Things be different in these here parts when it comes to what we Aussie’s ingest and how we shop for food.

On the plus side: sow stalls are banned in Tasmania and by the big supermarket chain Coles.  We’ve also banned plastic bags and battery hen farms; most of our beef (60% according to this article, which isn’t that great until they tell you they ship 2/3rd of the 40% of HG treated meat overseas – WTF?) and all of our chooks are growth hormone-free which is good news if you’re a conscientious omnivores.  We have a very well-regulated fishery if you eat local caught, and really, why wouldn’t you want a sustainably harvested, long-line caught yellow fin tuna that was pulled out of the pristine sub-Antarctic waters the same day?  Eh??  Plus an amazing grass-fee, free-range dairy industry (world class cheese and chocolate) who have banned hormones also.  Coffee is a big part of our culture and is taken seriously so while you won’t get free re-fills, it will likely be a delicious cup made by a highly trained barista and almost certainly free-trade and / or organic.  FYI we name our hot beverages different (see here), and there really is no greater pleasure than ordering a good “short black” when you need a caffeine jolt!  So that’s the good news.

The cons are: combined with our geographical location, vast terrain, comparatively small population, good wages and a bit of a duopoly with supermarkets, not much we eat or drink comes cheap.  A cooked breakfast in a cafe will be anything from around $12 (for two eggs on toast basically) to $18 or even $20 for something more elaborate like eggs benedict.  A bloody mary to wash it down will be $10+.  When you’re eating out and are offered water, best to always say “tap is fine” otherwise you’ll likely be bought bottled water which can also be several dollars a glass (plus our tap water is the best in the world so bottled water makes zero sense).  A case of beer (24 regular, draft stubbies or cans of local Tassie beer like Cascade or Boags) will be $50.  A bottle of drinkable ‘house’ red or white wine will be $12+ usually.  A sandwich from a deli and an orange juice could run to $15+.  This link here gives some other examples and I agree 100% with his advice re tipping (this is important – the reason we don’t generally tip is because staff are paid well and the food costs are already so high).  Supermarket and market shopping will drop the food costs down however they are still MUCH higher than the US.  Even I get surprised at the costs each time I go home and go grocery shopping – a full trolley with a few weeks supply of regular groceries and cleaning products once came to $500 when I was home last year.  Things like toiletries are much more too as all imported, so take your own of all that type of stuff (hair products and razors especially).  Believe me, I will be packing an eskie (cooler box) in the car for any of the days we’re traveling around with snacks, bevies (alcoholic and non), sandwich and salad making stuff etc to avoid costs mounting.  The homes you’re staying in are obviously going to have fully stocked pantry cupboards for general things like tea, coffee and cooking stuff which will help with costs significantly if you’re on a tighter budget (i.e. me) and want to make some meals at home or in advance.