TRAVEL TIPS

Mail

All regular mail services are run by the efficient Australia Post, which has offices all over the country. Post offices are usually open only during business hours weekdays, but stamps are available from newsagents at other times. Postboxes for regular mail in Australia are usually bright red; express postboxes are yellow. Postage rates are A0.70¢ for domestic letters and A$2.75 per 50-gram (28.35 grams = 1 ounce) airmail letter or postcard. Allow at least a week for letters and postcards to arrive.

Contact

Australia Post. 13–7678; www.auspost.com.au.

Shipping Packages

Rates for large parcels shipped from Australia depend on their weight, shape, and contents. Printed papers (including some books) are cheaper to send than clothes, for example. Sending parcels through Australia Post is usually reliable. It's worth paying the extra for recorded delivery, as you can track the parcel and claim insurance if it gets lost. Many stores—particularly upmarket ones—can ship your purchases for you, for a price.

Sending a 1-kilogram (2-pound) parcel to the United States with Australia Post costs A$19.90 by seamail, and A$29.70 by airmail. If you're shipping items in excess of 50 kilograms (110 pounds), it's often less expensive to send goods by sea via a shipping agent. Shipping time to the United States is 10–12 weeks.

Both DHL and Federal Express operate fast, reliable express courier services from Australia. Rates are around A$130 for a 1-kilogram (2-pound) parcel to the United States, including door-to-door service. Delivery time between Sydney and New York is approximately three days.

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