Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Ive noticed there's a good many of you Australians that post here, and I would like to get your opinions of some things.

I want to take my fiance on vacation as a surprise, and I'm thinking Australia. I was also thinking the UK, but shes from Scotland and she complains every time she goes back to the UK she gets sick.

Is there anything I should know about Australia or Australians before I make my decision?

If I do decide to visit, where should I visit and what should I see?

Anything else you can think of I should consider?

Almost everything you need to know about Australia.

Yes Ive heard about this stuff. Ive heard it tastes like garbage so i can only imagine its good for you.

Almost all of the animal life will kill you.

Well, you must visit Sydney's fine Bridge and wait for the 3pm Kangaroo crossing. It generally follows the wombats with hula hoops. [It's the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but locals refer to it as "the bridge" or "coathanger".

Depending on how long you are here for, there are a variety of things and places you should do.

Try a couple of different cities out (All of the eastern capitals are within a couple of hours of Sydney by air), and reachable overnight - A full day for Adelaide - by rail or road.

Well, if you go to the mainland, expect it to be quite hot as spring is just starting, and the sun is out. Don't head too far inland please, you'll fry like an egg and the snakes will get you.

If you want to go to a theme park or two, the Gold Coast is the place to go. Lots of them there, but that's hardly Australian if you ask me. No, you should visit the more interesting places. If you want some excellent beaches with water that won't freeze your nuts off, try Bondi or a beach in Queensland somewhere. If you want a more 'modern' Australia, go to Sydney or Melbourne. If you want to see a part of Australia that isn't baking hot or full of wildlife that will eat your car, come down here to Tasmania. It's a climate much like the UK, with a bit less rain, the midlands and southern forests are beautiful and green, and there's excellent fishing potential.

Then there are the historic sites. Port Arthur, where the British sent convicts, Point Puer, where young male convicts were sent, the sandstone buildings in Hobart, Richmond, the Botanical Gardens, and the excellent museum.

There are many other sites of interest too; the Tahune Airwalk, a catwalk that goes through a rainforest high above the ground, the Huon Vinyards (close to my hometown), Wrest Point casino, Mount Wellington, Cradle Mountain, Wineglass Bay, Eaglehawk Neck, the Midlands, and much more.

However, the empty farming lands outside of Hobart (on the inland side) are pretty depressing to look at. They're brown, dry, and barren. Not a sheep in sight these days, even with the recent torrential rains that were the heaviest in 75 years. Avoid 'em, unless you're driving through.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Falconlance wrote:Yes Ive heard about this stuff. Ive heard it tastes like garbage so i can only imagine its good for you.

Burn yourself, vegemite is awesome.

Cheese Elemental wrote:Well, if you go to the mainland, expect it to be quite hot as spring is just starting, and the sun is out. Don't head too far inland please, you'll fry like an egg and the snakes will get you.

If you want to go to a theme park or two, the Gold Coast is the place to go. Lots of them there, but that's hardly Australian if you ask me. No, you should visit the more interesting places. If you want some excellent beaches with water that won't freeze your nuts off, try Bondi or a beach in Queensland somewhere. If you want a more 'modern' Australia, go to Sydney or Melbourne. If you want to see a part of Australia that isn't baking hot or full of wildlife that will eat your car, come down here to Tasmania. It's a climate much like the UK, with a bit less rain, the midlands and southern forests are beautiful and green, and there's excellent fishing potential.

Then there are the historic sites. Port Arthur, where the British sent convicts, Point Puer, where young male convicts were sent, the sandstone buildings in Hobart, Richmond, the Botanical Gardens, and the excellent museum.

There are many other sites of interest too; the Tahune Airwalk, a catwalk that goes through a rainforest high above the ground, the Huon Vinyards (close to my hometown), Wrest Point casino, Mount Wellington, Cradle Mountain, Wineglass Bay, Eaglehawk Neck, the Midlands, and much more.

However, the empty farming lands outside of Hobart (on the inland side) are pretty depressing to look at. They're brown, dry, and barren. Not a sheep in sight these days, even with the recent torrential rains that were the heaviest in 75 years. Avoid 'em, unless you're driving through.

The frying in the sun, and the snakes and the scorched farmland bits sound much like my own near and dear California.

I should investigate some of these places, the Tahune Airwalk definitely sounds like something I want to see. Whats so cool about this Huon Vinyards, though?

Cheese Elemental wrote:Burn yourself, vegemite is awesome.

Again, I've never tried it, I've only been told about it by my fiance. Though she did admit to me that what she ACTUALLY tried was apparently the British incarnation of vegemite, called marmite. Maybe they aren't the same? Im interested to try it now.

chromedog wrote:Almost all of the animal life will kill you.

I pretty much hate any animal bigger than I am, and there are lots of large aggressive predators here in the USA (A few years back there was a woman on a bicycle that got her faced ripped off by a cougar in the canyon about 10 minutes from here), but I don't imagine its the size of the animals in Australia that makes them deadly, is it?

chromedog wrote:Well, you must visit Sydney's fine Bridge and wait for the 3pm Kangaroo crossing. It generally follows the wombats with hula hoops. [It's the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but locals refer to it as "the bridge" or "coathanger".

I'm SO there.

I'm a West Aussie, so I'd recommend our beaches. But, and it pains me to say this, the best spot in Australia is Darling Harbour in Sydney. It really is gorgeous.

Nothing much is special about the Huon Vinyard, but it's a nice setting, if you can avoid the hoons going up and down the road.

Am I the only Tasmanian on this forum?

sebster wrote:I'm a West Aussie, so I'd recommend our beaches. But, and it pains me to say this, the best spot in Australia is Darling Harbour in Sydney. It really is gorgeous.

Im not much of a beach guy to be honest, but I've heard your beaches are the best in the world. Anything has got to be better than local Huntington beach. Last time I went for a swim I came out with strep throat and was out for 2 weeks. The most miserable two weeks of my existence.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Cheese Elemental wrote:Nothing much is special about the Huon Vinyard, but it's a nice setting, if you can avoid the hoons going up and down the road.

Am I the only Tasmanian on this forum?

Also, whats a Hoon?

Real question is what do you want to do? Go swimming (or Shark Dodging as its called down here)?

Hiking in the mountains (better known as 'deathmarches')? Trekking across the desert (or 'dying of thirst')?

Seeing the native wildlife (remember to shake your boots out in the mornings - some of the spiders are quite beautiful). It is the size of creatures in Australia that will kill you - most poisonous creatures are so small you cant see them till your bitten.

In all seriousness, Australia is lovely, and there is something for everyone, just figure out your budget, and what you enjoy doing.

http://www.smedg.org.au/DougAdamsOnOz.html

I live in Adelaide, but I second Sebster's beach comment in WA - fantastic.

darkkt wrote:Real question is what do you want to do? Go swimming (or Shark Dodging as its called down here)?

Hiking in the mountains (better known as 'deathmarches')? Trekking across the desert (or 'dying of thirst')?

Seeing the native wildlife (remember to shake your boots out in the mornings - some of the spiders are quite beautiful). It is the size of creatures in Australia that will kill you - most poisonous creatures are so small you cant see them till your bitten.

In all seriousness, Australia is lovely, and there is something for everyone, just figure out your budget, and what you enjoy doing.

http://www.smedg.org.au/DougAdamsOnOz.html

I live in Adelaide, but I second Sebster's beach comment in WA - fantastic.

Heh, I like that.

What's this bit about being unwilling to share a kind word with Americans?

I mean, were generally kind to foreigners here, so long as they are white, christian, and speak English. Are we not afforded the same hospitality?

Don't worry, Australia is fairly tolerant of foreigners (some cities have large foreign communities, mostly Asian or Middle-Eastern), but I don't actually see many Aboriginals (indigenous Australians) around, although that might just be a Tasmanian thing as most of them were killed by white settlers down here. We do have a lot of Asians, Indians and Africans down here though.

Might I also recommend going to see Ayers Rock, the large red stone formation in the middle of Australia? It's a marvelous spectacle at sunrise and sunset, but I wouldn't climb it if you have any respect for the natives. It's the only reason I'd ever go inland.

Oh, and a hoon is someone who likes cars too much and drives around making as much noise as possible, doing wheelies, and yelling at people out of their car windows. Also be wary of bogans, which are our version of chavs, hooligans and 'gangstas'. Generally not very nice people, typically have the kind of Aussie accent you see on TV and beat you up for laughs. Don't judge people on their accent though, as it's very common, particularly in rural communities. I suppose I notice it more because I was raised in an English family. I don't mean to sound like I'm sterotyping here, but it's not far from the truth; bogans aren't nice people. However, they're usually teens or young adults, so it might just be the idiocy of youth.

Cheese Elemental wrote:Don't worry, Australia is fairly tolerant of foreigners (some cities have large foreign communities, mostly Asian or Middle-Eastern), but I don't actually see many Aboriginals (indigenous Australians) around, although that might just be a Tasmanian thing as most of them were killed by white settlers down here. We do have a lot of Asians, Indians and Africans down here though.

Might I also recommend going to see Ayers Rock, the large red stone formation in the middle of Australia? It's a marvelous spectacle at sunrise and sunset, but I wouldn't climb it if you have any respect for the natives. It's the only reason I'd ever go into inland.

They would take offense to climbing their rock? Our natives take offense to naming one of our baseball teams after them.



Oh yeah, just a few minutes ago on Xfire:

Falcon's Girlfriend wrote:
I'd like to go to australia some day I think
the flight would be horrible, but it may be worth it
also wombats can be pretty vicious

Lol. Is that a positive or a negative?

Wombats are completely harmless, lol. I take it your girlfriend learned everything she knows about Oz from TV, right?

No, it's crocodiles, snakes and kangaroos that you have to watch out for. Trust me when I say a male 'roo can gut you with one kick.

Oh, and Drop Bears.

By the way, I think there's a campaign by the Aborigines to ban climbing Ayers Rock.

I'll second the Darling Harbor vote. That place is unreal in terms of beauty.

Two things I'm surprised haven't been mentioned: the Sydney Opera House (I suppose its part of the harbor), and the Great Barrier Reef.

Actually, scratch everything else. The Reef is simply incredible on a sunny day.

I hate Sydney but it's pretty cool, but the beachs on the gold coast are the best in Australia.

The exchange rate is diabolical for you at the moment. A year ago and you could have saved about 25-30% on your planned trip.

It is also pretty expensive for what you get thanks to inflation...
Rather than fly 900km north and stay 4 nights in the Whitsunday islands breakfasts included... the wife and I are planning on flying to Fiji and staying in a 4.5-5 star resort for 7 nights, all inclusive including on demand babysitting for our son. For about $500 less than if we go to the Whitsundays.

If you are absolutely desperate to come, Cheese Elemental has given a pretty good run down.

Sternguard_rock wrote:I hate Sydney but it's pretty cool, but the beachs on the gold coast are the best in Australia.

Esperance, WA.




Automatically Appended Next Post:

Cheese Elemental wrote:By the way, I think there's a campaign by the Aborigines to ban climbing Ayers Rock.

The traditional owners ask people not to climb because the site is sacred to them. You can still climb it, and there's facilities and tours for climbing, but there's no denying that you're just some white dude clambering all over a place that's sacred to people who've been in the area for thousands of years.

sebster wrote:The traditional owners ask people not to climb because the site is sacred to them. You can still climb it, and there's facilities and tours for climbing, but there's no denying that you're just some white dude clambering all over a place that's sacred to people who've been in the area for thousands of years.

Well our natives aren't all that keen on it either but we did the only sensible thing and either killed them off or drove them far away from there native areas so it's all good now.

Ahtman wrote:

sebster wrote:The traditional owners ask people not to climb because the site is sacred to them. You can still climb it, and there's facilities and tours for climbing, but there's no denying that you're just some white dude clambering all over a place that's sacred to people who've been in the area for thousands of years.

Well our natives aren't all that keen on it either but we did the only sensible thing and either killed them off or drove them far away from there native areas so it's all good now.

Don't forget their alcoholism! We call addicting the Indians in the US social morphine...

We did the same thing but then the lefties started telling everyone that even though they're black they still have rights.

It's political correctness gone mad, I tell you.

Mind you, it was most definitely right for Kevid Rudd to apologise to them on our behalf. They deserved it.

Cheese Elemental wrote:Mind you, it was most definitely right for Kevid Rudd to apologise to them on our behalf. They deserved it.

My view of the apology was the same when Howard was refusing it as when Rudd was doing it, 'apologise if you want, or don't, because it won't change the terrible conditions so many aboriginals are living in'.

Well, that's true I suppose. Even in the present day they don't have much luck when they're living in rural communities, with the alchohol abuse, child molestation etc. I don't hear much about it down here, so has the 'intervention' been successful at all?

Cheese Elemental wrote:Well, that's true I suppose. Even in the present day they don't have much luck when they're living in rural communities, with the alchohol abuse, child molestation etc. I don't hear much about it down here, so has the 'intervention' been successful at all?

I have no idea. The people who were opposed to the intervention say it's achieved nothing, or made things worse. The people who supported the intervention say it's improved things considerably. I haven't figured out who to believe.

Tasmania is also notable as it's very common for brothers to marry their sisters. And my side-kick Cheese Elemental is from Tasmania, which explains heaps.

Could be worse though. Could be New Zealand.

Remember folks that Tasmania was the penal colony's penal colony. People already in jail were sent to jail there. Think about that for a second.


Anyway come to Oz - it's going to be summer soon, we just had a very hot winter, so Spring and Summer should be good. Spent Christmas out of the snow and the cold.

Falconlance wrote:Ive noticed there's a good many of you Australians that post here, and I would like to get your opinions of some things.

I want to take my fiance on vacation as a surprise, and I'm thinking Australia. I was also thinking the UK, but shes from Scotland and she complains every time she goes back to the UK she gets sick.

Is there anything I should know about Australia or Australians before I make my decision?

If I do decide to visit, where should I visit and what should I see?

Anything else you can think of I should consider?

Around what month? If you can avoid going during summer , i HIGHLY recommend Canada .
Especially Jasper and Banff National park , i just went there last month !

My god i have never seen anything so beautiful . At the right season , you get incredible hotel prices right at the center of everything!

Seperate to the intervention Rudd offered to build houses for aboriginal communities, but decided the NT government would be best to do it.
Rudd gave the NT government 1.2 billion, and they built 20 houses.
Then Rudd gave the NT government 600 million, and they built no houses.

When asked what the federal government was going to do about the rort Jenny Macklin (the minister responsible) said they planned on giving ANOTHER 600 million to build 600 houses. Yes that is $1 million per house... by a government that is currently at 90 million per house.

If they get 20 houses from 1.8 billion of taxpayers money, why will they get 600 houses for 600 million?

And where has the money gone? NT government beuracracy and to pork barrel the North Darwin suburbs that Labor needs to win at the next territory election.

I don't blame the federal government for wasting the money, but I do blame them for giving it away with no result, and then throwing more down the pit when the rort is laid out for all to see.

H.B.M.C. wrote:Tasmania is also notable as it's very common for brothers to marry their sisters. And my side-kick Cheese Elemental is from Tasmania, which explains heaps.

Could be worse though. Could be New Zealand.

Remember folks that Tasmania was the penal colony's penal colony. People already in jail were sent to jail there. Think about that for a second.


Anyway come to Oz - it's going to be summer soon, we just had a very hot winter, so Spring and Summer should be good. Spent Christmas out of the snow and the cold.

Oi, being an island doesn't leave us with no options. By your logic, the Brits are all inbred too.

I dunno about you guys, but we've had a pretty cold winter down here, and the past few days have been torrential. A large dam that's been empty for months and was very low for years before that is overflowing, and the brown lands near Hobart are showing green again.

Falconlance wrote:

Cheese Elemental wrote:Burn yourself, vegemite is awesome.

Again, I've never tried it, I've only been told about it by my fiance. Though she did admit to me that what she ACTUALLY tried was apparently the British incarnation of vegemite, called marmite. Maybe they aren't the same? Im interested to try it now.

I've had the real thing. How can I put this? It doesn't taste like it should be edible. it isn't something you'd think could be food. And this is coming from a guy who eats fermented cabbage (kimchi), etc. I'm sure Australian cuisine is great otherwise. But vegemite? BE WARNED.

Cheese Elemental wrote:Oh, and Drop Bears.

Drop bears? As in parachuting FROM THE SKY?

Holy f@&$.