Transportation

[teamak]

Hi All,

Sorry to the mods if I've put this in the wrong section, I had a good look and couldn't find anywhere more appropriate.

I'm looking at encountering a very big move at some time soon (big as in Hobart to Perth) and am wondering, what is the best way to transport them over there? My plan was to leave them here with a friend and do the major styling when i returned for visits but it would be impractical and expensive, especially in the long run. Overnight express posting meticulously packaged bonsai boxes seems to be the best way imaginable in my head, and would be costly but worth it in my eyes. Would this be very detrimental to the tree's health? Is there much of a risk the process will break limbs or jeopardize the potential of them?
Failing that there's the road trip option, hiring a van and securing them in the back
I'd love to hear your thoughts

[Matthew]

you have a few issues there.
WA has very strict quantine laws regarding what plant matter comes in. i think you need a permit ?
Perths summer is HOT and dry the opposite to hobart so i think some of your trees may struggle depending on the species
Travel wise i moved from rockhampton QLD to NE vic a distance over 2500KM. I got a specific nursery courier to ship over 80 trees which took 6 days. not a branch broken or any other issues. My tropical have to spend winter in a hot house when it gets into the minuses but otherwise they love it here as well. cost was not cheap a few grand but to me it was worth it.

good luck with it

[Bougy Fan]

Don't think it will be worth you while to get the trees that are allowed into WA. Craig or Pup can give you the specifics but I think you would be leaving your collection behind

[fiveoffive]

Its All about how big your collection is and how much you want it.

you could allways rent a Ute or something and drive your fav's to your new home :p

[Bretts]

Getting trees into WA is not as hard as many think.
Yes you will need to check that the species you have are allowed in (most are)
Then you have two options. Anyone is allowed to bring over 20 trees/plants with no permit paperwork or checks.
Over this amount and you must spray the trees while being observed by an official.
Call WA quarantine to verify the details.

I think I would be leaning towards driving them over.

[Pup]

The information Brett has given is good, Tasmania is very much like WA in the Quarantine Laws. Trees are allowed in but you have to know which ones.

Also with your trees check them as to conditions, tomorrow it is forcast at 40 and DRY. We will break a 115 year old record unless it drops below 35.

We have had officially 8 heat waves this summer.( we are in autumn some one tells me) A heat wave is when we get 5 days in excess of 35.

So make sure the ones you bring can handle these condition. Your beech for instance will not nor spruce or larch and yew . Also if you know which suburb you are going to will help.
Along the coast to the north of Perth there are areas where the do not get any frosts. Some areas to the south do as some more inland.

By the way welcome to WA. When you get here PM me or Craig.

Cheers Pup

[AndrewC]

I drove a small collection (about 15 bonsai) from Vic to WA in 2006. At that time, each tree needed to be sprayed under observation within a certain number of days of crossing the border. The quarantine people at the border were professional and methodical in checking my paperwork and each bonsai for signs of disease or bugs. My trees all survived the journey in the back of a station wagon - I was most worried about the heat but it turned out that lack of light into some branches caused some minor grief. I should have shifted the collection around at least once so that no branches got shaded out for too long. As a West Australian now I am very grateful for the quarantine laws and officials who monitor them, there are a bunch of nasties on the east coast that we need to keep on the other side of the desert!

BTW, I live on the south coast and our conditions are much cooler than those of Perth that Pup described (but no frost close to the coast) ... so the suitability of your species really depends on where you expect to be living. Welcome.

[Bretts]

Denmark is a nice place Andrew. Any work down there yet?

[teamak]

...Thanks heaps for your responses guys. the sense of mateship in these forums is awesome.

Thanks for the welcomes too.
It will only be a small collection of trees, 15-20 max. Driving over wouldn't be all that bad especially as I've never driven west of Melbourne except when I've visited Perth. The logistics would be interesting to figure out and getting set up would be at least a day's work, yeah? The question I can't get out of my head is, the best way to fix them in place? How did you guys go about it on your trips, Andrew and Matthew?
Cheers pup, the collection will most likely consist of maples, junis, cedars, and pines with the odd serissa or elm thrown in for flavour. Obviously my native lepto will have to chill down here with the other natives
Bretts - going by that logic I'll just acquire myself 21 trees and I should be right? hah, cheers tho mate, ill keep it under 20.
Once I get myself sorted in the big state I'll be acquiring many a new tree to help, if anything, myself acclimatise to growing in new conditions.

Here's a question to anyone commenting on Tassie summers though - how many of you have experienced one? Granted, in terms of consistency they have nothing on a mainland summer, and they only last about 2 months. BUT, we're smack-dab underneath the hole in the ozone layer. When it gets hot down here, boy let me tell you, it gets HOT. and DRY. You'll be sunburnt in half an hour or less, the sun has a different bite to it down here.

But that's enough of that. Thanks again everyone.

[Pup]

...Thanks heaps for your responses guys. the sense of mateship in these forums is awesome.

Thanks for the welcomes too.
It will only be a small collection of trees, 15-20 max. Driving over wouldn't be all that bad especially as I've never driven west of Melbourne except when I've visited Perth. The logistics would be interesting to figure out and getting set up would be at least a day's work, yeah? The question I can't get out of my head is, the best way to fix them in place? How did you guys go about it on your trips, Andrew and Matthew?
Cheers pup, the collection will most likely consist of maples, junis, cedars, and pines with the odd serissa or elm thrown in for flavour. Obviously my native lepto will have to chill down here with the other natives
Bretts - going by that logic I'll just acquire myself 21 trees and I should be right? hah, cheers tho mate, ill keep it under 20.
Once I get myself sorted in the big state I'll be acquiring many a new tree to help, if anything, myself acclimatise to growing in new conditions.

Here's a question to anyone commenting on Tassie summers though - how many of you have experienced one? Granted, in terms of consistency they have nothing on a mainland summer, and they only last about 2 months. BUT, we're smack-dab underneath the hole in the ozone layer. When it gets hot down here, boy let me tell you, it gets HOT. and DRY. You'll be sunburnt in half an hour or less, the sun has a different bite to it down here.

But that's enough of that. Thanks again everyone.

Try 10 minutes, slip slop slap even when I water. Always with the hat.
Your Pines Cedar and Elms might be a problem. When I have transported trees for shows, I put a peice of carpet on the floor it helps to stop them from sliding about too much.
Also if it is damp it helps with the humidity, which is good.
Cheers Pup

[teamak]

Yeah no I do use sunscreen it's the occasions when you go outside to do something briefly and end up getting caught up doing something. Ouch.

Thanks pup, thats awesome. I'll look more into WA import laws and whatnot regarding species and how they'll hope. Carpet sounds like a good idea. I was more concerned about the method of transport than anything else at this stage... You seem to be the shohin man around here as well sir, so you might very well be seeing my name crop up more often in the future

also - happy birthday for yesterday! hope it was a cracker

[Mojo Moyogi]

Getting trees into WA is not as hard as many think.
Yes you will need to check that the species you have are allowed in (most are)
Then you have two options. Anyone is allowed to bring over 20 trees/plants with no permit paperwork or checks.
Over this amount and you must spray the trees while being observed by an official.
Call WA quarantine to verify the details.

I think I would be leaning towards driving them over.

I drove a small collection (about 15 bonsai) from Vic to WA in 2006. At that time, each tree needed to be sprayed under observation within a certain number of days of crossing the border. The quarantine people at the border were professional and methodical in checking my paperwork and each bonsai for signs of disease or bugs. My trees all survived the journey in the back of a station wagon - I was most worried about the heat but it turned out that lack of light into some branches caused some minor grief. I should have shifted the collection around at least once so that no branches got shaded out for too long. As a West Australian now I am very grateful for the quarantine laws and officials who monitor them, there are a bunch of nasties on the east coast that we need to keep on the other side of the desert!

BTW, I live on the south coast and our conditions are much cooler than those of Perth that Pup described (but no frost close to the coast) ... so the suitability of your species really depends on where you expect to be living. Welcome.

Hi Teamak, as it seems that there is quite a disparity in what some of us believe are the requirements to take live plants into WA, I strongly suggest that you obtain advice (in writing) from DPI WA or the equivalent agency. It is worth mentioning that 2 years ago I looked into importing plants into both WA and Tas from Victoria, spoke to officials in all 3 states and was given a variety of different responses

Tasmania is very much like WA in the Quarantine Laws.

Yes Pup it is. Also coming out of my enquiries 2 years ago and of interest is if Teamak is travelling by road is whether the trees he is transporting are considered to be from Tasmania, the state he/she departed from, or South Australia, the state he/she entered WA from. My money would be SA, unless the trees were packaged in what quarantine consider to be packaging that is imperviuos to insect pests.

Teamak, when you get a definitive answer, please let us know.

Cheers,
Mojo

...there are a bunch of nasties on the east coast that we need to keep on the other side of the desert!

They must be attracted to beer that is drinkable then eh...oh wait NSW and QLD are on the East coast, what is their excuse

[Bretts]

Yep like I said

Call WA quarantine to verify the details.

Find the number here

http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/PC_93008.html