G'day Australia!!!

Melbourne's got rain and Sydney's got yuppies,
Tassie got the chop and we got lucky,

Nobody does it like up here does it,

We love it up here,

We don't just like it, we love it!

We don't just like it, we love it!

We love it up here,

The people the places,the mates the faces,

The XXXX, yep, the beer up here, we love it up here!

Great XXXX jingle, early 1990s

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. It's about the same size as the 48 mainland states of the USA and 50 per cent larger than Europe, but has the lowest population density in the world - only two people per square kilometre.

It's common misconception that Australians speak English. Australia, however, has a unique colloquial language that can confuse visitors when they first hear it. From 'fair dinkum' to 'cobber', theirr colloquial language is common throughout the land. Don't worry, you'll pick it up!

Australians are known for their love of life and enjoyment of the great outdoors. While they have a reputation for being a little wild at times,their love of fine dining, the arts and music goes hand in hand with their love of sport, the beach and BBQs. Wherever you go in Australia, you'll find a passion for getting the most out of life.

No amount of time can be enough to spend in Australia. Depending on the time available, I would recommend the following places:

One week: Sydney & Melbourne

Two weeks: Add Brisbane and Gold Coast to above

Another week: Add Cairns, Darwin

Four weeks: Add Perth

More time: Add adventure sport

This is just a teaser as over the next few weeks, I will be detailing the different parts of Australia!!




AUSTRALIA - FUNNY FACTS

(some of these have been picked from the Australian Tourism website and some are original questions posed)

IS IT TRUE THAT ?

1. Wombats were once related to bats but loved eating so much they became too fat to fly. So eventually they lost their wings and had to live on the ground.

Answer:
No. Although the hefty wombat is nocturnal and is usually seen at night like bats, it is actually a close relative of the koala.


2. Australians are not very good at spelling. And since they were not sure how to spell BEER, they decided to call their most popular swill XXXX??

Answer:
Well, according to most Australians, Its the Queenslanders who can’t spell. Hence the Queenslanders named their beer XXXX (pronounced fourex). Most Australians can spell alright, its just the pronunciation they have a problem with – that’s why Beer becomes Beeeeah!!

3.The Old Parliament House began its life as a real house. Politicians made this small house their second home, gradually extending the building by adding many rooms. The new and improved Parliament House in Canberra was constructed to replace it after it burnt down.

Answer:
No. Old Parliament House is still standing today. In order to accommodate the growing number of people at Parliament a new building was constructed. The picturesque Old Parliament House stands in front of the new Parliament House and is now a museum showcasing the political history of Australia. It is a popular attraction for tourists looking to explore the grand interior and vast gardens.


4. The difference between and Aussie gal and a parrot is that you can teach a parrot to say NO!!!???

Answer:
No comments!!!

5. The breathtakingly beautiful Daintree Rainforest in tropical far north Queensland is more than 135 million years old and home to the largest range of plants and animals on earth.

Answer:
Yes. The Daintree Rainforest is the oldest in the world and is part of the World Heritage list. Tourists can expect a wonderful outdoor experience with untouched rainforest, golden beaches, exotic wildlife and hiking tracks.

6. The Swan Bell Tower is so named because the huge bells inside are designed to wake up sleeping swans so they don’t miss their morning swim in the river.

Answer:
No. Swan Bell Tower actually houses one of the largest musical instruments in the world, the twelve bells of Saint Martin-in-the-fields dating from the 14th Century


7. In the famous Barossa wine valley in South Australia, there was once a family who lived in a tree! Even more amazing, you can eat grapes from vines that are over 160 years old.

Answer:
Yes. Incredibly, some of the vineyards that produce grapes for making the Barossa’s most well respected wines date back to the original settlement in 1840. And incredibly, a huge hollow gum tree was the first home of Johann Friedrich Herbig and his family! You can still visit the Herbig Family Tree today.


Ozzie speak!!



Say out loud for full effect!


Gidday: Greetings

Mite: Pal / Stranger / Mate

Owyergoin – A greeting. How are you going? Often used with Gidday Mite.

Milburn - capital of Victoria

Peck - to fill a suitcase

Pissed aside - chemical which kills insects

Pigs - for hanging out washing with

Pump - to act as agent for prostitute

Pug - large animal with a curly tail

Nin tin dough - computer game

Munner stroney – soup

Mile – Opposite of Femile

Sheila - Femile

To die - the day before tomorrow

Min - male of the species

Mess Kara - eye makeup

McKennock - person who fixes cars

Mere - Mayor

Leather - foam produced from soap

Lift - departed

Kiri Pecker - famous Australian businessman

Kittle crusps - potato chips

Ken's - Cairns

Jumbo - pet name for someone called Jim

Jungle Bills - Christmas carol

Inner me - enemy

Guess - vapour

Fush - marine creatures

Fitter cheney - type of pasta

Ever cardeau - avocado

Fear hear - blonde

Ear - mix of nitrogen and oxygen

Ear roebucks - exercise at the gym

Duffy cult - not easy

Amejen - visualise

Day old chuck - very young poultry

Bug hut - hit song

Bun button - been bitten by insect

Beard - a place to sleep

Sucks Peck - Half a dozen beers

Beers - large savage animals found in U.S. forests

Veerjun - mythical Aussie maiden

One Doze - well known computer program

Brudge - structure spanning a stream

Sex - one less than sivven

Tin - one more than nine

Iggs Ecktly - Precisely

Earplane - large flying machine

Beggage Chucken - place to leave your suitcase at the earport

Sivven Sucks Sivven - large Boeing aircraft

Sivven Four Sivven - larger Boeing aircraft

Cuds - children

Pits - domestic animals

Cuttin - baby cat

Munce - usually served on toast

Barbie – A cook out

Beeeeah – A golden brown coloured beverage with relative low alcohol content

Dunny - Toilet