What gifts do I take to Australia from UK?

[ButterflyTulips]

So we're travelling over to see in laws in a few weeks and I'm completely stumped what to take as little gifts.

Obviously they have most things there and I'm not needing to take "marmite" or "tea" as they're Australian not British ex pats... So needs to be more presenty than that.

They have easter eggs (this would have been an easy win if it had been america!) and lindt and Cadbury etc.

Any ideas what might be a nice gift? We don't go over often at all.

My friend always wants the Gold bar biscuits, she took so many back with her last time!

We gave our Australian friends some English children’s books to read to their grandchildren - The singing mermaid and Paper Dolls.

We have their grandchildren 😁.

Also not too sure about taking wine into Australia... Whisky perhaps although I don't drink it so it wouldn't be personal.

I've emailed the brother to see if theirs sweets he wants but I think for the parents we will go random NT craft and a photo! The NT shop has lovely blankets and things but I am thinking more small and token!

Paper dolls made me cry. Love Julia Donaldson.

Us Aussies are more likely to take you out for a meal, or a coffee if that's too expensive, unless you particularly enjoy something we have that you don't, that you want us to bring. It's not usual in my circles to buy gifts for staying. Tbh someone who just helps cook & cleans up after themselves is welcome any time.

The framed photo is a lovely idea.

Steer clear of anything home made or not commercially labelled won't get through customs. Food is a pain in general as it must be declared.

To everyone posting about food…. As long as you declare it on arrival and it’s sealed (e.g new from the shop and not homemade) it’s totally fine. I take stuff home for family all the time!

There is currently a raging penguins vs Tim tam debacle that is taking years to settle 😂

Decades ago when an old friend visited me from Australia she was excited to find some Sanderson's curtain fabric. She took several yards back in her luggage.Also Mason Pearson hairbrush, terribly expensive here but she said it was even more so in Australia.

Must emphasise this was many years ago!

Mermaid - it would be highly unusual to turn up for a meal or weekend away at a friend's here without something - maybe something homemade or maybe chocolate/wine flowers. Even more unusual if visiting for a while! "Don't want to turn up empty handed" wouldn't be an unusual thing to think. I kind of thought this was fairly universal when you visit someone on a different country to take a gift but maybe not?

We will of course take them out for a meal or something if we can too :)

M&s tin or two

My fave Englishy gift is a Fortnum and Mason's hessian tote bag for shopping at markets and the like :)

Fudge? Can usually get in a box of a local town in Dorset. Not sure about customs restrictions though.

Don’t bring wine to Australia unless you have access to rare and expensive French wine you can’t get here, talk about bringing ice to eskimos.

Wood is usually fine, but they will want to inspect it for signs of borers, etc. I’ve bought wooden items back from SE Asian on quite a few occasions.

Commercial chocolate and sweets will be ok, they probably won’t even want to look at it. So if you want to hide Easter eggs, just tick the box and when they ask what you have just say chocolate Easter eggs for the kids. 99% chance they’ll wave you through

I find the nothing to declare line is usually a lot longer, so our trick is to go through the ‘declare’ line with something they won’t want to look at, like chocolate.

I think it might have been the starburst I took; I can't remember which one it was as I know we'd spoken of both. It was one or the other anyway!

My sister lives in Australia. She always takes home prawn cocktail crisps and shortbread biscuits. Would a Fortnums biscuit tin and bag (eg tote) work?

We don't have fortnums but could take an M and S biscuit tin!

Yes we have local fudge but I don't think it counts as commercially produced /sealed.

You can buy Fortnums on line.

Whenever I've worked/been friends with any Aussies in England - they've all said:

Tim Tams are the best - Penguins can't compare
Vegemite is far superior to Marmite

I mean obvs I beg to differ, being British and all.

The one person who couldn't comment but remembered them was a vegan, who couldn't now eat Tim Tams, but remembered them being nice.

If you have commercially packaged foodstuffs that don't need to be declared, go through the declare channel and you'll get through customs faster.

Yes but I've never eaten anything from fortnums or been there so would be a weird thing for me personally to take! I get it would be a nice thing though 😊.

Yes I don't mind vegemite but prefer marmite. They're quite different really.

And Tim tams aren't that exciting as they're just penguins. But I do rather like bbq shapes and forager fruits :)

Thanks echt yes will declare the kids chocolate 😊. I'd so assumed it would be a longer line!!

I watch that programme with utter disbelief that people can be so stupid. Every time I've visited Australia when you get off the plane there are big posters telling you to bin unwanted food, there are bins and it's made clear that you have to declare EVERYTHING that's a food. And yet the stuff that people try and get through...

I find the nothing to declare line is usually a lot longer, so our trick is to go through the ‘declare’ line with something they won’t want to look at, like chocolate

That's my trick as well. 😁

My aunt (lived in Oz since 1960's) wanted boots make up. My cousin wanted caramac bars - you can get UK sweets but they are expensive.

Last time I was there (20+ years ago) they didn't have polos, they have life savers.

Things I brought back included children's books and I think in Oz they are taxed so British books might be fun.

Postcards are cheap and easy to carry.

On the crafts thing, I know you know about wood but also things like straw / grass / straw dolls.

Tea towels can always be used. You can get them with recipes on.

Do they cook? Delia Smith or hairy bikers cook book and kitchen scales. Maybe a children's cook book they can make things with the GC.

I brought a children's cook book back from Oz and a set of metric cups.
Coins can be interesting, I've given some over the years and have been well received.

Either just a set of coins or you can get uncirculated coins as singles or as a set from the Royal Mint.

I often say this on threads like this, I do not work for the mint, it's just that they have been well received. A complete, uncirculated 2024 set is £34 as is the 2023 set. Now 2023 is interesting because the only coins with the king's head on that went in to circulation was the 50p so they may become collector's items. Obviously they may not but it is a small gift to carry.

https://www.royalmint.com/annual-sets/2024-annual-sets/the-2024-united-kingdom-brilliant-uncirculated-definitive-coin-set/

i totally agree that you don't turn up empty handed.

Just a thought, would it help if you asked the people, is there anything you'd like us to get you from Duty Free ? - now I've not flown for yonks so I don't know if it's really relevant any more ?
but if one of the men for example really likes x brand of whiskey and it's £££ cheaper in duty free he may be delighted.
I could suggest getting MIL's favourite perfume but I am not convinced there is enough of a saving these days ? and i have moved the price point from a little gift / token gift to £x more, much more than a packet / box / gift box of Moores biscuits :)

A print of the area you live in? Or a framed map?

A jigsaw of your area?

Something so they can see where their grandchildren are.