Entering Australia, declare everything - Travelers' intercom: reader's opinions, tips & recommendations - Brief Article

In the August '02 issue, page 19, a reader wrote about being fined US$110 for snacks she and her husband did not declare upon entering Australia. We had our tale of woe with Australian Customs back in 1985. That experience combined with the Hobbs' letter caused us to be very cautious this spring when entering Australia through Sydney.

We had only the Qantas "goodie bag" with us and declared same. They allowed everything except the trail mix, explaining that the bananas were verboten but we could keep the rest; i.e., we could remove the dried bananas from the trail mix. We let them keep the entire packet.

The key in Australia is to declare absolutely everything. They let you keep almost everything and are actually very fair, but they want to know everything you have. Same with medications.

Australia is isolated and has successfully protected itself and its environment from many of the problems of other countries. Although their rules seem stringent, there are just a few rules to respect to make a very pleasant visit to a fascinating country.

MICHELLE BRENDEL, Seal Beach, CA

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