The A$ is really strong at the moment with a real upward swing. I have the advantage of being able to use either Pounds or Euros when travelling so can use the currency that gives the best rate of exchange( which hasn't unfortunately been the pound in recent years) but even so Euro using friends who just returned from Australia were complaining about how much they had to pay for hotels and food, they are regular visitors down under and were really suprised at how much more their holiday cost them this winter.
I remember prices seemed so reasonable on my visits down under. I guess I will have to camp next time

We're off to Oz in 4 weeks time and have been watching the tourist rates daily. It's certainly going to be more expensive than when we were there in November 2009 and I have a horrible feeling that we will be priced out of the market at this rate However, the motto is 'never say never' and if we win the lottery we'll be on the first flight out to Oz!! - just love the place.

It's definitely more expensive for us now, compared to 3 years ago.

In a greasy spoon cafe a breakfast can be $10 +, a lunck about $20 and a three course evening meal with drinks $50.

Look out for places that have lunchtime specials and early eaters offers.

I'll post some prices when I go to the club tomorrow, just to give you all an idea.

Parky

Here's the price list I promised. From Maroochydore Surf Club.





Sorry about the quality, but zoom in (ctrl and +) and you should be able to get some idea of the prices, and these aren't the top notch restaurant prices, just community clubs.

Concert at $2.40 and it's cheap, but at $1.55.... OUCH
Hoe this helps.

Thanks for the menu Parky, looks like I wont need to diet this trip ! We're just going to have to watch the pennies I'm afraid. Our favourite day in Sydney is always spent at Manley, the ferry fare there was a bit steep in comparison to other ferry journeys but a great sail, I'm frightened to go on line and work out what it's going to cost us this time !! My wife has knee problems and finds lying on the sand a problem, Manley beach hired out subeds, but that'll be another £10 for one, for a couple of hours, oh dear, oh dear.
Alan
Alan

Hi
We are enjoying our stay in Oz, the weeks are flying by and I know the Aussie dollar is at its highest, but I have never been to a place so ridicuously expensive in all my life....the Aussies must be living on a false economy.

$16-50 for a glass of sprite and a glass of bog standard white wine, that's about 11 quid.....rip off.!
$7 seems to be the standard price for two coffees? that's nearly 5 quid.?

The ferry to Darling Habour $10-60 return each and the return ferry to Manly over $13, either $13 40/50/60 cents...can remember the exact price, but over $13.
The only reasonable priced thing is the buses if you buy a pre-paid bus ticket with 10 journeys, which was $26, making each journey about $1-60 instead of $2.

We brought plenty of money with us and it's going through our fingers like water......we are off to Melbourne next week and I don't expect that to be any cheaper either.........don't anybody complain to me about the Euro and the prices in Spain LOL.....IMO: you don't know what expensive is until you come to OZ. LOL

Gotta Go.

Sanji

From last week in Brisbane, $12 for a pint of spitfire!

It makes Brugges seem like a cheap day out!

We are in Asia at the moment and was watching Australian TV last night. A woman on there was saying that the $ is too strong at the moment with regards to tourism but Australia WAS NOT suffering unduly as there had been a switch in the country of origin of tourists. European tourist numbers are well down but that Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian etc people had taken their place and they were spending more money.

As we do not stay with relatives we always stay in YHA in a private room and very good they are too, this way we can do our own catering if we want to, usually breakfast and evening meal which brings down the cost and Woolies do a nice line in boxed wine It does make a difference as we usually stay for a couple of months. Australia is the only place I have seen where you can buy half a cauliflower and half a head of celery.
Roll on November and we can continue spending what others saw as their inheritance!!!

Hi
After my son had gone back to Singapore, we had the majority of our meals in the apartment, we shopped at Woolies and things are not cheap, even in there.

Sanji

We used to do a lot of shopping in the Coles store and a bit in Woolies as well. The main advantage of using them was that if you spent more than $50, kept your receipts, you could get a discount on your fuel - about 3 to 6 cents a litre IIRC. Oz is the place for discount vouchers - when you know where to look. (Mainly the local press - on certain days!)

We got a discount week in the Gold Coast Radisson while the "Schoolies" were on and paid $240 for a full 7 nights room only. We should have taken 2 weeks, but hindsight's a wonderful thing.

Just finishing our six weeks in Oz Every day the dollar strengthens against all other countries which makes finding bargains much harder so advice like Park45 is helpfull One bargain we did find in Sydney was the " MyMult Ticket" issued by Sydney Buses. It's a weekly ticket, costs 41 dollars, and gives you unlimited travel across the entire Bus network, all ferry services including the River Cat service up the river to Parramata, and also limited use of the Rail network out to as far as the likes of Bondi Juntion. As Sydney is such a sprawling city, it's amazing how much it can cost to get about, and we've found that it's saved us loads of money during our time here.
Alan

The main advantage of using them was that if you spent more than $50, kept your receipts, you could get a discount on your fuel - about 3 to 6 cents a litre IIRC.

Hi Parky
Good old Woolies do that as well.
Some idea of prices.....After ImageShack has opened, click on image to further enlarge.

http://img69.imageshack.us/i/save0016.jpg/

Sanji

Another great bargain we found, the Coolengata & Tweed Heads Golf Club do a family buffet, 23au$ Mon to Thurs and when we visited one Monday last week it was two for one on monday nights. Its a huge complex and the buffet is on a giant scale too, Fresh Prawns , oysters, sushi, fish fried to order, three roasts, hugh aisian section, and on and on, never ever seen a bigger buffet. The clubs at the start of the Gold Coast, just over the border from NSW, and well worth a visit if you are in the area. By 6.30 pm I'd reckon they were about 600 in, but the organisation is spot on and they cope superbly and the food just keeps on coming.
Alan

If you're still in the area, Alan, have a look at Austravel.com for this offer.
Mantra Legends Surfers Paradise
3nts fr £89pp
Saving £142 per couple

I've just rec'd an e-shot from them and that's the only offer in the area.

Enjoy the rest of your stay.

Another place to eat round there is the Lone Star, a couple of minutes off the highway heading North.

Parky