A group of us are hunting with Simon Kyle Little in sept. 2009. I have heard that transferring guns at each transfer point is a real hassle( many hours of waiting at each point) . Anyone have any pointers that will help us have a smooth trip.

Thanks,

Lux

You should not have to many problems as long as you have all the right paperwork.

I found Australian customs and Qantas staff very helpful in 2006 when i went to Australia on a Buffalo hunt.

Customs did count my ammo,so don't take more than your permit allows.

Which airport do you enter Australia??

quote:

Originally posted by LUX:
A group of us are hunting with Simon Kyle Little in sept. 2009. I have heard that transferring guns at each transfer point is a real hassle( many hours of waiting at each point) . Anyone have any pointers that will help us have a smooth trip.

Thanks,

Lux

Transporting firearms around Australia by air is just as easy if not easier than the USA. Like TP said if you get the right paperwork and book with a good airline (Qantas) you should not have any dramas.

You will find that on entry to Australia (especially if you come through Sydney or clear customs in Darwin) so long as you have those import docs and such in order you will be treated as a VIP.

Some of my clients complain that they get the run around at the airport but let me assure you it is far easier for you to bring guns through here than for us to bring guns to your country! I think a lot of those guys are the ones who think that the local rules are stupid so why follow them? If you follow the rules you will find it very easy.

Have a great hunt - Simon is a 1st class guy and has a top area.

Cheers
Matt

I have a mate here from Brisvegas right now for some sambar hunting...absolutely NO problems whatso ever flying with a firearm (as usual)

As a foot note he had two stags rattling their heads together at 30 yards in the ti-tree but couldnt see them or close either...poop!

I have heard Simon L is very good!

Guys,

thankyou for the info. Its good to hear there are no real issues. I guess the report we heard was from a person who didnt do all the paper work correctly.

This will make our trip much better. Thanks again.

Lux

Australian Customs does not have their stuff togeather. We showed up at the Darwin airport at 10 pm for our return flight (dptng at 1 am) only to be told we had to take our firearms to the Customs office downtown to get an "export permit". The very nice lady said they opened at 8 am tomorrow. We said "bull shit" and something to the effect of we're leaving at 1 am with our firearms, figure it out.
The customs lady was very nice and was able to get some "dude" in Sydney, our connection to LAX, to do an "export permit" and give it to us in Sydney. The whole process of leaving the country was overly difficult and full of BsquaredS (Bureaucratic BS for the uninitiated).
Make sure your outfitter does something while you're there to get the almighty "export permit".
I had a couple of friends that missed their flight and had to wait a couple of days for another flight over this BS. Looks like an anti country like Oz would be happy you were taking it home with you instead of trying to confiscate it at the airport.
I'm not going back to Oz until this forum says it's safe to take you gun in, AND OUT!

Hey Pancho

Sorry to hear about your bad experiences. Like I said above you need to get good advice before you come half way around the world!!

Sounds like it was the airline girl who stuffed you around - they should have known you would have to clear your gun out of the country in Sydney at that time of night. You cant get that permit ahead of time - you must walk into the customs office and get it on departure...

You have to ask the right questions of the right people!!

One thing is for sure mate - you can easily bring a gun to my country but it is 100 times harder for me to bring a gun to your country.

How was your hunt out here anyhow??

Cheers for now
Matt

Australia - IS - a gun friendly country. I can travel all around Australia with my guns and with a simple letter of permission from a landowner hunt - just about all year round with very little seasonal restrictions. My clients who come to the NT are issued with a photo ID that gives them almost the exact same privelages in the state.


Does that sound like a (relatively) gun friendly place?

BTW - we put a LOT of international clients through the NT this year and not one person had a problem with customs or their guns...

pancho and matt,

thanks for the feed back. i have heard both good and bad when traveling with guns through the NT. Our hunt is sept 2009 .

What about the number of guns and ammo? I will take a double rifle and possibly a bolt gun.

thanks,

Lux

I can remember import paperwork asking if you planned to take more than one firearm,to give reasons why one firearm would not meet your needs

Customs did count my ammo,so don't take more than you state on your paperwork.

quote:

Originally posted by LUX:
pancho and matt,

thanks for the feed back. i have heard both good and bad when traveling with guns through the NT. Our hunt is sept 2009 .

What about the number of guns and ammo? I will take a double rifle and possibly a bolt gun.

thanks,

Lux

Absolutely no problem bringing 2 guns. Just note on the paperwork that you need two guns for different types of game. This will never be questioned in the NT.

Ammo is restricted to 5kg by airline regulation - so THAT can be an issue. That equates in my book to about 180 30-06 rounds. If you are bringing a big double you will severely restricted but I guess it depends on the hunting you are doing as to how much ammo you will need. Check with your outfitter...

Your NT permit will allow you to pick-up ammo from a gunshop in Darwin BUT do not expect them to have your ammo in-stock - order it months ahead in time if you think you need extra above the 5kg limit.

We use Tex Gun Supplies in Darwin for this facility and we do that regularly because we do so much culling - requiring extra ammo. Tex is very reliable in that regard.

Cheers
Matt

Matt,

thanks a bunch for the information. that will really help our hunting group.

best regards,

Lux

What to be aware of when you travel by air in Australia.
There is an email address in the body of this email that you can contact the Aussie airlines and find out how they do local and international firearm movements.
The carriage of firearms and/or ammunition and/or weapons in the cabin, or flight deck, of a passenger carrying aircraft, is strictly prohibited.
Advice to Reservations by the Passenger
Where a passenger advises Reservations they are carrying a firearm, the detail of the firearms/ammunition is to be entered in the reservation record (PNR), and add a manifest comment to alert airport staff. They must also gain prior appoval by emailing dgenquiries@qantas.com.au <mailto:dgenquiries@qantas.com.au> as soon as they can.
Jetstar will not accept firearms as baggage if the final destination is Hong Kong.
Firearms - Packaging
Firearms and ammunition must be packaged separately. These separate packages, where space permits, can be enclosed within one customer's suitcase, with prior consent of, and arrangement with the airline. If so, this suitcase can be part of the customer's free checked baggage allowance.
Firearms are accepted for carriage:
• If they are suitably packaged in customised cases, e.g. specially designed pistol or rifle cases; or
• Wrapped in cardboard, bubble plastic, hessian or other such material.
Firearms - Verbal Declaration at Check-In
Customer Service Officers must confirm with the passenger that firearms are:
• In an unloaded condition; and
• Suitably packed for carriage and safe transportation
• Name Tag must be on all items containing Firearms
Ammunition - Packaging
• Firearms and ammunition must be packaged separately.
• Ammunition can be carried in Passenger Baggage.
• Ammunition must be securely boxed. The original manufacturers' packaging is acceptable. If not so packed, it must be confirmed that the ammunition is securely packed in a strong outside container made of wood, metal or fibreboard and is:
a. Protected against shock;
b. Secured against movement; and
c. Packed, so that it cannot trigger accidentally under conditions of manual handling.
Ammunition - Allowable Quantity
Ammunition can be carried in quantities of less than 5 kg (11 lb) gross weight per person for that person's own use, excluding ammunition with explosive or incendiary projectiles. Allowances for more than one passenger must not be combined into one or more packages.
Ammunition - Operator Approval is Required
Please refer to the dangerous goods approval <http://jetstar-internal.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/jetstar_internal.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=243&p_sid=VhlfOfij&p_lva=98&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9NjgsNjgmcF9wcm9kcz> Ask JQ page for more information.
JQ will not accept firearms as baggage if the passenger's final destination is Hong Kong

Firearms/Ammunition - Legal Documentation
Passengers are responsible for making sure that they have all the required legal documentation for their firearm and ammunition.
This documentation must include, where required, valid export/import licenses and authorisation from local and national control authorities, to allow the items to be carried to and from the airports of departure and destination. Jetstar does not become involved in seeking the entry of firearms and/or ammunition at the destination, transfer or stopover airport. It is the passenger's responsibility to ensure that relevant documentation is ready and clearances are received prior to departure.
NOTE - Certain countries impose 'severe' penalties for possession of firearms and certain other weapons including importation without proper documentation.
Collection of Firearms
At final destination, baggage with a Baggage Services Tape is NOT to be placed with other baggage for collection by the passenger from the carousel. It must be intercepted by the Ramp/Baggage staff and delivered to the Passenger.
The Baggage Tag number MUST be matched against the Baggage Tag number on the Passenger Copy of the Boarding Pass.


For more information please contact
Jetstar Holidays
Phone: 131 538
Web: www.jetstar.com/holidays <http://www.jetstar.com/holidays>

While none of the below or I doubt anything I might hear would deter me from coming back Down under for a hunting adventure I believe there is a potential for problems as the rules and systems and people interpreting the rules related to firearms chance faster than the internet and not just in anyone country. But relative to your question I can share two stories with you.

A retired Judge I know was flying thru Oz last summer on his way to NZ. While in the terminal in Sidney waiting for the next flight he was called to a security desk and asked to show his permit for the rifle he had checked in w/Quantis in Los Angeles for the flight thru to NZ.

When he explained that he was not bringing the gun into Australia only flying thru they still insisted he needed a license or permit. He as a very experienced US circuit court judge that in his home state and country a permit or license was not necessary and he did not have one. After some further discussions he was told his rifle would be held there if he could not produce a permit. At his wife’s insistence and after much consternation that it was irrelevant and would be of no use he did allow her to take them his Concealed Carry Firearms Permit which delighted them and they put his rifle onto the flight to NZ.

So while nothing disastrous here it seems it could have been if his broadminded wife had not thought to try to appease the bureaucracy. Not sure what the actual issue was or why but I have no doubt as to the validity of the story.

A couple years back I flew to Sidney and overnighted there before going on to New Caledonia as the first leg of a hunting trip that would culminate with some hunting in the Northern Territories. I did what I thought was the proper paperwork before hand and when I arrived in Sidney and was asked to produce my paperwork I explained my itinerary and related what I was told about my paperwork being there with the police waiting for my arrival. The security people went to the office retrieved my paperwork and found it in good order so I checked thru customs and on to the hotel for the night. 5 days later when I returned from NC for my NT hunt I again told the folks that my paperwork was there with the police. They again went and retrieved my file only this time they said my paperwork had already been used and was no longer valid. It seems that the week of my NC hunt they had changed the system to a 1 time use per permit and I now needed a new permit.

Quite a problem since it was a Saturday evening and there was some kind of soccer match between NZ and OZ and I was the only person that didn’t seem to care about the stupid football thing, since I had a flight and hunt to attend to. So with no one to answer a phone with enough authority to resolve the issue, ultimately my guns were held and I had to travel on without them. I did find I was not alone in my dilemma as I met some sort of Australian sky martial that had his police issued handgun impounded as his permit was also not beyond the new onetime rule.

Via an internet café in Darwin I got the issues related and in a few days my guns and ammo were transferred at Govt. expense and the folks were very nice and accommodating at the Darwin end.

So bottom line is there is not too much in this world government can't make just a little bit more difficult but at least most of them I have met in Oz at least smile while doing it!

Mike

Everywhere you go with firearms is a hassle UNLESS you have all the right paperwork. I get sick of hearing about how hard it is with transitting firearms through Australia. Hey you guys, it's no picknick trying to transit the good old US of A with firearms either!!! Tried to get paperwork to go through the U.S. last year on my way to Canada and no-one from customs to the ATF could or would help me!!!

Just come and enjoy our country, but make sure of the paperwork before you come, just like anywhere else.

Cheers,
Mark.

quote:

Originally posted by madabula:
A retired Judge I know was flying thru Oz last summer on his way to NZ. While in the terminal in Sidney waiting for the next flight he was called to a security desk and asked to show his permit for the rifle he had checked in w/Quantis in Los Angeles for the flight thru to NZ.

When he explained that he was not bringing the gun into Australia only flying thru they still insisted he needed a license or permit. He as a very experienced US circuit court judge that in his home state and country a permit or license was not necessary and he did not have one. After some further discussions he was told his rifle would be held there if he could not produce a permit. At his wife’s insistence and after much consternation that it was irrelevant and would be of no use he did allow her to take them his Concealed Carry Firearms Permit which delighted them and they put his rifle onto the flight to NZ.

Exactly the same problem experienced by Aussie hunters flying through the US to Canada. Never enter the US but they receive hassles. In fact without bucking the system there is NO permit available. The flight needs to be direct to Canada and never hit a US airport, whether you "enter" the country or not.

quote:

So bottom line is there is not too much in this world government can't make just a little bit more difficult but at least most of them I have met in Oz at least smile while doing it!

It is only going to get worse until none of us can travel with firearms anywhere.

***

A story. A true one but an old one from 1986. An American CPA was flying to Aust for a 3 month work exchange. Arriving in Sydney, via Hong Kong and who knows where else, it was discovered he was carrying a loaded handgun. He argued strenuously about his Constitutional rights but no joy, it was confiscated. Of course Aust IS a Sovereign country and the US Constitution means nothing here. Also interesting how he went through several airports and the handgun was never pinged.

Nowadays I think his arguments and problems might be a little bit more lengthy and time consuming ...

The morale of this story is, just because people relate annoying stories, do they actually know what they are talking about? Did they have anything like the right documentation for the foreign country? Even with everything together there is always the bureaucrat factor.