Australias size.
Sep 6th 2014, 11:05 pm
#31
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 15,526
Re: Australias size.
Probably unsurprisingly, I love the wide-open spaces of Australia. I've had some terrific trips from Perth, ranging from camping in the sand dunes north of Lancelin, to a 2 week camping trip up through the northern goldfields as far as Sandstone, to twice driving right around Oz.
Making sure that you take absolutely everything you might need with you as you head off into the outback is one of this kind of travelling's pleasures for me. Starting from the 4WD in tip-top condition, to the CB radio, enough food to last you, comprehensive first aid kit - you have to be really organised and know how to pack it all. And water - you never miss an opportunity to fill up your water containers at a road station. There is never a spare drop so wet wipes become your new best friend
I have such great memories of my travels - emus running by the campsite with their babies trying to keep up, Japanese tourists who were hopelessly lost and had no survival gear at all with them, spooky experiences on the Nullabor Plains, a particularly aggressive tiger snake in the food tent, finding a bit of real gold with a metal detector, sing-a-longs around the campfire, whole days spent on beautiful beaches with not another soul in sight: I wouldn't have missed a moment of it. The worst moment of all of my trips was my first sighting of traffic lights - back to civilisation
However. I do feel as though I've 'been there done that', and the old bones no longer take so well to camping. I now get the same pleasure from exploring the world, UK, Europe, the US, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia - with lots more to see yet! Scouse and I aren't really hotel people, we prefer to rent apartments in areas where the locals live. For us, this makes the trip so much better and we invariably strike up conversations with people who are keen to talk about and show us the way of life in their country, rather than sticking to the tourist places.
No one could ever experience all there is to see and do in the world. Appreciating the uniqueness of wherever you happen to be is the first step in enjoying and understanding it. Our motto - don't waste a single day of your life, because you're a long time dead.
Making sure that you take absolutely everything you might need with you as you head off into the outback is one of this kind of travelling's pleasures for me. Starting from the 4WD in tip-top condition, to the CB radio, enough food to last you, comprehensive first aid kit - you have to be really organised and know how to pack it all. And water - you never miss an opportunity to fill up your water containers at a road station. There is never a spare drop so wet wipes become your new best friend
I have such great memories of my travels - emus running by the campsite with their babies trying to keep up, Japanese tourists who were hopelessly lost and had no survival gear at all with them, spooky experiences on the Nullabor Plains, a particularly aggressive tiger snake in the food tent, finding a bit of real gold with a metal detector, sing-a-longs around the campfire, whole days spent on beautiful beaches with not another soul in sight: I wouldn't have missed a moment of it. The worst moment of all of my trips was my first sighting of traffic lights - back to civilisation
However. I do feel as though I've 'been there done that', and the old bones no longer take so well to camping. I now get the same pleasure from exploring the world, UK, Europe, the US, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia - with lots more to see yet! Scouse and I aren't really hotel people, we prefer to rent apartments in areas where the locals live. For us, this makes the trip so much better and we invariably strike up conversations with people who are keen to talk about and show us the way of life in their country, rather than sticking to the tourist places.
No one could ever experience all there is to see and do in the world. Appreciating the uniqueness of wherever you happen to be is the first step in enjoying and understanding it. Our motto - don't waste a single day of your life, because you're a long time dead.
What a fantastic post
Just the reigns of parental responsbilty holding us back from where your at right now.
Some interesting thought provoking feedback on this thread.
Sep 8th 2014, 11:46 am
#32
Concierge
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 21,139
Re: Australias size.
Sep 9th 2014, 8:15 am
#33
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: Australias size.
In a way the size of the country was one of the things that turned me off the idea of staying, the endless miles of nothing, dirt, scrub and more dirt was not for us. I love rainforest so dry and dusty may as well have been the moon. I like to easily get 'somewhere else' not travel hours.
Sep 10th 2014, 12:09 pm
#34
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Australias size.
When a man relies on Tesco he certainly has never lived.
I would say "When your life can be lived in one city as it was lived in another, then you're doing OK"...
At the risk of sounding like Chris, it's down to the individual -
there would be plenty of people in the UK that don't do half the things that Australians I know do - even when the distance is in their favour.
Many Australians I know save up their vacation time and use that time wisely.
For example, some might ski the Haute Route in the Alps one year, then spend the next in North America. We take a lead out of their books and do that, save the time up, and ensure our children get to use a foreign language (etc). I lived in Central Europe so got some of that wanderlust out of my system, leaving me with happy memories. We will return of course.
Sep 10th 2014, 12:53 pm
#35
Concierge
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 21,139
Re: Australias size.
I thought it was London that the great quote was about.
When a man relies on Tesco he certainly has never lived.
I would say "When your life can be lived in one city as it was lived in another, then you're doing OK"...
At the risk of sounding like Chris, it's down to the individual -
there would be plenty of people in the UK that don't do half the things that Australians I know do - even when the distance is in their favour.
Many Australians I know save up their vacation time and use that time wisely.
For example, some might ski the Haute Route in the Alps one year, then spend the next in North America. We take a lead out of their books and do that, save the time up, and ensure our children get to use a foreign language (etc). I lived in Central Europe so got some of that wanderlust out of my system, leaving me with happy memories. We will return of course.
When a man relies on Tesco he certainly has never lived.
I would say "When your life can be lived in one city as it was lived in another, then you're doing OK"...
At the risk of sounding like Chris, it's down to the individual -
there would be plenty of people in the UK that don't do half the things that Australians I know do - even when the distance is in their favour.
Many Australians I know save up their vacation time and use that time wisely.
For example, some might ski the Haute Route in the Alps one year, then spend the next in North America. We take a lead out of their books and do that, save the time up, and ensure our children get to use a foreign language (etc). I lived in Central Europe so got some of that wanderlust out of my system, leaving me with happy memories. We will return of course.
Of course it's down to the individual, as most things in life are. And as long as each of us is happy in what we're doing and where we're doing it in, then absolutely no argument can be made in favour of one place over another.
(I don't know what Chris said, he and Grayling have the honour of being the first people on my ignore list)
Sep 10th 2014, 1:01 pm
#36
Still alive
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 28,994
Re: Australias size.
Oi, what's wrong with Tesco? I love Tesco!
Of course it's down to the individual, as most things in life are. And as long as each of us is happy in what we're doing and where we're doing it in, then absolutely no argument can be made in favour of one place over another.
(I don't know what Chris said, he and Grayling have the honour of being the first people on my ignore list)
Of course it's down to the individual, as most things in life are. And as long as each of us is happy in what we're doing and where we're doing it in, then absolutely no argument can be made in favour of one place over another.
(I don't know what Chris said, he and Grayling have the honour of being the first people on my ignore list)
Sep 10th 2014, 9:24 pm
#38
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: Australias size.
No other nationality does anything with their spare time??....or knows how to use it wisely?
Last edited by Grayling; Sep 10th 2014 at 9:26 pm.
Sep 10th 2014, 10:37 pm
#42
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Australias size.
Most of the expats I have met are nowhere near as accomplished as the Australians I know.
Try harder G!
Sep 10th 2014, 11:08 pm
#44
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Australias size.
It would be perhaps fairer to compare like with like - most of the accomplished Australians I meet are comparable with their counterparts - despite the limitations of the fact they are so far from Europe. That is my main point.
I have spent a weekend with probably some of the finest ski-mountaineers in Victoria - and all got this skill locally - before venturing further afield.
I see you have failed to comment on my point about this factor of distance being a factor in how Australians (or indeed anyone who lives here) travel.
Lots of people travel, and many people are constrained perhaps in their quest to go to Europe, for example. Americans for example don't get a lot of annual leave. This is a factor for them being able to travel when they are perhaps, not so far from Europe.
Sep 10th 2014, 11:12 pm
#45
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: Australias size.
Not sure what point you are trying to make?
