I would like to suggest that you come down to Australia to have a look around. We love American people here and have some of the nicest places to see like the Great Barrier Reef.

Cheers

Raymond Cox

Just to get this topic off the ground; have you ever visted Australia and if so, what were your impressions?

If you haven't been to Australia, then Click Here, oh, and you'll need to turn on your sound.

Cheers.

spent three weeks in WA(Perth/Freo) visiting some friends. fell in love with the place, and would go back in a minute. visited a preserve, an aquarium, a haunted prison and was serenaded by birds every night. Swam in the Indian Ocean and drank some truly fantabulous local wine. and the plethora of used book stores! Bliss!

omg I LOVE Australia. I spent 5 and a half months there. I lived in Fremantle (Freo that Mrsjvb is referring to) and it was great. Some people think Perth is boring but I fell in love with the city.

I also went to Darwin, Cairns (Great Barrier Reef), Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Tasmania.

If you're an outdoorsy person and love wildlife then go to Tasmania. It's known for being the "wilderness" state. It's also the coldest portion of Australia so try to go during Dec-Feb (their summer). I was there in July and froze my a$$ off. Go to Maria Island in Tasmania... it's an island with a bunch of hiking trails, and that's it. You'll see wombats, lots and lots of kangaroos, and some weird birds I have no idea what they are.

The Great Barrier Reef is definitely worth visiting. I love snorkeling. If you love shopping go to Melbourne - Chapel St. Sydney was my 2nd favorite city after Perth. Tons of fun. I basically love Australia, I'll shut up now

Oh and the people are super friendly and love the "Yanks."

P.S. In Perth.. go to Cottesloe Beach. Definitely go on a Sunday too. They call it "Sunday Sessions," everyone goes to the bars by the beach and get drunk all day. A gorgeous view of sunsets from The Cott's balcony (one of the bars at Cottesloe).

To those who haven't been to Australia, take heed, to those who have, you will no doubt be able to relate to this,

This article was originally attributed to Douglas Adams of Hitch Hiker Guide to the Galaxy fame but has since found to have been submitted to the H2G2 site by Jeremy Lee in 1999, it has since been circulated around the world in Douglas' name.

"The Confusing Country" - this gem is by Jeremy Lee

Australia is a very confusing place, taking up a large amount of the bottom half of the planet. It is recognisable from orbit because of many unusual features, including what at first looks like an enormous bite taken out of its southern edge; a wall of sheer cliffs which plunge deep into the girting sea. Geologists assure us that this is simply an accident of geomorphology and plate tectonics, but they still call it the "Great Australian Bight" proving that not only are they covering up a more frightening theory, but they can't spell either.

The first of the confusing things about Australia is the status of the place. Where other land masses and sovereign lands are classified as either continent, island, or country, Australia is considered all three. Typically, it is unique in this.

The second confusing thing about Australia are the animals. They can be divided into three categories: Poisonous, Odd, and Sheep. It is true that of the 10 most poisonous arachnids on the planet, Australia has 9 of them. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that of the 9 most poisonous arachnids, Australia has all of them. However, there are curiously few snakes, possibly because the spiders have killed them all. But even the spiders won't go near the sea. Any visitors should be careful to check inside boots (before putting them on) under toilet seats (before sitting down) and generally everywhere else. A stick is very useful for this task.

Strangely, it tends to be the second class of animals (the Odd) that are more dangerous. The creature that kills the most people each year is the common Wombat. It is nearly as ridiculous as its name, and spends its life digging holes in the ground, in which it hides. During the night it comes out to eat worms and grubs. The wombat kills people in two ways: First, the animal is indestructible. Digging holes in the hard Australian clay builds muscles that outclass Olympic weight lifters. At night, they often wander the roads. Semi-trailers (Road Trains) have hit them at high speed, with all 9 wheels on one side, and this merely makes them very annoyed. They express this by snorting, glaring, and walking away. Alas, to smaller cars, the wombat becomes a symmetrical launching pad, with results that can be imagined, but not adequately described. The second way the wombat kills people relates to its burrowing behaviour. If a person happens to put their hand down a Wombat hole, the Wombat will feel the disturbance and think "Ho! My hole is collapsing!" at which it will brace its muscled legs and push up against the roof of its burrow with incredible force, to prevent its collapse. Any unfortunate hand will be crushed, and attempts to withdraw will cause the Wombat to simply bear down harder. The unfortunate will then bleed to death through their crushed hand as the wombat prevents him from seeking assistance. This is considered the third most embarrassing known way to die, and Australians don't talk about it much.

At this point, we would like to mention the Platypus, estranged relative of the mammal, which has a duck-bill, otter's tail, webbed feet, lays eggs, detects its aquatic prey in the same way as the electric eel, and has venomous barbs attached to its hind legs, thus combining all 'typical' Australian attributes into a single improbable creature.

The last confusing thing about Australia is the inhabitants.

First, a short history: Some time around 40,000 years ago, some people arrived in boats from the north. They ate all the available food, and lot of them died. The ones that survived learned respect for the balance of nature, man's proper place in the scheme of things, and spiders. They settled in, and spent a lot of the intervening time making up strange stories. Then, around 200 years ago, Europeans arrived in boats from the north. More accurately, European convicts were sent, with a few deranged and stupid people in charge. They tried to plant their crops in Autumn (failing to take account of the reversal of the seasons when moving from the top half of the planet to the bottom), ate all their food, and a lot of them died. About then the sheep arrived, and have been treasured ever since.
It is interesting to note here that the Europeans always consider themselves vastly superior to any other race they encounter, since they can lie, cheat, steal, and litigate (marks of a civilised culture they say) -whereas all the Aboriginals can do is happily survive being left in the middle of a vast red-hot desert, equipped with a stick.
Eventually, the new lot of people stopped being Europeans on Extended Holiday and became Australians. The changes are subtle, but deep, caused by the mind-stretching expanses of nothingness and eerie quiet, where a person can sit perfectly still and look deep inside themselves to the core of their essence, their reasons for being, and the necessity of checking inside your boots every morning for fatal surprises.
They also picked up the most finely tuned sense of irony in the world, and the Aboriginal gift or making up stories.

Be warned. There is also the matter of the beaches.
Australian beaches are simply the nicest and best in the entire world. Although anyone actually venturing into the sea will have to contend with sharks, stinging jellyfish, stonefish (a fish which sits on the bottom of the sea, pretends to be a rock, and has venomous barbs sticking out of its back that will kill just from the pain) and surfboarders. However, watching a beach sunset is worth the risk.
As a result of all this hardship, dirt, thirst, and wombats, you would expect Australians to be a dour lot. Instead, they are genial, jolly, cheerful, and always willing to share a kind word with a stranger. Faced with insurmountable odds and impossible problems, they smile disarmingly and look for a stick.
Major engineering feats have been performed with sheets of corrugated iron, string, and mud. Alone of all the races on earth, they seem to be free from the 'Grass is Greener on the other side of the fence' syndrome, and roundly proclaim that Australia is, in fact, the other side of that fence.

They call the land
"Oz"
"Godzone" (a verbal contraction of "God's Own Country") and
"Best bloody place on earth, bar none, strewth."
The irritating thing about this is they may be right.

There are some traps for the unsuspecting traveller, though.
Do not under any circumstances suggest that the beer is imperfect, unless you are comparing it to another kind of Australian beer.
Do not wear a Hawaiian shirt.
Religion and Politics are safe topics of conversation (Australians don't care too much about either) but Sport is a minefield.
The only correct answer to "So, howdya' like our country, eh?" is "Best {insert your own regional swear word here} country in the world!".

It is very likely that, on arriving, some cheerful Australians will 'adopt' you on your first night, and take you to a pub where Australian Beer is served. Despite the obvious danger, do not refuse. It is a form of initiation rite. You will wake up late the next day with an astonishing hangover, a foul-taste in your mouth, and wearing strange clothes. Your hosts will usually make sure you get home, and waive off any legal difficulties with "It's his first time in Australia, so we took him to the pub.", to which the policeman will sagely nod and close his notebook. Be sure to tell the story of these events to every other Australian you encounter, adding new embellishments at every stage, and noting how strong the beer was. Thus you will be accepted into this unique culture.

Most Australians are now urban dwellers, having discovered the primary use of electricity, which is air-conditioning and refrigerators.

Typical Australian sayings: "G'Day!" "It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick." "She'll be right." "And down from Kosciusko, where the pine clad ridges raise their torn and rugged battlements on high, where the air is clear as crystal, and the white stars fairly blaze at midnight in the cold and frosty sky. And where, around the overflow, the reed beds sweep and sway to the breezes, and the rolling plains are wide. The Man from Snowy River is a household word today, and the stockmen tell the story of his ride."

Tips to Surviving Australia:
* Don't ever put your hand down a hole for any reason whatsoever. We mean it.
* The beer is stronger than you think, regardless of how strong you think it is.
* Always carry a stick.
* Air-conditioning.
* Do not attempt to use Australian slang, unless you are a trained linguist and good in a fist fight.
* Thick socks.
* Take good maps. Stopping to ask directions only works when there are people nearby.
* If you leave the urban areas, carry several litres of water with you at all times, or you will die.
* Even in the most embellished stories told by Australians, there is always a core of truth that it is unwise to ignore.

Loved that piece! Thanks for sharing! I'm goin' there someday!

To be honest, I don't have a desire to visit Australia. But, I guess that Americans generally would have a desire to. This is because of both being large English speaking countries. Australia is also about the same size as continental USA. Australia is also the only country that's also a continent.
Beers here in South Africa are also stronger than one, like from the USA, thinks.
Here in South Africa are also some of the most venomous snakes in the world, like the Cape Cobra, Puff Adder, Green Mumba, and Black Mumba.

For the Aussies here on this thread, I'm not a sports fan. So, if I went there, I wouldn't even talk about rugby and cricket.

South Africa and Australia are like two big opponents, almost like clash of the Titans, when it comes to rugby and cricket. That's especially rugby (rugby union).

Talking about sport, I've always thought that rugby league, which is fairly popular in Australia, has a field quite similar to the American football one (gridiron concept). Australia also has its own Australian football variation, commonly called Australian rules football.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RKramp,

quote:

Originally posted by RKramp:
To be honest, I don't have a desire to visit Australia. But, I guess that Americans generally would have a desire to. This is because of both being large English speaking countries. Australia is also about the same size as continental USA. Australia is also the only country that's also a continent.
Beers here are also stronger than one, like from the USA, thinks.

Anything is stronger than American beer, American beer is so watered down. I'm from Canada and so many times when a ship would pull in the boys would get drunk on 2 bottles of Labatt's because they were used to drinking beer water! lol

Australia is always, always in my heart as that is where my mom is from. Just recently visited Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. I have to say man is Australia expensive in a lot of ways. $3.50 for a bottle of water (beer is cheaper! lol), $13.99 for 1/2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, $9 for a McD's value meal. It is like theme park/zoo prices out in town. Of course it probably didn't help that we were in Sydney during the World Youth Days! lol

Loved Taronga Park Zoo, the views of the Harbour, Opera House, powerhouse museum and everything else. Up on North Stradbroke that was nice as well, definitely relaxing. Perth... eh..well we have friends there so that is the only reason we will go back.

quote:

Originally posted by Navywifeinparadise:
....Of course it probably didn't help that we were in Sydney during the World Youth Days! lol..........

Yes, I guess it would have been expensive during that event. The best place for a good meal is the pubs or the clubs.

BTW, while you were in Sydney for World Youth Day - you didn't happen to meet this bloke,



The reason for the police hat was that he was talking to a group of police officers.

Cheers.

quote:

Originally posted by RKramp:
...For the Aussies here on this thread, I'm not a sports fan. So, if I went there, I wouldn't even talk about rugby and cricket.

South Africa and Australia are like two big opponents, almost like clash of the Titans, when it comes to rugby and cricket. That's especially rugby (rugby union).

Talking about sport, I've always thought that rugby league, which is fairly popular in Australia, has a field quite similar to the American football one (gridiron concept). Australia also has its own Australian football variation, commonly called Australian rules football.

See, you can't help it - you're talking sport already and you haven't even been there yet.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: IrishGuard,

When Australia became one country, like with the USA, it built a national capital. This one being Canberra.

A good example of Australian English, is the song 'Waltzing Matilda'
(Billabong - pool of deep water).

To overcome the great distances between the USA and Australia, it would be nice if sometime in the future there could be regular, inexpensive and very fast flights between the two. These would take off and fly as high as possible on jet power. They would then go into low earth’s orbit. About 25 minutes later, when approaching the destination, they’d begin re-entry. The trip should be between the two cities furthest apart. In this case, it would be Boston and Perth. If going the other way, it would be between Seattle and Sydney or Melbourne. This is so as not to begin re-entry too soon, and to spend longer time in orbit.

With the USA and Australia - a case of Yankeeland and Aussieland.

Australia traditionally has the bread spreads Vegemite and Promite.

One of my favorite singers is Australian:- Olivia-Newton John. Australia also has comedians/singers like Rolf Harris, and comedians/actors like Paul Hogan.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RKramp,

quote:

Originally posted by IrishGuard:

quote:

Originally posted by Navywifeinparadise:
....Of course it probably didn't help that we were in Sydney during the World Youth Days! lol..........

Yes, I guess it would have been expensive during that event. The best place for a good meal is the pubs or the clubs.

BTW, while you were in Sydney for World Youth Day - you didn't happen to meet this bloke,



The reason for the police hat was that he was talking to a group of police officers.

Cheers.

Nope missed him, we actually flew out the day he was in Sydney. We did see a lot of the people from around the world which was awesome. Met people from South Africa, Kiribati, France, Jordan, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, etc...

quote:

Originally posted by IrishGuard:
"The Confusing Country" - this gem is by Jeremy Lee

There are some traps for the unsuspecting traveller, though.
Do not wear a Hawaiian shirt.

I wonder why not?

It is very likely that, on arriving, some cheerful Australians will 'adopt' you on your first night, and take you to a pub where Australian Beer is served. Despite the obvious danger, do not refuse. It is a form of initiation rite. You will wake up late the next day with an astonishing hangover, a foul-taste in your mouth, and wearing strange clothes. Your hosts will usually make sure you get home, and waive off any legal difficulties with "It's his first time in Australia, so we took him to the pub.", to which the policeman will sagely nod and close his notebook. Be sure to tell the story of these events to every other Australian you encounter, adding new embellishments at every stage, and noting how strong the beer was. Thus you will be accepted into this unique culture.

Does that just apply to American visitors?