Kava

[Drelix]

Can kava be brought back into Australia ?

Do I also have to tell customs as it is food / animal matter ?

[Aus Traveller]

Yes, it can be brought into Australia. There is a limit. I am not sure if it is 1kg or 2kg. Yes - it would be safe to declare it, even though it is in a powdered form.

[dizzy1948]

Always tick "yes" on your customs card - even if it's only for two lollies - because yes is a good answer - "no" can cause lots of problems if they want to be pedantic on that particular day. You might want to read the Australian Customs/Governments take on Kava - you could have a problem - it is classed as a drug.

[Aus Traveller]

The younger adults in our family were interested in buying kava in Vila, but didn't because they were unsure if it was legal. When we returned to Sydney, they asked the Customs Officer and I heard him say quite casually that it was OK to bring it in but there was a limit.

 

Check it out to be sure, although I have to say I'm not sure WHY you would want kava. :D:D

[GandM-nq]

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/importation-of-kava

 

Incoming passengers who are over the age of 18 years are allowed to bring 2 kg of kava into Australia in their accompanied baggage.

 

Weird thing is that it does state "This practice has been maintained to reflect the cultural significance of kava use by people of South Pacific Islander descent" but does not mention anywhere the question of ethniticity of the person bringing the kava in. Go figure. You would need to declare it in any case.

[avalon007]

Always good to declare everything for the sake of keeping our country safe from pests & diseases.:)

[Sandielle]

A couple of times I've declared things I'm not sure about and when I've given my entry card to the Customs Officer, he's directed me to the Exit door. So quick and easy.

[Pushka]

I remember ticking yes, as we were travelling with teenage children, and you never know what they may have tucked into their bags. When they asked me what it was i was declaring, I said I couldn't think of anything, but thought it best to say yes and be wrong, than say no and be wrong! They thought I was weird.

 

We did havea dreadful experience one time. I had bought some lollies from our market here in Adelaide, those little round pellet things that look like they come from the middle of lifesavers. Put them in the luggage and went to Bali. They stayed in the teenagers bags, as they were in a separate room to us. The kids then packed up their own clothes to come home.

 

Got to customs and this time said we had nothing to declare. They took hubby and I, and one son, who was over 18, aside, and read us our rights! They told the other son, who was 15, to wait with another customs office away from us :eek: Yegads, what had the kids bought back from Bali. I'm thinking, BBGuns, drugs, whatever. They said they had xrayed our bags and had found an illegal substance. Crap.

 

So they went to my son's bag and knew exactly where to search. Sure enough, they dragged out the paper bag with a Central Market logo, which contained about 300 grams of...those damned lollies, which of course, on xray, looked like a great drug score for customs. Everyone actually cracked up laughing.

[Sandielle]

LOL Pushka. That reminds me of coming back from NZ a few years ago. They had the beagles cirulating at Portside that time. We had nothing to declare so were making our way around the 'zigzag' line to the door, when I said to DH, "Isn't that dog beautiful?" Next thing, the 'beautiful' doggie sat down by my case. So began the farce - after a frantic search for the key, the Customs Officer throwing my clothes :o:o:o hell, west and crooked, they discovered an unopened packet of Bundy Rum Fudge (leftover from Christmas) taken in case we got hungry - haha, as if. I had completely forgotten about it. Much hilarity as they remarked they didn't know the dog liked Bundy Rum, while leaving me to stuff my underwear back in my case and beat a hasty retreat. :D:D:D