Heh, all very valid points Boo, and yes our cost of living expenses does leave a lot to be desired in comparison and cancels out our high wages... I think it's been mentioned somewhere before but we refer to it as the Australia Tax, a ridiculous markup on goods that are cheap as chips elsewhere, something that globalisation and free trade agreements were supposed to negate....but anyway, all that killer wildlife is what we pay a premium for, it's a privilege to be living in danger from exotic death, you know!
FYI, $17 down under is $14.9USD. Likewise $21 is $18.4USD. As you can see this is only slightly higher than the US norm (~10-12), and just under the relatively new $15/h Seattle wage, and is about evened out by the cost of living boo mentioned.
Tipping is a cultural thing that varies from country to country, which when you travel a lot on business and have more on your mind than the local cost of living and social etiquette but still don't want to offend your hosts can be a minefield. Personally I prefer a system where a restaurant states clearly on the menu that service charge IS included (which gets around the problem of having no cash or the wrong currency in your pocket). Then, if I've had noticeably good service I can leave an extra tip in CASH, knowing full well that it will go straight into the waiters back pocket. From my experience of working as a barman and a wine waiter I know that tips can make a huge difference when you're on a subsistence wage.
Edit: I once inadvertently tipped a waitress in Botswana WAY to much one evening and she knocked on the door of my hotel room when she got off shift (I declined the offer as politely as possible).
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Personally I prefer a system where a restaurant states clearly on the menu that service charge IS included (which gets around the problem of having no cash or the wrong currency in your pocket). Then, if I've had noticeably good service I can leave an extra tip in CASH, knowing full well that it will go straight into the waiters back pocket.
From my experience of working as a barman and a wine waiter I know that tips can make a huge difference when you're on a subsistence wage.
Edit: I once inadvertently tipped a waitress in Botswana WAY to much one evening and she knocked on the door of my hotel room when she got off shift (I declined the offer as politely as possible).