I make fruitcakes for my family and friends and usually deliver them myself, frozen and in an esky.
Due to health and appointments can't travel this year.
Only want to send 2/3 boxes of approx 6kilos each.
I want them to travel, and arrive frozen .
Can anyone assist?
Does Anyone Know of a Company That Transports Small Parcels of Frozen Goods from Melb - Sydney
sharkyoz on 11/10/2025 - 15:08
Comments
Expensive AF
Usually transporting cold goods to another state is exxy and usually not worth it if it's one piece.
From memory I was quoted by this company or similar, size of a shoe box, I was quoted around $300 from Sydney to Melbourne.
For something like fruitcakes for family … you could get away with afew icepacks in foam eaky +++ use a transport service (non refrigerated).
Melb - Syd should be next day transport.
Will save some $$$ in freight costs … I see it done all the time in industry.
Reminds me of a science experiment I did many years ago at high school … It's surprising just how many days something can stay frozen in a polystyrene box, with something to help keep cool.
Just use foam box + ice packs with Express Post provided the postcode is within the next day delivery try guarantee.
I get cold medicine delivered all the time and it’s how they do it.
Dry ice in polystyrene boxes may be useful.
You can purchase it in little reusable freezer type bags/packs.
If no polystyrene box (I get mine from fruit shop - they get broccoli in them) for free when available (otherwise buy from local packaging company), line a sturdy cardboard box with some type of foil product similar to those internal silver windscreen protectors people use to keep heat out of their cars.
AP Express post* might be ok for this (wheels may fall off if AP don't get around to delivering the service that you pay for), but there are definitely other services around who also offer speedy delivery or plenty of refrigerated trucks on which you can book back loads with.
*note, for something time sensitive such as food that may perish if not delivered on time, AP may provide financial compensation of up to $100, otherwise, consider taking out insurance to cover any loss you may experience.
If AP (or other delivery service) mess up the delivery you pay them for, they are not required to compensate you for any loss that you may incur.
They are only n the hook for the cost that you paid for the service you asked them to provide. => IE if your parcel doesn't arrive on time/at all or damaged, they only have to compensate you for the service they didn't provide.
For AP parcels, they must be packed in such a way that they can withstand a 22kg box being dropped on them from shoulder height. AP DO NOT OFFER A FRAGILE SSRVICE
AP do not accept dry ice, it's counted as dangerous goods.
If OP wants to risk it and send it with dry ice then do it.
I have sent goods with plant crystal water gels, freeze them in freezer bags and sent them via express post with my item. But AP do damn unreliable, they didn't do next day delivery even though the postcodes were in the express next day delivery range.
AP do not accept dry ice, it's counted as dangerous goods.
If OP wants to risk it and send it with dry ice then do it
Huge thank you for clarifying that for me. Excellent pick up.
OP wants to risk it and send it with dry ice then do it.
Do not risk doing this. If for no other reason, you would be in breach of contract and void any relevant insurance or compensation.
Doing dodgy stuff rarely has a great outcome.
You are right, only send dry ice with a delivery company who will accept it.
Every company undoubtedly has their own list of items they won't carry or declare as dangerous.
Due to health and appointments can't travel this year.
BTW, I hope that your health improves as fast as possible and you're not in too much discomfort for too long.
Thanks for the suggestions, probably go with polystyrene packed with ice blocks.
OP, you freeze fruitcakes !!!!!!!
Are they sold from the fridge in supermarkets. No, they sold off the shelf.
Fruitcakes don't need to be frozen. That's the whole point of fruitcakes. Unlike other cakes they keep, at least for a while. Google says a month at room temperature, 6 months in the fridge, and a year frozen.
I kept slices of wedding cake for years! Although, it was full of alcohol.
We kept toplayer of ours for first anniversary. Apparently it was some sort of tradition that was important to my mother.
Elaine Benes would upvote this, purely for the use of exclamation marks.
I made them in July, and as most people don't use them until Christmas, I freeze them.
They are rich, dark fruitcakes with plenty of rum which survive very well in the freezer, some for up to 3yrs with no discernable difference in taste or texture.
Shipping them frozen also eliminates them from being bashed around, broken up or dropped on its corners.
You folk complain all the time about courier and Auspost handling , so why wouldn't I want to minimise the possible damage to my products?
And we don't eat them frozen, ffs
Freezing fruitcakes is like drinking tuna water, why would you do that?
Of course no one would drink tuna water neat but with a little milk it can be very refreshing.
Tuna water flavoured fruit cakes.
I bet nobody ever thought of that before.
Used to send chocolates from Melb to Syd, Bris Adelaide and Perth in overnight airfreight 5kg bags. During summer is was a matter of keeping a close eye on the weather at the other end and keeping customers up to date. We used reflective bubblewrap. The Reflective was on the outside, but no one was ever able to tell me how it know once it was boxed
- Believe auspost DOES allow shipments with dry ice, but NOT on aircraft. It DOES need to be labeled properly (requires a class 9 label I think). Their PDFs explain why.
Think startrack DOES allows dry ice shipments BY AIR (though not cheap?).
google "auspost dry ice" for starters, but TALK to your LOCAL post office for certainties. And as another user here mentioned, enquire re insurance info etc from them.
- auspost ships biological & chocolate items all the time (by road & air) - ask them for packaging suggestions, though DO explain exactly WHY you might need them to be "frozen".
- Also, auspost DOES have a FRAGILE service - for some glass (if labeled correctly), and definitely for liquids like bottled/canned alcohol (think labeled as wine service). Again, talk to them for suggestions; they're there to help, obviously because they want your custom.
The other ideas offered by other users here are also good, like polystyrene, reusable freezer type bags/packs, reflective & bubblewrap foils. Would've also concurred for normal ice &/or plant crystal water gels, BUT WHAT would happen to your fruitcakes once the ice/crystals start "melting", and frozen turns into liquid water? Would that not damage your fruitcakes?
Which leads me to echo GordonD's question: WHY freeze fruitcakes in the first place? Only ever seen/consumed them at room temperature - and have NEVER EVER seen/tasted them go "bad/off".
WHY freeze fruitcakes in the first place?
She made them in July.
I suspect that she was looking to achieve optimal storage conditions because she didn't want to give them to people who probably won't use them until at least December.
Otherwise,
It was snowing outside when she made them in July and they froze when she left them on the windowsill to cool.
I however am curious if there are any reasons (as far as food quality goes), for making them so far ahead.
I understand that this may just be when OP had time or ability to make them, but could it be for reasons "it achieves a different depth of flavour", "it's firmer, so easier to decorate"?
My grandma always used to make boiled plum puddings. The ones in a pudding cloth you had to boil but then hang on the clothes line for a few months before they were ready to eat.
She did make them early with the intention of freezing them one year in case she died before she usually made them and she didn't want anybody to miss out.
Also, auspost DOES have a FRAGILE service - for some glass (if labeled correctly), and definitely for liquids like bottled/canned alcohol (think labeled as wine service). Again, talk to them for suggestions; they're there to help, obviously because they want your custom.
Might want to check that?
Website specifically says that they don't offer a fragile service and then direct you to information about how to pack fragile items for best results.
https://auspost.com.au/sending/packaging/packing-hints-tips
There's also a section about shipping food as well.
https://auspost.com.au/business/business-ideas/selling-onlin…
OP, that thread mentions restrictions on what foods you can post and to where you can post them.
Didn't check if fruit cake was on list, but idk what's in your fruit cake I guess.
Think it mainly concerns with border quarantine items.
It was snowing outside when she made them in July and they froze when she left them on the windowsill to cool.
hearty chuckle nice one :-D
Although here in Oz… did we get ANY snow anywhere NOT on the Australian Alps this year?…"it achieves a different depth of flavour"…
good point (didn't think of it until your comment); would have thought a bit like wine, the flavour improves with time, but then sharkyoz wrote:
…with no discernable difference in taste or texture.
so seems I'm wrong, the alcohol & fruit flavours don't seep into the ?dough/sponge/whatever-you-call-it? over time for improved flavouring - or maybe I confused the process with the boiled plum puddings.
…concerns with border quarantine…
Yep certain states have rules on biological/food items. Even nationally OP, you probably know about restrictions on importing food if you're not a …business?
One last note, if you arer shipping anything special on Auspost or Startrack, be sure to leave off labels like "Fragile" or "Keep Cool", in fact anything that offers an opportunity to mutilate your product, unless insurance
https://www.cooltrans.com.au/
First thing on poogle search.
Your welcome.