Meal Costs in Oz
Dec 23rd, 2006, 02:56 PM
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Meal Costs in Oz
As always, members of this board provide highly useful information and I, for one, appreciate that greatly. It is time for me to submit my proposed budget request to the CFO and I'm trying to do my usual fine job of presenting anticipated costs realistically and practically. In doing so, I base those costs on the following meal habits:
NB: If you've noted our other posts, you'll know that we'll be in Port Stephens, Melbourne, Hobart, Busselton, Perth, and Monkey Mia to cover some of the highlights. Lodging runs from the Best Western in Robe to Rydges in Perth. And, we are not, repeat, not looking for gourmet experiences. Coming from the SF Bay Area, we are very happy to find local restaurants and drink local wines. That said, we are fortunate enough to enjoy the ability to eat wherever we wish.
Breakfast: if continental or full brekkie are included in the lodging rate, I budget nothing. If not, our usual breakfast meal is coffee and juice for the lady and a piece of pastry. For me, it is usually a piece of fruit and a piece of pastry. Seems to me I ought to be safe in allocating AUD20 for breakfast each day.
Lunch: This is not a big meal for us. The CFO, or Mrs. BigBlue as one poster referred to her, is happy with a sannie or a salad and will often take water as her bevvie. The Mister likes a sannie and a coke. We are typically not dessert people and don't do alcohol midday. Would AUD40 cover lunches as an average over our 30-plus day trip?
Dinner for us consists of a main and a bottle of wine. Sometimes, if they look good, we might have two starters and no main, sometimes, depending on the venue, we'll have a starter and a main. We typically do not have pudding. Our wine tastes run to USD10-20 retail here. As it appears that wine will most often be bought by us in a bottle shop, over the duration of the trip, is AUD90 about right?
In looking over my numbers, they look a bit generous to my eye. But, we like the flexibility of if the lobster looks great, have it. And, these are guidelines only so we don't get surprised.
Comments and suggestions are invited. I hope I've given you enough information on which to base responses.
Ta very much,
BigBlue
NB: If you've noted our other posts, you'll know that we'll be in Port Stephens, Melbourne, Hobart, Busselton, Perth, and Monkey Mia to cover some of the highlights. Lodging runs from the Best Western in Robe to Rydges in Perth. And, we are not, repeat, not looking for gourmet experiences. Coming from the SF Bay Area, we are very happy to find local restaurants and drink local wines. That said, we are fortunate enough to enjoy the ability to eat wherever we wish.
Breakfast: if continental or full brekkie are included in the lodging rate, I budget nothing. If not, our usual breakfast meal is coffee and juice for the lady and a piece of pastry. For me, it is usually a piece of fruit and a piece of pastry. Seems to me I ought to be safe in allocating AUD20 for breakfast each day.
Lunch: This is not a big meal for us. The CFO, or Mrs. BigBlue as one poster referred to her, is happy with a sannie or a salad and will often take water as her bevvie. The Mister likes a sannie and a coke. We are typically not dessert people and don't do alcohol midday. Would AUD40 cover lunches as an average over our 30-plus day trip?
Dinner for us consists of a main and a bottle of wine. Sometimes, if they look good, we might have two starters and no main, sometimes, depending on the venue, we'll have a starter and a main. We typically do not have pudding. Our wine tastes run to USD10-20 retail here. As it appears that wine will most often be bought by us in a bottle shop, over the duration of the trip, is AUD90 about right?
In looking over my numbers, they look a bit generous to my eye. But, we like the flexibility of if the lobster looks great, have it. And, these are guidelines only so we don't get surprised.
Comments and suggestions are invited. I hope I've given you enough information on which to base responses.
Ta very much,
BigBlue
Dec 23rd, 2006, 04:04 PM
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I agree that you have been quite generous wiht your allowance. Alot of pubs and clubs have good restaurants and cafes do a great brekkie. The local bakery usually is a good place to start for a pastry and coffee at a reasonable price. Enjoy !
Dec 23rd, 2006, 04:09 PM
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Don't give up your Day job to go into trying to talk the local lingo Big Blue.
I could eat very well on about $30 per day actually but then would have to add $5 for wine. However it seems that Americans, in particular, do not seem to take the suggestions on eating that have been given on this forum.
I could eat very well on about $30 per day actually but then would have to add $5 for wine. However it seems that Americans, in particular, do not seem to take the suggestions on eating that have been given on this forum.
Dec 23rd, 2006, 04:57 PM
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Gosh, Liz, how uncharacteristic of you to take a shot at me for my language. I've been in and out of Britain for decades and have numerous Pommie friends. If my use of a colloquialism or two picked up and used for those decades bothers you, please accept my apologies.
BigBlue
BigBlue
Dec 23rd, 2006, 06:36 PM
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BigBlue -
Your food budget seems more than adequate to me. I just looked at some of my OZ trip reports and our most expensive lunches on our last trip to WA were 40 AUD for a shared platter at a winery (plus 32 AUD for a bottle of wine, because we DO imbibe at midday when in wine country); and 50 AUD for two mains at a winery in Pemberton.
We usually go for a sandwich or kebab. In fact, I still think about those wonderful sandwiches at a place called City Greens in downtown Perth - $6.50 for a lovely sandwich on heavy dark bread with lots of fresh greens - yum.
Our most expensive dinner was $91 and included one starter, two mains and beer and wine.
We often ate a pubs, where you can find surprisingly good food for reasonable prices. We paid between 18-25 AUD per main at a pub.
In Hobart we ate at a place called Little India every night we were there (husband loved it). Ten AUD bought a huge platter with rice and two curries. Good, fast and cheap.
Your food budget seems more than adequate to me. I just looked at some of my OZ trip reports and our most expensive lunches on our last trip to WA were 40 AUD for a shared platter at a winery (plus 32 AUD for a bottle of wine, because we DO imbibe at midday when in wine country); and 50 AUD for two mains at a winery in Pemberton.
We usually go for a sandwich or kebab. In fact, I still think about those wonderful sandwiches at a place called City Greens in downtown Perth - $6.50 for a lovely sandwich on heavy dark bread with lots of fresh greens - yum.
Our most expensive dinner was $91 and included one starter, two mains and beer and wine.
We often ate a pubs, where you can find surprisingly good food for reasonable prices. We paid between 18-25 AUD per main at a pub.
In Hobart we ate at a place called Little India every night we were there (husband loved it). Ten AUD bought a huge platter with rice and two curries. Good, fast and cheap.
Dec 23rd, 2006, 07:35 PM
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Wasn't having a go at you BB at all but please do not think that any colloquialism used in England applies to any colloquialism in Australia - or at least very few. As for someone's suggestion about an Indian restaurant in a particular city - last heard about said restaurant was that some of the staff were taking the owner to court for "touching them up" amongst other things. Have not heard the outcome of this but wide berth may be appropriate.
As for tipping in Australia. I do if the service has been very good because if any of the writers here had to live on the so called "living wage" that staff get paid then I would love to see them do it. Same goes for the USA - if the service is bad or the food is so so then there is no tipping there either - at least from me, and that goes for Canada where I found when I worked in the catering industry there tipping was widespread . Perhaps if it was done World wide on the basis of great service then great service may be more likely to occur. For the record too, I have been chased down the road for not leaving an adequate tip - in that instance it was amazing that I paid for the meal, let alone tip!
As for tipping in Australia. I do if the service has been very good because if any of the writers here had to live on the so called "living wage" that staff get paid then I would love to see them do it. Same goes for the USA - if the service is bad or the food is so so then there is no tipping there either - at least from me, and that goes for Canada where I found when I worked in the catering industry there tipping was widespread . Perhaps if it was done World wide on the basis of great service then great service may be more likely to occur. For the record too, I have been chased down the road for not leaving an adequate tip - in that instance it was amazing that I paid for the meal, let alone tip!
Dec 24th, 2006, 12:32 AM
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I thought that in England a sandwich is a "sarnie" - or is that a regional thing? Whatever, it's a "sanger" in Australia, but as it's easy to trip up when using local colloquialisms it would be much safer to stick to "sandwich". You'd certainly get a strange look if you ordered a "club sanger" in a cafe. Likewise, although a lot of Australians use baby-talk abbreviations like "brekky" they may be expressed in an innocent or in a half-ironic way, and if you asked about "brekky" at your hotel you'd get another decidedly strange look.
Actually Australia and the UK do have many usages in common, but there are quite a few differences too. Fr'instance, we don't call kerosene paraffin, we have main streets rather than high streets and we walk on footpaths rather than either pavements or sidewalks. On the other hand we use mobile phones rather than cell phones, our cars have bonnets and boots rather than hoods and trunks, we go to the toilet rather than the rest room, and much more.
Don't worry - we understand American fairly well, so with luck you won't need an interpreter too often.
Good luck with the CFO!
Actually Australia and the UK do have many usages in common, but there are quite a few differences too. Fr'instance, we don't call kerosene paraffin, we have main streets rather than high streets and we walk on footpaths rather than either pavements or sidewalks. On the other hand we use mobile phones rather than cell phones, our cars have bonnets and boots rather than hoods and trunks, we go to the toilet rather than the rest room, and much more.
Don't worry - we understand American fairly well, so with luck you won't need an interpreter too often.
Good luck with the CFO!
Dec 24th, 2006, 04:48 AM
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Mostly, Neil, we just go to the loo. and that does come from the Poms, although the better bred ones would say "lavatory".
I do understand about American breakfast tastes; our sausages (snags) are linked; our bacon is generally of high quality and doesn't need to be overcooked to a frazzle; every nuance of cooking eggs hasn't escaped me - be it sunny side up or any other way; grilled tomatoes with a bacon &egg breakfast seems to be abhorrent to many; and have quite got used to serving pancakes, bacon and maple syrup on the same plate. Oh, and yolkless omelets sometimes, awfully tricky to get the filling into.
I do understand about American breakfast tastes; our sausages (snags) are linked; our bacon is generally of high quality and doesn't need to be overcooked to a frazzle; every nuance of cooking eggs hasn't escaped me - be it sunny side up or any other way; grilled tomatoes with a bacon &egg breakfast seems to be abhorrent to many; and have quite got used to serving pancakes, bacon and maple syrup on the same plate. Oh, and yolkless omelets sometimes, awfully tricky to get the filling into.
Dec 24th, 2006, 04:40 PM
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Based on the helpful responses you all have been kind enough to offer, I am putting the following numbers into the budget I present to the CFO:
Breakfast: AUD20
Lunch: AUD30
Dinner: AUD80
It looks like those numbers will work over the spectrum of the variety of places we'll be visiting.
Cheers,
BigBlue
Breakfast: AUD20
Lunch: AUD30
Dinner: AUD80
It looks like those numbers will work over the spectrum of the variety of places we'll be visiting.
Cheers,
BigBlue
Dec 24th, 2006, 11:30 PM
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"grilled tomatoes with a bacon & egg breakfast seems to be abhorrent to many"
- Me included, Pat. I really hate those squishy red things that leave your bacon, eggs and sausages swimming in a nasty watery liquid. The only vegetable matter you need at breakfast is potatoes (in the form of hash browns, which are there to soak up egg yolk) and chillies (one of the six basic food groups) in the form of Tabasco.
- Me included, Pat. I really hate those squishy red things that leave your bacon, eggs and sausages swimming in a nasty watery liquid. The only vegetable matter you need at breakfast is potatoes (in the form of hash browns, which are there to soak up egg yolk) and chillies (one of the six basic food groups) in the form of Tabasco.
Dec 25th, 2006, 04:30 AM
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Neil, I'd eat chillies with just about everything and have tried to include them in some breakfasts with a very luke warm reception. I do use them randomly but not without asking the guest first.
Tomatoes have to be red right through, not those pallid, flavourless, things with almost white insides which are all too common in supermarkets, and cooking a bit with a bit of salt, pepper and basil does enhance them - and Italians have taught me to use a bit of sugar on them as well. Certainly more taste than a bland hash brown, which my potato loving husband would scoff in an instant - we don't need any more avoirdupois around here!
Tomatoes have to be red right through, not those pallid, flavourless, things with almost white insides which are all too common in supermarkets, and cooking a bit with a bit of salt, pepper and basil does enhance them - and Italians have taught me to use a bit of sugar on them as well. Certainly more taste than a bland hash brown, which my potato loving husband would scoff in an instant - we don't need any more avoirdupois around here!
Dec 25th, 2006, 06:03 PM
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Pat, I'm not against tomatoes at all, just don't like them grilled and spoiling my (rare) hot breakfast.
There's a nice Italian pasta sauce - amatriciana? - that uses just a simple tomato sugo, bacon and chillies.
There's a nice Italian pasta sauce - amatriciana? - that uses just a simple tomato sugo, bacon and chillies.
Dec 26th, 2006, 05:31 AM
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Yes, do the amatriciana often, sometimes I get really excited and make my own pasta from scratch. It's easy and cheap dish and helps use up the kilos of tomatoes which keep appearing out of last year's compost. Tomato seeds are just about invincible, given the right climate. But heeding your remark I did keep an eye on those who ordered tomatoes with a fry-up this morning, there was no squishiness or leakage resulting in a watery liquid, which I think gets back to using decent tomatoes and not overcooking them.
Dec 29th, 2006, 12:25 PM
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There you are - there is John in Miami writing in and he has not even written to me this Christmas....... and I am not long off decending on Miami to find out what its about. Is this called "letting me down gently"?
