Hi all - I hope this isn't too redundant.

For those of you who've wondered but haven't gone any further, don't bother unless you're very serious, are travelling overseas yourself or have a friend whose willing to carry a small extra load :) . Just tell them to watch their boogie board closely.

I had some informal discussions with Customs and AQIS on Tuesday and the upshot is;

Good news
A person is able to bring up to six flasks in to the country without attracting Customs or AQIS attention. The flasks (and they MUST be hermetically sealed flasks) need to be declared. I suspect it is assumed that that person would be an Australian national but it wasn't mentioned/specified so a rather unlikely but possible pipeline could be set up if you know regular commuters to and from the States (or elsewhere for that matter)

Bad News
The import of flasks by mail/freight wouldn't attract Customs attention but "may" attract a GST charge; and,

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service advise the following basics to import just one flask. You will be required to apply for a permit costing $117.00 with an attendant $35.00 inspection fee. Further charges were mooted as both probable and likely if inspection found anything "wrong" with the flasks. Further details,for the masochists in this forum, can be found here http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_casecontent.asp?intNodeId=440051&intCommodityId=6401&Types=none&WhichQuery=Go+to+full+text&intSearch=1&LogSessionID=772882

I had some rather high hopes - but will look further at low avenues.


Cheers
Stephan

I guess I just don't see what the big deal is with orchids and borders. If you live in a free trade zone, we all should be able to trade freely. Imagine if you could get plants from Asia easily!!!! Or some of the more abundant species in Europe! What a great day that would be! I can see if you are trying to trad Kudzu or Zebra Mussells, but Orchids are not set on World Domination! Or are they....

I guess I just don't see what the big deal is with orchids and borders. If you live in a free trade zone, we all should be able to trade freely. Imagine if you could get plants from Asia easily!!!! Or some of the more abundant species in Europe! What a great day that would be! I can see if you are trying to trad Kudzu or Zebra Mussells, but Orchids are not set on World Domination! Or are they....

Any plant/animal outside of it's native environment "could" be considered a weed/pest, Tadd. I quickly tried looking it up this morning but couldn't find any reference to a European Ground Orchid which is apparently quickly gaining weed status in the State of Victoria. I believe you are right on the "free trade" side of things up to a point. The problem here is that very few of us (humans that is) take a balanced approach when trading - we all seem to want MORE :)

I'm sure you guys have your own share of plant and animal horror stories - Here in Qld it "looks" like we may have won the battle with fire ants - but I'll believe that in 5 to 10 years when there are no further reports of nests. But we still have rabbits and Lanatana. Both brought in by well meaning idiots who didn't know their particular joy would seriously damage the environmental integrity of a country.

Cheers
Stephan

the Aussie government is very strict about introducing non-indigenous plants, animals, insects....The reason I was given was they wanted to protect their native species because they are so differnet from the rest of the world...also, it seems that the non-indigenous species out compete the natives.....The most famous example that I know about are the cane toads....We do it here in the States also, introducing gambusia fishes to control mosquitos. Usually this results in the extinction of an indigenous fish. In special cases now, I believe the fish breeders have gotten a few fish through the government as safe to the environment.

I use to breed a lot of Australian Rainbows fishes and I'm sure some were smuggled out of Australia, I donated a lot of these fishes to the Newport Aquarium when they opened a few years back.

There's actually an orchid which is native to Africa which has become a weed in Australia.... Monadenia bracteata. And this plant is taking precious space from the native terrestrials...

Of course, if six flasks of plants as personal baggage is still allowed without documentation, then the above can still happen...

There are other issues too, like the importation of virus and diseases and little insects... The flasks are I guess less likely to have the above so it is 'easier' to import.

So, great detective work with the process and requirements Stephan... and start planning that next holiday so you can bring those six flasks...

Cheers
Tim

There's actually an orchid which is native to Africa which has become a weed in Australia.... Monadenia bracteata. And this plant is taking precious space from the native terrestrials...

Of course, if six flasks of plants as personal baggage is still allowed without documentation, then the above can still happen...

There are other issues too, like the importation of virus and diseases and little insects... The flasks are I guess less likely to have the above so it is 'easier' to import.

So, great detective work with the process and requirements Stephan... and start planning that next holiday so you can bring those six flasks...

Cheers
Tim

African - not European - at least I got the ground orchid part right :-)

I don't know about me necessarily taking a trip to the states any time soon Tim. Three hours to NZ is about the most I can take in those airbuses and I don't think I could easily afford business class mate. But that doesn't mean I can't inveagle myself on some friends who'll do the travelling for me :)

You're right about the Cane Toads, Park Pear, and also the gambusia (which we call mosquito fish). But both of those were bought in by our well meaning Government of the day rather than well meaning individuals :). You see Cane Toads were introduced by Australian Scientists to control the Cane Beetle. The gambusia, for mosquitos. Both had limited success and we're still suffering the fallout today. Rabbits and Lanatana were bought in by the landed and very well connected gentry who also still exist today. It would seem our biggest pest problems were caused by our biggest pests :lol:

Here, where I live, I don't see that many big (around the 1 kilo mark) Cane toads anymore - it's possible a predator (us? - I doubt it) is keeping them in check or it's the dry conditions we've had for the last 18 months or so. There are reports, though, that they have reached Kakadu - That's quite a journey (about 3 to 4 or so thousand Ks and some of it desert) for a toad to make in a little less than a hundred years.

Cheers
Stephan

Aren't wild pigs a huge, imported mistake there too?

Aren't wild pigs a huge, imported mistake there too?

Strangely - and this point is open to argument - pigs were most likely in the northern part of Australia before so called White settlement. Asian sailors had a habit of "caching" food supplies and were trading with some aboriginal tribes long before we got on the picture.

Domesticated pigs gone wild are an issue and causing some environmental carnage - Then there's cats, dogs, Indian Minahs, Crows (our native crows are being out competed), Groundsel (plant), Prickly Pear and, pretty soon, the good old fashioned slash pine. There's more - but, hey, the environment will evolve, eventually, to accomodate these incursions.

Cheers
Stephan

Maybe you need to evolve/import a new predator that will eat cane toads and rabbits over there... :unsure: some kind of um :notlooking: I dunno ... land shark? :Grin:

Maybe you need to evolve/import a new predator that will eat cane toads and rabbits over there... :unsure: some kind of um :notlooking: I dunno ... land shark? :Grin:

Or, maybe just help the sharks you already have to evolve and start living amonst ya! :D

Maybe you need to evolve/import a new predator that will eat cane toads and rabbits over there... :unsure: some kind of um :notlooking: I dunno ... land shark? :Grin:

Or, maybe just help the sharks you already have to evolve and start living amonst ya! :D

I think the cats are taking that challenge up Heather (and yours is very cute BTW)- even without the rumours of cats the size of panthers in New South Wales the ferals I've seen are getting bigger than Bob cat size and just as mean (or so I hear). They breed way faster than dogs (no pack pecking/breeding imperative to worry about) and are way more intelligent/canny. Dogs are just persistent. I love both of them , in their place, but when you're in the Australian bush that last thing you want to hear is silence and it's a lot quieter than it used to be.

Can we attach wav files to these messages?

Cheers
Stephan

No clue about the wav files, Stephan, sorry!

This thread really brought to mind the Simpson's episode where the more evolved dolphins come back to take
over the earth...

:shock:

Actually it is all still a bit hush hush, but we are breeding a Koala that is the size of a Polar Bear and they are suppose to eat all the cane toads and feral cats and nortie little children... :evil:

Actually it is all still a bit hush hush, but we are breeding a Koala that is the size of a Polar Bear and they are suppose to eat all the cane toads and feral cats and nortie little children... :evil:

Come on Tim; we want to scare them with Dropbears not the others :twisted:

Then there's always the Bunyips around my way :) - actually spent some time up in the D'Agular ranges panning for Gold and listening for things that go bump in the night about 20 years ago. That was fun - got to hear a tree falling in the forest - biiiiggggg sucker not that far from the tent.

The tree fell - I was there and I surely heard it.

Cheers
Stephan

I'm amazed at the different perspectives from different age groups. I'm a manager on an interactive multi-user dungeon type game and the Ozzites there complain about the pigs a heck of a lot more than the rabbits. But then again, they also equate koala to Killer Klowns from Outer Space...

I'm amazed at the different perspectives from different age groups. I'm a manager on an interactive multi-user dungeon type game and the Ozzites there complain about the pigs a heck of a lot more than the rabbits. But then again, they also equate koala to Killer Klowns from Outer Space...

Hmmmmm - I dunno Ernie

I've been out bush shooting Pigs - they're a pest, no doubt about it. We also have "Bambi's" (deer to you) doing much the same thing in the more heavily forested areas. And, yes, we have a deer season here too (Pigs you can shoot anytime). I don't go in for MUD's much. D and D came out when I was 13/14 and I thought it was pretty boring - nothing much has changed I'm afraid. Oh, and I've only ever been out shooting three times - killing for killings sake does nothing for me either.

How many of your players are from the country? By that I meant not from a city with a population greater than 25, 000 :)

The majority of our population is in Victoria, followed by New South Wales and then my state, Queensland. Almost all of it concentrates along the coastline. Pigs tend to live on the other side of the ranges. I'm surprised that many/any people from that way are playing MUDs - hmmmm. I'm surprised anyone from any of the generations younger than mine knows all that much about the feral pig problem. Mainly because it hasn't been a media (any of them) item for quite a while.

Perspective is a wonderful thing though - it changes all the time - It's one of the tools of language.

Cheers
Stephan

Perhaps the view of pigs and deer as pests is somewhat mitigated by the fact that you can still eat them. Whereas toads, cats, dogs and crows are inedible to humans. JMHO.

I eat frog!, Humans eat dogs and cats too(In emergency cases of course). I've eaten crow before. Or wait no I just had to admit I said something wrong! Doh!

Dog is quite edible in Korea but you're traditionally supposed to hang them between two trees while alive for a week or two so they get tender. Thai is occasionally known to cherish cat as a snack. Frog and snail are quite a delicacy in France and to some here in the states also. Alligator isn't too bad but seriously chewy. Rabbit, deer and wild pig are amazing foods in Germany and on the menu of many famous castles in the southwestern region.

The point is it's all good stuff and really does NOT taste like chicken (makes conch for dinner tonight).

And while we're at it, you do NOT want to eat untreated wild pig in Australia unless you don't mind inheriting a few unwanted intestinal guests :D

I was actually hoping for a bite from the Canberra member in the forum - ah well. Hope he and you all had/have a good weekend.

Cheers
Stephan