The Big Read: Affordable Australia

It is possible to go Down Under without going into the red, says Mark Chipperfield

VISITORS to Australia can be taken aback by the costs. Wages in the country remain high, and so accommodation and eating out can be expensive. Here, I set out my advice for stretching your holiday budget further .

Getting around

By air

Air travel within the country is highly competitive, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia being major players, along with the no-frills Tigerair ( tigerair.com ). Try to book your tickets well in advance .

If you'll be flying a lot, it could be worth buying an air pass, such as the Qantas Walkabout, with your international flight.

By road

Apex Car Rentals ( apexrentacar.com.au ) has last-minute car rates (from A$40, or R390, a day), free child and booster seats and discounted insurance rates. To find the best deal with the likes of Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty, visit vroomvroomvroom.com.au .

For an old-school road trip, operators such as Jucy Rentals (jucy.com.au) and Wicked Campers (wickedcampers.com.au) have really shaken up the camper-van scene, the latter offering vehicles for as little as A$55 (R540) a day. Britz (britz.com.au), Apollo (apollocamper.com) and Maui (maui.com.au) all have a good range of modern vehicles available at competitive rates; expect to pay around A$102 a day for a small van.

Inter-city coaches are also affordable and ideal for trips along the eastern seaboard. One-way "fetch fares" from Sydney to Byron Bay start at A$97. The major operator is Greyhound Australia (greyhound.com.au).

By train

Australia's railway system is antiquated but does provide a unique way to explore the country. Great Southern Rail, which operates the Ghan, the Indian Pacific and the Overland, has a number of special backpacker fares and low-season discounts; see greatsouthernrail.com.au/site/backpacker.jsp.

. EATING OUT

This is one of the great pleasures of Australia. It can also be expensive. As a result, many places now have more casual and affordable menus, and travellers should take advantage of their midweek specials and attractive degustation offers.

American-style food vans serve affordable fare in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Hobart and Brisbane. Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Malaysian food is often still great value. For Asian food, head to a food court - they are found in every city and offer fresh, cheap and spicy eats. Many suburban restaurants still allow BYO.

Accommodation

Hotel accommodation remains costly by international standards, but discounting is now widely practised, even by the best five-star hotels. Chains such as Adina (adinahotels.com.au), Travelodge and Holiday Inn all provide affordable options. Many of the five-star and luxury boutique hotels heavily discount their rooms during quieter periods - visit wotif.com.

For family groups, an apartment-hotel might be a better proposition, especially if you want to do your own cooking. There are Ibis Budget hotels at most city airports, ideal for a no-frills overnight stay. While extremely functional, these hotels are preferable to many of the backpacker-style lodges. Double rooms cost from A$70 a night.

Most coastal destinations, such as Byron Bay, Mornington Peninsula and Noosa, have a good range of smart holiday houses and apartments. Self-catering is a great way of keeping your costs down. The Tourism Australia website (australia.com) has a property locator, while stayz.com.au lists 30000 properties around the country, from apartments to beach houses.

Cities

All of the bigger cities in Australia now offer discounted rail, bus and ferry passes for visitors. Most of them also operate free bike-hire schemes. Check with the relevant tourist office for each city.

Sydney

Eating out is one of the great delights of Sydney, but its better restaurants are quite pricey. Luckily, many offer midweek lunch specials or well-priced degustation menus. Rockpool On George, for example, has a two-course lunch menu for A$70 a head, while the 12-course tasting menu (A$120) at the Ocean Room is also excellent value. Eating at one of the many hole-in-the-wall bars is another fine way to save. The listings website Broadsheet (broadsheet.com.au) is useful for keeping abreast of the arrivals. For a cheap lunchtime meal, the Asian food court at the top of Dixon Street in Chinatown is good.

Official website: gb.sydney.com .

Melbourne

With its abundance of museums, public art galleries and municipal parks, Melbourne is the ideal destination for the frugal traveller. Many of the great cultural institutions, such as the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and the State Library, are free. Ditto the Royal Botanic Gardens, a great place to while away a few hours. To get your bearings, jump on the Melbourne Visitor Shuttle, which stops at Federation Square, Chinatown, Lygon Street and Southbank. An all-day ticket costs A$5.

Eating out can be very expensive, but not if you choose one of the city's small bars or restaurants. New arrivals include Mamak, Middle Fish and Shangdong MaMa. For the latest culinary gossip, visit goodfood.com.au or pick up The Age newspaper on a Tuesday.

Official website: visitmelbourne.com .

Perth

There are plenty of low-cost things to do. Hanging out at one of the city's magnificent surf beaches is one of them. Scarborough Beach Surf School has introductory surfing lessons for A$30. If it's overcast (a rarity here), head to Northbridge, home of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the WA Museum and the State Library. Entry is by gold-coin donation.

Fremantle is a popular destination for visitors, with its old pubs, pavement cafés and weekend markets. Explore "Freo" on foot using a local guide from the Fremantle Visitor Centre (fremantlewa.com.au), hire a bike or hop on the free shuttle bus.

Official website: experienceperth.com .

Brisbane

In the glittering, upwardly mobile capital of Queensland, volunteers known as Brisbane Greeters (brisbanegreeters.com.au) will give you a free introduction to the city. Alternatively, jump aboard one of the regular CityCat ferries that ply the Brisbane River; audio guides are available. Brisbane now has a dynamic retail scene, a rich cultural life and plenty of great food, from dumplings to tapas. Jam Jar, Sichuan Bang Bang and Bistro One Eleven are part of this new wave. On Sundays, join the locals at Ben & Jerry's Open Air Cinemas (openaircinemas.com.au) to enjoy movies, live entertainment and free ice cream.

Official website: visitbrisbane.com.au .

Adelaide

With its flat terrain and Mediterranean climate, Adelaide is ideal to explore by bike. The city operates a free bicycle scheme (bikesa.asn.au), with depots dotted around the centre and suburbs. For a brilliant day out, follow the bike path along the Torrens River to Henley beach. Adelaide gets into full Lycra mode during the annual Tour Down Under each January. For something more contemplative, wander over to North Terrace and visit the lush Botanic Gardens and the eccentric Museum of South Australia. Entry to both is free. It's never been cheaper to eat out in Adelaide thanks to a new fleet of food vans, now popping up in Victoria Square, North Terrace and elsewhere. Track their movements or download an app at wherethetruck.at.

Official website: southaustralia.com .

Hobart

The Tasmanian capital is a highly affordable city with plenty of municipal parks, galleries and museums to enjoy. But since its opening in 2011, Mona (the Museum of Old and New Art) has tended to overshadow everything else. Allow at least two hours to explore - entry costs A$20 for adults. Regular ferries operate from Constitution Dock. For a true perspective on this city, do the Mount Wellington Descent (mtwellingtondescent.com.au), a 20km escorted bike adventure from the summit to the Hobart waterfront. Adult tickets cost A$76. Afterwards, relax at Lark Distillery and sample some of Tasmania's malt whiskies - customised tastings are available.

Official website: discovertasmania.com.au . - © The Daily Telegraph

Getting there

You can either go direct from Joburg to Perth on SAA or Qantas, or take a longer and not-much-cheaper route, such as via Singapore or Dubai. Skyscanner.net shows return fares on Qantas for the nine-hour flight to Perth starting at R13783 for travel in April, while fares on SAA over the same period start at R14831. The cheapest indirect fare was on Singapore Airlines for R13159 but flying time is 17 hours. - Paul Ash