If you are just visiting Australia you can claim a refund on the goods and services tax (GST) and wine equalisation tax (WET) on good you buy in Australia. This refund is subject to certain conditions – see www.border.gov.au/Trav/Ente/Tour for full details.
Food/Groceries
Coles and Woolworths are the 2 leading supermarket chains found throughout Australia selling all types of groceries, including fresh vegetable, meat, fish, baby and household products.
To find a store near you go to:
Wine, Beer & Spirits: Supermarkets are not licensed to sell alcohol so you will find wine/beer and spirits are sold separately in Bottle Shops or Liquor Stores. They even have drive through bottle shops for those keen to stock up on the move. To find a store near you try Dan Murphy’s (www.danmurphys.com.au ), Vintage Cellars (www.vintagecellars.com.au ) or BWS (www.beerwinespirits.com.au ). Some stores have loyalty programs or are affiliated with the supermarket loyalty program so sticking with one can reap rewards.
Markets & Fairs
Salamanca Market is an ecletic market of handmade clothing, handmade goods, vintage finds, artisan jewellry, and delicious food. It is known for its relaxed atmosphere where locals can meet with the people who make and offer their products. Farm Gate and Harvest Market are also other well known markets in Tasmania with a great connection with locals and vendors with a variety of food and goods.
https://www.salamancamarket.com.au/Home -Salamanca Market
http://farmgatemarket.com.au/-Farm Gate Market
http://harvestmarket.org.au/ -Harvest Market
Mobile Phones/Laptops/Tablets
When you first arrive you may want a temporary solution to your communication needs. You can purchase a cheap phone (expect to pay around $35) and sim card on a pay as you go basis. Being on a contract is a more economical long term solution but for short stays or until you have an address/bank account this can be hard to set up. You can top up your credit for your phone in supermarkets, post offices and phone shops.
You can also buy a wireless modem that connect you to the internet (expect to pay around $85 if not as part of a contract deal). This you can also have on as a pay as you go contract.
Telephone/Internet providers
Click on the links below to find your nearest store.
Or you can try independent retailers such as:
Tablet/laptop and other electrical appliances
Chemist/Pharmacy
www.priceline.com.au (discount chemist nationwide)
Furniture:
- General: Try Ikea (www.ikea.com.au ) and Freedom Furniture (www.freedom.com.au ) for household basics. For kitchen essentials and household accessories such as sheets, towels, plates, cutlery etc go to Target (www.target.com.au ) or Kmart (www.kmart.com.au ). If you are looking for mid range stylish furniture try Domain (www.domain.com.au ). For top end designer furniture you can’t go past Coco Republic (www.cocorepublic.com.au )
- White Goods: For electrical appliances try Harvey Norman (www.harveynorman.com.au) Bing Lee (www.binglee.com.au) or 2nds world for Factory 2nds at reduced prices (www.2ndsworld.com.au ).
- Rental Furniture: You can rent individual items of furniture as required (such as a fridge or outdoor setting) or you can rent a 2/4/6 person furniture package that will include everything you need in one go. The longer you rent for the cheaper the weekly price becomes. You will usually need to pay a months rental in advance, a security deposit refundable on return and will be charged a delivery fee.
- Second Hand Furniture: Many people resell their furniture, at a fraction of the cost, when they leave Tasmania. Try www.gumtree.com.au (a website with free listings of everything from jobs wanted to furniture for sale), eBay (www.ebay.com.au )or the local charity stores to find a bargain near you.
Shopping for Kids:
- Cots/Highchairs/Strollers etc: Try Baby Kingdom (www.babykingdom.com.au ), Mothercare (www.mothercare.com.au ) and Target (www.target.com.au ). You can buy nappies in Bulk online from www.gotoddler.com.au
- Renting Kid’s furniture: You can rent car seats/strollers etc if you only need them for a short while or when you first arrive.
- Clothes: Cotton On (www.cottonon.com/AU/?region=AU) does great fun, colourful, affordable clothing for kids. Target (www.target.com.au ) and Kmart (www.kmart.com.au ) are great for cheap basics. Seed (www.seedheritage.com ) and Gumboots (www.gumboots.com.au )caters for stylish youngsters and Industrie Kids (www.industriekids.com.au ) offers trendy street wear for the under 14s.
- Toys: For all the mainstream, branded toys try Toys R Us (www.toysrus.com.au ) Myer (www.myer.com.au ) and Kmart (www.kmart.com.au ). For quality toys and great gift ideas try Kidstuff (www.kidstuff.com.au ) or shop online at www.iqtoys.com.au .
- Sporting goods (soccer boots/swim goggles): Rebel Sport (www.rebelsport.com.au) or for sports shoes Athletes Foot (www.theathletesfoot.com.au ).
Online Shopping:
Food:
Coles and Woolworths offer an online ordering service for your supermarket shop. Perfect for those time poor, with young children or those who need extra assistance.
Furniture
www.ikea.com.au (order Ikea online to save a trip to their store)
www.gumtree.com.au (second hand furniture sold by area)
Clothes