I read that the postage is pooled as larger packers/ have subsidies for postage and this is how they can send all over the world at such cheap prices

Whereas here in the UK our parcel prices have in many instances just doubled and it looks like you have also received a large price hike in Australia.

Ebay is a global selling platform but there is no global postage system ...:_| Perhaps we should be sending shipments via freight to china and posting from there!