ship a car Page 18

Shipping a car in Australia is less pirate adventure, more paperwork and patience, but perfectly doable.

For domestic moves, open carriers are the value play, enclosed transport costs more but keeps stone chips and nosey cockatoos at bay; expect roughly AUD 400–1,200 city-to-city on the east coast and AUD 1,500–3,000 cross-country, depending on size and timing.

Transit usually runs 2–10 business days, and door-to-door adds convenience (and a few hundred bucks) over depot-to-depot.

Prep like a pro: leave about a quarter tank, remove toll tags and loose bits, photograph everything, declare mods, and make sure insurance covers transport.

Going overseas? Think roll-on/roll-off or container, plus quarantine cleaning and import/export paperwork that’s about as fun as queueing at the DMV, but necessary.

Get a few written quotes, read the exclusions twice, then enjoy the smug glow of not driving 3,000 km yourself.