Our drum was confiscated at Perth international and stored "outside Australia" i.e. in a quarantine shed for 6 weeks at a cost of around 30.00 dollars, I think. We were advised that irradiation could/would damage the skin by making it brittle. Don't know if it's true because we left it in quarantine and bought another one which we then left behind in Australia at a friend's house so the whole drama would not be replayed.

For what it's worth, we had a jacaranda seedpod confiscated as well, which I was careful to point out had originated in Western Australia and could we please keep it, at which point the nice customs lady politely asked if my guitar was made of wood from outside WA, and would I like to shut up or have that quarantined as well. It was 1.30 in the morning and we were both having a bad day.

They really are worried about alien infestation in Oz, and thinking about it, who can blame them.