General price of Food compared to somwhere like Cairns

[dingo]

I am just getting serious about my budget now and as I like to try and travel light when it comes to the food side of things.
I would like to know what sort of mark up the prices are compared to say, Cairns. 20% , 30%.

I am a believer of putting money into the community I live in or visit even if it does cost me a bit extra.
I also would rather have fresh rather than frozen meat (can't get fresher than road kill) and fresh veggies rather than tinned stuff.

I see fuel (Diesel) is up around $1.90 or so a liter up around Bamaga but this could rise and fall as quickly as the tides so I have budgeted $2 a liter for the entire 7,500km round trip from Sydney.

[Scorcher]

Dingo,

Geoff or one of the others who live up that way will be the best to advise you on prices % vs say Cairns. We have always found that fresh ('ish) fruit & veg's as well as meat tend to be well marked up. Tinned & packaged food seemed to be marked up to a lesser extent.

We have always tended to buy the bulk of our staples at Cairns, and just top up on the way at Weipa & Bamaga/Seisia predominantly. Subsidising the food with freshly caught fish & mud crabs, some nice Oysters, free range Coconuts and perhaps a slab of freshly shot Pig saves on carrying up stacks of frozen cryovac'd meat !

As for fuel prices, I would expect that about 5,000 kms of the trip (Syd>Cairns>Syd) you should expect to pay no more that about $1.30 / litre. Prices tend to be a tad lower once you jump over into Qld.

After Cairns, prices start to jump. Have a squiz at some of the other fuel prices threads that we have on here, and you will get a pretty good idea where the "cheaper" fuel outlets are on the Cape. Allowing $2/litre for the Cape section of the trip should see you with a few extra $ left in the wallet for the trip home !

Cheers

Scorcher

[geoffjy]

I read in the paper not too long ago that they did a survey on this. They had a list of items that they bought from a supermarket in Cairns and it came to about $120. The same items in Seisia cost around $160.

In regards to meat, cryovacked stuff is the way to go and bring it with you if you can afford the room. If not, i think Seisia sells rump for about the $20/kg.

Fresh fruit and veg can be obtained up here and your best bet is to hit the supermarkets in Bamaga or Seisia on a Monday or Tuesday as this is when they get the groceries in form the barge. Just dont look at buying stuff like strawberries and you shouldnt be charged like a wounded bull.

Hope this gives you a better idea.

[dingo]

Thanks for the info Geoff and Scorcher, I suspected the price difference to be approx 30% as years ago I use to drive a truck servicing a lot of properties out and around Bourke, Wanaring, out towards Hungerford, Tibooburra delivering fuel and groceries to them. (base was Wanaring) Was a good life and met some weird and wonderful characters along the way in the six months I was there and it was about the same difference in cost.
I've got a 35 L Weaco fridge set up in the back so although it isn't small it ain't that big either.

Fish , mudcrabs oysters are always a good thing to have around but since I am really the only fisherman in the group at present and time might be against me I don't think they will be much of an option until I get to Siesia when I meet up with some other friends who are doing the fly in fly out option for a week and then when I get back to Cairns (there for 7 days) I will be again meeting these same people doing a 2 day 1 night Game trip and a few other fishing trips as well just to keep the interest going.


I always overprice fuel and under estimate my fuel economy to it's worst purposely so as to have a bit extra in the wallet in case I decide to take a detour on the way home.

Thanks again for the input and it is now only 78 days and counting till I leave Sydney.

[Porker54]

What is the price of a carton of beer in Seisia at the moment?? both super and gold??
Is there a club or Pub in Seisia that sell counter lunches/teas??

Cheers
Porka

[geoffjy]

What is the price of a carton of beer in Seisia at the moment?? both super and gold??
Is there a club or Pub in Seisia that sell counter lunches/teas??

Cheers
Porka

There is only one place you can purchase take away beer and that is from the Bamaga Canteen. Price of a carton of xxxx gold is $55 a carton and full strength is $58 a carton with premixes at $115 a carton.

There is a takeaway in Seisia at the campground that you can get lunches from.

[plucker]

Is that the price for stubbies or a 30 pack?

[geoffjy]

You cant buy stubbies, only cans and the price is for a 30 pack.

[Porker54]

Might have to put essential supplies in the vehicle we are sending up on the sea swift...would this be a problem with the local rules if we take it from the boat to the Seisia camping ground??

[the tractor]

i did a comparo with carrying everything in one cruiser and buying it in another. carrying a freezer full of stuff on top of the fridge cost us an extra $30 in diesel per fill which more than made up for the difference in prices. mind you it was an 100l trailblazer chock full at -20degrees

some butchers will cryovac the meat for you, and most meat is stored before you see it (my brother is a butcher) ask them to cryo it early and it will extend the life up to a week. we froze sliced ham etc and cooked roast lamb etc and cryo'd that too.

coocktown is fairly priced and i tend to top up there on veggies aswell. also buying some roadside near atherton and mareeba.

if you like coke try and bring it in its pretty dear.

next trip i'll be stocking at cooktown, weipa and the tip

[geoffjy]

Might have to put essential supplies in the vehicle we are sending up on the sea swift...would this be a problem with the local rules if we take it from the boat to the Seisia camping ground??

Chances are that you might not get caught. You should be aware that as soon as the vehicle touches the jetty or carpark at Seisia that you are breaking the law by having more than the allowable limit of alcohol. The restrictions are still in place inside the campground.