Australia Best of
Alice Springs Dry River Boat Race
Alice Springs has a TV show (The Alice), is near Uluru, and is famous for it’s quirky festival- the Henley on the Todd Boat Regatta. The Aussies have such a great sense of humour and love “taking the piss” out of themselves. The Dry River Regatta is a perfect example of this. The fact that the nearest body of water is 1500K away doesn’t seem to hamper the boat race in the slightest…except in 1993 when the event had to be cancelled due to flooding….Bring on the water cannons! …
Date: August 14th, 2007 |
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John Williamson- Aussie Exports to Look For
During the Tamworth Music Festival last January I had the great pleasure of going to watch John Williamson perform. I knew absolutely nothing about him other than a friend of mine had bought the tickets. I was thoroughly enchanted. Watching him on a big stage with nothing more than a chair, guitar, and his “campfire,” the crowd was completely transfixed for over 2 hours. This man is a True Blue, Fair Dinkum Australian Performer. More balladier than just singer- each of his songs …
Date: June 24th, 2007 |
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Lightning Ridge, Easter Celebration Tips #2
The town of Lightning Ridge really pulled out all of the stops for their Easter Celebration. In addition to their Great Goat Race, There were several other events that if you attend- you should know about.
The Carnival- to keep the masses of tourists…about 2000 of them busy and the locals entertained, there was a carnival complete with rides, games, fried stuff and Carnies! This year it was set up next to the Bowling Club.
The Rodeo- The culmination of a weekend of good country revelry could not be complete without a Rodeo. A $10 entry fee got you in to see cowboys rope calves, and broncos and bulls to buck them off. Dirt and “go sons” were flying. There was also a band that played afterwards. There were a couple of food booths selling good ol’ Aussie Sauso sandwiches and cups of chips. If you are watching your figure- eat elsewhere. To supplement the oh so healthy food offerings there was also a designated bar area where they fenced in the drinkers, gave them bleachers to teeter off of, and parents could walk their children by the zoo and point out- “you don’t want to end up like THAT”! Eh- It was all good fun! If you’ve got boots and a hat- here’s your chance to wear them.
Date: April 25th, 2007 |
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QM2 and QE2 in Sydney Harbour in Historic Meeting
The massive 151,400-ton Queen Mary 2 will smash the record as the biggest ship of any type ever to visit Australia when she arrives in Sydney at 6.30am on Tuesday February 20, 2007. She was led by fireboats shooting fountains of seawater high into the air from their water cannons, and escorted by an entourage of smaller ships, yachts and boats of all types. Larger than 132 Manly ferries and too big to dock at Circular Quay, the A$1 billion Queen Mary 2 will tie dock at Woolloomooloo.
In an extraordinary event, the giant Queen Mary 2 will be joined in Sydney Harbour during her maiden visit by her famous ‘little sister’ Queen Elizabeth 2 at 7.15pm. The two great Queens will greet each other for this historic first meeting with a “whistle salute” using their 2,000 pound, 7-foot long signaling horns that can be heard over 10 miles away. The dusk spectacle will be the first time two Cunard Queens have been seen together in Sydney since World War 2 when the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth visited the city as troop carriers in 1941.
Date: February 19th, 2007 |
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Australia Forum Threads for the week of December 4, 2006
Check out these topics currently being discussed on the Australasia forum at BootsnAll:
Sohniye will be ending her travels in Oz in Melbourne, and is looking for suggestions for how to spend her four days. What do you recommend for the best four days in Melbourne?
Domino is heading from Adelaide to Darwin and wants to know the cheapest and best method of getting there - airplane or bus?
Prawnstar is going from Brisbane to Sydney, probably via Greyhound, and is looking for suggestions on where to stop along the way. She’ll probably take a week to do the …
Date: December 8th, 2006 |
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How to Select and Prepare Australian Seafood. Know what you are ordering with help from the Sydney Seafood School
Do you know what a Balmain Bug is? Chances are you’ve read about it in your guide book on the plane ride over. No trip to Sydney is complete without trying some of the fantastic seafood on offer. If you are like me- I am completely overwhelmed when it comes to ordering seafood, knowing if it is prepared properly, and not to mention- knowing how to prepare it is a complete mystery to me. So while visiting Down Under, why not learn a new skill! If …
Date: August 1st, 2007 |
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Sydney Film Festival, June 8-24
DJ’s, Films, Live Blues Performances, Hula Hoop lessons…The Sydney Film Festival has it all!
The Sydney Film Festival is New South Wales’ pre-eminent showcase for contemporary cinema from Australia and around the world. Established in 1954, Sydney Film Festival is a major cultural event on the city’s social calendar and one of the world’s longest running film festivals. Our festival patrons include Cate Blanchett, Sam Neill, Gillian Armstrong, Jane Campion, Nicole Kidman, Baz Luhrmann, Dr. George Miller, Phillip Noyce and Hugo Weaving, among the many whose careers have been launched …
Date: June 11th, 2007 |
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Aussie Translation Guide #5
One of the fun things of Travel is learning the local lingo. Australia has no shortage of their very own Aussieisms. They are fun and inventive, though occasionally hard to translate. I endeavor to help ease your transition into this upside down language. This is the fifth in a series to come. This one is devoted to blokes and beer. YES! What fun! Feel free to add a few of your own in the comments section.
Australian = North American Translation
Kimberley Cold = Room temperature beer
Tinny = Beer in a can
Stubby = Beer in a bottle. The bottles are shorter than the standard long neck… therefore…the birth of the Stubby!
Stubby Holder = The foam thing you put a beer into to keep it from getting Kimberly Cold I’ve been told lately that real men don’t need stubby holders. They drink their beer before it gets warm. From that on to the next category please Maestro….
Ripper = One of my favorites I have to admit. A VERY Good Thing. As in “That Horse ran a Ripper of a race.” No matter how hard I try it still makes me think of good old fashioned toilet humor. I’m not so sure that it didn’t start that way… a couple of guys out in the bush….”MAN George! That was a real ripper!”
Corker = On a related note…Another term for A VERY good thing. You figure out how they are related.
Date: March 11th, 2007 |
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Eden, Australia, The Crown and Anchor
Yes, there is actually a place called Eden, and for the people of Australia there is no surprise that it is a coastal town on this fabulous continent. Located in the region known as the Sapphire Coast of New south Wales, it is a half way point between Sydney and Melbourne. A small coastal town, it has a views to take your breath away, shops and a town center oozing with charm, interesting walks, a hilariously sinister history, and a gory-bloody-killer legend that keeps all factions happy (for those that don’t like charming little kitschy towns). The Killer by the way a whale….
BUT!!!! the literal crown jewel of the town is the The Crown and Anchor historic Bed and Breakfast. A renovated hotel from 1840, it is one of the original buildings and is lush! Not on a backpacker budget, but also not as expensive as you would think. That said, it was EXCELLENT value for the money spent. In fact- one of the few places I’ve ever stayed in my life that I would say- absolutely worth every cent.
The owners have lovingly remodeled the property with period pieces but have thoughtfully included nice modern bathrooms and a kitchen to compliment the 1840’s grace. Plush four poster beds and champagne await you on arrival. Hot tea, cocoa and an assortment of Ports are available for your late night enjoyment. Unlike some B&B’s which creep me out, you have your own bathroom, and most importantly, plenty of privacy from your fellow boarders.
Date: January 11th, 2007 |
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Australia Forum Thread for the week of November 13, 2006
Check out this topic currently being discussed on the Australasia forum at BootsnAll:
Badly Drawn Girl is living and working in Auckland… And wants to go to Sydney for New Years. She asks, “Anyone got any rants/raves about the city this time of year? Are there any hostels that don’t have the 7-day minimum stay requirement? Am I better off just saving my money and staying in NZ or will Sydney really rock my socks?” I couldn’t have said it better myself. So I won’t try. What do you have to say in response?
Please contribute your thoughts and comments
…
Date: November 17th, 2006 |
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