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For so long Australian’s have had to endure the taunts of British tourists touting their superior currency when visiting Australia. Now, Socceroos fans are set to get their own back… well sort of.
As the British Pound, Euro and US Dollar flounder, the Aussie dollar has held firm and Socceroos fans will enjoy the benefit come June.
Between the hunt for tickets, flights, safe and secure accommodation and transfers, there is one thing Australian fans won’t have to stress about across the Indian Ocean; and that’s being fed like royalty for a pittance.
“Australian fans making the trek to South Africa may be pleasantly surprised by what they find,” says Green and Gold Army member Aaron Zoanetti.
While thousands of Socceroos fans have been saving their pennies for their African adventure, a key area of travel related expense – food and drink – is cheap and plentiful on the veldt.
“I’ve been chatting to some friends about their expectations and some were budgeting between $100 and $200 a day and that’s just madness,” explains Zoanetti.
While a big day out with a drink or two thrown in and a hearty meal might well cost a heap in many of Australia’s favourite holiday spots, it’s not so in South Africa.
“On the Green and Gold Army’s official tour we’re based in Bedfordview, a really nice, chic part of Johannesburg,” says Zoanetti. “We’re surrounded by bars, clubs, restaurants and shops and our numerous scouting missions have brought back a wealth of intel on the city and South Africa in general”.
“One of the most welcome findings was the cost of living, which compared to the rapidly rising level in Australia, is a friendly surprise.”
So, what are we talking here? How about big steak or seafood dinner at quality top end establishments for about $10-$15 a serve, says Zoanetti.
“We had dinner in a quality steak restaurant and were enjoying tasting various local beers for $2-a-pop, we had to rub our eyes to believe the prices.”
With a strong Aussie dollar and a generally lower cost of labour in South Africa, the day to day savings may well be the determining factor for the budget conscious football fan still weighing up their options.
Melbournian Paulo Drago is one such Socceroo fan.
“I’ve done the numbers on flights and doing the trip independently or on a tour, and you can expect to save some dollars here and there by yourself, but there are logistical and security tradeoffs,” says the 25-year-old lifetime Socceroos fan.
“I had some work mates holiday in South Africa recently and they reckon it’s cheap as, so that’s going to help, and that means I may end up going on a tour just to alleviate some of the organisational headaches I’m encountering when researching my own tour.”
One thing’s for sure, with just over four months to tournament kick-off, the clock is ticking for the likes of Drago.
“The GGArmy tour is just over three-quarters sold out and the word from some of the other tour groups is similar, so time is running out,” says Zoanetti.
One thing’s for sure. Come June 13 in South Africa, the Socceroos will be supported by thousands of well fed and hydrated Aussies.
More information about the Green & Gold Army’s tour to the FIFA World CupTM can be found at http://www.ggarmyontour.com .
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