www.damascus.co.nz/ Here is a knifemaker in NZ who sells some excellent looking knives. I do not know what steels they use.
There are almost nonexistent knife-making suppliers in NZ. Here is one school for $170 in NZ.
http://barrytownknifemaking.com/ See if they will sell you some materials.
Also check out Jantz supply in Davis, OK, They will tell you what the shipping charge to AUS. could be. Make certain of the shipping price because they can all be wrong. I have been burned with "what the shipping MAY be".
And check out your local steel suppliers and see if they sell high carbon/stainless knife making steels. I am only presuming you have some knowledge of the steel alloys for making a knife. 1065 is the starting point for making forged knife blades. I wish the best for you. I just got out of the hospital and while there I studied heat treating of the multiple knife steels. A field unto itself. My personal favorites? O-1 and D2, also 440C and AEBL coming up close.
Frodo you will have to search the Internet for a material supplier or just settle for materials shipped there to NZ. I cannot find much, just some "schools" and such. Good Luck. OH! do not forget files, many of them make excellent knives and they do not need to be Black Diamond Nicholson files either, they just make the process easier.
Ask how to do certain processes here in this Forum. There are many experts more knowledgeable than I am here.