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Why We Finally Committed to a Costco Membership (Australia)

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Disclaimer: This post isn’t about promoting Costco or bulk-buying culture. It’s simply my family’s take on why we decided to sign up for a $65/year Costco membership, despite not being fans of buying in bulk or freezing multiple portions of the same food item (we don’t have much storage space anyway). Here’s why we think the membership is worth it—especially if you live near a Costco (in our case, the Coomera warehouse). 1. Petrol Savings Costco’s petrol prices are a game-changer. While other servos can be competitive, there are swing-up days when prices spike unpredictably. Costco typically doesn’t do that. I’ve saved as much as 20–30 cents per litre—those savings add up quickly and make a big difference. 2. Affordable Eggs We’re big fans of eggs in our household. At Costco, a tray of 30 cage-free eggs costs around $10–$11. By comparison, a tray of 12 at Woolies or Coles goes for about $6. That’s amazing savings for a staple we regularly use. 3. Unexpected Finds Costco has a knack fo...
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Yummy Bánh mì in the Gold Coast (Australia)

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Disclaimer: This post is not about comparing or recommending restaurants or eateries. I am using this post to note down establishments that I have patronized and personally loved. I am sure there are many, many great Bánh mì that I have yet to try, and I hope someone will leave a recommendation or two in the comments. :) Bánh mì – I knew and enjoyed Bánh mì even before moving to Australia, but it was just one of the delicious offerings in Vietnamese eateries. However, Bánh mì seems to be an institution in Australia – people search high and low for the best Bánh mì around the country. Case in point – check out this FB group, I had a chuckle upon discovering this: Vietnamese Banh Mi Appreciation Society I will update this post as I encounter more delicious Bánh mì. Pickle n Pinch Cafe Address: 6/8 Grice Ave, Paradise Point QLD 4216 ( Google Maps ) This might seem like an unlikely place for a Bánh mì, but this cafe serves limited yet authentic Vietnamese delicacies alongside the typi...
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Pacific Airshow Gold Coast 2024: Tips (Australia)

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If you’re an aviation enthusiast, this event is not to be missed. Without much planning, my wife and I decided to attend the airshow today (Friday, 16th August 2024). It turned out to be one of our best decisions! We originally intended to visit tomorrow or Sunday, but we had other events to attend to. Since we didn’t have tickets, we decided to park at Main Beach and walk along the beach to find the best spot for viewing the acrobatics and flybys. Official website:  https://pacificairshowaus.com/ Where to view? For free viewing, we found that the sweet spot was right in front of Meriton Suites Surfers Paradise, which is perfect as it’s just outside the fenced paid area. Where to park? Parking along Main Beach is recommended; it's free, with either 2P or 3P limits. However, you need to arrive early as many others might have the same idea. We walked about 700 meters from our car to the viewing spot, but if you’re lucky, you may find parking closer. Since the first event starts aroun...
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Discovering Authentic Indonesian Food in Brisbane or the Gold Coast (Australia)

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Disclaimer: This post is not about comparing or recommending restaurants or eateries. I am making use of this post to note down establishments that I have patronized and feel fit my definition of "Authentic" Indonesian food. I am sure there are many places that I have yet to try, and I hope someone will leave a recommendation or two in the comments. :) If Google searches and restaurant blogs are to be believed, there seems to be a great variety of options (i.e., different styles of Indonesian food) in Sydney and Melbourne, but not as many here in Brisbane or the Gold Coast. I will update this post as I get the opportunity to discover new restaurants or eateries. Sendok Garpu by Bunda Alicia Address: Shop 6/97 Elizabeth St, Brisbane City QLD 4000 ( Google Maps ) Website:  https://www.sendokgarpu.com.au/ I love this restaurant for its Nasi Padang (pick and choose dishes; they are displayed near the cashier), which is typically only available during lunchtime. The experience of...
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Weekend Trip from Gold Coast to Melbourne: Convenient Transport Options (Australia)

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This was the very first time my wife and I took a short weekend trip from the Gold Coast to Melbourne. During our planning, the questions that popped up were: How should we travel from home to Gold Coast Coolangatta Airport? How should we travel from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to Melbourne Central? While Uber was the simple solution for many, we checked and realized it was rather costly. About $80-$100 for a one-way trip to the Gold Coast Airport (this was from our home in the Helensvale area, so your cost may vary depending on distance and timing) and about $60-$80 for a one-way trip from the Melbourne Airport to the city center. Thankfully, we discovered that the following solutions were both practical and economical for us. Gold Coast Airport Parking Website:  Gold Coast Airport Parking Since many of us may own cars when living in the Gold Coast, driving your own car and parking it at the airport for a short-term trip is very convenient. Don’t fret if all the pre-booking slot...
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Hunt for Cheap Petrol (Australia)

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Screenshot from https://petrolspy.com.au/ When living in Singapore, I used to visit the same servo (petrol station) regularly. You could say I was a loyal customer. However, things are different here in Australia, where fuel prices can fluctuate frequently for various reasons. In any given area, there might be a network of ten or more servos but often, only a few of these servos offer fuel at lower or outdated rates - Prices that haven't yet increased but might do so within the next few hours. Since our family needs to top up fuel every few days, finding that budget-friendly servo quickly is essential. Fortunately, there are several apps that help drivers compare fuel prices. After some trial and error, I’ve settled on Petrol Spy ( https://petrolspy.com.au /) because their data seems to be accurate, at least for the suburbs where I live. This might not be the case for everyone. Pro-tip when using Petrol Spy: Use the list-view to easily find the lowest rate (Make sure you are in the...
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Reasonably Priced Fruits & Vegetables in the Gold Coast (Australia)

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As funny as it sounds, fruit and vegetable prices do matter to our family here in Australia, and observing their fluctuations is like playing a roulette when visiting supermarkets (Woolies or Coles). To provide a little context, fruit and vegetable prices in Singapore are reasonably economical throughout the year, allowing you or your family to continuously buy your preferred produce without much consideration. However, here in Australia, broccoli might cost $6.99/kg one week and $14.99/kg the next. That's a significant price fluctuation that can impact one's grocery budget if they are not careful with their purchases. I have yet to understand why this is so. It may be due to supply and demand or even factors such as the weather and season, but it's still intriguing that the movements are significant and occur frequently. For now, we view this so-called price index in a positive light. It encourages us to select vegetables that are well-priced for the week. This approach ke...
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