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We spent our last 2 days in Australia based in Cairns and enjoying the fantastic free lagoon on the promenade for croc and stinger free swimming and then touring the Atherton Tableland where we visited some incredibly beautiful lakes and waterfalls (including the Millaa Millaa falls used in the Qantas ad where Rog braved the cold water for a swim).
Final reflections on Oz:
1. The incredibly friendly and helpful nature of the people, particularly out of the big cities, where nobody passes you on a pavement without wishing you "G'day" and asking how you are. I once gave a woman in a shop 2 x 50 dollar notes stuck together and she noticed and gave me one back - not sure that would have been the case in the UK. We have even been regaled with free beer from motel managers who just could not do enough for us to ensure we were comfortable.
2. The scale of everything. Rather like South Africa everything seems larger than life - space is not an issue, mountains seem higher, valleys deeper and you can see for miles with no habitation at all. Even the weather seems extreme - we have been here during fires, cyclones, torrential rain and soaring temperatures.
3. How well the country is set up for tourism. The signage is great and facilities are really good - toilets, changing rooms with showers, picnic tables and barbeques are everywhere and all ABSOLUTELY FREE.
4. Food portions are enormous, result seems to be that there are two types of Australians: One that works out to the nth degree and has a really toned body, the other doesn't and gets really large!
5. Picked up some new vocabulary and rhyming slang. One bloke said he'd go for a quick David Gower after his swim. Also they really do say fair dinkum, holy moley, g'day and s'truth. Also never waste syllables so t'sarvo, sunnies, swimmers, eskies, and roos.
6. Don't know what they have against innocent grannies though. Going through Cairns airport I was checked for explosives and going through Brisbane I was selected for a full body scan. Guess I must just look like your run of the mill drugs mule.
- comments
Nick Have you started referring to you flip-flops as 'thongs' yet? Bring on NZ
Catherine This is turning into the best blog ever! Educational, enlightening, insightful, humorous!! Definitely a 10 out of 10, A star with distinction and worthy of a prize at speech day! Keep up the good work!