fastfood/foodcourt prices in oz
 

Hi all,
Been reading your tips and advice on oz travel and found some of your suggestions wonderful.

My family and I - 4 adults, 1 kid and 3 teenagers - will be going to sydney & melbourne towards the end of this month. We need to budget carefully. So we're thinking more of grabbing quick bites affordably and spending our money more on sights and such.
Would be most grateful if any of you could offer some insights into the price of fast food and/or foodcourt dishes in sydney/melb.

Thanks in advance!

An average (very average) quality meal on a food court will cost in the vicinity of $6-8, without drinks. Maccas is similar.

With a group of that size, would you be better to look for apartments, and prepare your own food? Make lunch before you travel. By things like drinks in supermarkets, and chill.

Hello Tayls,

Here is a thread entitled "Ten things I liked & disliked about Australia" in which this issue was discussed. The thread went all over the map with praise and criticism of Australia and some defensive responses. You may find it boring to wade through it, but buried in there are some good suggestions about more budget-oriented districts in which to eat in Sydney and Melbourne, and general suggestions about keeping your food bill within reason.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34468804

Some points to keep in mind. A couple of these were mentioned in the referenced thread.

* Australians typically do not tip in restaurants. When I lived there I was so used to tipping in North America that I felt downright guilty about not tipping, so I tipped anyway. However, if you're on a tight budget you might seriously consider skipping tips.

* Although they are on the decrease, there still are BYO restaurants left in Australia to which you can bring your own wine.

* Each city has cheaper districts in which to eat. Ethnic restaurants often are more reasonably priced. In Melbourne, Chinatown, Lygon Street and Richmond (Vietnamese) are more reasonably priced than most.

* I don't recall this being mentioned in the referenced thread, but when we travel on a budget, we have hearty breakfasts and lunches and light evening meals. Even here at home in Calgary, it's cheaper to have lunch at a given restaurant than it is to have dinner there.

* Building on the idea that Marg_oz has mentioned, we take a collapsible cooler with us from home, and have picnic breakfasts in our hotel room and picnic lunches while we're sight seeing. For example, if you were going to drive along the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne, you could pick up a couple of salads, some cold meats or cheese, and bread rolls from a deli or the deli section of a supermarket. At various lookout points along the way, you'll find picnic tables. You don't even need picnic tables. You can just sit on the grass to eat. We did that several times. Marg's idea of a self-catering apartment is a good one too.

* When friends of ours (2 parents and 3 young adult children) visited Melbourne, they stayed in a hostel in St. Kilda, which is on the beachfront, not very far from downtown. I don't know the name of the place, but they were very satisfied with it. They had the use of a communal kitchen in which they could prepare their breakfasts (and I believe their dinners too if they had wished). They also had the use of a laundromat. On top of all that, it was inexpensive by Melbourne standards.

* Check out Melbourne's Smartvisit Card, and figure out if it would save your family money compared with paying standard entry fees to individual attractions:

http://www.affiliate.viator.com/broc...&AUID=2278

If you're on a tight budget, it's valid to be extra cautious about your food bill, because "good" restaurants in Australia are more expensive than their counterparts in the U.S. If you plan carefully, however, you can get by with less money than many other travellers spend.

Many beautiful and interesting sights in Melbourne are free, e.g., City Circle Tram, Queen Victoria Market (closed Mondays and Wednesdays), Bourke Street pedestrian mall, riverbank walk in Southbank, Fitzroy Gardens, Kings Dolmain (gardens), Royal Botanical Gardens, Shrine of Remembrance, walking along the foreshore in St. Kilda. The list goes on.

I rarely hang out at the Lonely Planet discussion forum, but it's more "adventure" oriented than Fodors (which is to say its membership includes more backpackers and budget travellers). If I were you, I would have a look over there as well, if you haven't already done so.

Hope this helps.

P.S. If you ride the Puffing Billy steam train through the Dandenong Ranges, you can take a picnic lunch with you. There are nice picnic facilities at the Lakeside and Gembrook stops.

With 3 teenagers, I'm sure you're used to spending a lot on food!

You didn't say where you were travelling from. I'm quoting prices in AUD (same as the CAD).

We were just in Australia visiting my husband's mother. With the current exchange rate, I found food prices somewhat higher than here in Toronto, with some items quite high. In general, brewed coffee doesn't seem to exist - it's all espresso based coffee so it usually seems to cost about $3 for a coffee. Not even a mug, just a cup. So if we had a couple of coffees and a pastry or bagel for breakfast, it was easily $9 each. Everywhere we stayed we had a kettle, so we ended up buying a French press and some good coffee, so we could make our own. That way we didn't have to go out for breakfast - just pick up a pastry the day before. The so called Aussie breakfast (full breakfast) was anywhere from $9 up to about $14.

Desserts were also fairly expensive. Often dessert in a restaurant would be $9 or more. (We rarely order 2 desserts for the 2 of us anyway.) Ice cream (gelato places are everywhere) was about $4 for a cone at a take out place.

Processed food, prepared food,takeaway food, and restaurant meals in Australia are a little expensive.

Most of the above attract a GST.

Fruit, vegetables, fish, and meat,are very inexpensive compared to most other countries.

Two loaves of grain bread, eight butter portions, a kilo of tomatoes, a lettuce,a cucumber,a packet of cheese, eight slices of leg ham, and there's a big lunch for eight.

Two loaves of gain bread $6.00 eight butter portions $1.60 1 kilo of tomatoes $5.00 a large lettuce $3.00 1large cucumber $1.00 1 packet of cheese $5.00 I kilo of sliced leg ham $15.00 2 kilos of bananas $5.00 8 pure orange juices $9.60

Total cost for lunch for eight people $6.40 pp.which this morning in US dollars is about $4.40.

Family picnics along the side of the road are always great fun in Australia and you save loads .

Stop by a river, a mountain top,
a beautiful beach,or a cane farm.
All of a sudden lunch becomes a memory.

A family enjoying a three day drive along the GOR, staying in an apartment in Cairns for several days, and an
apartment in Sydney for a couple of days can save enough money to pay an airfare from the states, just by
purchasing some of the worlds most nutritious, wholesome and enjoyable food.

Prices will vary from one region to an other.

For instance at the markets in Cairns tropical fruits are very cheap, (ie) bananas will cost $1.00 a kilo.

If you are in Wagga Wagga in N.S.W. you will find fruits like cherries, apples and pears much cheaper than
in Darwin.

Australia offers an abundance of fresh foods.

While driving along country roads you can buy stuff direct from the farmer.

In most of the larger towns you will find markets which sell the local produce much cheaper than the super market,although supermarket prices for fresh foods are not really expensive.

fsg

As well as all the good suggestions already made, here's some more.
Most Asian restaurants have take out food at cheaper prices than eat-in. The clubs have reasonable food at reasonable prices - visitors need to sign in at the reception desk and then have use of the club's facilities. A lot of clubs have very cheap meals at lunchtime - we've had a cooked meal for as low as $2.50 each.
Try the bakeries for meat pies - usually about $3 each. Also most of the bakeries make fresh sandwiches.
Look at the back of your cash register receipts for two-for-one offers at local restaurants.
Try the local fish and chip shops.
Ask at your accommodation for recommendations - the locals usually know which club/restaurant has discounted meals.
When you are in Melbourne, visit the Queen Victoria market for great fresh food and lots of other goodies to buy.
GST is included in prices in Australia - not added on after as in USA.
SusaninToronto - what is a french press? I presume it is some kind of coffee maker but I've never come across that term before.

Hi Marg,

I think what Susan calls a french press is what you may call a plunger, although my memory is fuzzy on this point. Anyway, here are photos that illustrate the concept:

http://www.1stincoffee.com/bodum.asp

Yep, French press would be the same as a plunger. We picked it up at a hardware store but I'm sure you can find them anywhere.

Thank you all for your very helpful suggestions. The price of the average quality meal at the food courts looks within our budget - we were thinking of about AUD$10 - $12 per head per meal. I will certainly look into stocking up for breakfast or for picnic lunches as well. The price of fresh food looks very, very decent.

Marg, you mentioned lunching at clubs. What kind of clubs would these be? And don't we have to pay a fee upon registration?

Also had a look at the link Judy sent (thanks, Judy!)and it does have some good tips - like the hearty Oz breakfast for less than AUD$7 each! But she sounded somewhat negative in general. I certainly wouldn't mind being called "mate" or anybody walking barefoot for comfort - though I won't try it myself! Will definitely check out the lonely planet website as well.

While browsing through this forum, one traveller mentioned paying AUD$14 for a buffet meal in the Crown Casino. That sounds like a good valaue deal. Have any of you tried it before?

Hi Tayls,
Australia was certainly much cheaper to eat out than here in the UK.
We ate in life guards clubs always had great cheap meals and drinks and some fun with the regulars.
I can honestly say that the best value meal we ate in australia was at Hard Rock cafe, I know its classed as junk food in many peoples eyes but it was really good value absolutely delicious and not expensive at all. There are usually vouchers knocking around in tourist books which allow about 20% off the bill there too.
Drinks for the children were great as they refill the soft drinks for no extra cost. We recently visited the HRC in Cardiff and it was not a patch on either of the Sydney one or Melbourne.
But with the size of your party make sure you have an apartment and cook for yourself as the ladies said earlier, it is probably the real answer to your question.

Muck

Hi Muck,

Unfortunately, we won't be staying in any apartment where we can cook in Sydney or Melboune. But with the amount of sightseeing places to visit in just 5 days' Sydney and another 5 in Melbourne, we won't have much time to cook either!

On the upside, my sister managed to get us pretty decent hotel rooms through her timeshare allotment. We'll be staying at the Sydney Boulevard, which, according to the map, is within walking distance to HRC! And if the hotel's website is to be believed, it's also within 10 - 20 min walking distance to QVB, darling harbour, etc. That's why I'm looking at foodcourts! Especially since they'll have a variety of food to cater to everyone's tastes ... and possibly lessen the chances of us battling over burgers or cooked meal!


:>tayls

Hi Tayls,
Yes it looks like your within easy walking distance of the HRC the one in sydney is not so big and you may have to wait a while for a table, especially with a large party, however give it a go its great. First time in Oz in 1999 we stayed at the Marriot overlooking Hyde park,it looks like your not very far away from there. The location was great and not stuck in the middle of the main tourist spots which tends to hike the price up.
HRC in Melbourne is just as great but about 3 time bigger than Sydney and there was live music on at both and it really was great.

Have a great time


Muck

Hi, tayls!

I've come in rather late on this thread, and I admit that I haven't read all the above responses in detail, so some of what I am about to say will probably just be a repeat. (All of what follows is about Sydney -- I don't know any addresses in Melbourne, and I admit that the last time I was there our family ate hot last-minute chicken from a supermarket, nothing else being easy to find.)

There are various food courts in Sydney and suburbs where, if you know what time to go, you can get a filling meal at a throw-out price. My favourite at the moment is right down the lowest floor of the Queen Victoria Building, where one of the pie shops reduces all its hot pies (normally around $AUD5.50; I assure you, one pie is a filling meal for an adult) to $2 at around 5:30p.m. Their sweets (fancy French cakes, etc) go down to $1. There are chairs and tables nearby. A family of six can eat their fill for under twenty Aussie dollars. A short stroll away, the Asian take-away meals in the food court under Centrepoint come down to $AUD4 at around the same time, or a bit earlier. In the suburbs you can get last-minute specials even cheaper... maybe a box of fancy donuts which would provide sweets for the whole family for $4. It's just a question of knowing where to go and what time. I haven't been into the lower-level food court at Chinatown in the last year, but twelve months ago, one could fill a plate with anything and everything on the menu there for $6, if you went near the end of the day (say, after 6 p.m.). Big supermarkets (like Coles and Woolworths) often sell full roast chickens, hot, for four dollars.. you could take one back to your hotel and rip it apart and make a complete pig of yourself.

You don't need to pay for registration at any of the clubs... you just tell them that your home is more than a few miles from their premises and they will give you a temporary membership card. Children are not allowed in near where the poker machines are, but the bistros are family affairs. The best-deal clubs, once again, are out of town, in the major suburbs like Blacktown (where you serve yourself for as long as you like from a rather stunning array, for $AUD11.00)or Ashfield (where one club used to have a two-course lunch meal every day for -- I kid you not -- $1, drinks not included. These clubs are a bit like Las Vegas casinos -- their main income is from the poker machines, so to lure you in there, they offer food at less than cost. Alas, the ones right in the city have succumbed to the willingness of the tourist to part with big bucks for a meal, so they are rarely the good value they once were. The Catholic Club in the city USED to be a bargain paradise, but lately the prices have started to copy restaurants -- and, in fact, the dining room now looks just like an upscale Chinese restaurant.

I guess the point I am making is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to eat well in Sydney, as long as you don't think that "eating well" means being served by a waiter and perusing a fancy wine list. Choose a time when the booths are almost about to close, and then pounce (Thursday night, unfortunately, being late-night shopping, sees these food courts stay open until 9 p.m., so they usually sell out of food at full price well before closing; that's the night to hit one of the clubs). Actually the whole idea of hunting down last-minute food can be quite fun.

One last thing -- don't forget to "splurge" on one night at Harry's Cafe de Wheels when you're in Sydney. Not the cheapest place in town, but still you won't spend more than twenty-five dollars altogether -- and it's a bit of a Sydney icon.

Tattersals Club or NSW Leagues Club in the city will get you relatively inexpensive bistro style meals and you can buy wine and beer by the glass. If you are a visitor you can gain a day admittance without any trouble or payment. There is a good food court above Paddys market ( take the escalator or lift)...reasonably priced and features foods from many different countries. Another spot..still ok but maybe a little dearer is under Myers department store in Pitt Street in the city.

Alan, you're godsent! I have copied your very precise suggestions and saved them into my "Sydney" file!

PeterAlan, thanks for the tip. I will check with the hotel for directions to the clubs you mentioned. And I'll most definitely be checking out the foodcourt above Paddy's since we plan to visit there.

Well! I'm getting really quite excited now 'cos all your suggestions have made this forthcoming trip so much more real...and less of a worry vis a vis food costs! Only 10 days more before we fly ...I can almost taste it! Thanks again EVERYONE. You've all given me such invaluable help. Guess I should start saying:

Cheers, MATE(s)!

:>tayls

tayls,
If at all possible request rooms on a high floor at the Boulevard Hotel - it is right in the centre of extensive construction work at present and I think the noise level could be pretty awful close to the street.

Hi, again, tayls!

I didn't know, until checking the post just above, that you were staying at the Boulevard... while it's not the greatest of areas, the hotel does have one advantage re the question of budget food: it's only six minutes' walk (up the hill to Taylor Square, then one block to your right)from Govinda's, where you can help yourself to as much Indian Vegetarian as you can eat for a bargain basement price. Try it at least once! (Kids love it, and you can even see a movie there in the adjacent theatre, where you lie on cushions on the floor).

Hi again,

Construction work, Prue? And not a good area, Alan? Oh dear, should have logged on to this forum much, much earlier to check. I scoured the internet to read some reviews on the hotel and those I found were quite favourable. The only other choice my sis has is the Quality Hotel SC at corner of Elizabeth and Goulburn. Is that any better? Quality Hotel is rated 3 stars while the Boulevard has 4 stars - hence our choice. Wonder if it's too late to change my accommodation plans. My sis has already paid the hotel surcharges to her timeshare.

Hi, tayls!

Don't fret too much about the location of the Boulevard... the thing to remember here is that Sydney is really a very small city. Every time I say that, someone jumps on me and reminds me that it is a city of four million people, but hardly anyone actually lives in Sydney... it's not like New York or Rome. There are miles and miles of dormitory suburbs that take up to an hour to get to by car or train, but you wouldn't normally go near them (except for cheap food!). The part of Sydney you want to see is all within an area about a mile and a half square. So, while the Boulevard isn't in a great place -- mid-way between the CBD and the infamous King's Cross -- you can walk to all the "better" locations in five or ten minutes, so what's the big deal? And, anyway, the Boulevard is only a couple of blocks from the Australian Museum, and you have got kids....

Also, you can look on the Boulevard as a history lesson, if nothing else. It's quite famous, you know. In 1974, it was about the last word in luxury in pre-tourist-mecca Sydney, and when Frank Sinatra and his entourage came out for his notorious concert, he stayed in the Boulevard. His party took up a whole floor -- I think the twenty-first. Well, they almost never got out of the hotel! The Australian Press, who always liked to find some dirt on poor old Frank, ever since he disappointed them by cancelling his tour here way back in 1957 (because the promoters wouldn't pay for songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen to accompany him), were out to get him from the moment he arrived. His first concert gave them the opportunity they were after. Not only did he refuse to let them interview him, but he joked onstage about the Australian press being two-dollar hookers. Well, that did it; their union complained to the Council of Trade Unions, and before you know it almost everybody was "on-strike". The lighting people threatened not to light his next concerts (one actually did get cancelled, in Melbourne), the airport refused to fuel his plane, and his party couldn't even get room service at the Boulevard! For a few days the Boulevard was on the front page every day, until, inevitably, Frank's press agent sort of made a conditional apology, everyone shook hands, and the show went on... and, would you believe it, Mr Sinatra, in no way contrite, got up at the very next concert and launched into another tirade about the press, this time insulting the unions as well! Thankfully, by that time, everybody was a bit weary of the whole sorry spectacle, and nobody reacted much, except for a few hurt-feelings journalists (one, a little more light-heatred than the others, wrote an article raving about his concert, the closer of which was, "For you, Frank, it would only be one dollar."

Well, you didn't open up this thread to read about ancient history, so I'll shut up and get off... but it was a fun time, I can tell you, for a mad-keen Sinatraphile like myself!

Hey Alan,

I suppose you're right (again!). Guess we'll be spending all our time elsewhere and will only be back at the hotel to freshen up and sleep.

Thanks for that very interesting bit of trivia. Now I can tell everyone that I'm staying where Old Blue Eyes stayed 3 decades ago!! I do so like Sinatra myself. There's nobody else quite like him, with his perfect timing and phrasing. In fact, I like all the Brat Pack and just bought their box set of CDs! Wish they were still alive and performing! The closest I've seen (and had the chance to meet!)is Tony Bennett (10 years ago!) and he was (and still is) simply wonderful. Nobody makes music like they used to in those days. And no, I'm not that old! Still on the better side of 40!

Hi, again!

Just to add a tiny bit to the above (since you mentioned the name 'Old Blue Eyes')... "Old Blue Eyes" was pretty much a brand new name for Frank back in 1974, having only been coined a couple of years prior... the Australian Press used to always refer to him as "Cranky Frankie". But when the Unions all went out on strike in protest about his comment, the heaslines gleefully announced "Old Blue Eyes is Black!" It really gave these unions, many of which were communist-dominated, joy to think that they might be able to "bring down" the ultimate capitalist, which, I guess, was a fairly good description of Frank, with his enormous entourage of buddies, most of whom looked and sounded like Hollywood's idea of the mafia.

The only time I ever set foot in the Boulevard was during this whole saga. Taking my courage in both hands, I went up to the desk and asked which floor the Sinatra party was on (expecting to be told "don't be ridiculous"), and the desk clerk, probably sick of the Yanks AND the reporters, simply muttered "twenty-one" and went back to his reading! So up I went in the elevator, wondering how I'd know which room on Floor Twenty-one to got to (I hadn't been game to ask). Well, I needn't have worried. As the door of the elevator opened, the whole floor was swarming with mafia-like men, and I only took two steps before somebody stopped me and asked me what I thought I was doing. I showed my autograph book and record cover, and waited to be bumped off on the spot. Well, the guy took both and disappeared into one of the rooms, and a few minutes later out he came with everything duly autographed (no, he didn't do it himself, I promise!) However, I never did see the great man himself.... I guess I could have pushed that a bit further, but I was starting to feel grateful that I was going to get out of there in one piece! I'm sure Frank's friends are all great guys, but they don't exactly look like scoutmasters!

Hi again tayls. I worked for a few years in Westfield Towers which is the office block connected to the Boulevarde hotel. We often drank in the bar ( Duck and Bucket) and had lunch on top floor buffet.If you get a room facing north you will have a lovely harbour view.The hotel is within walking distance of the city as well as the Museum as Alan mentioned and also Hyde Park, St Mary's Cathedral, indoor swimming pool and Kings Cross.You mentioned earlier the buffet at the casino...I have not eaten there but friends go regularly and say it is excellent value.Have a great holiday!

Hi again,

Thanks PeterAlan, you're most reassuring. I was a bit worried over the distance to walk to and from attractions and public transportation 'cos of my 9yr old son and my 50 yr old sister, who's not in the fittest condition! From the map I have of Sydney, it seemed a bit too far to walk and too near for a cab! I did email the hotel to ask them if there was a bus stop nearby but I have yet to hear from them. I saw the pictures on the hotel's websites and the views look stunning. I will take Prue's warning and suggestion (bless her)and ask for higher rooms.

Haha, Alan! Your one and only visit to Boulevard sounds very thrilling indeed! How absolutely courageous of you to brave the lion's den all by yourself! I wouldn't have dared to myself - not with Frank's reputation of being connected to the mob, and especially when there was such bad publicity going on! What an experience that must have been.

tayls,
There is a bus stop directly opposite the Boulevard going in to the CBD and another going out to the Eastern Suburbs right at the front door of the hotel.
I am sure you will have a great stay there - but you will see when you arrive that I am not exaggerating about being right in the centre of a very large construction sight.
The walk to the CBD is very much uphill for the first couple of blocks, but once you reach Hyde Park it will be easier going.

Crown Casino in Melbourne has a food court plus I think they do buffet lunch and dinner. Further along Southbank, there is another food court, plus lots of restaurants. There is another good food court in the basement of the Australia Arcade which runs between Collins and Bourke Street.
The clubs we all refer to are the football clubs, bowling clubs, retired servicement's association clubs, surf clubs etc. They rely fairly heavily on the poker machines to make a profit and often have cheap meals to entice people. You don't pay anything to enter but need to sign in as a temporary member. Children are allowed into the eating areas, but not allowed into the gambling areas but there is often a children's entertainment area with TV etc.

Great story alan !!
Do you still have the signed stuff?
bet its great sentimental and probably financial value now.
You got any more stories of your exploits. You really should write a book.

Muck

Thanks Prue. You're the answer to my prayers! I kept looking for bus stop signs around the hotel in all the sydney maps I found but to no avail. I will definitely ask for a higher floor room ... maybe Alan's famous (infamous?!) 21st floor!

Marg, thanks for the food info in Melbourne! We've been so caught up with Sydney all this while.

Quick question to all: Is Bondi Beach worth a visit? It takes almost an hour to get there by bus. How about Fox Studios? I hear they no longer do backlot tours (I thoroughly enjoyed the one in Universal Studios!).

PS: Alan, I agree with Muck. You tell an interesting tale.

Hi, tayls!

It doesn't take an hour to get to Bondi Beach by bus... from the Boulevard you could walk up to King's Cross Station (five minutes), hop the train to Bondi Junction (two stops, six minutes) and right at the station is the bus terminal, where the bus to Bondi Beach takes no more than ten minutes. But, to tell the truth, it isn''t even worth that much of your time. The beach itself is nice -- but not significantly better than half a dozen others in Sydney, including Manly and Coogee -- but the area around the beach is, frankly, past its prime... as often happens when a place becomes a high-profile tourist area. And that bus trip is, well, uninteresting. A better idea is to take the ferry to Manly and walk along the Manly Corso to the Ocean Beach. Manly is a much nicer area, and the trip out and back on the ferry -- past the Opera House and the Bridge, and all the way up the harbour -- is something you would want to do even if there was no beach at the end of it.

Fox studios? Forget it. Even when they had the backlot tours I heard nothing but negative comments about it (even though I never took the tour and can't speak from experience). But without the tour it's just a shopping village with a couple of theatres attached. There are probably interesting things happening on one of the sound stages or in the recording studio, but you're not going to get into either of them. This is definitely one site to cross off your list. Luna Park might be a worthwhile substitute -- a kind of Coney Island just near the Bridge, it reopened after a long closure just a couple of weks ago. I don't know what they have there now, but in the good old days it had something for all ages. If nothing else, it will give you a good view of the harbour as you stroll around!

One more food tip... the food court on the corner of George St and Bathurst, almost opposite the Town Hall. At around 5 p.m. one of the booths sells all its Turkish pide for $3 each.

I have to say that Fox studios without the backlot tour is probably not worth going to. In fact as Alan said without it there is not much left. However we took the tour when we visited Oz for the first time Oz in 2001, it was quite interesting and the moment we walked into the huge auditorium, me with my big blue glamorgan cricket hat, red face shorts nobbly knees sandals and socks, I was destined for trouble. The cast of the show concocted a story and I was the fall guy and asked to go on stage. All I can say was the family were hoping the ground would swallow them up when I entered into two and a half minutes of the Green Green Grass of Home live in front of about 400 people.
It was a good laugh and a fond memory that we always talk about even now.
However I believe this show is no longer happening there. I guess my singing was the final nail in the coffin..lol

Muck

It's a small world... those "negative comments" I mentioned above were mainly about this knobbly-kneed Welsh guy who kept breaking into song with "The Green, Green Grass of Home"... only the way I heard it, it was at least seven-and-a-half minutes!

Hi tayls!I am a Bondi boy so I have to jump a little to its defence. I must say Alan is probably right re Manly v Bondi. A ferry trip across the harbour to Manly and then the place itself will be a nice experience for you.However since you are so close I would recommend if you have time to do a quick visit to Bondi too if you have a nice day.Bondi is a peculiar place (I love living here)in that it is very trendy and there are some upmarket restaurants etc at the beach but at the same time parts are looking very tired.It really is a Summer place to see at its best but over to you.Forget Fox Studios..it is a far cry from Universal Studios..there is nothing to see..a truly depressing ghost town!

tayls,
One other suggestion for your time in Sydney would be a visit to Hyde Park Barracks - these are not often mentioned on this Forum but I think they are very interesting and give a great insight into early Australian history.
You will find them in Macquarie Street which as you will see on your map is a major street running down to Circular Quay/Opera House from Hyde Park - they are on the right hand side of the street at the very top - adjacent to the State Government. From there you have an easy downhill walk to the Quay etc!

LOL! You guys are a laugh a minute. Green2 Grass of Home indeed. Are you Welsh, Muck? Did you do the Tom Jones version then?!

Great advice everyone. I will give Fox and Bondi a skip (sorry, PeterAlan) since I have not a lot of time to spare in Sydney. Want to make every minute worthwhile. Maybe I'll do Manly if the kids yammer for a beach. Or maybe I should please the adults instead - drop by at the barracks (it looks quite near to our hotel, Prue?) and then head to the Birkenhead outlets for some retail therapy ... after all, we should be enjoying a fair bit of savings from eating at your suggested foodcourts and clubs??!!!

tayls,
The Barracks aren't very far from the hotel - if you head up towards the CBD you will see a large building on your left which is the Museum, then to the right and you see St. Mary's Cathedral - either walk past there or cut through the Park and you will be in Macquarie Street.
I think your 9 year old will enjoy the Barracks as it is very true to life as it was in convict times.

I like Bondi. It's an interesting place, far more so than Manly. You can see everything there, all shapes and colours and sizes,and the restaurants are interesting. Manly is more the beautiful people.

One of my favourite restaurants is at North Bondi, Seans Panaroma, although this will probably be outside your budget It's usually outside mine.

Manly is slightly out of favour with me since the time I got caight in a rip in the surf, and ended up (fortunately, thanks to helpful people) in intensive care at Manly Hospital. I haven't looked at it quite so favourably since!

Hi Tayls, have just got on to your request re Melbourne.
The Casino has a few buffet's. the cheapest being King...around $10.
Sante Buffet arount $14..
Conservatory $32.lunch 0r $45 Sunday lunch prices. $45.Dinner. $32 Breakfast.
Margo's which is on the gaming floor (no under 18 allowed ) has great breakfast weekdays & buffet weekends not sure of price but very very cheap!

The clubs in Victoria are not as cheap to eat in as N.S.W,

If you are into buying cans of soft drink think about getting them by the box at the supermarket...Coca Cola will then become 50cents a can. Bottled water also is soooo much cheaper this way. All hotels/motels usually have small refridges in them.

Fish & Chip shops in the country usually give you good value for your $ in chips compared to buying Mac's.
Family feast at Kintucky 10 pieces of chicken chips & 2 sides usually $26.
A lot cheaper to buy a couple of chickens with chips at a Chicken shop.

Buy a cheap plunger & take it every where (we do) so at least you start the day with a great coffee.
Where are you staying in Melbourne ?
Enjoy

Yes its true I am Welsh, I did the GGGof Home in Tom style, during the day people were coming up to me in the shops in fox and asking if I was the guy who sang, and would you believe they congratulated me on my voice./...lol they must be used to a pretty low standard thats all I can say. But the best was this. We were in a line for the Titanic ride which incidently was interesting and an elderley couple came up and she hugged me...she said she had emmigrated to NZ 40 years ago from Swansea which is 3o mins from Cardiff where I live, she still gets terribly homesick and my singing had made her really emotional and she started crying ..oh my god was it because it reminded her of home or was I really that bad.
She thanked me for singing, as apparently it made her day and was the highlight of her day at Fox, there you go if thats the best fox can offer you had better stay away..lol!
(Eat your heart out Sinatra..lol)

Muck

You're a real sport you are, Muck! Looks like you were MegaStar for a day, knobbly knees not withstanding! They should have signed you up on the spot! :>

Thanks for the Melbourne info, AussiJo. The buffets at Crown sound good and appear to be very reasonably priced - about what buffets cost in Vegas casinos! I'll be sure to check one (or more!) of those out when we visit Flinders St Station and Southgate. As for coffee, my husband and I can't start a day without it so I always carry a plunger when we travel - even though most hotels offer coffee/tea making facilities these days. We'll be staying at Bayview on the Park, opposite Albert Park on Queens Rd. Quite near to St Kilda and its many restaurants and bakeries (or so the guide books tell me!) Again, we got it through my sis' time share so I'm not complaining!

Sorry to hear about your experience in Manly, Margo. Thank God you survived it. I doubt we'll venture into the sea -too cold in the winter!

Overall, the cost of living in Oz seems pretty decent, which is most reassuring. Think we can have a "ripper" of a time there (did I get that figure of speech right, ozzies?)without overstretching our budget at all. We'll probably save on most meals and splurge out on at least one good one per city. Quite possibly on seafood meals 'cos I LOVE them - and I hear Sydney and Melbourne serve up some really good ones.

Thanks again, everyone.
Hugs, tayls

Mucky - wish I had been at Fox Studios that day! Perhaps they should hire you as a permanent fixture?

Tavis - if you are looking for retail therapy - whilst you are in Melbourne, get on the tram along Flinders Street to Bridge Street, Richmond. It will only take about 10 minutes. It is full of factory outlets and you can shop until you drop.

Don't forget to check out the cake shops in Acland Street, St Kilda.