Walkie Talkies OK down under?
 

Next March or April my wife and I are hoping to book a tour that will include both New Zealand and Australia.

My wife uses a wheelchair, though she can walk some (she has MS). When we travel in the US, we always take along a pair of walkie-talkies, and find them very handy in many situations.

My question is - does anyone know if there are legal restrictions on 2-way radios in NZ or Aus that are more restrictive than in the US? I'd hate to have them confiscated at customs...

Here's the Australian customs website
http://www.customs.gov.au/site/
I couldn't find anything specific about walkie-talkies on the list of prohibited goods.

Perhaps to be on the safe side contact the embassies of the two countries to see if they can advise you.

I suggest emailing the Australian Customs Service and its NZ counterpart in the first instance.

Like all governments, Australia and NZ allocate available radio frequencies to its various uses, and although I didn't have any luck with a quickish web search, there's bound to be regulatory bodies that have delegated the customs services to police the rules at the national borders.

The approval of imported telecommunications equipment is primarily a safety issue. A US walkie-talkie, for example, may not (make that probably won't) operate on the assigned Aust/NZ frequencies, and just possibly may interfere with police or emergency services or another sensitive application. I'm sure the customs people will be happy to help you out with his.

Thanks for the replies. After a LOT of digging I found some answers online.

New Zealand:
http://www.rsm.govt.nz/standards/travellers-tips.html

Australia:
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD//pc=PC_1265

The NZ site is very clear cut, the Australian site just lists allowed frequencies.

The bottom line is, alas, most US walkie talkies operate on frequencies not permitted for civilian use in those countries. Now I'm gonna see if I can rent or buy a pair that IS legal there...

I'm not sure if these walkie talkies (below) are suitable but they seem very cheap at $39.95 AUD.

http://www.oo.com.au/Oricom_Twin-Pac...FRe0hgodRDdCFg

Those would be great, but that retailer doesn't ship outside Australia. I'm gonna look on ebay.