Destruction by Deep Burial

On December 1st 2008, our boxed belongs began their journey to Australia. They arrived in the Port of Sydney on January 29th and have been sitting in Port since then waiting on clearance from customs and quarantine.

We took Ella out at the last minute :)




Australia is well known for its rigid quarantine screenings and limits of what can and can't be brought into the country. Knowing this, I packed very carefully and even discarded some items I knew just wouldn't make it.

On Monday I received an email from the local company who is handling the clearance and release of our shipment. I knew an email from them titled 'SEIZED ITEMS' was not a good sign. True to its title, the letter read:

Ms Whaley,

Your shipment has been inspected by the AQIS and they have seized the item listed below:
- Christmas decoration (Bark or Straw) which require Gamma Irradiation or Destruction

The letter proceeded to inform me that Destruction of this item would cost $55AUD, and Gamma Irradiation $375AUD. Alternatively I could choose to travel to Sydney and re-export this item.

If my mental inventory serves me correctly, I believe the offending item might be a snowman with a piece of raffia tied around its neck. Yes, folks. Raffia. Probably treated raffia from Hobby Lobby at that. I'm not trying to make light of the stringent standards . . . Australia is free from many pests and diseases because of such standards. But seriously.

Most of our Christmas decorations hold some sentimental value. But this week we drew the line. What is Gamma Irradiation anyway, and would I really want the snowman after such a process anyhow?. (the letter did warn us that gamma irradiation might damage our goods) We reluctantly chose to destruct Frosty, and paid for the deed online.

As if "destruction" alone isn't sad enough, the invoice detailed that it would be Destruction by Deep Burial. I could have been spared the details. Really.

The upside of this is that only ONE item was seized. Thankfully our buckwheat pillows, tatami mat and wooden getta from Japan, and a handmade wooden serving tray made it through. (just for the record, all of those listed items had entered Australia previously. We had them with us when we left Japan and spent a couple of months in Australia - so I was pretty confident they would make it).

Rest in Peace Frosty. Hope you find some friends down there. I'll bet there's LOTS of cool stuff deeply buried.