Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Gifts for People in Australia

Hi,

I'm coming from the U.S. and visiting friends in Australia, and I was looking for stuff to bring as gifts. I'll be backpacking for a bit before I meet up with them, so can't bring anything too big.

Would greatly appreciate any ideas! Specifically if there is anything that folks can't get in Australia. My friends are in the 25-40 range.

Thanks!

There are some good ideas here: http://tinyurl.com/av5fb2.

Thanks Vic!

I looked at that list and disagree completely -- most items are too taste specific, and things like Obama T-shirts ... how US-centric can an "ugly american" be? Perhaps the worst possible taste in a gift to a random foreigner. Plus it is easily obtained in Australia already.

Given the tax structure in Oz, the best gifts per unit weight/volume are duty-free cigarettes and liquor (the latter is taxed by alcohol content, so over-proof bourbon or rum is particularly valued). And they can be bought upon arrival in Australia, so you don't even have to carry it with you in baggage on the flight.

I looked at that list and disagree completely -- most items are too taste specific, and things like Obama T-shirts ... how US-centric can an "ugly american" be? Perhaps the worst possible taste in a gift to a random foreigner. Plus it is easily obtained in Australia already.

Yes, that list was revolting.

To the OP: either think about the people you are visiting and what they would like. Personalise. Or find something unique that might not be immediately thought of as from you country and give that.

For example, on the last two visits to my family in Germany (I'm Australian) I took along:

1. A bag of macadamia nuts in the shell with special macadamia nut crackers. Weighed 2 kg per gift and left plenty of space for bringing stuff back. Most people don't realise macadamias are Australian bushfoods and they were well received.

2. Scarves made of a blend of possum fur and merino wool. They were extraordinarily nice and ultra-light weight at only about 50 grams per scarf. People adored them.


Can you think of some US equivalents? Something uniquely American but flexible and allowed under our quarantine restrictions? A bottle of good bourbon is the first thing that comes to my mind but I am sure that there are many other things. Sheepskin moccasins are popular here as slippers - is there any sort of indigenous craft that similar but different?

Audrey

Caps, t-shirts, or pennants from your local sports team or university. Especially ones known overseas. They are lightweight and pack well. (Get a rigid mailing tube and roll the pennants).

How about local or regional candies or chocolates, or a CD with local or native music from your area?

I'm a Yank married to an Aussie so I run into this same conundrum a lot... You can get most anything in Oz, but as with everywhere, certain items are way more expensive there and make a better gift. Just wanted to throw out a few ideas based on trial & error:

WHAT'S WORKED:

See's candies

Rude novelty hot sauces (preferably with some donkey reference on the label) - I have no idea why, but if you want to make an Aussie laugh, just say something like "If I don't get an op-up I'm gonna open up a can of whoop-@ss on the airline."

Goobers, that disgusting jar of petrochemical based "peanut butter" with the jelly pre-swirrled in. It was received as a brilliant triumph of Yank engineering when it was meant to be a joke..."Crikey you only have to use one knife" (OK, I made the "Crikey" line up.)

Computer stuff, portable USB hard drives etc. Much pricier (especially Apple stuff) there. Just don't get anything that works on AC -- different voltage and plug.

ANYTHING recent "As seen on TV" crap...(Snuggy, Ped Egg, Sham-Wow etc.) They'll hit the Australian market about 6 months after we're sick of em and go for triple the price.

Cosmetics -- good hand cream, bath sets, etc.

If you have a high-end brand store near you (Tiffany's, Bloomingdale's, etc.) an inexpensive gift in that wrapping goes over well. They're quite aware of the US brands through movies / TV.

DEFINITELY AVOID:

Wine! There is so much local pride in their wineries. In a recent wine tasting event with friends to guess the "mystery wine" the first question was: a) Australian, b) European, or c) "Rest of World". As a native Californian, my Napa Valley pride was bruised a little being lumped into rest of world.

Macadamia products. Aussies are as surprised that we think of them as a Hawaiian product not an Australian product. Basically not a good gift on either end of the Pacific.

Cookies, baked goods, etc. I admit that our beloved Oreo doesn't hold a candle to a TimTam.

Clothing unless you remember that the seasons are backwards. Giving someone a sweater for Christmas (when it's probably 100 degrees outside) looks a bit foolish.

Anyway as others have said, make sure you declare ALL food products - including chocolates, hot sauce, etc. They won't take most commercially packaged food away (except honey and meat) and you normally have to run the gauntlet of beagles, German Shepherds, organic X-ray, etc. to make sure you're not an international produce smuggler.

I've not checked recently, but if your friends have iPods, iPhones etc, then perhaps a nice set of headphones?

I only mention it because (a) Australian prices are highway robbery, especially for accessories and (b) we don't have a local liquidator like Amazon.com sometimes is, for clearance items like high-end in-ear-audio.

The main reason for this suggestion is that (a) it's something many people would like but couldn't justify paying AUD$200+ rrp for something being liquidated on Amazon.com for USD$40ish and (b) it's highly portable and compact!

If it's from a well-known, high-service brand, it will likely have worldwide warranty. :)

Just a thought!

The comment about warranties being worldwide on name brands in Oz is interesting. Here in the US it's fairly common for warranties to only apply in the US and/or the country of purchase. This is even true on first-tier and premium electronic goods. If you're buying somthing in the US be sure it carries a worldwide factory warranty.

Things I buys when I go to the US:

- Clothes - particularly US / European designer labels are much cheaper in the US (Diesel, Hugo Boss, etc, etc)

- Food - Hot sauce (great idea), beef jerkey, chicken wing mix (all done much better in the US than Aus) - make sure you declare it on the way in.

- Electronics - anything is much cheaper in the US than Australia. Just be careful of Voltage and plug - and of course Customs if it's worth more than $925.

I am a big fan of having my sauces stocked up when people come from N. America. Good BBQ sauce is non-existant here, same as the hot sauce. There is a place in Melbourne (that also ships Australia wide) that sells US brands. http://www.usafoods.com.au/index.php

As a side point, as a Canadian I always appreciate a tin of Tim Hortons coffee....^^^

Things I buys when I go to the US:

- Clothes - particularly US / European designer labels are much cheaper in the US (Diesel, Hugo Boss, etc, etc)

- Food - Hot sauce (great idea), beef jerkey, chicken wing mix (all done much better in the US than Aus) - make sure you declare it on the way in.

- Electronics - anything is much cheaper in the US than Australia. Just be careful of Voltage and plug - and of course Customs if it's worth more than $925.

I go twice a year and buy the above, except food. I also buy homewares ie: stuff for the bathroom. The only thing i never buy is decent work shoes - American shoes are terrible compared to the UK.

I am simply astonished how expensive Australia compared to the US.

Electical Gifts from the US to Oz needn't be a massive problem.

Firstly, anything that uses an AC/DC adapter could well be switch mode. This means that the AC/DC Adapter can automatically switch itself to match the input. A switch mode AC/DC Adapter will say something like this on it: Input 100-240V AC.

100V is the lowest voltage that you get in the world (Japan) and 240 is the highest (UK,Ireland etc).

Secondly, depending on how much more expensive the item is in Oz, it could be worth it to get a voltage converter. You would need an AC Step Down converter to step the Australian 220V down to the US 110V. For low wattage items a voltage converter is usually light weight and inexpensive. It is only if you plan to take high wattage items that the size and cost of the voltage converter becomes a problem.

.... It is only if you plan to take high wattage items that the size and cost of the voltage converter becomes a problem.Or if you care about the quality (sine wave instead of square wave); which can affect burnout rate on some items. The cheapest good voltage converter that I could find in Oz was AUD 250 (and weighs about 3kg).

Pricing is slowly adjusting to the great increase in the value of the AUD, with huge variance. Some things are 50% cheaper in US while others are 10% cheaper (so not really worth bringing over). YMMV tremendously these days, and most US warranties are no longer being honoured by many manufacturers outside of the US (very annoying).

Common sense and logic while removing their ability to swear?

Just kidding I love Down Under - it is my new home.