Shipping stuff back from Australia

Lacy

Lacy

Ex FMAS bod member
Premium Member
Has anyone been to Australia or South Pacific and had them ship stuff back. Thinking specifically about tonga rock. It would be cool to pick it out myself. If so, how was the shipping costs and where did you buy it from?
 
It's definitely not that easy. First the shipping charges are ridiculous. Specially of its only a couple boxes. You get a break of your shipping pallets like wholesalers do. But even then it depends where from. Also from you to even ship anything here you need an import license and cites documentation and permits to get it in the country. And cites paid from from the country to get it out. A few more loopholes you have to jump but you get the idea.


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As a hobbyist the only thing worth bringing direct is Hawaii that is assuming you have s good contact there. And get a few people together to place a nice collection


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Thanks for the info. I thought it might be something like that. We will end up in Hawaii, but it would probably be better to order it from here. I just thought it would be cool to be able to pick out the exact pieces of tonga rock.
 
Julio do you know if dead/clean tonga rock can be brought into the country without any permits? If I find some in the islands can I buy it and legally bring it back?
Thanks
 
To answer your question the shipping price is about $8-10/Kg (less if it is over 1000kg), that doesn’t include like 12 extra small charges per invoice that rapidly and easily double the cost of anything and that is before it even arrives here, were you will need to pay more for the clearing and other legal, in most cases its not worth it.
 
Rogger, I was wondering if I could bring it back on the cruise ship. Would I still need permits for dead rock?
 
The simple answer is no. It's still illegal. I'm sure maybe you can sneak in a piece of rock if anything but I'm assuming you actually want to pick out rock and not just one piece. Either way you still need cites to take the rock from there.


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I'm not wanting to take the rock from the ocean. I'm thinking if I found some for sale at a shop. Like a tourist place or a fish store. To bring it back might be to much trouble and cost more than I want to deal with, but I still want to know if I can do it legally. I will only do it legally. I would probably end up shipping it back home from Hawaii since we will be there 5 days after the cruise and I would have the time to do it. I still have not been able to find out the information, but I am still looking.
Thanks
 
I don't think they would give you a hard time if you have receipts to prove it. I would only bring back two to three branches if anything. Reason why I say that is because there's been numerous times I bring back conch shells and seashells in general on cruises. I would just make sure whatever pieces you do bring back there Superdry they're not moist at all and don't smell like ocean LOL.

But than again rocks aren't seashells so who really knows if anything I said is even helping your case.
 
Thanks. I would assume they would be bleached. I definitely wouldn't want the room to reek. :eek2: I would only bring back a few nice pieces if I found some. We have tours planned on each of the islands so I really don't know how much shopping time we will have. We have 5 days pre cruise in Australia and 5 days post cruise in Hawaii. It would be nice if I could fine some in Australia and then be able to ship it back while in Hawaii. Keeping my fingers crossed. :lmao:
 
Thanks Rogger. It's for our 30th anniversary. It can't come soon enough. I signed up for the cruise a year ago and it has been sold out for a while. :eek1:
 
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I personally wouldn't even try. After seeing the quarantine area of the GA aquarium and all the fish and coral that were in their care due to paper work not filed properly and items mislabeled, I wouldn't want to waste my money just to have it taken away. Unless you find someone here in the US who is going to import it correctly for you, I wouldn't try it. It may just be rock but unless you know all the local laws and importation laws you could end up with a bigger headache than its worth.
 
I will, but it's still a little ways away. :hammer: At least everything is now taken care of so I can start planning my shopping stuff. :lmao:


Bret, that's what I'm trying to find out. I'm looking for some dead cleaned pieces of tonga rock. I want to know the rules before we even leave. I wouldn't rely on someone down there trying to sell me something saying "sure no problem" when it really is. Just trying to do my homework now.
 
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