It's a five-hour drive for Korrine Akers to reach her nearest supermarket.
As a cook on a station in remote Queensland, food is her livelihood, and she has to acquire a lot of it to keep the ringers well-fed.
She opts to skip the drive and order food deliveries instead — once a week for fruit and vegetables, and about once a month for dry and frozen items.
But there are some different things she has to take into consideration compared to the average shopper; and if she forgets something, getting it isn't as easy as popping down to the shops.
"Things we take into consideration are weather events — will there be a lot of rain, is there rain coming… [and] will trucks be able to get out, will we be able to get out?," she said.
People in regional areas don't have the same choice as people in major cities. (Getty: d3sign)
There are only a few supermarkets and suppliers Ms Ankers has available to shop from.
She said she wished she had more choice, and it would make a difference to her shopping bills if she did.
"When there is no competition, there's also no reason for prices to go down as well," she said.
"It works the same as fuel in regional areas — if that's only the one fuel station, then that's the price you pay."
New data sparks advice to 'shop around'
The supermarket sector has been back in the spotlight this week.
New research released by consumer advocacy group Choice showed prices at Aldi supermarkets were still significantly cheaper than at Coles and Woolworths.
And on Thursday, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released its interim report, marking the halfway point of its inquiry into the major supermarkets.
The report found many Australians had lost trust in supermarkets, and a majority were concerned about high prices and profit margins.
With prices looking set to stay high, Choice has advised consumers to shop around to secure the best deal.
But in regional and remote areas, "shopping around" is not an option for most.
Supermarket options lacking in parts of Australia
Tasmania and the Northern Territory are the only jurisdictions in Australia where there are no Aldi stores.
Even in capital cities such as Darwin, customers told the ABC they felt their more limited supermarket choices impacted their ability to lower their spending.
The ABC spoke to shoppers at a Woolworths store in Darwin, many of whom expressed a desire for more choice in the market.
"I'd love a few more options, especially from the big grocers, just to get some of those staple items," one woman told the ABC.
"We just don't have a choice. It'd be lovely if we had one of those Aldi stores or something like that, but we don't and it's always been like that," another said.
"We've only got Coles and Woolies, not much more than that. No Aldi, and I don't think we'll get it. But a bit more competition might help Coles and Woolies bring their prices down a bit," a man said.
Woolworths and Coles have little competition in the NT and Tasmania, where Aldi doesn't have a presence. (Four Corners: Nick Wiggins)
The latest Choice data shows that in the Northern Territory, IGA stores are not a lower-cost alternative to Coles and Woolworths for shoppers.
The data shows that an average basket of groceries costs $105 dollars from an IGA in the NT, compared to $67 and $65 for Woolworths and Coles respectively.
In other states, the price gap is far smaller.
And in most remote Northern Territory communities, the only in-person option is community stores, where prices are often even higher to cover freight costs.
Lack of competition driving up grocery prices, says senator
It's a similar story on the other side of the country, in Tasmania, where Coles, Woolworths and IGA are also the only major supermarket options.
Earlier this year, Aldi chief executive officer Anna McGrath revealed the company had no plans to open in Tasmania, citing challenges around distances and supply chain complexities.
Independent senator Tammy Tyrell said the lack of competition was driving up the price of groceries in small towns.
"With the cost of living at the moment, people can't afford rent, they can't afford to go to the doctor, they can't afford medication. And I don't know when it became an option to eat," she said.
Tammy Tyrell says governments should do more to break up the duopoly in regional areas. (ABC News: April McLennan)
Senator Tyrell said the advice to "shop around" was insulting to those who didn't have the option.
"It's really a bit offensive when you see these reports where it's like 'competition, competition, that's what you need', but you don't have it, and it's not going to come either," she said.
She said more could be done to level the playing field for people in regional areas.
"State governments and federal governments need to make sure the duopoly isn't controlling the market, and that the consumer is controlling the market — that we're showing what we want to buy and how much we want to pay for it," she said.