I am hoping someone can give me some advice on where to get my backpack repaired and to warn Australian users about buying Pelican backpacks.

I bought a Pelican backpack in New York while I was there in January. It has mainly been used for the trip home and storing my camera whilst at home. I haven't taken it from home as we have been pretty hectic at work since I got back and haven't had the chance for a day out taking photos.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed the seem had split along one side adjacent to the zipper. "Glad I bought a Pelican Bag" I thought as I was aware they carry a lifetime guarantee in Australia. After playing "phone tag" with the Qld Pelican Rep for a couple of days we finally connected and she told me to contact the head office by email. I sent the email in with a couple of photos of the offending split only to be informed that the soft bags are sold under the Pelican name in the USA by a distributor and that the warranty would not be offered in Australia. They do not sell the soft bags in Australia. I asked Pelican to get the distributor to email me but 2 weeks later I haven't heard from them. My warning is not to buy a Pelican soft bag if you live in Australia.

Can anybody recommend a good place to get my bag repaired near to the Gold Coast?