What to Take to Australia

Introduction

At this point you will probably wonder if some things (a) will work in Aus, and (b) are worth taking.

Hopefully this section gives you some answers to these questions. If not, please consider posting your question on our discussion board.

Disclaimer

While we at Aussiemove.com have performed a large amount of research on each subject area, we do not claim to be experts in those fields and we recommend that migrants discuss their requirements with companies specialising in those fields before making purchases, investments or other decisions concerning their move.

The content of this website is general in nature - no specific advice is intended.

We provide links to other companies as a service to our readers. We have taken reasonable care to ensure that each linked website does not contain offensive or inappropriate material. However, we are not responsible for the accuracy of any of the material in any linked website, or the advice that may be contained therein.

Cars

However, if you're particularly attached to your vehicle or it's a classic, we suggest you ask a removal companies for advice and a quotation, or visit the Australian Customs site for more details - follow menu path:

Import/Export > Importing Goods > Importing a Motor Vehicle.

Electrical appliances

Australia uses a 3-pin plug (see an example), which you can buy at hardware stores and supermarkets.

Washing Machines & Dryers

The standard Aussie washing machine is a top loader - front loaders are generally more expensive (than UK). So if you like your front-loader and it's in good condition, we recommend shipping it.

You don't need a dryer much (in Perth anyway), but they're still useful in winter, so worth shipping.

Fridges & Freezers

A typical Aussie fridge-freezer would be around 500L capacity (rough dimensions = 180cm tall, 80cm wide, 68cm deep) - that's a lot bigger than its British counterpart. Some people have a separate fridge and freezer, each one this size, standing side-by-side.

So, your average British unit is probably not going to be adaquate in terms of size. However, as a temporary measure, or to be used as a second (eg. beer) fridge, it may be worth shipping.

TV,VCR,DVD,PS2,XBox..

TV, VCR, Radio

Radios work fine. TVs and VCRs (from UK) receive pictures OK, but may not process sound. They can be modified - we have had this done to both TV and VCR and it costs around $100 each.

Note that you can play pre-recorded video tapes without modification to the VCR, the problem is only when you want to record Australian transmissions.

I'm not sure about TVs/VCRs from the US or Canada (if anyone knows, please post a message with details).

DVDs

DVD players are generally region-specific - Australia is in Region 4, so if you bring your Region 1 (US) or Region 2 (UK/Europe) or other region machine, it may not play Aussie DVDs. If you're lucky enough to have a multi-region player, you should be OK. For more on regions and DVDs in general, see DVD FAQ at www.dvddemystified.com.

Now, if your DVD player is region-specific (most likely), all is not lost. Some models can be converted via a hardware fix ("chipped") and others can be converted by just keying codes into your remote control! There's some very useful information on this at the following websites:

• www.regionfreedvd.net
• Multi-region info at www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk

Just remember to do your research before attmpting to update your DVD player, as it's all done at your own risk.

Playstations, XBox

As for the DVD-playing capability of PS2's and Xbox, the issues are the same as discussed above and the same links may be useful. I have also seen a software product called "DVD Region X" that you can buy (eg. from Amazon), but no direct experience (any feedback from anyone who's used this?).

Regarding the games themselves, I have read that PS2's use a separate region-coding for games, but no further information as yet (contributions welcomed, as always).

Other Household Items

Furniture

Bear in mind that many houses have built-in-wardrobes in most bedrooms, so you shouldn't need to bring more than one or two.

Houses are large by UK standards and have more living areas. Typically, your house may have a living area, a family room and a games room. So if you do bring a lot of furniture, you can probably find somewhere to use it.

Musical Instruments

They seem to be really expensive, at least in Perth, so if you're debating whether to bring that old piano, I would suggest you do.

Lawn Mowers

An average size Aussie lawn is probably going to be too much for an electrical mower, so if you have a small Black&Decker, you might think about selling it. But if you have a 2- or 4-stroke petrol machine, it should be OK. The main problem is that you will probably have to strip and clean it to remove all traces of grass and soil.

What do Goods Cost?

We have some links to retailers in the next section, but note that many do not list prices on their website, while others may show the "recommended retail price", which can be quite a bit higher than you will actually pay at the store.

Therefore, we have listed below a few advertised prices:

These are indicative prices advertised in Perth, June 2012. Please check with retailers if you need to know exact current prices of particular products.

Links to Retailers

Electrical

Harvey Norman

Rick Hart

Furniture

Bed Shed

Freedom Furniture

Furniture Bazaar (WA)

General

Kmart

Big W