I was just dreaming and looking for late Aug next year to Zim and return in early Sept.

Auckland to Joburg return for about US$1570!!! The best part is that the transit in Sydney is less than 2 hours each way.

My trip this Sept via SA was a 6 hour transit in Perth on the way out & then returning from Vic Falls it was 6 hours in Joburg & 6 hours in Perth again.

I wish I struck Lotto now - I'd book my safari & flights right away!

It is a mistake to transit Perth internationally with firearms, if other routes are available. Dont do it... ever.

It's spelt Qantas too, by the way.

I like Quantas better... But thanks for the lesson Professor Graham

Transitted Perth the other week with no problem at all !
Got my B709 etc issued by WA police as Perth was the departure/entry point instead of turning up with paperwork from my home state. Even getting the paperwork was easier than in QLD ! They also - as of course - provided a temporary firearms permit for the journey between International and Domestic terminals. Very efficient.

quote:

Originally posted by Ridgeman:
Transitted Perth the other week with no problem at all !
Got my B709 etc issued by WA police as Perth was the departure/entry point instead of turning up with paperwork from my home state. Even getting the paperwork was easier than in QLD ! They also - as of course - provided a temporary firearms permit for the journey between International and Domestic terminals. Very efficient.

I agree with Matt. I would not travel again via WA to Africa with rifles.
You will also be on an SA AIR WAY flight from Perth

O.K. Guys - what did I miss ? Also had another good experience with SAA. Did I miss something there too ?

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:

quote:

Originally posted by Ridgeman:
Transitted Perth the other week with no problem at all !
Got my B709 etc issued by WA police as Perth was the departure/entry point instead of turning up with paperwork from my home state. Even getting the paperwork was easier than in QLD ! They also - as of course - provided a temporary firearms permit for the journey between International and Domestic terminals. Very efficient.

I agree with Matt. I would not travel again via WA to Africa with rifles.
You will also be on an SA AIR WAY flight from Perth

What Matt and Ozhunter say. WA police are very unpredictable about firearms. You could end up having the police confiscate or refuse to let you rifles into the country. If you are on an International flight and transiting to another international flight you might be lucky.

Oh and QANTAS = Queensland And Northern Territory Airial Services. However I do like the way the Japanese pronounce QANTAS. It comes out as Cuntus coco:-)

Well I guess anything is always possible. We were transitting domestic / international and back the other way. Coming home only our guns made it to Perth - not the ammo. They were very understanding and didn't compound the issue. If you have the CORRECT paperwork I fail to see how the authorities can make life awkward. Maybe i just got lucky each time. Another version of Qantas is - Quick and nasty , typical Australian service !

quote:

Originally posted by Ridgeman:
Transitted Perth the other week with no problem at all !
Got my B709 etc issued by WA police as Perth was the departure/entry point instead of turning up with paperwork from my home state. Even getting the paperwork was easier than in QLD ! They also - as of course - provided a temporary firearms permit for the journey between International and Domestic terminals. Very efficient.

I was thinking more along the lines of international visitors transiting Perth to get to Africa or elsewhere. It happens quite a bit - Hawaiians, Kiwis and other Pac. Islanders going to Southern Africa, some passengers on around-the-world tickets or those simply joining/combo-ing a South Pacific hunt with an African hunt.

And yes Aussies too - dont transit international through Perth to save a couple hundred bucks or to use your airmiles. Yes it might go OK but if your flights or baggage are delayed the 'authorities' in WA can do all kinds of damage - or 100 otther possible things WA Customs (and the airlines) can cook-up to screw you over.

This business of getting the WA Police to issue your B709 is just utter, utter bollocks. We get B709's issued by all other states to go through any Int entry/exit point... but somehow Customs in WA make up their own rules!!

Had a client a year or two ago (US client transiting to RSA) - he had WA customs steal his guns and ammo for a MONTH OR TWO because he was traveling on an NT-issued B709. They claimed he could not take his guns out of the country because they had been illegally allowed into the country by Brisbane Customs agents!!! So they wanted him to drive to the local WA cop shop - get a new B709 to import it legally and then they would let him export it!! This is all 100% TRUE.

He argued with them for a few hours and then reluctantly opted to not miss his flights and left the guns in Aust. When I finally got those *$^$((&#**# on the phone and email I managed to carve them a new one and made them ship his guns and ammo back to the USA (at their own cost) with written apologies for their gross negligence and fuckup.... but I have little doubt that they will still try such things to screw over hunters... that I am SURE.

If they don't use this SCAM - they do have others up their sleeve. Another one they tried on another client was they wouldn't issue him an RGP to exit that day because Perth wasn't his final exit point - Sydney was. So he had to get the RGP in Sydney and consequently missed his O/S connection. The problem wasn't entirely theirs... the flights were only booked that day and care wasn't paid to the close timing of connections... but still... Perth could have obliged him, by doing the paperwork ... as any other Customs office in Australia would. But not those fuckwits!!!

There is some good news though, elsewhere, with other Customs offices. We had an issue in South Australia this year and the Adelaide officers bent over backwards to help the client, so that he could fly out with his guns. They said that would hate to see him messed-around!! That simply would not happen in WA - even though it is the exact same Fed govt department.

Sorry punters - don't be scared of coming to Australia with your guns... major East Coast ports (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne) are fine for entry and exit with guns - but do NOT transit Perth on International flights!!!!!!

I'm from WA originally, so I know some farmers there. I have gone to Africa just twice now, both times through WA with SAA. I get the NT Police to issue my B709A and the WA Police to issue me with a temporary permit, as I always visit to hunt deer and foxes and what-not on my friends' properties. You just need a letter of permission from the farmer.

By the way, when I was initially talking to WA Police Firearms Branch about the issue, they said that the airport is considered Federal, so the problem only arises when you leave the airport without a WA permit. In my travels there I have never encountered a WA police officer, only the Customs guys and the airport Federals. Never have I been asked to show my WA permit, but it could happen if you were pulled over or something.

Because I have done all my paperwork in advance (of course, but would you believe some people don't, and just rock-up there!), it has been an absolute breeze working with Customs both leaving and arriving. They are nice people.

Ben - this just highlights the fact the Customs (particularly in WA) - make the rules up as they go.

What possible reason would they have to make my client go down to WAPOL and get a B709?

You cant just say that people need to get their paperwork done in advance and that will solve it. There are some serious issues with Customs staff training for firearms at international airports... this has been acknowledged to me by Customs agents themselves.

IMO - until WA itself becomes more firearms friendly and aware - Perth Int will be a potential hazard for Int passengers with firearms. The fact that (in theory) you have to get a temporary permit from WAPOL to transit inside the airport - in itself shows that the system there is FUBAR.

As a "Non -Aussie" just looking in, what/who is WA??? Thanks.

Larry Sellers
SCI(International)Life Member
R8 Blaser

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Sellers:
As a "Non -Aussie" just looking in, what/who is WA??? Thanks.

Larry Sellers
SCI(International)Life Member
R8 Blaser

Western Australia may be?

Yep - Western Australia , as SA is South Australia , NSW is New South Wales , V is Victoria , Q is Queensland , NT is Northern Territory , T is Tasmania , ACT is Australian Capital Territory and NZ for New Zealand is not part of them at all ;-)

Yes the All Blacks played the US in Chicago & the TV News channel welcomed the Aussies!

What an insult .....

The Aussies were at the Chicago game, they were the ball boys

NZ? Just another province really... It even rates a mention on the first page of our constitution!

6. "The Commonwealth" shall mean the Commonwealth of Australia as established under this Act.

"The States" shall mean such of the colonies of New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia, including the northern territory of South Australia, as for the time being are parts of the Commonwealth, and such colonies or territories as may be admitted into or established by the Commonwealth as States; and each of such parts of the Commonwealth shall be called "a State".

New Zealand has 4 main islands. North Island, South Island and Stewart Island are the important one. Then we have the West Island where all the criminals were sent to.