Is that recent? I don’t remember it being capped so low when I was there
@Crookie Music to my ears! It’s weird not having a car to drive at all times but I got used to it in Asia last year. Right now I’m in Jeju so we did rent a car for the month but dang it, I get in such a bad mood if we don’t use it everyday. I’m loving public transportation when it’s good.
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Definitely @Crookie, we may sound a little biased but I do believe we do 
@Smiley I think the .50 cent transport is a thing the Qld Premier introduced to sweeten the voters 
There is/was a state election recently or done @Crookie ?
@IHeartAnimals got to be honest, I definitely don’t think Oz is the cheapest place to be these days but definitely worth it I believe 
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@ziggy yes, pricey for sure. If I land a sit there, I’ll force my family to eat Costco $5 chicken everyday
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Food in Sydney is especially tasty, because there are various immigrants from across the Pacific Rim. As a visitor, I found public transit convenient there and in Melbourne.
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I found a huge difference in prices between Aldi, on one hand, and the rest of grocery stores, on the other
@Smiley @ziggy the Qld Labour government introduced 50c public transport fares in August to help with the cost of living but definitely as part of Labour’s election campaign. The state election is this Saturday 26 October and they are expected to lose to the LNP who have promised to continue with the 50c fares. It’s also a way of trying to get cars out of Brisbane inner city as traffic is chaotic and the expensive parking fees aren’t workung as a deterrent.
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Our bus fare cap in England is £2 I think in most counties, although I now have free bus travel. I do think 50c is pretty low
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@ziggy definitely biased about Queensland
being an amazing state to live in and holiday in and all the Sydney and Melbourne residents seem to agree as this is where they come to holiday and they all seem to be moving here as well! They are getting alot of heat for our housing shortage and our increasing real estate prices! But why wouldn’t they, Queensland is fantastic if you like great weather, fresh seafood, outdoor living and a relaxed lifestyle.
@IHeartAnimals Australia is not cheap to visit like say Vietnam, but we found it to be cheaper or on par with the UK, France & Italy. We have cheaper cost of living prices for food, fuel & power than the UK. During our long stays in the UK in 2022-2023 & 2024 we were surprised how much more expensive it was there. And then there is our food… Australia has an international reputation for producing the best produce to the highest standard.
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@Maggie8K Australia is very multicultural with numerous cuisines to be had in every city here, not just Sydney.
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@IHeartAnimals Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne all have great bus and rail city transport, Brisbane also has a good ferry network as we have a very long & winding river that is the heart of our city. All are pretty cheap so you definitely wouldn’t need a car. With our current 50c fares, we use public transport as our first choice over our car.
Australia doesn’t have a great inter city bus or rail network though as they are infrequent and expensive. UK & Europe run rings around us with their rail networks. It’s because Australia is so vast. It’s better to fly between cities in most cases. The whole of Europe & the UK can fit inside Australia.
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I didn’t visit all of Australia, so I can’t speak to that. I found dining in Alice Springs to be meh, though.
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@Crookie very good to know. Wow look at that map comparison!
I have taken buses there and no issues. And taken the subway+bus out to Bondi from Sydney. Not difficult. A trip out to see the penguins come in is worth it from Melbourne but a whole day into the night. So you shouldn’t do a dog sit if you plan that.
Didn’t go to pet sit, but Tasmania should be visited, though it is out of the way!
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+1 for Tasmania. And if you like whisky, it’s great for that.
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