Australia History
Arrival into Australia- What you need to know for the flight
(Actual picture of someone on my flight. Never a good look is that?) Hi Guys- Sorry I haven’t posted in awhile, but I ended up on a crazy emergency trip back to the States (exceptionally good reason to buy GOOD travel insurance!). Apologies over, I’m fresh off the plane and back in OZ. I know you are excited- you are finally doing it- you are going to AUSTRALIA! But be aware… if you want to start you trip on the best possible foot, there are a few things you can do to make the transition a bit easier.
This is a very long flight no matter where in the world you are coming from. My last trip did remind me of a few things that should help you arrive fresh and ready to really enjoy that first day here and avoid jet lag all together. (Writers side-note…This stuff works. I am now only 7 hours off my flight from the States and am going great guns here at work for you people)
Date: February 18th, 2007 | 1 comment
Tours in The Rocks, Explore the Birthplace of Sydney
Ghosts, Beer, and Culture, take your pick. The Rocks is one of the coolest areas in Sydney to go for a wander. At the foot of the Harbour bridge, there are old stone stair cases, twisting passage ways, buildings built by the infamous convicts, awesome pubs, and heaps of history. If you don’t want to wander around this area on your own, here are three different types of tours that can show you three different faces of the Rocks.
The Rocks Ghost Tours-Macabre Tales of Murder, Suicide, Hangings and …
Date: January 31st, 2007 | 2 comments
Australia Day or Invasion Day?
For many Aboriginal Australians, the concept of Australia day is a tricky one. The day the British landed and basically wiped out their culture, took their land and continued to commit atrocities against them for ages, doesn’t exactly raise feelings of civic pride. Called “Invasion Day” or occasionally Survival Day, the Aboriginal Community has created a ceremony called Woggan-ma-gule
Each Australia Day in Sydney begins with the Woggan ma gule Morning Ceremony. Performed in the Royal Botanic Gardens, sacred land of the indigenous Gadigal people, the ceremony honours the past and …
Date: January 25th, 2007 | 1 comment
Australia Day Havaiana Thong Challenge.
Havaiana is an extremely popular brand of thong (flip flop…I do STILL giggle). Every Australia Day they put on the Thong Challenge. While most of you are envisioning the Thong Song with girls writhing in thong-like underwear on a beach, this is not quuiiiiiite that. It does still involve people being scantily clad on a beach, however, it involves attempting a world record for the longest line of airbeds! HA!
So thousands of people climb on their own personal flip flop shaped airbed, hold each others ankles and break a world record. Oh I know I know- I can hear the groans of disappointment from you men out there, but this event is still supposed to be absolutely a blast….and you get to keep the thong!
Do try and register on line ASAP. I hear it is difficult to register on the day. Venues: Dee Why Beach-NSW, St Kilda Beach- VIC, Glegelg Beach- SA, City Beach- WA, Palm Beach- QLD
Date: January 23rd, 2007 | 3 comments
Tamworth Country Music Festival, Here I come
Yeee Haaaaa! Get your Boots and Hat Ready. It’s time for the Annual Tamworth Country Music Festival. If you want to go and don’t ahave anywhere booked to stay yet… too bad! Bring a tent. The accomodation books up a YEAR in advance. A couple of girlfriends and I are going to try our luck with the whole tent situation this weekend. Watch this space for a festival review and helpful hints. Giddyap!
Speaking of Big Events, Tamworth is the Home of the BIG Golden …
Date: January 18th, 2007 | 1 comment
Australian Wineries, Pieter Van Gent
The heady scents of damp earth and wine enter you senses the second you open the huge barn like doors to the Pieter Van Gent Winery. More than just a cellar door, this is a small independent family winery built beside Pipeclay Creek in Mudgee. Mudgee is an established, yet lesser known wine region in Australia. Mudgee the town is a cheeky 8000 people strong and boasts around 100 cellar doors.
Pieter Van Gent is one of the more unique wineries to visit. They actually grow, make and …
Date: February 18th, 2007 | No Comments
Australia Day, January 26th
January 26th strap on your Green and Gold, grab a flag, face paint, a slab of beer and head to the beach! You won’t be able to go to the bank or any other business. Why? It’s Australia Day Baby! Australia’s closest thing to a birthday, it marks the day that the first fleet under Captain Arthur Phillip arrived in Sydney Cove and set up the colony of New South Wales.
BBQ’s, beach outings, fireworks, and all kinds of celebrations take place all over the …
Date: January 25th, 2007 | No Comments
Australian National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair
Well people, if you are going to any major sporting event, or important civil do…it probably doesn’t hurt to know the words to the National Anthem. A far cry from God Save the Queen, I find Advance Australia Fair a cheeky message to the English about the continuing grief the decendants of the original convicts sent to Australia feel about being banished….
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free,
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare,
In history’s page,
let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
Date: January 25th, 2007 | No Comments
Tamworth Country Music Festival, Helpful Hints and Festival Review
The Tamworth Country Music festival made it into the list of Top 100 Australian things to Do/See published in several travel magazines. When a girlfriend suggested we go- I was tentative but agreeable. I am not a massive country music fanatic, but do enjoy a good music festival. We left Sydney a little nervous since we found it really difficult to get valuable information on how the festival is run, if we needed tickets, and what to expect for accomodation/facilities.. So- if you are planning to try and catch the last weekend of the festival this year or start planning for next year- this should help.
Most importantly…Accommodation:
Hotel/motel- you need to be prepared for minimum stay requirements of about 5+ days, be prepared to pay a premium, and you will need to book at LEAST one year in advance. I stopped through Tamworth 4 months before this years festival and they literally laughed at me when I asked about accommodation.
Camping:If you plan to need a camper van site with power you will need to make reservations like a hotel- a year in advance. But if you have a tent or don’t need power- you can chance getting a spot by simply arriving. There are several campgrounds close, and Tamworth turns their sporting fields across the river from the festival into a temporary campground. It was a minimum of $80 for a tent for as long as we wanted to stay. So one night or 6- same price.
Date: January 22nd, 2007 | No Comments
Australian Translation Guide #4
One of the fun things of Travel is learning the local lingo. Australia has many terms that are completely unique to their part of the World. This is the fourth in a series to come. It is designed to help Aussies headed overseas and travellers coming to OZ alike. Feel free to add a few of your own in the comments section.
Australian = North American Translation
Wonky = He He. I love this game. Wonky is a great word to describe anything that is a bit off. You can be wonky if you are hung over, a car can be wonky of there is something wrong with it, a throw in a game of catch can be a bit wonky if it misses it’s target.
Mo = Moustache. This one definately made me giggle. At first I thought it was a Radio-DJ-made-up-thing. Back in November they had MOvember where many men grew out moustaches for Men’s Health Awarness month. They then had friends bid to do good community deeds in order to get them to shave the Mo’s off at the end of the month. But NO! it IS actually a term the Aussies use to refer to a moustache. “Hey dude, that’s like a nice Mo!”… Mo man responds…” You Reckon?” GizMO: any gadget designed to technologically enhance a moustache’s splendour (An excerpt from the MOxford Dictionary click for more MO words….)
Reckon = Helllooooo Redneck USA! I felt like such an imposter the first 3000 times I said Reckon. It’s not a widely used term in the States, but it is VERY widely accepted in OZ. It is actually part of everyday speech. To figure, To guess, To agree, To think something to be so. Usage: “Geee Bobby that boat looks like it is going to crash into us!” Bobby Responds….”You Reckon?”
Date: January 18th, 2007 | No Comments