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Tipping and Prices Sydney
17 Reviews Tipping is not the norm in Sydney. Americans and Europeans often tip but only because they think it is the custom here. Wages are good in Australia and tipping isn't necessary. Last year, I worked in...
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Aboriginal Culture Perth
4 Reviews Australian Aboriginal culture can claim to be the oldest continuous living culture on the planet. Recent dating of the earliest known archaeological sites on the Australian continent - using...
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General Brisbane
21 Reviews Have you heard of the Spider drink? I thought it was common world wide, but evidently not, it is unique to Australia and New Zealand. In other parts of the World it is known as an "Ice-cream soda" or...
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Tipping Adelaide
8 Reviews Only a fool would tip in Australia. It is not required and not expected. Perhaps people in the tourist industry would act as though it is expected...but wages here are not calculated to take account...
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Driving, Road Rules Canberra
4 Reviews I noticed that in Canberra, above all other cities in Australia, Ute drivers had something to say. In particular, this driver's vehicle was a rolling billboard, although he had so many messages, I...
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Pako Festa Geelong
14 Reviews The Polish/Australian community.. in their lovely traditional costumes. Many of these people have special schools operating, in the hope that their children will not forget their heritage, language...
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Drinks and Food Sydney
24 Reviews Pure Blonde is an Australian Beer that my wife has come to love. Every visit to Australia she looks forward to her first glass of this frosty brew. It's light, crisp and very refreshing; I rather like...
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Slang Brisbane
3 Reviews Aussie slang is not what usually the word was oriiginally meant for example : someone tells you your gay it does not mean your sexual preference , it means your being stupid. Yes I know new one on me...
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Tipping, GST Canberra
2 Reviews In general it is not customary to tip in Australia though this is now changing and ten percent will sometimes be added to hotel bills. In some of the more exclusive restaurants it is usual to tip up...
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Baywalk Bollards Geelong
1 Review Too often people drive right through Geelong on their way to the famous surf beaches. With money being poured into redevelopment in Geelong (especially the waterfront) Geelong is fast becoming one of...
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Australian People Sydney
19 Reviews As in most cities; you will find street performers. In Sydney there were several costumed performers at various tourist sites; Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, etc. Take a picture if you must but...
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Brisbane Exhibition Brisbane
3 Reviews This is one of the big events of the year - when for 10 days, the folks from the country meet up the those from the city. Starts on 16 August this year, starting with the cattle judging for the...
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Laws/Crime Canberra
2 Reviews In every state there is a State Police Force. eg; NSW Police When your in Canberra they have the Federal Police. In other states Federal Police are reserved for my bigger issues Such as Customs,...
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General Sydney/Aussie Customs Sydney
27 Reviews Here in Australia they drive on the left side of the road. This can make an American a bit batty trying to get accustomed. Remember when crossing the street to look right. Before the Sydney Olympics...
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Dress Sense Brisbane
2 Reviews Casual wear such as a pair of jeans and a sports shirt are acceptable at casual restaurants and pubs at night. Just don’t wear thongs (flip flops) work boots or go shoeless. Of course upmarket...
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Festivals, markets Canberra
3 Reviews The day we were in Canberra (Feb 2005), we were lucky to catch the start of a 10 day multicultural festival, held in one of the main squares of the city. There was free entertainment by travelling...
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Aussie Slang Sydney
4 Reviews It was a funny experience to discover the Australian local slang ;-) I was learning English there and I will remember my very first day in Brisbane forever. I was waiting the local bus to my...
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Vegemite Brisbane
3 Reviews Vegemite celebrated its 80th birthday in 2003 - and the jingle first used in 1954 "We're happy little vegemites...we're bright as bright can be.. " was contemporised for radio and television to...
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Dress Canberra
1 Review Canberra is the seat of the Australian Government and as such the dress code in Canberra is a little more formal than in other cities in the country. For business people it is the norm for both men...
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Australia Day Sydney
4 Reviews Australia Day, January 26th, to welcome the day local aboriginals perform the ceremony of Woggan Ma Gule. The guvorner of NSW attanded and afterwards there was a Q&A session. The perfect way to start...
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Climate Canberra
1 Review The temperatures in Canberra vary considerably from summer to winter. Rug up for the winter months as temps often drop below zero at night and are usually below 10C in the day. . In summer the...
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Festivals Sydney
7 Reviews 49th Sydney Film Festival - where you get to see the BEST new movies from around the world! Australians love the arts and the Sydney Film Festival is the perfect time to enjoy movies and talent from...
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Sydney Buildings Sydney
4 Reviews St Mary's Cathedral - Free guided tours of the Cathedral & Crypt Sundays 12noon, following the Solemn Sung Mass. Magnificent stained glass windows are a feature of this superb Catholic Cathedral. A...
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Historical Sydney
5 Reviews If a student of culture you might be able to locate the significance of the re visit 38 years later....like the trips down memory lane as a cultural thing. But then, go to the zoo and check out the...
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ANZAC Day Sydney
1 Review If you are in town for ANZAC day, attend a Dawn Service. It is so moving; it doesn't matter what nationality you are. Everyone can relate to the memorial. It takes place at Martin Place in downtown...
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watched. Well I might be just that..........a feeling.........there again if you happen to be in Australia and in any shopping centre car pack that has a spare wall, you are likely to come across something like this. A bit un-nerving eh?To see the full picture visit off the customs tip for Coffs Harbour.
Yee-hah (just practising). Yes folks, y'all come on down to Tamworth y'hear. The long weekend in January is when and you won't be alone. There'll be tens of thousands of others with you. Haven't booked a room? Don't bother trying, they're all booked a year in advance. This is one of Australia's most popular happenings and, as my taste in music is somewhat eclectic, on occasions I have made the trip north and I am here to tell you - it is worth it. The quality of musicianship is varied but there are so many good ones you will not even scratch the surface with the number of acts you can see in the time. They're on the footpaths, in the shops, clubs, pubs etc. The wonderful thing is, most of them are free. Yee-hah to that! They also dish out numerous awards at a special ceremony, an event that is televised nationally.
It was here, near Tennant Creek, that I came across a burned area that had just gone through a control bushfire regime. The rangers purposely burn the national park on periodic periods to help it grow. As the park burns, the seeds disperse, and so the park grows. During the period of growth, animals are free to grace the grass that takes place of some burned down trees. It's a perfectly sounding technique used by the Aborigines for thousands of years. Besides, by burning the dry areas, they save the park from a massive fire due to the dry weather conditions of the summer.
On my travels in New South Whales, I drove past several banana plantations. Apparently, the Banana production up in Queensland is more productive. However, every 10 years or so, a cyclone will devastate the banana crops up north. As a result the banana plantations in New South Wales can start increasing the price to make a killing profit. They make enough during this period to maintain working at a loss during the other years!
Our first stop was at Point Danger, which is near the state border between Queensland (QLD) and New South Wales (NSW). This dangerous point cuts out into the ocean. Mt. Warning actually got its name from Capt. Cook, who named it as such to warn other sailors of the obstacle ahead, which he named Point Danger. Similarly, the East Coast is flooded with similar unimaginative, but descriptive, names. Funny how the early explorers lacked imagination at times...hehehe.
Given the hot temperatures and lack of trees, the settlers around Coober Peddy had to rely on underground dwellings for comfort and shelter. They began building homes from the rock at the side of a hill or even just by digging underground. The rooms of such a home were always at a constant 20'C temp, keeping it nice and cool during the day and night. Today, most of the homes remain underground. The sedimentary rock found of the region is exactly like the one found in Egypt. Since the tombs of ancient Egypt, that were cut deep underground, have survived for thousands of years, the residents of this modern town need not worry about their underground dwellings collapsing.
In order to control the estuarine crocodile population, the park rangers at Kakadu routinely check traps like this that attract them. Either way, it’s never a sure bet to swim whenever there is a crocodile warning sign nearby so do ask your guide before entering the waters in Northern Australia.
Defining an opal takes you through a journey of central Australia's geological past. Basically, billions of years ago, there used to be an inland ocean residing in Central Australia. Over the years, the ocean accumulated sediments, such as sand, dead animals and the like. Eventually, as Australia kept shifting, the ocean receded. Before the ocean receded, the silica in the sand made its way down into the remaining gaps of the compressed sandstone. Some took the shape of the dead animal others just took whatever gap they could find. After millions of years, the silica slowly converted into Opals. Australia is the only place on earth where fossilized opals abound. I've seen a beautiful specimen in the South Australia Museum at Adelaide. It also counts with some of the purest and more colorful opals. The more colors are given off by the opal, the more it is worth. Unlike the early days,...
I had the opportunity to tune my skills with this latigo while I toured the Namoi cattle station near Dingo. It was rather fun. The best ones are made using kangaroo leather, but usually you end up with the cheaper cow leather. Both make a hard loud noise when used appropriately. As the instructor defines it, you are breaking the sound barrier each time you hear a bang. You start by swinging the latigo a full 360. You do this easy and slowly. Then, with a swift move you bring it back towards you. Thus, you get a loud bang as this causes it to go faster then sound. I’m not sure if this is true, but it was still fun :).Latigos are sometimes used by jackaroos to control the cattle.
You are bound to pass sugar cane fields on your journey to the East Coast of Australia. Traditionally, the cane fields are subject to a control fire to get rid of the weeds and dead leaves. After the fire, the canes are cut and collected to be sent to a mill for refinement. See more about how sugar is produce on my Sugar Production tip.
Park Hyatt Sydney Sydney
5 Reviews and 286 Opinions A luxurious setting, conveniently close to the city centre without the hubbub. You can have it both,...
Crown Towers Melbourne
10 Reviews and 303 Opinions We arrived by limousine , the doorman opened the door with a flourish, a Casino representative...
Novotel Langley Perth Perth
4 Reviews and 528 Opinions My partner and I just spent an anniversary night at the Novotel Langley. While the rooms were clean...
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Q: Hi All, My name's Sophie. I am 19. I am Looking to visit Australia alone. I am cheating a little bit as I am flying over to...
A: Be careful about you immigration status. Don't travel on tourist visa if you actually are performing paid work.
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