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Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Australia - An introduction

A while ago I asked what non-Australian people wanted to know about us. Then I got to wondering - how much do I know? I mean, I haven't been many places. I shaded a map to see just how far travelled I am, and I was shocked at the result:



On square mileage, I reckon I've seen more of Britain! But I will persevere. I've been as far north as Brisbane (Expo 1988) and as south as Tasmania (1987). Both when I was very little, and my recollection is shady at best and fabricated at worst. In between is New South Wales, my homestate, and even there I've only been as far west as Cobar, but I daresay that's a lot further than most people get. Because, once you hit there, you can pretty confidently claim you're in dry, tough terrain. Not 'The Outback', because (I think) you only really hit that once you reach the named deserts.

In between is also my current homestate of Victoria, a place I've barely seen, apart from the car window along the Hume Highway on the many car trips we've made to Sydney. This is shameful as I've lived here seven years now! As you read this, I will be flying over a good proportion of the shaded map I've just described, trying not to look out of the window too much (I am not a good flyer), but will do so anyway, to point out landmarks and such to Keira and Riley, such is my motherly duty.



So there you have it. Whetted your apetite? Put you to sleep?

Stay tuned for Part Two: Australia - the inhabitants.

Comments on "Australia - An introduction"

 

Blogger D. Paul said ... (8:43 am) : 

This made me realize how little I've traveled here in the U.S., and it reminded me of a moment in high school, when one of the students asked Christoph, a German exchange student, if it snowed in Germany. He glowered at the kid for a moment, before asking him, seriously, "How did you evah vin a vorld var?"

but seriously, how many people can say they've combed ever corner of their homeland?

 

Blogger Tracey said ... (12:04 pm) : 

I remember having a similar epiphany way back when I was 17 and about to go to Indonesia as an exchange student. When I spread out a map of Australia, I realised how little of it I'd visited- probably similar to what you have coloured in, only not Tassie, and not even Victoria.

Since then I've been a few more places.. a few times to Tassie, and across to Adelaide. We once had a holiday booked to the Northern Territory, but lost it when Ansett Airlines collapsed. A year or so later we went to New Zealand instead.

I pride myself on the fact that, in terms of the parts I have seen, I've gotten a bit of the tourist paths, either bushwalking, (canyoning), bike riding, or paddling a canoe.

You've made me realise how much more I want to get to though. One of my dreams is to do the big round Australia trip, but at this rate I'll be doing it as a grey nomad!

 

Blogger Tracey said ... (12:05 pm) : 

(off the tourist paths, not 'of' - psshhht... should proofread!

 

Blogger jeanie said ... (3:25 pm) : 

Well, there is one state one territory I have yet to visit - but there is also a vast part of the 3 main states I have yet to get to, and I went around (got dragged around) the edges of Tassie when I was a teenager...

But it is not so much the where you go but the what you do and experience, I think.

Which means my wanderings need more depth as well as width.

 

Blogger Heather said ... (12:52 am) : 

One of my dear friends (met through blogging) lives in Australia and has been my Aussie encyclopedia. She recently gave me Cloudstreet by Tim Winton to read and offered to serve as my personal Aussie dictionary for any slang that might confound me.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (4:20 am) : 

Great start but we need the nitty gritty. Funny to think that you know / have seen more of GB that your own country, but I think that is so often the case, we're all so much more adventurous when we're 'abroad.'
Cheers

 

Blogger Jean-Luc Picard said ... (4:49 am) : 

I'd love to visit; wish it wasn't so far away.

 

Blogger Quiskaeya said ... (11:15 pm) : 

I think all of us become amazed at how little we've seen of our own "neck of the world" once we start thinking about it. I'm from the caribbean and often people ask me have you been to this island or that island. When I tell them I haven't they say, but you are from the islands. I do hope to visit more islands one day and to take my sons to my homeland if the political situation will permit.

I've always dreamed of going to Australia! Maybe one day.

 

Blogger Miscellaneous-Mum said ... (7:31 am) : 

Thanks all for your comments. It's encouraging!

And Heather, I hope you enjoy Cloudstreet, it is one of my favourite books, by one of our best writers

 

Blogger Heather said ... (1:48 pm) : 

I am absolutely loving it so far!

 

Blogger pussreboots said ... (3:17 pm) : 

Your map covers the bits I've seen. I spent 3 months in Tasmania (North Preston, Ulverston and Devonport) and 2 weeks hiking in an area just north of Sydney. Save for our guide for the hike (named Mick, of course!), most of the Aussies I met were ex-pats from Britain and their Australian born children. None of them fit the bill of what Americans typically think of as Australian. It was nice to have my horizons broaded a bit. :D

 

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