Markit wrote
DO NOT BRING CLOTHES! or anything else you can get here for 1/10 the price you'd pay in Oz. Been here 14 years and own 3 polyester board shorts, 2 swim trunks and several shirts and 2 pairs sandals/thongs. You really, really don't need more and anything you bring will rot or go fungal in the closet. Ditto books/pictures. Load everything you have to GoogleDrive or Dropbox.
Have watched in astonishment for years the way people rock up here with all manner of shite they don't need and will never use due to some idiotic idea of "keepsake" just to watch them clutter their houses with it or spend the first 6 months wearing/using it and then never again.
What you should bring:
1) Cheese - shed loads
2) Medicines (check here first if they have what you need as it will doubtless be much cheaper here)
3) Duty free yourself some expensive Scotch/Bourbon - as much as you can!
4) If you're a fatass like most of us Expats (comparatively) then bring 3 pairs of boardshorts (recommend thin and nylon)
5) Can't think of a damned thing else, except more cheese.
6) If ur an Ozzie then the industrial waste you lot call Vegemite
What you should NOT bring:
1) Electronics - the climate will kill them within a year.
2) Books - same reason as electronics
3) Cloths, shoes - get them all here, unless you're a fatass.
4) Drugs of any kind. If you have serious pre-existing conditions stay where you are.
5) I'm sure there's lots more but can't think of anything really. My existence here is pared down considerable to take account of where and how we live and we live GOOD! and cheap(ish)
6) If you enjoy cooking then maybe some decent pans, but not for the locals to use for you. I originally brought a microwave cause I had extra baggage and the locals destroyed it within a month. If you're gonna have someone cook for you prepare accordingly.
Pretty much bang on, going to comment on a few for entertainment, mine and hopefully yours.
On the clothes, bring one set of formal clothes agreed you'll be running around in board shorts, t shirts, flip flops the whole time, you'll probably look less presentable than in the west. In this climate I don't see you wearing much else. Of course assuming you're a bloke. 1 set of formal clothes for immigration or meeting your Mrs parents.
1) Cheese - shed loads - not much comment on this one, to get fresh food in to Australia is basically impossible so I'm sort of conditioned not to try both ways by default.
2) Medicines (check here first if they have what you need as it will doubtless be much cheaper here), - agreed well sort of it. It depends. If you're on some kind of co pay or like in Australia health care card, the meds might be cheaper there, I wouldn't be messing around too much bringing meds you can get here in regardless, I always bring with drs note with dose etc though never been questioned on it.
3) Duty free yourself some expensive Scotch/Bourbon - as much as you can! - Totally agree the local scotch and bourbon tastes like glue or petrol (I'm not joking), and a bottle of beam white label will run you $80 USD. As a result? I just drink beer, wine and the odd vodka, forget paying those prices, though sometimes you can find bar or restaurant promos for the brand name mixers that work out as cheap or better than bottle price. Beer and Bali go hand in hand it's easy to get carried away. The limit is only 1 litre to bring in though.
4) If you're a fatass like most of us Expats (comparatively) then bring 3 pairs of boardshorts (recommend thin and nylon). LOL yup
5) Can't think of a damned thing else, except more cheese. - pass
6) If ur an Ozzie then the industrial waste you lot call Vegemite - some specialty things you can find, but are a lot harder to find, eg deodorant spray is my one, or shaving gel other cream other than Gillette. Of course if you want to go digging through Denpasar or Kuta you can find it most likely, but you pay import on the rarer products.
