It may have been convenient for QF to say so, but when I had a bag go missing PER - JNB last week, QF told me that it was the respnsbility of the carrier whose tail was on the last leg you flew (i.e just before the bag went missing).

QF once offered me a $400 restaurant voucher for bags that went missing on the way to the US (took 2 days to turn up), but that was a few weeks later, and after I complained.

In terms of compensation to replace things in the meantime, I guess you need a decent insurance policy. My work policy is outstanding, but most publicl available ones are pretty average.