Morris,
I've just checked the pack I bought them in and it says (proudly and in several places) "Made in Germany" so it would seem the ones available in the antipodes are made to an inferior standard under licence - presumably - somewhere else on the planet. I can't ever recall having had an issue with Varta batteries and I use them preferentially in everything I value. Duracell really needs to take a long, hard look at itself.
Jinxie