Topic: The Aussie Thread

[neilem]

Just back from Australia after a month there - visiting Adelaide, Ayres Rock, Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Great Ocean Road. Had a brilliant time, wouldn't change a thing about it

[Helly]

Booked it, cost more money than I ever want to think about, this place had better be good!

Changed my dates, now landing on 23 December leave on 13 Jan.  Am I crazy to think I can do a drive to Melbourne and a drive to Brisbane in that time?  I will be setting off from Sydney for both trips.

[Crosby Nick]

Sydney to Melbourne was a 12 hour coach journey, probably quicker if you are driving but it's a long enough trek. As Blurred says, I think it's even further up to Brisbane so could be a bit rush. Virgin Blue have cheap-ish internal flights.

[Helly]

Sydney to Melbourne was a 12 hour coach journey, probably quicker if you are driving but it's a long enough trek. As Blurred says, I think it's even further up to Brisbane so could be a bit rush. Virgin Blue have cheap-ish internal flights.

Yeah but flights mean I wont have my hire car, which would mean I would only see the cities and not all the places in between like Coffs Harbour, Pebbly Beach etc.  Hmmmm.

[mazzapool]

anyone live in perth and got the prosh newspaper? so funny

[capt k]

Yeah but flights mean I wont have my hire car, which would mean I would only see the cities and not all the places in between like Coffs Harbour, Pebbly Beach etc.  Hmmmm.

 The drives between both cities are long.. i do both frequently.. i can do Syd-bris in 10 hours stopping only once for fuel
and syd -melb in 8 1/2 hours , ...BUT... youve got 3 weeks to do it, so while it seems like a hellova drive..if your stopping over for a night or 2 on the way...DO IT... dont get stuck in towns as you mentioned have a good look round..

oh and Coffs is under water at teh mo.. i was there last week and supposed to go back there today , but gonna have to wait till the floods subside..

[TomG]

The floods up in Coffs are massive aye. My old house is currently underwater, as is my ex girlfriends. She has probably been stuck in her home for the last few days. Is anyone in Coffs at the moment? Or been there in the last couple of days? Apparently on Tuesday they had 350mm of rain in 8 hours!

[pepe_carra_stevie_nando]

anyone live in perth and got the prosh newspaper? so funny

Live in Perth but what the fuck is the prosh newspaper?

[RedmeisterOZ]

Live in Perth but what the fuck is the prosh newspaper?

Prosh newspapers = satirical uni student newspaper

[Rusty]

Booked it, cost more money than I ever want to think about, this place had better be good!

Changed my dates, now landing on 23 December leave on 13 Jan.  Am I crazy to think I can do a drive to Melbourne and a drive to Brisbane in that time?  I will be setting off from Sydney for both trips.

The only thing that makes you sound crazy is that you will be going to Sydney more than once!!

Nah only kidding, 3 weeks to do a couple of road trips is plenty, are you heading anywhere else asides from those 2 trips? You should have a brilliant time doing road trips, just make sure your hire car has (working) air-con - in late Dec it will be stinking hot pretty much wherever you go.

If you can get yourself down to Melbourne for Boxing Day then you should check out the Boxing Day Test, even if you dont like cricket it's one of the classic sporting occasions of the world. Any idea what dates you'll be down in Melb?

[Wewonit6times]

Im coming to Melbourne in February, its a shame I miss the tennis. I might get fat so I have plenty to burn off as it sounds like just walking 5mins is a killer in that heat!

[Helly]

The only thing that makes you sound crazy is that you will be going to Sydney more than once!!

Nah only kidding, 3 weeks to do a couple of road trips is plenty, are you heading anywhere else asides from those 2 trips? You should have a brilliant time doing road trips, just make sure your hire car has (working) air-con - in late Dec it will be stinking hot pretty much wherever you go.

If you can get yourself down to Melbourne for Boxing Day then you should check out the Boxing Day Test, even if you dont like cricket it's one of the classic sporting occasions of the world. Any idea what dates you'll be down in Melb?

Not too sure really as I will have to spend 23 and 24 Dec running about getting James christmas presents, 25th and 26th I think I will be in Sydney visiting friends etc.  Then I will probably start my road trips on 27th, not sure if I should go South or North first though?

[mazzapool]

Prosh newspapers = satirical uni student newspaper

 

Live in Perth but what the fuck is the prosh newspaper?

a paper the uwa students make every year to rasie funds for charity. makes fun of the world news. there are uni students selling them on the side of roads and in schools on the 1st of April every year. its a good cause and pretty damn funny

[Col]

Any of our resident Aussies (preferably NSW based) involved with footie at State level or higher? Drop me a PM please, ta!

[Helly]

Any of our resident Aussies (preferably NSW based) involved with footie at State level or higher? Drop me a PM please, ta!

Glad you got there safe! 

[Helly]

Right, time to start picking peoples brains!

Terry - there is a picture of you somewhere in one of those tree top places, got to do that!  Looks like there is one in Byron Bay, is that the one you went to?  Has it got proper ropewalks and everything?  That looks like fun!  Looks dead expensive in Jan and its a min of  nights but I dont care, James would love it.

Also, Ive never stayed in a tent in my life, so think I want to give that a go, again great experience for James.  Are there places where the tent is all set up?  You just turn up and pay?  Im thinking of anywhere along either of my Melbourne or Brisbane drives.

Thanks people!

[Fluro Kaz]

Helly go to K-mart and grab a tent for about $30 setting the bastards up is half the fun  Buy some snags and some drinks and rock up to a caravan park and you will meet all different people around the bbq. Probably best do it on the brissy part as it will be a bit warmer but in summer anywhere would be alright.

If you need somwhere good to stay in Melbourne. Urban Central backpackers is like 10 minute walk from the city. 5 from the casino  really cheap and really clean and the bar down stairs is good fun every night.

[pepe_carra_stevie_nando]

Snags are sausages by the way.

[S24 LFC]

Im heading to Oz later this year, and am wondering what the casual work is like at the moment? Willing to do fruit picking or anything. Gonna get a 12 month WHV.

Any advice or tips would be much appreciated.


Cheers

[Helly]

Helly go to K-mart and grab a tent for about $30 setting the bastards up is half the fun  Buy some snags and some drinks and rock up to a caravan park and you will meet all different people around the bbq. Probably best do it on the brissy part as it will be a bit warmer but in summer anywhere would be alright.

If you need somwhere good to stay in Melbourne. Urban Central backpackers is like 10 minute walk from the city. 5 from the casino  really cheap and really clean and the bar down stairs is good fun every night.

Could be a plan indeed!  Ta for the tips.  Now, next one, thinking of getting James a trampoline for a christmas present, but obviously dont want to spend too much as it will have to stay there.  Any ideas?  Im thinking ebay.

[Rusty]

Could be a plan indeed!  Ta for the tips.  Now, next one, thinking of getting James a trampoline for a christmas present, but obviously dont want to spend too much as it will have to stay there.  Any ideas?  Im thinking ebay.

What a coincidence!! I drive past a trampoline shop every day on my daily commute (God's honest!!). Funnily enough I've never stopped in there, but if you let me know how much you're thinking I could give them a buzz for you and see what kinda things they've got on offer?

[jooneyisdagod]

Any one from Brisbane on here ?  I could do with some help with regards to the city layout, finding apartments etc.  Drop me a PM.  Ta. 

[Fluro Kaz]

S24 fruit picking is done seasonal...some good websites with good info just pop fruit picking or somthing into google. Other work alot of people pick up on the road is bar and waitering work. Alot of people are saying its hard to find work but if you walk into enough places where you could work pretty quickly with not much training then it wont take you long til somone gives you a few shifts

[bazjones]

lots of fruit work jobs can be found here.

http://jobsearch.gov.au/harvesttrail/default.aspx

I had 4 fruit pickin jobs in Oz. All of which i started work within 3 days after phoning the harvest helpline on the above website. very very easy to find that sort of work.

If your not after fruit picking or want something better then generally tends to be more work available in Western Australia.

[Helly]

What a coincidence!! I drive past a trampoline shop every day on my daily commute (God's honest!!). Funnily enough I've never stopped in there, but if you let me know how much you're thinking I could give them a buzz for you and see what kinda things they've got on offer?

Haha, brilliant.  Think all the new ones are above what I want to spend, it will probably have to be second hand.  I dont mind spending £100 ($220 AUD ish?) but I want a big one with an enclosure for that!  They are all retailing at about £380 dollars or there about, and thats the cheap ones!

[Rusty]

Haha, brilliant.  Think all the new ones are above what I want to spend, it will probably have to be second hand.  I dont mind spending £100 ($220 AUD ish?) but I want a big one with an enclosure for that!  They are all retailing at about £380 dollars or there about, and thats the cheap ones!

Hmm, jst looked on ebay here and there's the following:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/New-Action-Trampoline-4-5FT-Round-with-enclosure_W0QQitemZ310132296827QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Toys_Hobbies_Outdoor_Toys_Structures?hash=item310132296827&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318

going for $99 buy it now, dunno if that is the type of thing you are after?

[RedmeisterOZ]

The East Coast Blues and Roots Music Festival is held over the Easter weekend in Byron Bay, New South Wales. Can't make it there , but how's the lineup for Bluesfest 2009.  Ben Harper, John Butler Trio, Xavier Rudd, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Paul Kelly, Blind Boys of Alabama, Augie March, Seasick Steve, Tinariwen, Jeff Lang, and Alabama 3. Bluesfest and Womadelaide would have to be the best music festivals in OZ, ok, and chuck in Big Day Out, if your under 30.

http://www.bluesfest.com.au/

[pepe_carra_stevie_nando]

John Butler Trio, Xavier Rudd, Paul Kelly, Augie March

They are the only artists/bands on that list I have heard of.

[BSBW]

Right, time to start picking peoples brains!

Terry - there is a picture of you somewhere in one of those tree top places, got to do that!  Looks like there is one in Byron Bay, is that the one you went to?  Has it got proper ropewalks and everything?  That looks like fun!  Looks dead expensive in Jan and its a min of  nights but I dont care, James would love it.

Also, Ive never stayed in a tent in my life, so think I want to give that a go, again great experience for James.  Are there places where the tent is all set up?  You just turn up and pay?  Im thinking of anywhere along either of my Melbourne or Brisbane drives.

Thanks people!

Here you go Helly a bit of light bedtime reading for you:

http://www.narrabricaravanpark.com.au/maps/toptourist_ns_nsw_caravan_parks.html
http://www.stanfords.co.uk/stock/melbourne-to-brisbane-124136/
http://www.australiamagazine.co.uk/  This is out every month and available at WHSmith, we used to get it every month prior to moving.
http://www.hemamaps.com.au/
http://flightcentre.traveluniverse.com.au/Melbourne-to-Brisbane-Hema-Map/9781875610181.htm

The tree top walk we went on was at a place called O'Reilly's in the Lamington National Park, it's a lovely place but not all that long a walk really although it's a good taster for seeing the rainforests and there are loads of short or long walks from there all on pathways. The drive up there is a good laugh too:
http://www.oreillys.com.au/index.php?page=best-of-lamington.

I think the one near Byron Bay is at Illawara see link:

http://www.pleasetakemeto.com/australia/new-south-wales/capital-country/attraction/listing/9110611/illawarra-fly-treetop-walk

Any other questions just ask.

[BSBW]

Any one from Brisbane on here ?  I could do with some help with regards to the city layout, finding apartments etc.  Drop me a PM.  Ta. 

http://www.brisbanecitylife.com.au/
http://www.ourbrisbane.com/whats-on/events

[TomG]

I want to try something and see if it takes off.
As we all know Australia is a country of immigrants, that is what makes our culture so diverse and unique.
All you Aussies out there.. How did your family come here? Do you have any stories about your family that have shaped the history of our great country?

I'll start off.

My fathers side of the family arrived in Australia on the Second Fleet sometime around 1790. They were originally from the Glasgow area where they worked in a textile factory. My family tree on that side is a little hard to trace but I do know that I am a direct decendant of Charles Sturt, the explorer who discovered the Darling River, proving that north western NSW was not an inland sea as was previously thought. I still have family in Glasgow that I will meet one day soon.

My mothers family are from an Irish background, coming to Australia in the early 1800's. The only notable relative from that side was a young man by the name of Henry Manns. Henry was a participant in the largest ever gold robbery in Australia's history, known as "The Lachlan Gold Escort Robbery". They managed to get away with about 14,000 pounds worth of gold (AUD$2 Million in todays terms.) He was caught however and sentenced to hang aged just 19. The hangman stuffed up and young Henry stayed on the rope for 15 minutes before he ran out of breath.

So thats my little story about my family history. Lets hear a bit of yours.

[kesey]

I want to try something and see if it takes off.
As we all know Australia is a country of immigrants, that is what makes our culture so diverse and unique.
All you Aussies out there.. How did your family come here? Do you have any stories about your family that have shaped the history of our great country?

I'll start off.

My fathers side of the family arrived in Australia on the Second Fleet sometime around 1790. They were originally from the Glasgow area where they worked in a textile factory. My family tree on that side is a little hard to trace but I do know that I am a direct decendant of Charles Sturt, the explorer who discovered the Darling River, proving that north western NSW was not an inland sea as was previously thought. I still have family in Glasgow that I will meet one day soon.

My mothers family are from an Irish background, coming to Australia in the early 1800's. The only notable relative from that side was a young man by the name of Henry Manns. Henry was a participant in the largest ever gold robbery in Australia's history, known as "The Lachlan Gold Escort Robbery". They managed to get away with about 14,000 pounds worth of gold (AUD$2 Million in todays terms.) He was caught however and sentenced to hang aged just 19. The hangman stuffed up and young Henry stayed on the rope for 15 minutes before he ran out of breath.

So thats my little story about my family history. Lets hear a bit of yours.

OOT..?     

[TomG]

I beg yours?

[Ozzy_Red]

To be fair, with your driving skills, I'd not advise doing a trip between Edge Lane and Town in that time.

Sydney to Brisbane is around 600/650 miles or so, and Sydney to Melbourne a bit less, I think, more like 500/550 or so.

All joking aside, I'd not advise you to do all that driving. Cheap internal flights are the way forward.

Why don't you just land in Melb and drive all the up to Bris, then fly back to Syd to catch the plane home?

[pepe_carra_stevie_nando]

I don't know when my dad's side of the family came to Australia from England.

My Grandfather on my mum's side came to Australia from Hungary to escape the war (WWII) as his brother was already living out here. I don't know when my Grandmother came from England though.

[jooneyisdagod]

http://www.brisbanecitylife.com.au/
http://www.ourbrisbane.com/whats-on/events

Thanks a lot mate.  Those are two very useful sites.

[Ze Boy]

G'day I'm obviously Ze Boy haven't posted here before now even though I joined a while back, thought it was about time I did,

I'm from Melbourne, I support Melbourne Victory, I am a metalhead and pfft what everyone says about weather come on you are poms it's not like you're not used to the cold

Since you're ask what my origins are:

My grandfather on my fathers side was a nazi defector in WWII joined with Aussie forces during the war and relocated here with his family afterward

My mothers side is a bit more complex, way back when you poms thought it was good idea to ship all ya crims here, this family of crims where brought here where they've remained till' now however tracing the name back we've found that for some reason it only starts being used shortly before said criminals were shipped here now there is uncertainty as to weather a legit family was brought here or the more greater probability is that the name was stolen to try and evade the then law enforcement whatever happen then well no one will probably know 

[Rusty]

G'day

Gday mate where in Melb you based? And more importantly which footy team do you barrack for?

[Branno]

Gday mate where in Melb you based? And more importantly which footy team do you barrack for?

Ze Magpies I reckon with that background 

[Rusty]

Ze Magpies I reckon with that background 

(oops, that smiley has too many intact teeth to be a Magpies fan)