Oh, FYI - there's a Costco over at the Docklands if it comes to that! ;)

Hi Rick,

can't believe TA flicked Verdant, she went to huge lengths to give tourists just so much information on this area which I would find hard to believe a southerner visitor would begin to know about. And her posts showed her genuine, and comprehensive knowledge and love of our area.

I don't post much there either now, screen name is "galah", but there's nothing much to say when it's usually "what is the best reef trip?", and there's only so much you can say about the workings of the Kuranda Train/Skyrail schedules and transport arrangements. Or "should I stay in Cairns or Port Douglas?", as if there's nowhere else in area. Always enjoyed your posts too.

Glad to see you here anyway, I think most Fodors readers do appreciate a local's input.

Bit damp here at the moment isn't it? - early wet or just a flash in the pan I guess remains to be seen.

Thank you too Clifton, for your comments, always the voice of reason.

Pat/Galah bloke/mate,

Yes...a tad damp/humid. Copped 383mms in the backyard here, over the last 24 hours, and bogged the mower a couple of times. Collecting the kids from White Rock TAS was especially delightful. Only took 90 minutes.

Hopefully it's all just a bit of a catch-up for the last 4 months of dry weather, and by the weekend we can take the Jag out for a spin again, enjoying the usual glorious spring weather up to P.D. and back.

I just know that's not going to happen, so I'll be busy polishing it, yet again, and putting it back in the garage. No biggie.

Cheers mate, stay safe and sober(ish)

Rick
Brinsmead

Brinsmead! You're just around the corner, more or less. I'm at Stratford. Actually I'm female, and a grandma, so a bit long in the tooth!

Anyway, 75 Kamerunga Rd, its a big Queenslander, but you can't see it from road as lots of trees on footpath, but drop in anytime you're passing.

Note to the OP: we arrived in Sydney a year ago, at the start of an 8-week visit to Oz and NZ. We loved it all, but I still remember being really surprised by the high cost of eating out. (I think I posted here and on Flyertalk that first day, looking for emergency advice!)

Eventually we figured out how to stay with some kind of budget or just suck it up and pay up, but those first few days were a bit of a shock to the system. Much as we loved them, we couldn't eat meat pies every day... ;-)

Well, it's been a couple of weeks and we are loving our time in Melbourne. spent the last weekend in the Yarra and King Valleys and up into the Alps and started to adjust to realizing tip and taxes are included and otherwise we try not to think about it. I have time to comparison shop so I go from Woolies, Coles to local Praham market for special fruits, olive oils, etc. Stocked up on cheese, mustand, and wines in the valleys. try to buy Australian and appreciate the living wage that is given to all workers.
I've given up on my daily banana though until prices come down, down here......yesterday they were still $9.98/kilo....hard to swallow when you're used to $0.79/pound.
Have met a local who has taught me where to buy 1/2 price tickets....not heavily advertised the way our cheap tickets are, and the reject store......
Been an adventure and that's why we came so thanks for all of the ideas and the tangents have been interesting too.

I hope those banana prices a Coles insider predicted hit soon myself! We've been doing without for now too.

btw, if you like to get out for events and things, I get a lot of use out of this one for a calendar of stuff going on (and links to other local sites)

http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au

They usually have a slew of multicultural festivals on during the summer at Fed Square and the Queen Vic Market. You stumble on things going on all the time.

By the way - one eating experience not mentioned if you haven't done it already. Probably pretty pedestrian to an Australian, but fish and chips here, if you get a good neighborhood reco (they're everywhere) are <i>really</i> good compared to something like you find in the states. And fairly cheap. Not good for you, but nice and in a good one, you get a choice of different fresh fish, fresh dipped and fried or grilled. The most popular and cheapest is flake, which is shark. F&C is to Australia as a deli is to NYC (IMO).

Kebabs are decent value too, and generally fresh and (relatively) healthy.