Cost-conscious Australians are staying close to home this Easter as the cost of living soars, but one tradition they’re not prepared to sacrifice is tucking into fresh seafood
Fishmongers across the nation are preparing for the feeding frenzy, with more than 1000 tonnes of seafood is set to be sold across the nation’s most popular fish markets as traders gear up for the markets’ single busiest day of the year.
A whopping 650 tonnes of prawns, oysters, mussels and fish will be snapped up at the Sydney Fish Market alone with doors opening at 5am to cater for record crowds.
But traders at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market anticipate the cost-of-living crisis will affect seafood sales.
“Shoppers can make their dollar go further by purchasing whole fish varieties like locally caught barramundi, salmon and rainbow trout that can feed the whole family,” Damien Prosser from Prosser’s Seafood said.
And it’s not just Easter lunches that will feel the pinch.
Too expensive to travel
Nearly two-thirds of Australians are planning to stay home this holiday period, with 40 per cent unable to afford accommodation or travel expenses, according to a survey commissioned by Tourism and Transport Forum Australia.
For those who will be travelling, most will stay in their home state.
Drivers can expect a bigger police presence on the roads as authorities work to manage the 21 per cent increased risk of death or injury over the holiday period.
Double demerit points will also be in force from Thursday through to Monday for drivers in NSW, the ACT and Western Australia.
Further curbing travelling plans will be the spate of wet weather set to batter most major cities.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Sarah Scully said maximum temperatures are likely to be well below average for most areas.
Extreme chill
A series of cold fronts will bring cool, wet and windy conditions across the southern states while severe thunderstorms are forecast to batter the east coast on Friday.
Street performers for a Wesley Mission Good Friday will brave the weather with an interactive theatre performance of Jesus carrying a heavy wooden cross through Sydney’s Martin Place.
The CBD commuter and business hub will be transformed into a busker’s paradise with a Da Vinci painting and a pop-up cathedral, Wesley Mission said.
-with AAP
