Australia

[Jeff Corey]

I was watching a doco the other night on the evolution of English and it said most, if not all Aussie words come from the English/Irish crims, or my ancestors, that were brought over here by Capt. Cookiemonster and his mates (to paraphrase).

"Is that you me old china? Strewth cobber, it's good to see yer ugly mug again!

No wuckers over here about coppin' any pony. I don't Adam we've even got a moderator.

G'donyer bloke, yer blood's worth bottlin', fair effin dinkum".

Stolen from a china on another toga.

 

[Akhenaten]

"Is that you me old china? Strewth cobber, it's good to see yer ugly mug again!

No wuckers over here about coppin' any pony. I don't Adam we've even got a moderator.

G'donyer bloke, yer blood's worth bottlin', fair effin dinkum".

Stolen from a china on another toga.

You, sir, are a legend and are hereby nominated for Honorary 'stralyan Status.

 

[Jeff Corey]

Yea, yadda, yadda, that will get me a pint of Smiddicks (Smithwicks) at me local.

 

[proudnonbbeliever]

The land bridge sank at the end of the last Ice Age, circa 10,000 BCE.

Im probably just confused with how they drew the early maps of the coastline showing tazzy linked up.

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

Does Australia really warrant two threads on this forum?

 

[quarky]

If an Australian, an American, and a Canadian were stuck in a life raft at sea, which one would sing old Olivia-Newton-John songs first?

 

[SimonD]

Does Australia really warrant two threads on this forum?

Yes, I agree. There should be at least 3

 

[Old Bob]

Im probably just confused with how they drew the early maps of the coastline showing tazzy linked up.

We do get big tides, must of been a big out when the map was drawn. Yeppoon gets 5.4m spring tides and it is more in places like Darwin. I just got the poem "Our Flag" out to post but MG. got in first carry it in my wallet. Going back to a early post about the Spanish huts that C. Cook got rid of at Little Cove. I was told they were stone huts, our lot don't do stone. (too heavy) To see this country it takes a life time, we have seen about half from cold Tassy to the hot north. The Barkley Table Lands are so vast it's flat and treeless in all directions well worth a drive across,but don't break down and go in winter time.Must dig out a photo showing our truck coated in sand flies, run into a big mob near Miles.(that's WNW from the Sunshine Coast) Thank you all for the nice things said, we all try in our own way.

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

Yes, I agree. There should be at least 3

Pshaw! That many would constitute spamming. How many discussions do we need about beer and cricket?

 

[Sideroxylon]

You mean you moved to the West Island, my Anzac brother.





ETA: In typical Australian fashion, the Turks, against whom we once fought many fierce battles, are now our good mates.

Greetings to you; you are also my brothers-in-arms and it was a bloody good stoush. A draw, I believe.


A Turkish memorial to their fallen opponents

More of the same


That is respect.

Yes, the west island, where Pavlova was invented.

As for the Turks, they are indeed our mates. I don’t think we could claim a draw out of that one though. I saw some pictures on display over here recently (to mark the Dardanelles naval victory on March 18) that included one of a digger in a slouch hat carrying a wounded comrade across his shoulders with apparent ease. Another showed an ANZAC offering a cup to a wounded Turk. They did us proud in many ways.

Fans of Turkish soccer club Galatasary seem crazy about our Harry Kewell, while Gençlerbirligi were so impressed by the character of Josip Skoko they now have 3 or 4 Aussies on the roster. We are pretty welcome in this part of the world.

 

[Sideroxylon]

We do get big tides, must of been a big out when the map was drawn. Yeppoon gets 5.4m spring tides and it is more in places like Darwin.

Darwin gets around 7M from memory. At low tide the harbour looks like someone pulled the plug out with all the boats sitting on the mudflats.

 

[MG1962]

As for the Turks, they are indeed our mates. I don’t think we could claim a draw out of that one though. I saw some pictures on display over here recently (to mark the Dardanelles naval victory on March 18) that included one of a digger in a slouch hat carrying a wounded comrade across his shoulders with apparent ease. Another showed an ANZAC offering a cup to a wounded Turk. They did us proud in many ways.

I believe this inscription on a monument erected by the Turks to honour the dead at ANZAC cove sums up their feelings about Australians very well


Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours... you, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land. They have become our sons as well.

I cant speak for the Britsh, French or Indian forces present at the battle, but it is clear that the Australians, New Zealanders and Turks had a lot of respect for each other almost from the start.

Even at the time, concern was shown for the relationship the two sides of the trenches had, some have even said the ANZACS trusted the Turks more than their own commanding officers. And stories of both sides throwing rations back and forth were not uncommon. Though Bullybeef does not seem to have been to the taste of the Turkish troops.

 

[learner]

"Is that you me old china? Strewth cobber, it's good to see yer ugly mug again!

No wuckers over here about coppin' any pony. I don't Adam we've even got a moderator.

G'donyer bloke, yer blood's worth bottlin', fair effin dinkum".

Stolen from a china on another toga.

I spot three English cockney rhyming slangs in there. Me old China.

 

[Ysidro]

Australia is a lie perpetrated by New Zealand to make itself look better.

 

[Wildy]

So near as I can tell, Straya* is a land of myth, with occasional magical sunsets.

About right, except that you forgot that pretty much everything can kill you.

With the help of Google Maps a while back, I calculated that it is possible to drive around the continent/country/island in approximately nine days of driving time. Is that actually possible, or are there sections of roads that are non-existent?

I'd assume so. But I think that would also depend on your speed and the route. You could travel across the country quicker if you cut across it instead of going along the coast, but then you'd have to go through the Hay Plains, possibly the most boring part of Australia ever created.

Is it possible to travel by plane over the center of the country?

Yes. There are regional airlines that you can use to get to certain parts of the country and all the capital cities can be reached by plane.

I'd be interested in dreamtime stories/pre-contact history; what reading would be recommended?

No idea. I'd say that you would want something more general though with regards to dreaming especially, since it differs depending on location and people.

*And is that really the Koori (didn't know that politically correct term before this morning -- thanks!) name for the land?

It's sort of like that. Koori only applies to a certain peoples in a certain part of Australia and I would assume that it might be insulting to other peoples/tribes, even though "Koori" just means "person" or "people" like many names for certain ethnic groups. I know that "Indigenous Australians" is used quite a bit by the media and is now the PC term for some reason, but I know there are some Aborigines (which incidentally is the word I'm most likely to use) that don't like the use of "Indigenous Australians".

The crocodiles grow to 25 feet. On a diet of incautious tourists.

Germans. Incautious Germans. And also drunk Northern Territorians.

DRIVING TIME = the amount of time spent actually behind the wheel of a car, doing the driving.

To which must be added sleeping time, eating time, and time out of the car doing other things.

I did not mean to imply that anybody could do a drive around the continent in nine days, nor that a visitor should plan a 10-day visit with the intention of doing any such thing. Mostly my question was geared towards finding out if a circumnavigation by road was possible.

I know people who thought that could do something like that. Germans of course, I guess they assumed that we had good roads. By the way, if you are in Germany and want to see what a good Australian road is, just go to a section of road with a "Spurinnen" sign.

but...but...but... I thought we were supposed to ask questions and stuff. Don't you all want to increase your tourism?

You do know that the ad with Lara Bingle (the "Where the bloody hell are you?" one) was one that basically said "we've done all this stuff for you, so come here and bloody well enjoy it".

Frankly as a brand Australia doesn't need to do too much marketing.

* Yeah, Crow-eaters mainly.

Grrrr...

I believe Wildy and lionking will chip in on this one.

Well I will. Right now in fact.

ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR

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.

In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.​

And that is what the actual words are. What you hear is:

Australians all let us rejoice For weare mnya nya e.
Wigodensoi adwelworwoil owromis GIRT ie
Owrrands raraoun rinratursrits
rofutyrirare
Inistryage
Etevyage
Adan Osraya air
Inoyrurainsrenretusring
Adance Osraya air

And if I remember rightly it's usually silent or a mumble for the second verse. Because very few people know what the second verse is.

[foreigner mode]I think it says a lot about a country when even their Olympic athletes don't know their own anthem.[/foreigner mode]

 

[timhau]

Australia. The place where hotels are just as likely to put you up for the night as they are to serve you beer.

 

[Akhenaten]

I'm enjoying reading this thread. But it is no wonder the rest of the world is confused about us.
Keep it up. Confusion is a good state. (Though mostly it is called Qld.)

Excellent! Another Queenslander. Old Bob is a Queenslander and I've lived there for many years myself. The Sunshine State is indeed a colourful and lively place. Nowhere else could have produced Joh Bjelke Petersen.

Yay! Confusion to our enemies!

I will send my terror before thee, and will discomfit all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

A bible quoting atheist is probably a little confusing too. It certainly baffles my xtian mates.

Just for info back in '03 we rode a Honda Goldwing around Australia on Hwy 1 taking 26 days. That didn't give us much of a chance to see the scenery.

I love Leadwings. When I bought my current bike, A BMW K1100 LT it was really a toss-up between that and a 'wing. I'd still have the same dilemma if I was buying now. I think the Beemer edges the 'wing out in the "going for a rap" category though. I can get 315 clicks out of it, which is almost as much fearsome entertainment as my old GSX eleven, which managed 323.

I love being old and foolish. When I was younger, everyone kept telling me to grow up, but now it they can't. nyaaaaah to you, Bogans!

For that you need several months.

I find your 26 days to be very impressive. The bloke I knew that did it in 11 days destroyed the bike and made a physical wreck of himself (all good now and living in Darwin).

I'd also recommend several months for the trip, timing the northern sections to coincide with the Dry. Anecdotally, a number of people either retire or otherwise adopt an itinerant lifestyle and spend their time going around and around. Some will toss a coin after each lap to decide on clockwise or widdershins.


Cheers,

Dave

 

[Akhenaten]

Oz has more venemous species of anything you care to mention than anywhere else in the world -- hell, everywhere else in the world.

True enough. I even know some venomous humans and I'm glad that none of them have ever joined the JREF forums.

You can die from heat stroke or under a snow avalanche.

Conveniently, many of the extremes of this place are within a day's drive of each other, so one may choose to do both on the same day. I believe California is somewhat similar in this regard, and I note that they're all crazy too. Hmmm.

In parts of the Nularbor, you pay for water by the glass, cash across the bar, or go thirsty -- very thirsty when it's 120 F on Christmas Day.

Crossing the Nullarbor was akin to a trip overseas when I was a boy. It's easier now, but still quite challenging. You seem to have been blessed with cooler weather on your trip.

I wonder how many of our readers might think that Nullarbor is a Koori (aboriginal) word, especially given that a Koori club is known as a nulla nulla.

The fact is, it's Latin.

The crocodiles grow to 25 feet. On a diet of incautious tourists.

As I mentioned to HBS, you're fairly safe from the crocs if you swim in the sea because the sharks eat most of them.

Damn! but I can't stay away much longer!

Bring some unwanted relatives with you. We have hungry mouths to feed here and all contributions are welcome.


Here are some cute critters from down under


NB Please don't be alarmed. Most tourists to Australia manage to get out alive eventually. Sackett is my evidence.


Cheers

 

[Akhenaten]

Our Coat of Arms was chosen not by taste but because both creatures can't reverse. Hence the nation can't go backwards (smart thinking).

This is entirely correct.


Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The supporters are native Australian animals: the red kangaroo Macropus rufus and the emu Dromaius novaehollandiae. It is thought the kangaroo and emu were chosen to symbolise a nation moving forward, reflecting a common belief that neither animal can move backwards easily.

They act the same as the Government, steal and break the farmer. One roo eats the same amount of grass as about 4 sheep and the emu fouls pasture so cattle won't eat it and then it busts fences.

Yes, I wish certain of our city cousins had a better understanding of the problems caused by certain native critters when they invade farmland.

You're right about the pollies too. I don't know why people vote for them because it just seems to encourage the bastards.

Their feathers are bullet proof from light calibre but not from the back end.

Yep. Either the three-oh or an SG round in the 12 gauge is what you would need to do any damage with a side shot.

A sight to be seen is a big emu run through a fence at high speed.

Yeah, watching a roo do the same thing can be anusing.

This is how it can be:

Gidgi fire, sunset in the sticks, marinated emu steaks, bottle of red and soft sand. Plus a little Aeroguard ........

That's absolutely brilliant Bob. I can see and smell exactly what you describe and I thank you for providing that image.

I'm not going to mess it up with links, because the only way to truly know what you mean is to experience it, as you have.


Cheers Mate

Dave

 

[Akhenaten]

Welcome to Post #100

Here are some other Australian #100s

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Top 100 Twitterholics based on Followers in Australia


The NorthFace 100


Travellers' Tale #100 from Synergise.com: AUSTRALIA - Ningaloo Reef


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Fokker F.28 & F-100 in Australia


In regard to the last item, all I have to say is that I don't want your fokker friendship, I want your fokker help.