Tidal River

The Tidal River Store sells food supplies but they’re marked up considerably so it’s wise to bring everything you need. It also has a cafe with takeaway food and sells gas bottle refills. If you fancy a sausage or a steak there are free gas barbecues in the parks at Tidal River.

Hiking Food

Good options for camping and hiking food are things which need very little cooking. This will save fuel and lighten your load. Try porridge or muesli for breakfast, or pita wraps and mountain bread with cheese and salad for lunch, and nuts, dried fruit and beef jerky as snacks. Other good lunch foods are biscuits or rice cakes with Vegemite (if you’re new to this particular potent Aussie spread, go easy!) and peanut butter, and even boiled eggs which can be carried pre-cooked.

For dinner, people generally bring pasta sachets, noodles and instant mash potato, but there are a range of other options. A quick look at the Asian section of the supermarket and you’ll see useful ingredients like dehydrated peas and mushrooms, rice noodles, unrefrigerated pork sausage and a variety of curry and sauce sachets like laksa and green curry. These can be combined with rice, fresh vegetables and tuna sachets for a range of simple and tasty meals. Another meal suggestion that’s easy to carry and delicious, are flavoured rice and curry sachets found in any Indian grocers - they’re cheap, precooked and just need to be reheated.

An excellent base for camping meals is dehydrated food. If you’re serious about hiking and camping, buy a dehydrator to dry all sorts of things, including sauces like bolognese, stews, vegetables, fruits, and even yoghurt. It's a great investment.