Traveling through Australia is an exciting as well as eye-opening experience. From emptiness of roads to high cost of simple services, every day brings out something new. This blog captures one of my recent days in Airlie Beach, detailing everything from campsite stay to getting antibiotics without a prescription.

A Ghost Town Feel – The Evening Scene

At 5:00 PM, the town was eerily quiet. The roads were deserted, and most shops had already shut down. Unlike the hustle and bustle of Indian cities, Australia’s small towns tend to wind down quite early. Even the barbershops were closed.

I went into a barbershop to ask if it is by appointment only. The one attending was a beautifully striking woman who seemed more like one of those actresses in Hollywood. She said she only works by appointments. I had to reschedule my plan to get a haircut since I had an early morning boat tour the following day.

I stayed at Nomads Hostel, Airlie Beach, in a powered camping site. My campervan is solar-powered so technically, I did not need an external power supply. But since powered sites were the only option, I had no choice but to book one. This cost a lot of money

This parking of my campervan in the grounds will cost me really high. Shared facilities such as washrooms and toilets and the shared kitchen area were available free of cost however, laundry needed to be charged extra.

The Vastness of Australia and Its Low Population Density

Australia is the 6th largest country in the world, covering 7.7 million sq km, which is more than twice the size of India. However, the population is only 27 million, roughly the same as Delhi’s population. This means that long stretches of road feel completely deserted, and small towns have very few people living in them.

The vast emptiness made my road trip feel like a desert expedition, with towns appearing only after hours of driving. The town I was in, Airlie Beach, had a population of just 67,000 people. 

Dental Emergency – The Antibiotics Struggle

For two days, I had been experiencing severe tooth pain due to an infection under a crown. Finally, the pain became unbearable, and I contacted my dentist in India, who advised me to take antibiotics. However, in Australia, antibiotics cannot be bought without a prescription, making it a challenge to get medication without consulting a doctor.

I went to a pharmacy. The staff there was friendly. They told me that it would cost around 300-400 AUD (~16,500-22,000 INR) to get an appointment with a doctor in Airlie Beach. But they offered me an online consultation service for just 45 AUD (~2,500 INR).

I promptly booked an online consultation for 62 AUD (~3,400 INR) where an Indian/Sri Lankan doctor prescribed the antibiotics that I required. The prescription was directly sent to the pharmacy. I bought the medicines for an amount of 56 AUD (~3,080 INR).

This whole process, which would have cost me only 200-300 INR (~5 AUD) in India, ended up costing me nearly 7,000 INR (~120 AUD) in Australia. This made me realize how affordable and accessible healthcare is in India, compared to developed countries where even basic medicines are heavily regulated. 

Supermarket Shopping – The Price Shocks Continue

Later, I visited a Woolworths supermarket in Airlie Beach where once again I was in for a shock. The basic grocery items were many times more expensive than their Indian price.

Unlike in India, where vegetables and dairy are relatively cheap, the cost of living in Australia is way higher.

Laundry and Self-Grooming

Finding a barber was quite tough, so I cut my own hair. Laundry, which was usually cheap in India, was costing me 6 AUD (~330 INR) just to use the washing machine, and another 5 AUD (~275 INR) for drying clothes.

Conclusion: Lessons Learned

1. Australia is expensive. Simple tasks such as getting a haircut, medicines, or even camping cost way more than in India.

2. Health insurance is essential. If I had travel insurance, my medical expenses could have been covered.

3. Early shutting down times. In India, the shops are open late, while in Australia, shops close down by 5 PM.

4. Low population. It felt so empty on the roads of Australia just like the streets of India were overflowing.

5. Self-sufficiency is the way. Having a campervan with cooking and washing facility really kept me out of some big budget blows.

With the very expensive costs, Airlie Beach is still a breathtakingly beautiful town, great for road trips. Keep looking forward to more adventures!