Mail (including gifts) can be sent to expeditioners staying at Australia’s Antarctic and sub-Antarctic stations through Australia Post or other couriers. Mail articles are limited to envelopes, postcards and small parcels and packages with a maximum weight of 1kg, and a maximum size of a standard shoe box.
Mail is consolidated for each station at AAD’s head office in canvas mail bags. These items are not tracked at an individual item level. Mail bags are consigned to available transports, subject to payloads and weather conditions.
Mail articles that exceed 1 kg, parcels that are not easily placed into the mail bag, and items that contain dangerous goods will be shipped as ‘cargo’. These items are not transported as mail. They are consigned as personal effects and delivered to stations on the next available cargo transport.
Alcohol and liquids must not be consigned via the mail system.
All mail must adhere to the Division’s environmental and biosecurity requirements.
Mail cut-off dates can be found on the shipping and flight schedules page.
If you have a gift that you would like passed onto your expeditioner on a certain date (for example, a birthday present), you can address the mail to your expeditioner's Station Leader and include some instructions on when or how you would like it handed over.
How to address mail
For expeditioners in training at AAD Kingston, address mail using this format:
Ms A Example – Expeditioner in Training
Australian Antarctic Division
PO Box 385
KINGSTON
TAS 7050
For expeditioners in Antarctica or Macquarie Island, address mail using this format:
Ms A Example – Davis Station (or Casey, Davis, Mawson or Macquarie Island)
Australian Antarctic Division
PO Box 385
KINGSTON
TAS 7050
Please do not address expeditioner mail to 203 Channel Highway, Kingston.