judilie

I will be in Canberra for 3 weeks as a visiting fellow at ANU and then travelling for two weeks in Australia and New Zealand. There are some things (most notably my laptop computer, but also some clothes) that I will not need once I leave ANU. Is there a safe way to send these back to the U.S.? (I would like to have them arrive no more than two weeks after I send them.) If so, how much is it likely to cost?

Thanks!

longhorn55

Check out the website for Australia Post (their postal system). The website is www.auspost.com.au
There are rate charts there for mailing internationally. (I think you will probably find the rates rather prohibitive for the kinds of weights you are talking about.)
You can consider mailing with Australia Post equally safe to the postal system in the U.S. If you would mail it with the USPS, then you can mail it with Australia Post.
I don't know how FedEx rates compare to Australia Post, but they do have an office in downtown Canberra (Civic) which isn't too far from ANU.
P.S. Hope you enjoy your time at ANU. I lived in Canberra for 3 years and absolutely loved it!

Neil_Oz

No idea of costs, I'm sorry, but a couple of major freight companies you could check with are Australian Air Express (run by Qantas and Australia Post, the Australian post office) and DHL (owned by Deutsche Post). Either would offer what you're looking for, would have an international pack-and-wrap service and would certainly get your consignment there well within 2 weeks.

These spring to mind because I've used DHL to freight books to China and AAE delivered a modem to me this week. There would certainly be others. I suggest you call them after you settle in at the ANU. Their depots would be no more than a 15-minute drive from the ANU.

www.aae.com.au
www.dhl.com (select 'Australia')

Neil_Oz

longhorn55 cut to the chase - yes, start with Australia Post. I'm pretty sure there's a PO on the campus, failing which the GPO is nearby. The eastern side of the ANU campus borders Civic, Canberra's downtown.

judilie

Thanks, Neil_Oz and Longhorn55. I'll investigate the options that you mention. If either of you have suggestions of interesting things to see or do in the Canberra area or good places to eat, I'd welcome them.

Neil_Oz

judilie, if you use the search box above you'll find some former threads on Canberra and surrounds (as a start, not as a substitute for your own specific questions).

www.canberratourism.com.au also has useful info on upcoming events.

Will you have access to a car? Canberra offers great opportunities to explore a variety of Australian environments within a 3-hour drive including coast, mountains and inland towns. The Canberra region also has a rapidly developing wine industry.

The best dining areas are in the suburban centres of Manuka and Dickson (mainly Asian), and there are also good restaurants in Civic itself. There's also an active live theatre and music scene, and if you're interested in "art house" movies the new Dendy 10-screen complex in the Canberra Centre mall is very good. It even has a wine/espresso bar.

longhorn55

Judilie--great advice from Neil Oz on what to see and do in Canberra. Do check out the previous threads and the Canberra Tourism site. We loved hiking in Namadgi National Park outside Canberra and if you have access to a car, I highly recommend going there. Our favorite hike was the Yankee Hat hike (get a map and directions at the Visitor's Center). It's an easy 6km RT hike and you will see hundreds of kangaroos in the wild along the trail. Also, at the halfway point is a rock with various Aboriginal drawings.