Visit Australia

[Firehawk068]

[fj11.5]

No crocs down my way, the devils ate them

[roverfj1200]

Yeah that happens. But I was using him as bait.

Cheers

[Klavdy]

[ken65]

those bloody spiders are fast when they figure out your after them, and they jump aswell.

[Bones]

 We also have these grotesque creatures that lurk near the water.


http://www.metermaids.com/

[The General]

But generally they get on if they`re not Hungry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoaEBb4IN4Q

[X-Ray]

LOL, that is so cute!!!!!!! Must have raised that maggie from a babe eh?

[mr blackstock]

One of my favorite pics:

[Jonesy]

Anyone for a swim

[The General]

All Class in Queensland!

Building Bolero -- The Queensland Symphony Orchestra Moves to South Bank

[FJSpringy]

All Class in Queensland!

Ah now I see the reason behind the anti-association laws in QLD,  in this case Campbell got it right 

[The General]

   Bit`ve rambling here, but have been given ta think`n a little about the question of visiting Australia...Mainly cause I`ve been questioned a lot lately on where to go and what to see.

Being a humble mob (not!) most blokes would just refer ya to the Tourist information centres rather than brag.(http://australia.gov.au/topics/tourism-and-travel/tourist-information). Just Google it and ya find there`s one in just about every town and each State expounding the attractions of everything from Dinosaur habitats to Surfing beaches. Wineries ta organic Golf Courses. (Yep, we got an organic golf course - can you believe it!)

If I was to visit our U.S. Mates, Googling would get me to all the bragging rights so I could say "I`ve been there!", but catching a little blog like Capt`n Ron,s visit to his Dad, hooks me inta to the meaty bits, the heart and maybe a view of tha underlying Soul of travel...That`s what I wanta see! (& hear & smell!)

Many an Aussie has a story of a relative from overseas giving them a surprise call from the airport saying "I`m here!" can ya pick me up!

I`ve even had a boss ask me to duck out & fix an electrical fault in my state, with him happy to pay the accom bill...until he realised the return drive would take the best part of two weeks!...and there`s six or seven more States!...It`s a fairly big place! (Have ya heard about tha Texan out here bragging about tha size of his Ranch!...sorry I digress...maybe another campfire!)

I reckon our London Anniversary Rally Visitors (David & Caroline) have got it pretty well nailed. Their must see`s involve  "The Great Dividing Range", Tasmania and The Kimberleys (On an FJ) if you`ve got time....but getting to the heart & Soul of it is the more elusive question. For example if you Lament on the best holiday you`ve ever enjoyed anywhere, I guarantee the key will be tha people you meet along the way.

I experienced a little of the Aussie travel Soul meself last friday night.

Following a 4 hour ride on the sidecar (traffic accident- shoulda been 3 hrs,), I eventually did a U turn in a quiet and dark suburban street in Bundaberg, out the front of the wrong old queenslander (Type of cottage) my GPS had lead me too. Luckily my headlights picked up some frantic waving from the occupant of my correct destination point, some 70 metres away.

A bedroom light (from the wrong house) profiled a child`s silouhette as the curtain was dragged back and immediately followed by screams of wonder. I accelerated through the U turn manouvre and picked up three of the little basteds outa the corner of my eye clearing the verandah rail as I headed off into the night to a hearty greeting in Steptoe`s driveway.

Tha brats caught up in no time flat and there were four of`em! Aged 5 ta 10 years old (3 boys & the youngest a curly haired girl - all full of mischief, yet respectful)..Not one of them wore shoes! ....One did however wear a bandage from an injury! "me dad took a hunk out of it when he stood on it!"...I didn`t need ta be Charles Darwin to believe tha "Dad's" feet had morphed into a petrified solid mass, as none of the neighbours I seen, nor the mancave occupant, were adorned by feet protection of any sort!....Wish I`d taken a pic of these fantastic kids full of questions and mesmerized by the sidecar, the shed and it`s innards. They were`nt at all interested in TV and were free to responsively run down the dark street unaccompanied and chat to the neighbours!....Sadly such innocence and freedom is fast becoming extinct in oz, but great ta see it still exists.

Next day was full of mancave banter as tha barefoot mechanic and his mate attacked mechanicals & electricals on my steed, while I organised beer, and a fan install for his lounge room. No money was exchanged, in fact his mate (appropriately named "eveready") even turned up with a spare kickstarter for me! (No, they already gave me a beer!- I mean a Yamaha kickstarter... an emergency mechanical lever clipped under the seat on the XS model).

Saturday arvo (after scoffing down tha biggest Aussie Hamburger with trimmings), we attacked an unlucky project bike that had occupied an uninsured shed (along with farming equipment) belonging to a victim of the recent infamous Bundaberg flood. (100 years since any rain of that volume). The XS1100 had been submerged under Salt & muddy turbulent water for some days, so the neighbours were restoring it to pristine condition to cheer there mate up!

My ride home that night (2hrs 50mins) was by a full moon and a starlit night. I had scoffed down a huge baked dinner, only wore me helmet, stubbies and a tee shirt, so I know I deserve a smack...but good news is I still couldn`t bring meself ta going barefoot!

Yeah, funny place Australia...and shit I love it!...might recommend ya consider this site www.airbnb.com.au  as it allows you to stay with the owners.
Lucky you, if they too bare a little Aussie soul, me thinks!  

[ken65]

good one general

[CanDman]

Great story Doug....sounds a lot like the countryside here......although I reckon we don't have as much to be worried about when the lights go out........I do recall one incident when I was a boy. During the summer we would spend our time at the cottage to escape the heat....I had several friends down the bay where I would spend a lot of my time....one evening in particular I was heading home along the dirt road....Muskoka .....like most of Ontario is a giant forest laced with a few cities and hundreds of little towns......anyway...this one night while heading home (I was 10 at the time)....it was so dark, I couldn't see the road I was walking....I mean it was pitch black......I was walking as quick as I could trying not to bounce off a tree when suddenly......15 feet to my left...I heard a huge crash.....sounded like a tree falling right beside me.......well sight or not I took off so fast......that I had to turn around a retrieve my skin.......naaaa.....I kept running...I was hoping not to run into a tree....but I was also hoping that what ever was running beside me was not a bear.....or a wolf......but I made it home......and ended up the anchor of our 4 x 100 relay team that year at school track and field.....never knew I could run so fast....
Kev