And I thought SoWal is expensive ...

[NotDeadYet]

BR, you should have gone in 2002 when I went. The exchange rate was nearly $2AU for $1USD, and prices everywhere were comparable to what they were here at that time. Therefore, it was like a half-price sale. Same in NZ. Loved both countries, and found the food very good and very healthy. The chips and stuff like that were not much in evidence, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables everywhere I went. Also fish, lots of lamb. And of course, wine. Sounds like a lot of tourist traps have appeared since then.

 

[tsutcli]

Sounds like a lot of tourist traps have appeared since then.

Now that sounds like SOWAL!

 

[Beach Runner]

Sounds like a lot of tourist traps have appeared since then.

Now that sounds like SOWAL!

We weren't in tourist traps. We were hosted by locals (executives and board members of a major company in Australia).

 

[librarian]

i went to Melbourne in 2002 and the prices were higher there than US but food was healthy and as NDY says dollar was up-sad how the mighty dollar has fallen.

 

[Beach Runner]

i went to Melbourne in 2002 and the prices were higher there than US but food was healthy and as NDY says dollar was up-sad how the mighty dollar has fallen.

Tell me about it. I remember the days when the dollar was so good that I bought so much Louis Vuitton and Chanel and Baccarat in Paris, Portmeirion in London, Meissen in Germany, and Majolica and Pratese in Italy that we'd have to ship it back. I've seen people go into the LV store right off the Champs-Elysees and literally buy 100 items (purses, wallets, etc.). That was also back when Reagan was President and you could take the interest from your credit cards as a deduction. Amazing.

How times have changed. Although if you go to Australia, behind the Rip Curl store in Torquay is an outlet store with great bargains. Also great bargains can be found on souvenirs in Chinatown in Sydney (like $6 per t-shirt, whereas the same shirt elsewhere would be $24). There's a free bus from the Circular Quay to there, so no taxi fee. And $15 for lunch in the Chinese restaurants there -- really cheap for Australia.