Anyone Been To Australia?

[Sheriffdoug]

Anyone been to Australia, for business or pleasure?

What did you see or where did you go?

Did you see the Oprah special on Australia a couple of years ago?

Tourist, Sailor, Soldier, Scientist, Priest, Aviator, Businessperson, etc., what was your impression?

Paul Hogan, Hugh Jackman, Errol Flynn, Olivia Newto-John, Geoffry Rush, Toni Collette, Kate Blanchette, Elle Macherson, Miranda Kerr, some of our exports.

We are a large Island, with a small population, currently, 23 million.

My state, Western Australia, is 42% of the total land mass, but only 10% of the population, 2.3 million, yet we produce, through mining, farming, fishing, tourism, LNG, gold, etc, 46% of Australia's export income, via exports to Asia(China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia), Europe, Russia, US, etc.

Most Australians like Americans.

We have compulsory voting here, Federal & State.

I would be very interested, please?

I have been to the US four times, West, East, North, including Canada(very short visit,
on US business.) & south, driven about 8,000 miles in total, flown to about 15 different major cities, and had wonderful times. Planning again returning next year, for 3-5 weeks, business & pleasure.

I have been very fortunate & lucky, worked hard, play eagerly, holiday, not enough.

Look forward to hearing from you all. Thank You, in advance! Doug

[noxinnhoj]

I flew from Vancouver/LA to cairns queensland in 1992 with a one year work visa,a big wad of travellers cheques and no travelling experience.I purchased my first rv there(sort of),it was a 1979 mazda e-1300 van with duall wheels with a bed in the back.Once I got the motor rebuilt(got taken by a kiwi),I drove it up to cape tribulation,then back down the entire east coast and across the nullabor highway to the west coast.Drove up to perth,monkey mia and got stopped in Broome by the wet season,highway flooded.I ran outa money so I headed back to Perth,sold my van,flew to Sydney and got on a flight back to Vancouver with no money in my pocket.Never did work in oz but it was the best year of my life,I love Australia,hope I can go back one day,would be nice to do it in my dually with the lance,sorry for the long post.....

[bighatnohorse]

"Fear" keeps me in the US. . .if I go to Australia, I'm afraid that I might not want to come back.

[GoinThisAway]

Have not been to Australia but would like to some day. I figure its a trip best done after retirement. If I'm going to spend many hours on a plane each way I want to be able to stay many weeks. What destinations would you recommend for someone who enjoys natural beauty and chatting with hometown folks?

[fatmanobx]

When I was in the Navy (1969) we pulled into Sidney Harbor just before the Opera House opened. We spent 10 days there and it was the best time I spent anywhere in the far east. The nicest people in the world. If I ever go overseas anywhere it would be back there. Also went to Melborne and it was just a neat place to visit..

[3_tons]

Spent 10 days in eastern Australia back in '89...Mostly Sidney and up Pacific coast highway 1 to the Gold Coast (just south of Brisbane)...My impressions, very western like, friendly to Americans and lots of beautiful scenery...Differences in the dollar aside, its not so much that things are more expensive there (as well as most other parts of the world), but rather that things generally cost much less in America. Canada is yet a similar example of this. Lots of Americans (who quite dutifully complain of high prices) take for granted that America truly is a world wide (volume) dumping ground for low cost consumer goods with electronics often considerably less costly here than even Korea or Japan. Love your Country!

Best Regards,

3 tons

[Sheriffdoug]

dadwolf2, will get back to you with some ideas within the next couple of hours, at work at re moment.

By the way, I had a Bar in Fremantle, Western Australia, 90-97, served a lot of US Sailors & Maines.
When you guys(& girls) were in town prices went up 100%, but I kept my prices the same, rooms, food & drinks, reasonable and met 1000's of great US people. We were literally next to the wharf, Down the Western End, on Phillamore Street, was called His Lordship's Larder. Very busy place, locals, tourists, sailors, women, all sorts! On Friday's I had a nine hour dance show, 12noon till 9pm,
three different sets. Danc'n on the Bar counter, Pool Tables & staging. Got to work at 7am and removed all the tables and chairs in the two main bars, as I would have 500 guys in the bar at any given time, and we served 5500 to 6500 drinks for the day. Was like that every week, sailors or no sailors. Yee Haa!

Still doing the same thing, in a little Bar near Perth Airport, The Redcliffe Tavern. Half the size, but very busy too, about 4700 sq ft. Lots of Fly In, Fly Out Miners, Men & Women, most come off night duty, tired and well behaved, with a mix of locals and tourists.

Lots of Fun.

Been a Barman for 40 years! Cheers!

[dadwolf2]

I've never been to Australia but would like to go. What's the best way to go without feeling like you're on a tour bus and just seeing the stuff they show you before getting back on the bus.

[Steve_in_29]

I spent some time in Western Australia courtesy of the Marine's back in 86 and 88.
I was mostly in the field training but did get to visit Perth and Freemantle. Which I understand are to what people think of Australia, as my town of 29 Palms is to what people think of California. LOL

I really liked the country and I found Australians on the whole to be a very friendly bunch. The cost of living seemed kind of high though.

[RobertRyan]

sabconsulting wrote:
Eating anywhere in Sydney other than Pie Face now is painful on your wallet.

Agree. When in Europe(what happened to the Euro? so few countries use it), we were sitting in that cafe where I did the shot of the Castle overlooking Lake Bled when we had a Kremšnita(see link) and some very nice Coffee for 5 Euro, they did take Euros unlike other places.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/the-bowies/4135999582/sizes/z/in/photostream/

[Scott16]

Hi Sheriffdog,
I've been to Australia 7 times while I was in the US Navy. Western Australia: Perth, Freemantle, Bunbury; Northern Territory: Darwin; New South Wales: Geelong, Sydney; Queensland: Townsville. I am sure I left some towns off. What a great time and great people anywhere we went. Went on a lot of guided tours. Also drank lots of beer, and great steak dinners. Hope to go back some day to visit.
Scott

PS. I still have all my Australian Navy Ship Ball Caps from the sponsor ships while we were in port.

[54suds]

Did R&R in Sydney, Melbourne, AU. and Auckland NZ. for the celebration of the Battle of the Coral Sea

Very High on Bucket list, is to return !

[sabconsulting]

Hi Doug,

I've never been to WA, just QLD and NSW.

Ouch, was Sydney expensive last year? Considered moving there in '99 - would have done really well on property if we had. Eating anywhere in Sydney other than Pie Face now is painful on your wallet.

It was good to have a pint with Robert Ryan while down there 🙂

Seen Brisbane, Cairns, Swam on the Barrier Reef, took a 4x4 up to Cape Trib, did the Undara lava tubes.

I used to love the Hogan Show when I was a teenager.

Cheers,

Steve.

[Pangaea_Ron]

I've been to Australia twice, and loved it.

My son and I did the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race in 1996, after also doing the Telsta Offshore Series. We spent a month racing in Sydney Harbor while staying at Rushcutter's Bay. We were treated like rock stars as part of the only US crew that year, with interviews and photographs in the papers and magazines, and special treatment in clubs and restaurants. We were introduced aloud to the passengers on the Qantas flight, but my only discomfort was at customs and immigration when the interviewer asked: Are you here to take our trophy from us? Fortunately there was no additional investigation.

We also loved Tasmania, that is much like the San Juan Islands here. Great food, beaches, and people. Not a bad place to spend New Year's Eve with 100,000 new friends for a "quiet little drink".

My wife and I with another couple from our crew returned a few years later to visit the only Australian on our crew (we needed an interpreter) in Queensland. It is a truly beautiful area. It's truly tragic to hear about the fires there now.

We would love to return to experience more of your great country.

[rwj146]

Like a couple of others I went there on R&R in 1968 for seven days and again for 28 days when I extended my tour in Viet-Nam. Some of the nicest memories I have.
I am still in touch with the girl I met there after all the these years. She took me to many of the tourist type sites and to Pubs and eateries away from the tourist areas. She now lives in Queensland.
There was a goodly amount of drinking involved so many of my memories are a bit blurred but I do remember how nice the people were and how well they treated me.