BadgeIsBack

Confused? My turn:
What does much of the world being closer to Australia have to do with Brits going to the W coast. It is a 9 hr trip for Brits.

But of course, the part of the world that is closer to Australia does indeed travel to Australia - Chinese, Asians. It might be a 9 hr trip for them.

G - you are rather letting yourself down. We are talking about travel opportunities.

I made a comment about Americans and their lack of vacation time which might be a factor for them. I will make a further comment, just for you, that also, airline tickets are cheaper for Brits.

I will reiterate my point - which seems to be beyond you - lots of Australians DO travel - despite some of these factors of size and distance. That is all.

Grayling

......and you are not doing much better are you?

Australians have the same travel opportunities as anyone else.

Why is an Australian travelling to Bali any more sophisticated or accomplished than a Brit travelling to Greece or Benidorm?

Why is an Australian who skis in Victoria any more accomplished than a Brit who skis in the alps?

The fact that you need to keep repeating it must mean that it is pretty unusual for Australians.....is that what you are suggesting?

Beoz

Easy answer there - conditions and practice skiing on those conditions. An Australian skier may be far more accomplished at skiing on ice and over rocks than a regular alps skier. On the flipside a regular alps skier would be a far better powder skier.

You'll never see a decent downhill Australian skier or a ski jumper at the Olympics. Why - no facilities to grow up on. You will see trick dog aerial and halfpipe skiers though. Why - facilities.

BadgeIsBack

The fact I have to repeat my single point indicates you still have not grasped the point of distance - to Europe, and the US, for example. You yourself have an appreciation of Australia's size.

I rest my case - the answer I have for you, is that IF, travel opportunities are the same, (because as you said, much of the world is closer), then why do so many people complain about being so far from Europe? The facts speak for themselves - it is 24 hrs to Europe, and say 15 to the W Coast of US but only 9 to the West Coast for Britons. Australians have no issue travelling to Asia.

The fact is that distance (and prices) are a factor. I also mentioned Americans as there is another factor involved - time.

You asked me if I said that I was suggesting it was unusual, or harder - well it is if you consider time, money and distance to some locations - and once again I present, and close on, my single point backed up by the good people of BE (who also find it hard).

As for this accomplishment stuff.

I put it to you that you don't like people making comparisons with Europeans and Australians -even if the finding is found to be favourable or deemed equal. I think you willl agree these things are relative and only an expert can really determine who is doing well compared to others, all things being equal. As a matter of fact, I do think that some Australians do well given less opportunity - it would be churlish to say otherwise. But I notice that others always want to find fault. I would much rather find equivalence - as you know. My point about drawing parallels and finding equivalence is a common theme of mine on BE - where others like to complain about their lives.( I only draw unfavourable conclusions with Expats because they are the ones complaining - and underachieving...how can you complain about a country when you haven't done anything!?)

As for your last question, I think we both agree that there are dullards all over - the people who holiday in Bali and Greece - the great unwashed perhaps - are much of a muchness. But that is another story.

BadgeIsBack

I wasn't sure whether I should expand on all this as I didn't want to get bogged down with G when we were talking about travel.

What I do know is, the snow is wet in Australia. When avalanches happen they are dangerous due to their weight as a result - that said, in Europe, there is more vertical and more snow can funnel into a trap. But you only need to be buried a metre or so..

It depends on what you mean by decent - there are lots of very good off-piste skiers in Australia - why am I saying this I hear G ask - well, for one thing some people don't even realise that there is snow in Australia!
Some of the mountains in VIC are small with low verticals but their runs are fairly challenging.

Unless I took every skier I ever knew in Europe and compared them to an Australian skier...I don't know - I really don't know. What I do know is that the company I keep are very good. Far better than myself and I am happy to learn from others.

All I know is that in this country that so many expats complain about there are some very special people who keep turning up to all sorts of things.
Why is this of note, G might ask me - because so many Expats seem to fail to find equivalence in this 'big' country.

I would much rather get out to this world of ours! But happy to discuss.

I plan to get back to the Alps - in the meantime I am using Australia as a happy trg ground.

Beoz

Not if they haven't skied outside Australia.

BadgeIsBack

Define good.

Some skiers in Australia are not bad. And of course many go to Europe to hone their skills.

(This talk about how good someone is - in some resorts
there is not many easy - intermediate runs. I am talking about the availability here, not the actual grade)

You have to remember, some people are amazed to find that Australia has any snow at all!

chris955

I thought that, its what people do everywhere, even here

chris955

I'm hurt

BadgeIsBack

I see you are so happy to buddy up with your mate you have not bothered to understand that Australians or indeed people living here dont jump on a plane for a weekend .

I live bere and also plan longer trips rather than shorter trips.

Noone is saying that noone else plans long trips but locals don't generally make short duration trips
or is this asking too much?

Have I once more found the level.
Just for you Chris I will fly to Paris for the weekend
Now what do you think will happen?

BadgeIsBack

The answer is, it is not possible: therefore a local is wise not to contemplate it.
Now do you understand? Please tell me that I can credit you with basic savvy?

commonwealth

I thought this was a sexually-related thread

OzTennis

Freud would have something to say on that thought I'm sure.

jothefw

I thought I'd chip in my little bit. (And I did my usual, read the thread from last page to first so my apologies if I've missed similar view points along the way).

My father always tells the story of the retiring merchant Navy man. He was looking forward to his retirement, as was his wife. She wanted to travel of course, something they hadn't done much of as a couple, due to the nature of her husbands work. First trip they did was to the Alps. Her husband hated it, why she asked, well there was no view he said.

I believe the reason my father tells it, he was born and raised in Bootle (Liverpool) and whilst loving the British countryside, he finds the Aussie landscapes very barren in comparison, too open. And whilst I can understand this, I don't share his sentiment at all.

We (my husband and our two sons, usually accompanied by a couple of other friends and their children) have done various big trips inland, outback, coastal, rainforests, you name it. Crossing the Tanami, seeing Dingo's at Cooper Pedy or the Dig Tree, Cable Beach, Mt Hotham - all sorts. My children tell amazing dreamtime stories that they learnt while in Katherine, have drawn pictures from our exploring the Gibb River Road.

Yes there's size and distance, but I feel we have room to move. We love being the only car on the road, for miles. We love chatting to the local ladies who work in the bakeries. We love camping in isolated locations, feeling as if we're re-creating the first explorers. We don't think it's better, or worse than if we lived in Europe, simply different.

Perhaps it requires a little more effort, but then doesn't everything when you're a migrant?

spouse of scouse

What a great and interesting post. I totally agree with it's not better or worse, simply different.

My husband's a Bootle boy - he's never really taken to the outback or bush either! Just as well I did all that before I met him