julesandco

Seeing as it's our first one as bona fide Aussies, I wanted to do something special...... just not sure what

How will you be spending it? Any traditions that you have adopted to make it special?

Jules xx

Hebe

At the Australian Open. Love it. Great atmosphere

tonyk38

When is it? Just curious...

Vash the Stampede

Don't ask an Australian; we can never remember!

tonyk38

I knew it was soon (some time in the next couple of weeks?) but as you say, I asked someone at work the other day and they didn't know!

I can never remember (despite being Irish) when St.Paddy's Day is and have to date forgotten my own birthday twice so as you may gather, dates are not my strong point...

Sherlock Holmes

26th Jan

tonyk38

So soon! In that case I will be working. As a shift worker, public holidays are a pretty meaningless concept anyhow.

Sherlock Holmes

Make sure they pay you double time.

tonyk38

I think it's time and a half now. It used to be double and a half as I recall, but that date was changed last year I think.

Queensland Health Payroll have committed **** ups of the monstrous variety so much of late that there's actually no guarantee I'll be paid at all!

Kooky.

Not sure about daytime yet - may go down to the harbour to watch the ferries race, have lunch, maybe a little glass of bubbly

Going to the Opera House in the evening to see Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under.

DeadVim

I'm heading for the coast decked out in as many flags as I can carry/wear to proclaim that Australia is:

1) The Greatest
2) Full

Scossie

My 4 year old wee girl Christina loves fireworks, & she's been talking about Australia Day for weeks because she remembers the Perth fireworks last year. We love the firework as well, but we also remember last year, when what used to be a great day out on the South Perth foreshore became pretty much a non event. We couldn't believe how quiet it was when in previous years is was always a great day out. The place would be packed, and we would make loads of 'one day' friends through playing games, having a laugh, and generally just celebrating Australia Day.

Last year the South Perth foreshore was dead. There was no atmosphere whatsoever leading up to the fireworks. Why? Because WA is a nanny state which imposed a blanket alcohol ban on the whole event. Why again? Because the year before, 200 people out of around a quarter of a million were arrested for drunken behaviour....

The phrase un-Australian is used a lot in Australia. What could be more un-Australian than being banned by law from having a few beers in the park with your mates / family on the country's national day?

99.5% of WA people do the right thing on Australia Day and just enjoy the day without causing any trouble, but the other 0.05% don't, so the state government ruin the day for the vast majority by being politically correct. The numbers were vastly down last year, but watch this year... Most of the people (like us) who went last year expecting the usual good atmosphere won't go this year because the atmosphere last year was non-existent. Are the powers that be so hard of thinking that they don't realise this?

HelenTD

I think that there are some zones where alcohol is allowed this year - see the liftout in yesterday's West.

Scossie

Yes there are Helen. And that is the entire point that I am making.
This year there are 2 small zones where you are allowed to drink alcohol. One is in Kings Park, and the other is on the north foreshore esplanade. However, if you turn up in the afternoon, (as most people do) to these zones you need to steer clear of your beer till 6.30pm when the police will then give you permission to drink it. Any attempt to drink it before then will result in you being "forcibly removed by the police."

I'm sure these rules will only add to the unstoppable roller-coaster of eagerness of the Perth public to attend the event.

HelenTD

We haven't been to the Skyworks for about 5 years. We're planning on going this year, so it will be interesting to see how it's different with less alcohol around.