To think it only polite to give a gift to DS's hosts on the other side of the planet?

[PurpleLostPrincess]

DS (16) is going to Australia for 2 weeks with his best friend and their family. They are staying with his best friends auntie and my Mum suggested today that we should get a gift from DS to say thank you for having him. I think it's a great idea but I haven't got a clue what we could send - it would have to be reasonably small and fit easily in a suitcase full of clothes. I'm thinking around £10-£20 budget. I don't know these people so would have no idea what on earth to buy!! Yikes!!!!

I only have a couple of days - can't believe this hasn't crossed my mind before! Therefore am posting in AIBU as I know it will get a quick response!

TIA

Thanks, have looked up all the shops suggested but there don't seem to be any in my town (Basingstoke) and I won't have time to go further afield. He will be leaving here on Wednesday as the flight is early thursday morning. I think I'll pop into town tomorrow and grab something when I've spoken with my friend.

Although Lush is a nice idea, I can't stand the stuff - for some reason it gives me a headache, possibly because it's so strong!

Emma Bridgewater tea towels?

How annoying, that link didn't work but it is a set of two EB union jack tea towels - one that says 'Truly Great' and the other says 'Made in England'.

Does the host have kids? If so, something connected with UK sport, or maybe Olympics?
UK calendar for 2012 with scenery throughout the country?

Don't bother with Crabtree&E, Occitane, Molton Brown, lush etc - all can be bought in Australia! :)

we have Lush in Australia - also Crabtre and Evelyn and L'Occitane - although I'm sure they'd be welcome gifts nonetheless.

Agree with funky Union Jack teatowel or similar, and I think the cash to buy the family pizza/takeaway is a lovely idea.

We have friends who send us lovely UK tea and we love it - although its from Teapigs or other posh tea shops - not PG tips!

We don't have a lot of the berries you get there - so things like sloes (?), logan berries, green gages etc we don't really get (just strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. mulberries here), so if you did get some nice english jam, go for something like that.

You shouldn;t have a prob with customs with sealed jam or tea, but get your DS to pack it near the top of his suitcase in case they want to see it, and make sure he lists it on his customs form (they will give it to him on the plane) as sealed black tea and sealed jam.

oh we used to love montezummas chocolates and hotel chocolat too. Of course we can buy chocolate here, but not those particular UK brands.

Guys, Australians eat probably more Marmite that the British... You can buy it in any supermarket there. If you want to be original, try something else ;)

They only open your sealed foods if they think you have sealed it for drug smuggling or similar.

I got some things from this range from John Lewis when I went home for Christmas and they have been much admired by my Australian friends.

marmite. yes you can get it here but pay a fortune for it.

magazines

newspaper( get him to buy it at the airport).

do they have young kids? if so calpal is a great present

chocolate

Please look at the Australian customs site if you are thinking of taking ANY food or anything with vegetable matter (eg soap with bits like rose petals in it) into Australia. Likewise anything made of wood, feathers,
Etc.

And make sure your DS declares it. I've found Australian customs great if you are up front about it and tell them, but god help you if you don't tell them and they find it. And they have sniffer dogs to help with finding this stuff.

To explain, what they are trying to prevent is the carriage of anything that may bring in diseases such as foot and mouth, or plant diseases. Australia is free from a lot of diseases we get in plants and animals over here, and that could devastate Australian agriculture and native animals and plants who have never had contact with them. They therefore prioritize this area and take it really seriously, rather than over here where customs are mainly concerned re drugs and so on.

I'd really strongly advise you to go down the tea towel or similar or cash route instead, so you don't have to think about it and your DS won't accidentally get into trouble for forgetting to declare it.

Thank you all, she's from Southern England... I spoke with my friend and apparently she is taking lots of pepto-bismol (sp?) and toothpaste lol! We have agreed it's probably best if I give her the money and she will get a nice bottle of wine while over there (or should I say under?!?). I'll give her a little card to go with it.

Bluddymofo, I grew up in Brighton Hill but now live in Winklebury, your post made me chuckle!!

Oh my goodness, I'm dropping him off at his friends house in half an hour and it has suddenly hit me that my baby is going to the other side of the planet and I'm going to miss him soooooooo much!!!! I'm really excited for him, and I truly want him to have the experience of a lifetime (and maybe find out he can survive without that girlfriend of his!).

I just burst into tears a few minutes ago - I told him to watch out for the moon each night as I will have seen it the day before - how soppy am I!!!???