My family and I were traveling on holiday from the States to Queensland (via NZ) 7-8 years ago. My wife packed snacks for the family, including nuts in sealed packages. We got popped for those but were let off with a warning because I didn’t really pay attention to what she packed, and I filled out the customs card. Got me a stern lecture about it, though.
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For those who want more doses of news like this, except with slightly snarky edits and voiceovers, look for “Nothing to Declare” on Youtube. They have US, Canada, UK versions.
The Aussies have “Border Security: Australia’s Front Line”
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We know. That was explicitly the then Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, which he had turned into the Minister for Home Affairs in the right-wing Liberal government: Peter Dutton. He also combined several agencies into one super-department (Customs, Coast guard, and our off-shore gulags for anyone deemed unworthy of living in God’s Own Country.)
A more small-minded, priggish, reflexively cruel, racist bully, it’s difficult to envision, and given his colleagues in the Liberal and National parties, that’s really saying something.
His boss, Scott Morrison, who famously went on holidays and left other people to deal with trifling little problems like the 2019-20 bushfire season, or Covid, got to be so bad that they were voted out of government. Peter Dutton is the leader of the Opposition now.
Oh yes. Big, clearly labelled, and unavoidable. You can use them at any point up to when you are actually talking to the Customs man asking for your declaration card.
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We have VERY strong biosecurity because we are one of the few places on Earth to have kept Foot-And-Mouth disease out and have an extremely lucrative cattle/meat industry because of this.
Not only that, but there’s been lots of media telling people not to bring food back. These morons have no one to blame but themselves.
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I once had that because I’d eaten durian in Singapore then only given my hands a rinse before picking up my backpack. Google “durian smell” if you’re not familiar.
No humans noticed the smell on the backpack, but the beagle seemed to think it was the most interesting thing she’d smelled all week.
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Amusingly, Durian fruit is one of the few foodstuffs one is currently allowed to take from Britain into the EU without a whole load of expensive certificates.
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Came here to mention this. It’s really really hard to arrive in Australia without seeing these signs, so the authorities are entirely justified in assuming wilful disregard of the rules and punishing this drongo accordingly.
Hell, Australia has agriculture controls between states.
As for Murray Watt (or more probably the member of his staff who actually wrote that statement) the phrase “the most expensive Maccas meal this passenger ever has” is typical blunt Aussie humour intended to get the point across.
So huzzah for biosecurity detector dog Zinta:
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Totally agree. It’s irritating to read these pompous, chauvinistic and ill-informed comments from foreign nationals. How’s the rabies going in their countries I wonder?
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What’s the foot-and-mouth and rabies status in Hawaii then?
Are you now unsafe to eat? I’ll cross you off my Zombie Apocalypse Meal Plan.
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When that happens we might actually crave a McMuffin.
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No way.
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I did only say “might”.
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Nonexistent. All incoming critters get quarantined or must provide proof of noncontagion.
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As far as I can tell, one penalty unit for an individual is $222. That’s federally: states may have different unit amounts.
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