipped 7 boxes of stuff and purchased the big stuff again here. Didn’t bring my bike and purchased one here but shoes etc didn’t get checked in the boxes.

Agree with the ordering online… bike stuff is cheap really without all the added taxes! Normally takes 7 days for things to turn up from a UK shop.

Make sure you do explore (note South Australia has some mega wineries so be sure to pay a visit)

Biking is good, you’ll get used to 35 degrees at 7am! – went out after work for a spin, 51km and 1000m of climbing later I was home, nothing like taking the long way! had the pleasure of seeing about 20 kangaroos and a couple of Koalas too.

It’s safe to say I love it here!

Surely this is a job for the dish washer?

She’s probably busy packing the other stuff?

*Sigh*

this thread has made me very envious

mikewsmith: who did you send your bike out with? And what was the approx cost?

Transglobal express as a broker, I think it was ups in the end. About 250 for a 32kg box. Probably about to do another air freight box next month.

If they open it and think it’s dirty, it is going to get steam cleaned by someone who will point the high pressure wand all over your bike, bearings and all, and at your expense.

Get it very clean so there is no doubt.

New tyres are probably cheaper…

Hey!

Brissie based and been back and forth a bit so experienced the vaguaries of the bike importing side of life.

Clean it lots and you’ll be fine. Tell em it’s old so no duty, or worthless, otherwise import duty is payable.

Don’t know much about Sydney other than work but I’d be aiming at the sea (not Bondi!) or as close to the riding as possible.

In terms of buying stuff can I suggest finding a good local shop and supporting them? They’ll help you out in a new country, line you up with other riders and make you part of their community. Best way to settle into the area! Remember the internet won’t fix your bike, your LBS will and in this case take you for a ride a maybe even buy you a coffee afterwards 🙂

Perth-based here. Enjoying Xmas at 36 deg C.

New tyres on the mountain bike, very well cleaned tyres on the other bikes. All frames etc. washed before packing. No problems with the bikes in clearing. The only thing we did get caught on was the vacuum cleaner bag, which we forgot to remove before the packers packed. Think we got a $75 fine for that.

We moved with Ridgways, from Denmark to Perth, and it took three months from our stuff being packed until it was delivered! In that time we ended up buying a lot of new stuff which we needed. Bit late for you now, but if I was doing it again, I would probably sell most stuff from home, ship minimal and buy new when I arrived.

Good luck with the move!

NHS has trained her but no suitable consultant jobs available in her specialty.

Hmm, locum it? Plenty of call at pretty much every health board across the country.