An Australian family was expecting biscuits and lollies in a Christmas parcel. Inside, they found a skull

The Eastley family in the US was looking forward to some popular Aussie treats sent by their grandmother in Australia, but were stumped by the things they found inside the package.

Andrea Eastley's three children weren't sure what to make of the package that arrived at their home in Alaska, they had been looking forward to the sweet treats they had been told their nana was sending them. Source: Supplied

KEY POINTS:

• Aussie expats receive care packages from home in the lead up to Christmas.
• An Australian woman in the US was shocked to find what was in her parcel in the lead up to Christmas.
• Australia Post could not provide detail into what may have happened to the package

Whether it’s Vegemite, Twisties, Tim Tams or Caramello Koalas, Australians living overseas often look forward to receiving care packages filled with familiar food from home.

Around Christmas time they are often received with even more excitement.

But when Australian Andrea Eastley, who lives in Alaska in the United States with her family, opened her 'Aussie' parcel recently, she was surprised to find what was inside.

Her three children had been eagerly awaiting the package from their grandmother in Australia, expecting some of their favourite products from back home - including biscuits and lollies - that were listed on the packaging.

But after opening the parcel, they were left confused.

Inside was what appeared to be a skull from a small animal, and a piece of fabric with unknown symbols on it. There was also preserved fish, sealed in clear plastic, and “wrapped up like a mummy”.

“We think the package had been opened by customs to inspect, and they have put the wrong stuff back in it,” Ms Eastley said.

These were the items sent to the Eastley family in Alaska instead of the Australian food items they were hoping for. Source: Supplied

The US Postal Service (USPS) website confirms international packages may be opened by customs officers for examination, stating “after customs treatment, the customs officer will repack and reseal the mail”.

Ms Eastley was unsure whether the skull was real but said she was unable to find any trademark type of stamp on it. It also had a bit of dirt on it.

The children's grandmother had assured them she did put biscuits, lollies and gravy mix in the package when she posted it.

Australia Post could not provide detail into what may have happened to the package when contacted by SBS News, other than confirming its system had recorded the parcel arriving in the US at the start of October, almost two months before it was delivered to the family in Alaska.

An animal skull wasn't quite what this Australian family had been expecting in their care package from home. Source: Supplied

Ms Eastley said she had emailed the USPS about the strange delivery and planned to take the items back to the post office after Christmas when queues had died down.

December is traditionally the busiest month of the year for parcel delivery in Australia and Australia Post is expecting to handle tens of millions of parcels this month.

Last year the service delivered 52 million parcels in December. Australia Post extended deliveries to Saturdays in the lead-up to Christmas and could remain busy in the days after Christmas, delivering the parcels which had not been sent before the suggested cut-off dates in time for 25 December delivery.

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