patricelee

I need suggestions of gifts to bring to friends in Australia that we will be staying with--I have already purchased some calendars.

I am also interested in what types of things to take home.

lizF

Calendars! no no that would not excite me at all. Why not bring something that we cannot get here? Something that is only made in the USA. Even the good old Tee-towel would be better. Mind you all gifts are gratefully received but I like the ones that you can actually use on a daily basis.
From here you should choose the same "only Aussie stuff" to take back.

Tim_and_Liz

My Aussie friends love American food products... sugar cereals (Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Apple Jacks, Cookie Crisp, etc.), Gardettos, Twizzlers, ranch salad dressing and so forth.

awhsu

I got a Halloween costume for a 6yr old!! Sounds so cool! (they don't celebrate Halloween there)

Maple syrup for my BF's parents, Captain Crunch cereal has ben requested.

Definitely not a calendar- BORING.

patricelee

Okay, so calendars are boring. But I don't have room in my luggage for cereal boxes! Give me some better ideas. I am going to have to lug these things around in my luggage for about 10 days.

Maybe a silly question, but do musical CD's work? I know there is a problem with videos some times.

Barbara_in_CT

I took maple syrup and maple sugar candy because I am from New England. I also took books of photographs from Connecticut. I would think that a calendar with photos of your area would be nice. Fortunately I didn't stay with Liz.

I received a coffee table book of Australian photographs which I enjoy. Their photos came out much better than mine.

pat_woolford

Well, I harass my US visitors constantly for the fantastic dried Californian and Mexican chilies, especially the ones that are nearly black - yes, you can bring them through Customs but do need to declare them. Don't take up much room and give a whole new meaning to chile con carne.

Neil_Oz

No problem with CDs. Videotapes a problem unless the recipient's player can handle American NTSC as well as the Australian PAL standard. DVDs made for the US market require a multi-region DVD player in Australia (pretty standard these days, I think). Maybe think about books or artefacts unique to your region of the US.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation sells some excellent nature shows through their ABC shops, although they're not all available in NTSC.

Bokhara

I like "Lifestyle" magazines - food, houses, weekends away etc. -I brought several home from NY and they were a hit with friends here. Not too much heavier than calendars and give a glimpse of contemporary life. Also recipe books from well known chefs, spices & condiments peculiar to your home. I've a couple of aprons from travelling friends that I use constantly & love. Prints/photos of your locale. Subscription to the US equivalent of a magazine they like here.

Tassietwister

I saw an American blues singer last week who knocked my socks off. Chris Cain was his name. We have a shortage of that sort of music here, if your friends are into this sort of thing then a CD by someone like him would be a great hit.

From Australia to the US I would take an Arnotts biscuit tin, bought one last week in the shape of a colourful parrot, just gorgeous. Full of shortbread, even nicer

Geckolips

My son (in Darwin)is dying for Grape Nuts cereal! His wife said they found it in one store and it costs $19 per box.!!! Also, salad dressing and bbq sauce was requested.
There is a website for what you cannot take into the country, and it is:
www.daf.gov.au

SnRSeattle

Patricelee, you would be doing the US a huge favor if you would educate your Australian friends in what is the real ketchup. They don't have a clue! They believe tomato sauce is ketchup and need a lot of help. Then you can cook up some hamburgers to show them that they do not need a beet or an egg to be good. Really, I have no idea except what is local and important to you. My British friend loved the Mt. St. Helens book and local food stuff I gave her. Coming back, be sure to buy some Aboriginal art (real if you can afford it)and even touristy stuff (like a digeradoo) that looks so tacky in the store with hundreds of like items, but looks so great in your home if you love it. You will be transported back to your wonderful vacation whenever you see it. Now I am a quilter so when we go again I am buying some Australian fabric. If the person whom I visited was a quilter, then I'd bring American fabrics which I understand are expensive there. Australians also have some wonderful Cadbury chocolates that are only available here at Easter, plus some wonderful new varieties that I have never seen before. Yum. You are lucky to be visiting friends there. The local, personal touch is always nice.
Sally in Seattle
p.s. I would like a calendar with local pictures if an Aussie friend was coming to visit.

Mac123

Personally I love calendars and annually order several of the beautiful Lang calendars on the internet. Calendars are reasonably priced and flat, so very convenient. I also like chocolate so usually bring back to Australia things like almond m&ms, reece's peanut butter cups and hershey kisses. Maple syrup is good and so is the Kraft caesar salad dressing. I'm a quilter too, so lots of fabric is good. From Australia, I take to my friends, tim tams, twisties and cherry ripes. Yellowglen champagne is also a winner with one friend. You can also take back native flower seeds and grow kangaroo paws in your back yard. Hope this helps.

Mac123

Tim_and_Liz

Mac123,
I am from the dinky little town that makes Lang calendars: Delafield, Wisconsin. I am always surprised to see Lang items in other states; the fact that an Australian knows of my town's product is really cool. Mr. Lang is a house builder and had a big company. Mrs. Lang started Lang Companies as a hobby and it has grown so much, overtaking her husband's! If you are ever in Chicago, you should drive the 1.5 hours up to Delafield to visit the Lang store, which has discounted items in the basement. The store is located in the tiny white wood church ("The Steeple&quot that my Dad was baptized in. The town has now grown but it is still a cute town, great for antiquing and Lang shopping.
Liz

Mac123

Hi Liz, next time I'm in Chicago, I will make sure I visit Delafield - I like the sound of the discount basement! I discovered the calendars in Canada and as a quilter I guess I love those folksy, country, naive, pictures. When I travelled annually to the US or Canada it was great picking up the calendars, but then some years the trip was 18 months apart or 2 years and then I discovered the Lang website. And now too I have a mortgage so the travelling has cut down even further but I always manage to order a couple of calendars and a monthly planner. Plus on the internet you get the whole range which is fantastic - I love the notebooks too. By-the-way you can buy the Lang calendars here in Australia, but you usually get a choice of three! Mac123

awhsu

OK, so calendars are appreciated by some...

BBQ sauce, what kind is special/different enough? Regional/gourmet probably looks the nicest. Never knew abt mayo or salad dressing either. Thanks for the good ideas!

NGail

Hey, what's wrong with calenders? We brought one back from Australia that we loved- all Aborigine art.
But the best things we brought for family and friends were boomerangs- hand-decorated and each one different. We saw them being made near Cairns. They're flat and lightweight - easy to pack.
How about CD's of American blues or jazz or folk music for your Aussie friends? (also flat and lightweight)

leniram

kangaroo meat