Exchange Rate Blues

Just how bad can this get???? The £ is now down to $1.55 !!!!!!! Two years ago we were getting $2.25. Holidays Down Under are getting MORE and MORE expensive !!!!!!!!!!!

Are you planning to go again early next year?

Hope to Kirstie, probably mid March through to April. Just getting far less for our money now !!!

It's mad isn't it - when I went first in 1995 it was so cheap, $36 for my weekly rent then and I had my own room!

Imagine selling up here and moving there (which I will in a few years time). If you sold your house here for £100,000, you would get approx $150,000, whereas only 2 years ago it would have been $220,000. A drop of $70,000 in just 24 months is simply too much !!!!!

Down to $1.48 today. A new low for the Pound !!!!!!

 still it will be gorgeous to be there

As always Kirstie, as always !!!!! Interesting to read a statement from the Aussie Cricket Board stating that tey are expecting a LOT less Pommies down there to support the England Cricket team in the Ashes, purely due to the strength of the Aussie DOllar !!!!

I've just come back from a trip and was shocked at how expensive it is. £15 for a pizza in a basic italian restaurant and about £5 for a bottle of beer. A few years back Oz had everything going for it, now just most things!

You're dead right Andre, but I come back again to the Exchange Rate. Less than two years ago the £15 Pizza would have only cost you £10 but probably the dollar equivalent would be more or less the same !!!!!!!

Ah but maybe this time when I come across with my Aussie $$$$ I will be able to afford a decent meal out !! I am buying my currency now  ...  

Indeed JulieBee. You are getting the best of the deal at the moment. Even the Aussies who flock to Earls Court every year should be able to afford a burger now !!!!!! It's agreat situation for you coming over here, but in the long run, the Aussie Tourism will suffer badly if the Dollar stays at it's current rate. Poor Poms just can't afford to visit and the same will apply to Yanks and many other potential visitors !!!!

This has now reached a crisis level for Poms and Aussies alike. £1=$1.45. Brits simply cannot afford to visit oz now. Look how few in number the Barmy Army are at the Ashes Tests compared to previous series. If Australia continues to have such a strong Dollar, it's tourism industries will soon collapse. It is just unrealistic for Brits/Europeans to holiday there anymore. It is just far too expensive!!!

yeah they're still out singing em tho! When I went to Aus in 2006 the rate was close to 2.5 to the pound I think crazy really.

When I first went in 1995 it was excellent - still managed to spend all my savings - there was too much to do and see, so all may wages paid for diving/sailing and a few crowns of course!

That is one of the things I found so great. The diving was much cheaper than I expected. How you finding it out there the moment Kirst?

A mate just came back from Oz reporting to have paid 16 dollars for two bottles of beer! He said the rate cleaned him out. I wondered why all my Aussie rellies were plannign trips home for the first time in ages!

it's getting totally out of hand now and it will cripple the tourism industry over there, places like the Gold Coast are already suffering.

Down to £1=$1.39 today !!!!! Oz is fast becoming a No-Go area for Poms !As I have posted before, the tourism trade Down Under is now looking to China for it's visitors. The Dollar has completely priced us out of it. Very sad !!!!!

it will be 1 dollar to 1 pound pretty soon. You're right, it's all about Chinese visitors now. By bye Poms.