Melbourne Master Thread

[lansky]

If you can, bring maror too.
Some places in AU get crazy expensive, beyond imagination

isn't that a for sure gonna be a problem of customs i was just asking on matza and I was nervous about that?

[Dan]

If you can, bring maror too.
Some places in AU get crazy expensive, beyond imagination

Not as crazy as AU customs fines.

[Mimo]

isn't that a for sure gonna be a problem of customs i was just asking on matza and I was nervous about that?

matza shouldn't be a problem, however its not so expensive to buy matza in melbourne

[lcm]

isn't that a for sure gonna be a problem of customs i was just asking on matza and I was nervous about that?

Don't know all the details, perhaps can find out how to be in line with regulations.

They are very intense on declaring everything, they play a whole video before landing on "just declare it"

[mijo]

Does anyone know the deal of bringing matza pesach time?

2 Kosher store managers/staff told me this week in BNE and MEL that they're being told to inform their customers to purchase Pesach products already and not be surprised.
They have cancelled shipments of some items from Israel
Sounds like a BYOK if you're going to AU for Pesach

[lansky]

2 Kosher store managers/staff told me this week in BNE and MEL that they're being told to inform their customers to purchase Pesach products already and not be surprised.
They have cancelled shipments of some items from Israel
Sounds like a BYOK if you're going to AU for Pesach

wow why is it so complicated even small communities in Europe don't have this problem

[Ffrank]

Not as crazy as AU customs fines.

They went crazy at me for having an apple in my hand luggage, but luckily after much deliberation, they didn't fine me.

[mijo]

wow why is it so complicated even small communities in Europe don't have this problem

They claimed due to shipping routes cancelled

[2035]

wow why is it so complicated even small communities in Europe don't have this problem

Shipping times from Israel to Australia can be in excess of 2 months, especially now with fewer ships going to ISrael + Suez canal issues.
Even in a normal year they need to ship goods +- 2.5 months before pesach to get there in time - and pesach production is only starting around then.
Many times part or all of pesach shipments don't make it in time. It's especially problematic in Perth, where I have a brother- and sister-in-law. They often have shortages before chag - then a sudden glut of matza meal a month after pesach!

[NRust]

Shipping times from Israel to Australia can be in excess of 2 months, especially now with fewer ships going to ISrael + Suez canal issues.
Even in a normal year they need to ship goods +- 2.5 months before pesach to get there in time - and pesach production is only starting around then.
Many times part or all of pesach shipments don't make it in time. It's especially problematic in Perth, where I have a brother- and sister-in-law. They often have shortages before chag - then a sudden glut of matza meal a month after pesach!

What about chicken and meat? Is it shipped in or do they get it locally. Would the shortage include chicken and meat? I’m specifically asking about Melbourne.

[lcm]

What about chicken and meat? Is it shipped in or do they get it locally. Would the shortage include chicken and meat? I’m specifically asking about Melbourne.

They have local shchita and butchers

[Mimo]

kosher meat and matza is widely available in melbourne

[NRust]

Anyone know which is better for shabbos the grand Hyatt or the park hyatt?

[Ploni3]

I can't comment on the Grand, but we stayed at the PH over Shabbos a few months ago. It is very close to shul and easy to access the building with no Shabbos issues. The internal parts of the  rooms were not particularly difficult to deal with for Shabbos but the first floor rooms are no longer freely accessible and you need an electronic key to access their hallway. So you need help from the front desk. The agents at the front desk were hit and miss when it came to being familiar with Shabbos issues and helping.

[NRust]

I can't comment on the Grand, but we stayed at the PH over Shabbos a few months ago. It is very close to shul and easy to access the building with no Shabbos issues. The internal parts of the  rooms were not particularly difficult to deal with for Shabbos but the first floor rooms are no longer freely accessible and you need an electronic key to access their hallway. So you need help from the front desk. The agents at the front desk were hit and miss when it came to being familiar with Shabbos issues and helping.

Can you access the floors from the stairs or are the doors locked and someone needs to go up with you to unlock?

[Ploni3]

Dan had already suggested that the floors were not accessible on Shabbos and that is why we stuck with the main floor, only to discover that it too was now inaccessible without help from staff.