It's hard - you have to balance the cost of bringing stuff with the loss of having to replace stuff...and of taking it back home again at the end (that's what freaked us out the most)...

How long are you planning to come here for ?

Is your company paying for the freight - are you sending it by air or sea ?

We found the quote was only 25% more to have our stuff air-freighted, and we got it in about 10 days...as opposed to sea which was going to take several months.

I would bring technical/sentimental and kids books. I wouldn't bother with novels to read unless you truly are going to read them over and over...you can get them second-hand from sales here and from amazon UK if you want to buy new stuff, or join the library - most have a small selection of english stuff.

Clothes are a problem because of the climate-difference. I recommend stocking up on new good underwear that's going to last (the sizing here is different and I have trouble getting the equivalent of a size 14C/D which is not really considered 'big' in Australia, but obviously is 'above average' here in Switzerland You'll need winter, water/snow proof shoes and you just won't find the best practical stuff in Australia - better to shop around in Europe..

You can get Australian wine here - unless you really know what you are buying, I wouldn't bother - it's cheaper here than in OZ!

You can even get a selection of coopers and other Aussie beers if you are desperate...

We air freighted all the basics for our kitchen - although we could replace it here, the hassle and inconvenience of trying to buy all those bits and pieces made it easier to bring it all - we also went to Ikea and picked up the minimal kitchen stuff we needed (and all our stuff from Australia was the 'best' of what we had).

I wouldn't bother with furniture - if you are returning to Australia you'll end up paying more in freight than it will cost to get new stuff, and if you are here permanently, the second-hand furniture option is pretty attractive...whether you like 'trendy' stuff or 'traditional'...