G’day from Australia

[tobefrank]

Hi all, I’ve been a long time lurker and thought I’d introduce myself.
I’m only a moderate pipe smoker, I smoke a bowl every couple of weeks or so. This has its benefits though.
I don’t need a big stash to have a lifetime supply, I’m automatically aging ttobacco without even trying, and my current collection of about 30 different blends or so will be a smoking adventure for many years to come.
Current favourites are Peterson’s Irish Oak, McConnell Scottish Flake and McClellands Red and Black. I also enjoy McClellands Wilderness from time to time.

 

[cortezattic]

Welcome to the forums. Glad you decided to participate. :clap:

 

[robcapp]

Gday Tobefrank!
Welcome, mate. Whereabouts in Aus are you?

 

[mikethompson]

Welcome to the forum!
My wife and I spent a few weeks in Australia several years ago. The stars above Uluru still capture my imagination. We did the east coast primarily. What part are you in?

 

[redglow]

Welcome aboard from Detroit! Enjoy!

 

[Civil War]

Welcome to the Forums!

 

[tobefrank]

Thanks for the welcome, guys. I live in Perth in the southwest of Western Australia.
@mikethompson, sounds like you’ve had a magical time in Australia.

Can’t say I have been to Uluru yet (it’s on the list), but I do get to enjoy the stars most times I make it out of the city. Western Australia is great for camping, fishing and surfing.

 

[npod]

Cheers from Atlanta. Pull up a chair and join in. My pal, @RobCapp, is also from Australia and we had a chance to discuss the pipe and tobacco culture and climate in Australia a few weeks ago at the Chicago show. There is certainly a pipe community there and I'm glad you joined in here to mark your presence and represent the Aussies.

 

[dcon]

Welcome from FL.

 

[brendhain]

Welcome! I am in Sweden. Much like Australia we have sky high tin prices. At least we aren’t in Canada where their prices are insane.

 

[pagan]

Howdy

 

[derhammer]

Welcome!

 

[timelord]

G'Day from the East Coast

 

[hawky454]

G’day mate and welcome aboard. I’ve heard that tobacco can be hard to come by in the land down under, do you have any trouble in that regard?

 

[elbert]

Welcome! That's my dream vacation (holiday?) ever since I read Bill Bryson, In a Sunburnt Country. (That's my number one audiobook recommendation for anyone, by the way. Been through it three times)

 

[charf]

Welcome from NZ. I heard somewhere recently that Aussie is looking to ban personal International tobacco mail order. Man, that would be a bummer and certainly narrow down blend options and availability.

 

[tobefrank]

Pipe tobacco is available, but it is expensive and the range of options available is limited, especially compared to the US.
Buying a tin of pipe tobacco online from an Australian website is between AUD $90 and $100. This is largely due to tobacco tax (just over AUD $1 per gram, about AUD $54 per 50 gram/1.75 oz tin) and partly due to exchange rates.
Almost all of the blends that I have in my collection I have bought online from the US. I found that if I ordered in small batches of up to 5 tins at a time they would often slip through without incurring tax and duties.
It appears that lately they have increased their scrutiny and I have been hit with tax and duties on most of my last few orders. The thing is, even with paying tax and duties it is still slightly cheaper than ordering from an Australian website.
As I mentioned in my introduction, I’m only a moderate pipe smoker, so I’m pretty much set for life with the collection/cellar I have built up over the last few years.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they will introduce a ban on international mail orders. This wouldn’t affect me so much as it would other Australian pipe smokers that smoke more regularly than I do.
It appears this where things are going worldwide in years to come. Seems like a good reason to stock up on your favourite blends while you can.

 

[curl]

I changed Siri’s voice on my phone to the Australian lady.

I suspect that if I had visited Australia as a young man, I woulda stayed there for life, just to hear the ladies talk.

 

[fusion]

Hello and Welcome from NorCal

 

[timelord]

Yea, buying tobacco in Aus is expensive but up to now I've not had a problem buying from the US via the 'net. Occasionally it gets picked up by customs and I have to pay the duty (but at least I get the blends I want) but more often than not it just arrives on the doorstep without an issue which is a bonus (I'm not ordering it from overseas to avoid the tobacco duty but to get something which is pleasant to smoke!). Of course this could all change at the whim of a government in the future.