Australia (as anyone who lives there or has been there will know) has very strict customs' regulations and you have to declare anything made of wood that you want to bring into the country. I contacted the Australian customs and asked them about bringing my oboe into Australia and they said it would be examined when I arrived and if it was deemed to be healthy I would be allowed to bring it in, if it wasn't they would let me post it back to France.

The oboe seems healthy to me but I obviously don't want to have to post it back to France as it would cost me a fortune by air-mail with an insurance. I wondered if anyone had any experience of taking an instrument in or whether I should just resign myself to being instrumentless for eight weeks and leave it at home.

Given the Australian climate, you might wish to leave your oboe at home anyway...are you touring when you're over, or could you perhaps hire one for a few weeks?

What on earth does healthy mean?

Make sure your oboe doesn't have a temperature before you leave, and keep all its vaccination certificates?


Seriously, pehaps you just need to make sure you have proof of purchase.... and give it a little clean before leaving. They're probably just concerned about contamination. Otherwise, how would visiting orchestras be able to tour?

I don't know how much the humidity varies in your part of France, but do take care. If the wood has got used to a certain humidity and temperature over many years, a sudden change can do nasty things!

Steve

I'm not bothered about the climate - not where we're going anyway, it's similar enough to here (and as my parents are Australian I have been there often enough to know what I'm talking about). I'm really not overfussed about having it in Australia but I wanted it in the UK afterwards and I'm not coming back to France between the two.

That said, being someone who naturally errs on the side of caution, I think it's probably going to end up staying here.

Stevensfo, I too wondered about touring orchestras - maybe they get their instruments approved "en masse" before they leave?

And it's a second-hand instrument so although I have a "deed of sale" (its previous owner was a policeman who wanted to do everything correctly) I don't have a manufacturer's guarantee.

I have rented instruments in NZ for practice purposes in the past. Although you often have to pay for a term's rental, the cost is not usually excessive for 2 months. That saves me worrying about the rapid changes of humidity Japan/aircraft/NZ - it was enough to make a violin sound "funny" for a few days.

You shouldn't have a problem, when we emigrated we brought a harp & double bass into Oz. All customs will be looking for will be insect infestations, as that is their concern with wood items.

Trouble is, they might fumigate it, which is pretty vile with a wind instrument (that's my concern with taking my NZ-wood flute BACK into NZ)! Might be worth e-mailing and asking.

That is what I was about to suggest. Ask them as many specific questions as you can. Phone if necessary, but get the info straight from them and someone in charge's name and contact details just in case. In fact, see if you can't get something in writing, if you have time.

I know I would rent a viola for 8 weeks, but then they're a lot harder to transport so I wouldn't have much choice, but I would hate to be without her that long. She's only not coming to the continent (in the car) next month as I would have to leave her in the car unattended on the 5/6 days we're en route, but I'll miss her even for 12 days.... (why isn't there a crying smilie??)

I already have e-mailed and because the response was uncommital (and fumigation had crossed my mind too ) I decided to ask on here.

Would be interested to hear the reply. Someone mentioned this morning over breakfast, band, australia, fund raising, 2010 all in the same breath

But that would be the band's problem wouldn't it?

I'm not sure about that as parents usually pay for any trips abroard with band. the fund raising thing is totally new. Eldest will be up to her ears in fund raising sctivities before we know it I've no idea what happens re-instruments as they have never been "on tour" before.

Whereabouts in England will you be visiting afterwards? Is it possible to post it to England from France before you leave to avoid the problem in Australia?

^ I was thinking the same - anyone you could trust to look if after you for a few weeks? Would have thought even if you had to have that person mail it to you within the UK when you got here it might prove less pricey than the possibility of mailing it from Australia. Would also save having to watch out for it while you were down there...?