Cheap wine and expensive sniffles

Travel is expensive. Traveling to a country like NZ is very expensive. You're on an island, many things are imported. The population is just over 4 million. Tourism is a good chunk of the GDP. The standards for safety, health, education, and infrastructure are high. And all those things need funding. 

For entertainment value, here are a few of the expensive (and cheap) things we've seen lately. Unless mentioned everything is in NZD. Current exchange is .81 to 1 CAD. I have changed kilos to lbs though.

Hairdryer at the Top 10 Holiday park, 20 cents a go.

Gas, $2.17 a liter. 

But some of the local transportation options run on grass.

2GB data, NZ Telecom, $50 (on top of the talk/text pkg, $20l. The blog must go on! 

But wine is plentiful, many under $10.

(Makes the blog more interesting ... At least to me?)

Individually shrink wrapped corn, $2.49 each.

Zucchini for ~$3.63 a lb

NZ green lipped muscles, $1.50 a lb. A bit more expensive from Curly's Bar, but they have never tasted so good either,

Sea urchins, free. Takes a bit of effort. The locals say they are good on toast (but I haven't tried them.)

Coca cola will really blow your mind. Pre-bottled at the store it's $3.32 CAD for half a litre. But there is a whole lake of it for free if you're willing to bottle it yourself.

(It's a peat bog...)

Lastly, one of neighbors came by and gave us a few lbs of snapper. Caught fresh in the bay today. He'd even fileted it for us. Can't beat free. 

(Thanks G and N!)

I think the most expensive thing here has been medication. Being spring, both SP and I needed antihistamines. At a major grocery store it was 5 tablets for $13.00! We hear that many Kiwis buy them online and have drugs shipped.

Now don't you just feel so sorry for us, stranded on a beach with our spring allergies, fresh halibut and coca cola lake? I didn't think so, but I thought I'd try for some sympathy points anyways.

-E