Express shipping to China: The postal alternatives in Melbourne that deliver goods at a fast and affordable rate

THERE’s more than one way to express deliver goods from Australia back home without having to go through Australia Post’s rates. Trinity College Foundation Studies students Liuxin,Wen Xinyi and Xu Zihan offer two alternative mailing solutions in Melbourne for Chinese international students that they might not know about. 

All students will no doubt have been asked by their friends and family to bring back goods and other gifts from Australia. Whether it be food, souvenirs or even medicine, international students aren’t simply students in the eyes of their loved ones back home; they’re also couriers.

But rather than carry overweight luggage into the airport, there are ways that you can express deliver goods back home without having to go through Australia Post. Chinese international students in particular will find that in Melbourne, there are two ideal delivery services that offer affordable pricing on express delivery.

So perhaps instead of worrying about delivering parcels through through regular Australian postage or bringing far too much luggage with you on your next flight, consider the following two express delivery companies the next time your friends and family back home ask for Australian gifts.

O’ Nature

O’ Nature is located on Victoria St and is a company that co-operatively works with two popular express delivery companies: VIP International Express and Blue Sky International Express.

Through VIP, customers need only pay $7 dollars per kilogram to post a package which can include anything from medicine, snacks, shoes and clothes. Unfortunately, VIP does not express deliver any jewellery due to customs tax, adding that it also doesn’t want to be responsible for any damages to jewellery that may occur as a result of shipping and handling. VIP also limits the maximum number of products per box to ten. Delivery time is usually estimated to be around two weeks between Melbourne and China.

Blue Sky on the other hand is primarily used by customers to ship baby formula. Why baby formula? Australian baby formula is highly regarded as being much more safe and higher quality than those available in China. When we spoke to one staff member at O’Nature, they explained that Blue Sky was best for when customers need to ship baby formula because it was “quicker and cheaper” than VIP.

Isabella, a student from Trinity College, says she uses O’ Nature’s services because it is not far from her school and is very cheap. She does warn, however, that parcels can sometimes get stuck at customs leading to delayed deliveries.

Chang Jiang International Express

Photo: Hieu Chau

Located in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD on the corner of Swanston St and Lonsdale (across from QV), Chang Jiang International Express is the most popular and well-established express delivery service for Chinese nationals living in Australia. Often it is the first choice for those wishing to deliver goods back to China.

Rates start at $9.00 per kilogram though this excludes milk powder. Seeds, meat products, fruit, cheese, pet food, perfume, wood, cash, luxury, inflammable items and seafood are forbidden to post.

Delivery time normally takes about seven business days if customers ship to China though it can be a bit longer if deliveries overlap with holidays or if customs need to inspect your package. Once it arrives in China, the Chinese Postal service will handle your delivery securely. It is important to note also that Chang Jiang International Express provides a luggage delivery service which can help those looking to ship even larger items and is especially attractive to Chinese students and immigrants who want to ship their luggage conveniently.

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When comparing the two delivery services, we found that O’ Nature had the advantage in price but the delivery time of Chang Jiang International Express was faster. If you are not strict with time, you can use O’ Nature to save money. But if you want to make your delivery fast and safe, Chang Jiang International Express can be the best choice.

This story was produced by Media and Communication students at Trinity College Foundation Studies as part of Meld’s community newsroom collaboration. Education institutions, student clubs/societies and community groups interested in being involved can get in touch with us via meld@meldmagazine.com.au.