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Christmas gifts for family in Australia from the UK
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Read guideGift ideas
Birthday gift ideas for family and friends in Australia
Birthday gift ideas for family and friends in another city, with picks by who they are, gifts that skip the post and how far ahead to order.
The short answer
Birthday gift ideas for family and friends in Australia
A good birthday gift for someone who lives in another city is one thing they'll actually use, one treat, and a few words that sound like you, ordered early enough to beat the post. If it's coming from us, that means at least 5 business days ahead for a Sydney address and up to 9 for Darwin. The rest is knowing the person.
Distance makes the knowing part harder. You can't spot the book on their bedside table or the new hobby taking over the spare room. So start with your last few phone calls. Were they planning a trip, settling into a new place, or just hanging out for a quiet weekend? That's your brief.
Birthday gift ideas by who they are
Mum
She'll tell you not to fuss. Fuss a little. Something for a quiet night in, plus a photo or video from you, lands better than anything expensive. Photo calendars come up again and again on gift forums for a reason: she'll look at it every day. Our gifts for parents gather the gentler options.
Dad
The classic "has everything, wants nothing" case. Food he can share without admitting it was a present usually works. So does a magazine subscription for the thing he reads about, or an IOU for a weekend with you next time you're home. Skip the novelty socks.
Siblings, friends and everyone else
- A sibling. Lean on the in-jokes. A Crochet Comfort Companion in the character that matches a family nickname (there's a pickle, a potato and a duck, among others) beats anything sensible.
- Your best friend. The treat you'd split at their place, and the voice-of-reason video you'd normally send at 11pm. More ideas on our best friends page.
- A partner. Build it around a ritual you share. Our long-distance couple gift ideas go deeper.
- A grandparent. Easy to open, easy to read. Ring ahead so they know to point their phone camera at the code on the card. There's more in our guide to gifts for grandparents interstate.
Gifts that don't need posting
Some of the best long-distance birthday presents never go near a post office, which also means they can land on the actual day.
- A voucher for the café or bakery around the corner from them. You know the one, they've mentioned it twice.
- A birthday cake from a bakery in their suburb, ordered for pick-up or delivery.
- Tickets to something local: a gig, a comedy night, a footy game.
- A group video from everyone who can't be there, sent first thing in the morning.
- A subscription they'd never pay for themselves, like audiobooks or a streaming service.
These pair well with a posted gift that arrives a few days early and waits on the bench for the morning.
Choose a box around how they spend their time
If you'd rather send something they can open, these are the four we'd choose between for a birthday, matched to the kind of person rather than the label on the lid.
The quiet-night person
Hug Away From Home has a Botanical Bath Soak, a Hand-Poured Soy Candle, Marc de Champagne Truffles, Candy Kittens Strawberry sweets, a Crochet Comfort Companion and an A3 Matte Art Print (unframed). It assumes they have a bath and like a scented candle, so check both. The print is generous, so it suits someone with wall space who won't mind choosing a frame.
The one always planning the next trip
The Traveller Box brings a Hardcover Travel Journal, Cabana Beach Towel, Hardwood Pen & Bamboo Case, Honeycomb Chocolate Thins, Passport Wallet & Tag Set and a Mulberry Silk Sleep Mask, with colours chosen on the product page. If they've just bought a full set of travel gear, pick something else.
The coffee-and-lists person
The New Beginning Box has a Canvas-Bound A5 Notebook, Café Latte Candle, the A3 print, Marc de Champagne Truffles, a Pour-Over Coffee Duo and Australian Macadamias. Good for a birthday that's really about the year ahead.
The one who'd rather snack than soak
Plenty of people never light a candle. For Him has none: a Pour-Over Coffee Duo, Australian Shortbread, Honey-Glazed Popcorn and Jalapeño & Lime Salt with a Crochet Comfort Companion and the A3 print. Send it to anyone who'd rather eat their birthday than light it.
For the "don't get me anything" person
They mean it about half the time. Go small and useful. Consumables are the safe bet because nothing ends up in a cupboard: good coffee, a treat they'd never buy themselves, something for the bath if that's their thing. Then put the real effort into the message.
If none of the ready-made boxes fit, build your own birthday box: six gifts in the Twilight Box or eight in the Midnight Box, picked from the range. Start with the one thing you know they'll use, add a treat, and stop there if it's enough.
Make the birthday message sound like you
Pick a shared memory and something you hope they get up to today. Nobody needs the whole friendship summed up on a card.
Try: "Happy birthday, Alex! Still laughing about that rain-soaked walk. Hope today has good coffee, a long lunch and absolutely zero errands. Love you heaps."
In our boxes, your words live behind a QR code on a premium card inside the box. The message is free, up to 280 characters, and you can add a photo or video too. They point their phone camera at the code and it opens on their screen, and photos and videos replay for around six months. A thirty-second video from your kitchen, everyone yelling happy birthday slightly out of sync, is hard to beat.
How far ahead to order a birthday gift
Most late birthday presents are a counting problem. We hand-pack in Sydney, Monday to Friday, then Australia Post takes over, and business days skip weekends and public holidays. Allow up to two business days for packing, add Australia Post's usual transit time after dispatch, then one spare day.
| Delivering to | Australia Post days after dispatch | Order at least this many business days ahead |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 2 | 5 |
| Melbourne or Brisbane | 3 | 6 |
| Adelaide | 4 | 7 |
| Perth or Hobart | 5 | 8 |
| Darwin | 6 | 9 |
Regional and remote addresses can take longer, so add a few more days there. Australia Post doesn't guarantee delivery days, which is why the spare day is in the table. Express is $15 at checkout, though it still isn't a promise of a particular day. Our guide on how to send a birthday gift interstate walks through public holidays and the address checklist.
Birthdays in December
A late-December birthday gets caught in the Christmas post rush, so treat our Christmas order-by dates as your last safe day for Standard (free) delivery, at 11:59pm Sydney time: NSW, ACT, Vic, Qld, SA and Tas by Tuesday 15 December, WA by Monday 14 December, and NT or regional and remote addresses by Thursday 10 December. Between Christmas and New Year the public holidays eat into business days, so order before those dates for that week too. Full details are on our Christmas gift boxes page.
The practical bits
Confirm their current address before you order, especially if they've moved recently. PO Boxes and Parcel Lockers are fine for everything except wine. Some boxes can add a Poco Vino Piccolo in Sauvignon Blanc or Shiraz, but someone 18+ has to sign for it, so it needs a street address, and wine can't be delivered to the NT. If you're planning a birthday call into Perth, it's 2 hours behind Sydney, and 3 during eastern daylight saving from October to April.
Delivery is free on every box. There's no price inside, and the receipt comes to you, with tracking, so you can say "something's coming" without spoiling what. More answers are in our FAQ.
Build your own
Start with an empty box. Fill it with them.
Choose every piece from the UK, pick a print that feels like them, then add your letter with a photo or video behind the QR card. We hand-pack it in Sydney and deliver it in Australia.
- You choose every piece, and the print on the lid
- Your letter, plus a free photo or video behind the QR card
- Built from the UK, hand-packed in Sydney, delivered in Australia only
Questions people ask
What is a good birthday gift for someone who lives far away?
Something they will use, one treat and a personal message or video usually beats anything expensive. If you want it on the day itself, add something local, like a voucher for a cafe near them or a cake from their nearest bakery.
How far ahead should I order a birthday gift for someone interstate?
From us, allow up to two business days for packing, Australia Post's transit time and a spare day. That is at least 5 business days ahead for Sydney, 6 for Melbourne or Brisbane, 7 for Adelaide, 8 for Perth or Hobart and 9 for Darwin, with more for regional and remote addresses.
What do you get a dad or mum who says they want nothing?
Go small and consumable so nothing ends up in a cupboard: good coffee, a favourite treat or a subscription to something they read. Put the real effort into the message or a photo from you.
Can I send a birthday gift box to a PO Box or Parcel Locker?
Yes. PO Boxes and Parcel Lockers are fine for every box, except when you add wine, which needs someone 18+ to sign at a street address.
Will the price be inside the birthday box?
No. There is no price in the box, and the receipt goes to the sender.
Can I add a birthday video to the gift?
Yes. Your words live behind a QR code on a premium card inside the box, and you can add a photo or video alongside a free message of up to 280 characters. They point their phone camera at the code to watch it, and it replays for around six months.
One person, one good birthday
Pick a box with them in mind, then add a few words or a video in your own voice.
Birthday gift boxes