Closed on Sundays and Pub hols.

Ron and Shirley · Senior Member

Closed on Sundays and Pub hols.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

On our recent sojourn in Qld we were surprised that all shops were closed on Sundays and Public holidays in many towns. the whole town of Gympie was closed for the Mayday long weekend, so we went to Rainbow beach which was busy, and a very enjoyable area.

Biloela also closed on Sundays.

In NSW we found Broken Hill very quiet on a Sunday too.

When you've been out in the bush for a few days, and are planning to stock up its a bit disconcerting.

Can others who have found particular places closed please let us know here?

Happywanderer · The Master

Not much of Qld is open on a Sunday. They have just brought in the ok for Bundy and Maryborough to open on Sundays for the first time.
Gympie was closed the Friday we were down there (Show Day)
The same at Maryborough today, closed (Show Day)

Nicholstones · Guru

Don't go to WA, everything closes on Sundays there, is very disconcerting when you are used to being able to pop into the supermarket whenever you like.

Yuglamron · Guru

Funny isn't it we have all these modern appliances,fridges freezers etc. for convenience and all the foods have preservatives in them and have use by dates, but we still prefer to buy quite often for our food.

I don't say we ought to return to a weekday only shopping because modern life seems to be seven day trading.

I do think we have lost weekends as family time though.

A few years ago in Brisbane the hospitality industry applied to have weekend penalty rates for the employees taken away because they were a seven day a week industry.

The way of the world I suppose

I moved from Brisbane to Maryborough in 2005 and was amazed the whole of Maryborough shut at lunchtime on Saturdays.

Now they will be allowed seven day trading.

Safe Travels

Happywanderer · The Master

I popped over to Maryborough for a few minutes today, had hoped to go to Rivers only to find they close 2pm on a Friday. Then realised they wouldn;t be open anyway being show day.
Whats with closing 2pm on a Friday?

Dougwe · Chief one feather

When I was in Townsville last month I saw on the local news that Charters Towers was going to trial run opening on Sundays to bring the tourists into the area a bit more.

Beth54 · Guru

The shopping centres in the bigger cities in Qld are open on Sundays, but not most of the country areas. And yes, some country areas still close at midday on Saturday.

As a former retail worker, I can tell you, we weren't happy when Sunday trading came in. Casuals had no choice but to work whatever hours were rostered. Too bad about family time on a Sunday. Luckily, I was part-time so had my regular shifts with no weekend work.

Cruising Granny · Guru

SA closes most shops on Sundays, but the supermarkets may be open. No guarantee.
As a van dweller I'm restricted by fridge space so I have a big cook up about every 3 weeks and freeze what I cook for future use in my Waeco.
I try to do food shopping 1 day a week. I don't find retail to be "therapy".
I just plan my shopping around known shopping hours.
In Cairns and Broome the shops are open every day.

golivers travels · Guru

Nicholstones wrote:
Don't go to WA, everything closes on Sundays there, is very disconcerting when you are used to being able to pop into the supermarket whenever you like.

Yes we were caught out in WA when we hit Esperance on a Sunday after travelling across the Nullabor a few years back. As Victorians we do take it for granted sometimes that Supermarkets will be open on the weekend. We live and learn. Glenda

billy the kid · Veteran Member

I beg to differ about Esperance.IGA is open 7 days a week.

golivers travels · Guru

billy the kid wrote:
I beg to differ about Esperance.IGA is open 7 days a week.

It is now but then it wasn't. Just relating a frustrating moment in relation to the topic. Glenda

Muso · Veteran Member

I remember here in SA in the late 60's, virtually everything was closed on a Sunday where you had to be a bona fide traveller (more than 50 miles from a city) if you wanted a beer, also to get petrol, I used to save up the 2 bobs or 20 cents and find 1 of about 5 self serve petrol pumps around Adelaide to get petrol, and yep, for around $2.00 I would get over half a tank of fuel.

I think times have progressed since those days, and I think the prices have outpaced the progress.

-- Edited by Muso on Saturday 26th of May 2012 07:39:40 AM

Scotty01 · Senior Member

SA used to be closed on Sunday but now all shopping centres , super markets etc are open, shorter hrs. Public holidays are still off limits for most shops but there are so many 24hr or at least extended hr 7day supermarkets around you can always get what you want. Most servos are now like supermarkets that sell petrol anyway and are open 24hrs. I think most of the regional shoping centres are also allowed to open Sundays if they want.

beiffe · Guru

I like fresh food but I do carry for an extended time when I travel. I buy before I get lost bush and I never travel on weekends so weekend shopping is not a worry but it did surprise me when I went to Brisbane to work about 12 years ago and could not get any food when I arrived on a Saturday. But then QLD is 10 years behind Australia (sorry could not help myshelf).

I cook fresh for breakfast and night meals though I may have a pub meal for a midday if travelling and a snack for mid day if bush but seldom freeze so we are all different.

Plus I DO need my retail therapy and have been know to stop in a town and do the boys shops and then the supermarket just to get out amongst people. This is another example where a town gains if they have parking near the town as if I cant park my bus and trailer they don't get any money.

I do have a large fridge for storage so I can buy for more than a week if required so I plan my shopping buy before I go to a bush camp and buy enough to see me through my expected stay plus a few days. I never buy food from an area where they restrict parking. Even fuel I will buy minimum to get me to a friendlier town where I am welcome to stay for a day or 3.

Just my way.

Regards
Brian

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Our caravan fridge is only small, and usually this isnt a problem as we like to visit the supermarkets/bakeries/butchers in small towns. It gives us a "feel" of a town to interact in these businesses. We've now learned to keep some non-perishables for "shops closed" emergencies.

I guess as residents of an open 7 days city we are spoiled.

Cupie · Guru

Our biggest surprise was in a small villiage in France.

All the resturants closed for a couple of hours at mid day!

We had to eat from a mobile fast food stall on the lake side. The pastries & view were delightful, so it turned out to not be a big deal.

(Being used to lots of the major shops in the Brisbane CBD being open Sundays, we were very surprised to find the Perth CBD deserted on Sunday morning. I think that they open at mid-day)

gypsy rover · Senior Member

Nicholstones wrote:
Don't go to WA, everything closes on Sundays there, is very disconcerting when you are used to being able to pop into the supermarket whenever you like.

My son lives in WA and I think he said they are going to trial 7 day trading in August this year. There are, of course, little delis and servos open 7 days over there, just the shopping centres and majors are closed on Sunday. We have 7 day trading here in Townsvile, but still some of the small shops stay closed on Sundays. Most of the supermarkets are open till 9.00 pm each night as well.

Cheers!

Chris

tiger5 · Senior Member

COME ON PEOPLE SUNDAY IS A DAY OF REST OR CHURCH IF YOU WANT. furious furious furious

Happywanderer · The Master

Nothing like a bit of restful sunday shopping I say. lol

neilnruth · Guru

How soon we forget. It really isn't all that long since NSW had no shopping on Sundays. As Tiger 5 said, why not have a day of rest on Sunday? Especially if we can shop any of the other 6 days.

Beth54 · Guru

Although I am opposed to Sunday trading in theory, it's sometimes difficult for people on shiftwork to get to the shops. My niece is a nurse, and my son is a lighting technician who often works night hours and sleeps during the day. He's often looking for something from a supermarket in the middle of the night.