Thanks Dolly for your response.

So it took about three weeks at a particularly busy time; that's a good sign then.

As for the inventory, I'm kicking myself for not completing one. If I had known it would be required (although I suppose it makes sense that it would be -- I guess I was just thinking we'd have to fill out one of those forms like you get at the airport certifying that you're not carrying anything dangerous or illegal, etc)I would've done it whilst packing. The shipping company did send an inventory list to complete and I'd started it, only to be told that it was only necessary if we were going to take out additional insurance which we opted against! DERR! My bad.

I'll know for next time to write down everything that goes in each box on a sheet of paper and tape it to the outside of the box so that it'll be easier on the customs fellas. Hopefully they won't see anything that will make them suspicious! All of our stuff is pretty innocuous really With that said, I had NO IDEA just how serious Quarantine regs were in this country until the QANTAS people told us we couldn't even take the cookies we were given on the plane into the country!!!