[fashikn]

Hi.

My family and I are moving to the Gold Coast(from Seoul, Korea) for a couple of years.
For me to work and learn at a dental clinic there - a sabbatical, of sorts.
I've already looked at the Australian Kendo Renmei website and found a club near where I plan to live(near my girls' school).
As I'll be shipping everything(including my bogus, shinais, bokutos, etc) by sea, a question arises.

I know that quarantine and bringing in plant and animal products are taken seriously by the Australian Customs.
Should I declare my gear on the form that I have to turn in?
Do you expect there to be problems?
Any advice or experience would be appreciated.
Thanks.

[SHUSIATULSE]

I shouldn't expect there to be any problem with the kendo equipment. If you are at all worried about your gear, it is probably better to declare than risk not only losing your gear, but a fine as well. Most cases, you are fine to carry it over.

In my experience with having kendo equipment posted from Japan to Australia have met with no problems. If I recall, I have had only one package inspected, and it had quite a number of items in it including a number of shinai.

Best of luck with the move. I am sure that you and your family will love the Gold Coast.

[Twelearly]

You should always declare it but you shouldn't have any problems, we have no problem getting shinai in. It's also far better to bring as much stuff with you as possible, the shipping rates from the main kendo suppliers to australia are close to extortion levels

[IvJlNwum]

I'm no expert on Oz' importation rules, but have brought or shipped all kinds of stuff into Canada. Often I've been told to (or seen shippers) label items in a certain way so that you're not arousing an inspector's interest. Instead of saying kendo equipment made of deer and cow leather and bamboo sword, it's better to say martial arts sporting equipment and training stick. Usually I've found that the minimal, concise, generic info on import forms seems to allow things to be processed much quicker. You're not falsifying anything either.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

[AbeldeldepBug]

Bringing goods into Australia you are specifically required to declare goods of plant or animal origin. Failure to do so is a criminal offence. If its unaccompanied household goods by container the rules and treatment are slightly different to the way things are handled through the airport since they are often fumigated or otherwise treated at the other end. Post is different again. But kendo / kumdo gear in good condition is not a problem (if the bokken or shinai has borer holes or drops dust on the counter when banged by an inspector you should not be using it anyway, its probably unsafe).

[Sleedyhex]

thats truely wierd - on my screen I am seeing the string 'offence.' repeated but when I go to edit post is is not there twice....

[Xiciljed]

So if you bring in, say, a pair of shoes, you have to specifically declare if they're leather? That seems a little OTT. Most countries seem to want to know if you're bringing in food, seeds, or some kind of animal product from an endangered species, or actual live animals, or have visited a farm.

Is there some kind of foreign invasive species crisis in Oz? In Canada the big ones are pine beetles, longhorn beetles, zebra mussels and purple loosestrife.

[QQQQQ-Trek]

So if you bring in, say, a pair of shoes, you have to specifically declare if they're leather? That seems a little OTT. Most countries seem to want to know if you're bringing in food, seeds, or some kind of animal product from an endangered species, or actual live animals, or have visited a farm.

Is there some kind of foreign invasive species crisis in Oz? In Canada the big ones are pine beetles, longhorn beetles, zebra mussels and purple loosestrife.

Australia has a lot of native species that are unique and haven't been in contact with bacteria, disease, infestion etc from other countries. I imagine the Australian government wants to keep it that way. That's why customs and quarantine is so strict

[rXpX]

I was 4 years with the NSW Department of Agriculture attached to the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (a long time ago now so things may have changed) - and all of those things were of interest but mainly the issue with wood and bamboo products is borers or the risk that it is green and propagatable.... being a gigantic island we have a lot less of these pests and weed than most places. But no - as I recall shoes were not usually of interest except for the dirt on them.

http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis has a cover story about a recent rock festival where borers were found in band instruments..... and links to the ICON database where you can look up things like regulations on the import of bamboo products into Australia.

Inspection doesnt find everything - I have a late Edo / early Meiji period Japanese storage chest that I had to build a quick and dirty fumigation tent for in the yard and fumigate after I found borers trying to migrate from it into my house....

[BenBoobmers]

If in doubt, declare anything and everything, especially the shinai - call it sporting (fencing) equipment if asked.
I have been in trouble numerous times for little things - earrings with feathers on them, a carved bone bracelet, dirty shoes and a sandwich. Declare everything!

[Gscvbhhv]

I am much obliged for your helpful suggestions.
I'll declare everything - after I talk to the moving company people to figure out some judicious way to describe my gear.
Again, thank you everyone.

[lh88gFzI]

If you have tortoiseshell kodungi or anything, leave them at home if you can!