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gorgon wrote:

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@&$.

I personally don't like vegemite, but the main thing most tourists do is apply it like you would Jam or Nutella, nice and thick. With vegemite, you need a very thin scraping of it, otherwise you will burn the inside of your mouth out.

Drop Bears drop out of Gum Trees onto the shoulders of unwary, lone hikers, and feast on their flesh. They are the only carnivore you really need to fear in Oz, apart from Bunyips. The other things that will kill you on land are because of the stupid ammout of venom they will pump into you. In the water you will either get mauled by a shark, or stung/bitten by various shells/fish/octopi/jellyfish.

I would recommend Oz's Capital if you are interested in the history of Oz. The National War Memorial is a fascinating if haunting place. The National Museum is very interesting, as well as the fact it is a very nice place to visit. Boring as hell to live in, but nice to visit. For those who don't know, I am talking about Canberra

Even if you just stay here for three or four days in between Sydney and Melbourne, it's worth a visit. Particularly in spring time, when we have various festivals, like Floriade and the multicultural festival. Stay at the Diamant Hotel and Eat at Du Jour Restaurant. Thats where I work

Jimi Nemesis wrote:I personally don't like vegemite, but the main thing most tourists do is apply it like you would Jam or Nutella, nice and thick. With vegemite, you need a very thin scraping of it, otherwise you will burn the inside of your mouth out.

To be fair, this is also what I was told regarding vegemite (after the fact). We Americans like to slather.

Drop Bears drop out of Gum Trees onto the shoulders of unwary, lone hikers, and feast on their flesh.

Wow. I was kidding before, but I guess I wasn't that far from the truth. How big are these things?

Jimi Nemesis wrote:I would recommend Oz's Capital if you are interested in the history of Oz. The National War Memorial is a fascinating if haunting place. The National Museum is very interesting, as well as the fact it is a very nice place to visit. Boring as hell to live in, but nice to visit. For those who don't know, I am talking about Canberra

This was something I forgot to ask about, I'm big into history and I know far less than I would like to. Much to the dismay of my fiance I also have what she calls "an unhealthy fascination with warfare," So this sounds like my kind of place.

Cheese Elemental wrote: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.

Don't forget the platypus, they're deadly as well.


For Vegimite, you want to try it in small quantities first before you think about larger quantities. I hate the stuff


Yes, every afternoon at 4:15pm Bears parachute all over A.C.T.

Marmite (which I assume is vegemite under a different name) has a famous ad campaign in this country with the slogan "you either love it or you hate it". Personally I have no problem with it.

gorgon wrote:

Drop Bears drop out of Gum Trees onto the shoulders of unwary, lone hikers, and feast on their flesh.

Wow. I was kidding before, but I guess I wasn't that far from the truth. How big are these things?

About three feet tall. They just look like big koalas, but they've got large claws and teeth. They aren't sleeping all the time either. If you see a koala moving fast, back away slowly.

also, avoid the serial killers. Though we don't have many, the ones we have are fncked up

Yeah man, ever seen Wolf Creek? That's a documentary, even though the director tells you otherwise.

Cheese Elemental wrote:

gorgon wrote:

Drop Bears drop out of Gum Trees onto the shoulders of unwary, lone hikers, and feast on their flesh.

Wow. I was kidding before, but I guess I wasn't that far from the truth. How big are these things?

About three feet tall. They just look like big koalas, but they've got large claws and teeth. They aren't sleeping all the time either. If you see a koala moving fast, back away slowly.

They'll usually leave you alone unless you provoke them. However they are VERY territorial and even walking under their selected tree can spark an attack. Before the colonists arrived, the number one cuase of death for aboriginies was 'Death by Drop Bear'.
Seriously nasty guys.

I was on a holiday in Queensland once when a Drop Bear attacked the tour guide. He survived after two guys drove it off with large sticks, but he was really badly wounded, and almost had his belly sliced open all the way.

They let Tasmanians on the mainland these days?

I need to keep up with the news...

That's unnusual for so late in the dry season, aren't there reports of them being more aggresive earlier in the year?

Mostly you won't haven't to worry about them, unless you go hiking alone or in pairs. During the mating season I think the warderns close all access to the danger areas, but still some stupid tourist sets of alone. Ussually they make it back in one piece, but every now and then...

H.B.M.C. wrote:They let Tasmanians on the mainland these days?

I need to keep up with the news...

I'm English, dammit!

which head was that talking?

Seriously, please stop it. I wasn't born here.

On the plus side if you were interested in the Vegimite there is some sort of promotion thing going on.

Cheese Elemental wrote:I'm English, dammit!

Hey man, whatever helps you sleep at night.





I was going to write "whatever helps you sleep with your sister at night", but that would just be mean. Naughty HBMC I promise I'll stop now.

*smirk*
*grin*
*giggle*
*LOL*
*ROFL*

I am going to kill you all someday. Kill you with fire.

Promite and Vegimite are not the same as Marmite, they are drastically inferior tasting products. Whilst similar they are noticably different in taste (I love marmite and I hate both promite and vegimite).

Thats way too much Vegimite on that ritz.

Other than that, Oz is one of those places I'll probably avoid, just because when you have 9 out of the top 10 deadliest poisonous animals of the world in your territory I get twitchy.

Plus knowing my luck I'd go for a swim and end up surrounded by Irukandji.

Oh god!
The DUMBEST thing you can do is watch Jaws, then go for a surf. I cannot tell you how sh*t-scared I was.

Oh god, don't get me started on drop bears.

I once had a drop bear attack me once. I was already on edge because the police had reported that a one-handed serial killer had escaped from an insane asylum. Then BAM! this huge koala looking thing lands on, really gouges my shoulder, cuts my ear up; the things just snarling and hissing. I get up and just run, and this thing's following me and then I start to run faster, and I look back and it's gone.

I'm out of breath at this point so I sit down on a log. Then, I see it burst out of the woods towards me. I'm afraid this time it's really going to get me this time, but as it gets close it staggers and falls to the ground. And embedded in the back of its neck is a hook, pulled off of someone's arm.

And that's why I'll never drink Coke after eating pop rocks again.

I think the biggest one the wardens cuaght was four-foot long?
But nevertheless Drop Bears are just below snakebite in cuase of Tourist Death.

They're not all that big, but they're really dense. Like a badger or something.

Which is actually kind of strange for an arboreal creature.

Could be worse though. Could be New Zealand.

JUST WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN



srsly what does it mean

Sorry cheese, had to make the obvious dig at you. Anyway, I love tassie. Only place you can get two headshots on the same roo!

Heh, i have some pretty funny jokes about queenslanders too. heh heh heh...

Watch it mate, tassie jokes are fine. But making fun of queensland is skating on thin ice...

Orkeosaurus wrote:Oh god, don't get me started on drop bears.

I once had a drop bear attack me once. I was already on edge because the police had reported that a one-handed serial killer had escaped from an insane asylum. Then BAM! this huge koala looking thing lands on, really gouges my shoulder, cuts my ear up; the things just snarling and hissing. I get up and just run, and this thing's following me and then I start to run faster, and I look back and it's gone.

I'm out of breath at this point so I sit down on a log. Then, I see it burst out of the woods towards me. I'm afraid this time it's really going to get me this time, but as it gets close it staggers and falls to the ground. And embedded in the back of its neck is a hook, pulled off of someone's arm.

And that's why I'll never drink Coke after eating pop rocks again.

Yeah, these kinds of urban myths are common here. Something about the odd Australian sense of humour. One really common myth is that there's this place called 'Adelaide'. They tell you its on the southern coast, half way between the east and west coasts. People will tell tourists there is this place called 'Adelaide', full of churches and the small town life. People drive for days to get there only to find a barren wasteland.

They've even made joke maps with 'Adelaide' on it. It's out of control, really.