Posted in Traveling Tuesdays
Greetings from Down Under! Technically, here in Sunshine Beach it’s Wednesday, but back home it’s Tuesday so I think I can still slide a “Traveling Tuesday” post in under the wire. Aside from the several days it took for us to get over the jet lag and the shockingly high prices for restaurant meals, I absolutely love this place.
Observations:
-People are more prone to smiling here,
-There's free wine tasting in the airport,
-(I don’t think that’s the reason.)
-Driving on the left-hand side of the road is really hard when you are lost and getting loster,
-Two iced teas at lunch the day before yesterday: $14,
-Two beers at lunch yesterday: $10,
-(We won’t be making that mistake again!)
-No need to remove shoes or jackets at airport screening for domestic flights,
-In fact, no need to even show photo ID.
-Waking up after the U.S. stock market is already closed is a much easier way to go through life.
-The speed limit is 80km/h on the beach at Fraser Island. (Yes you read that right, on the beach. Stay left, use your turn signal indicator, and by all means, mind the bikini-clad pedestrians!)
Translations:
US OZ
Make a reservation Make a booking
Begin boarding Commence boarding
Get your drinks Organise your drinks
Lollies Sweets and candies
French Fries Chips
Ketchup Sauce
Trash Rubbish
Garbage can Bin
Dispose your cigarettes Bin your butts
Liquor store Bottle shop
Shortly Before the tick of the clock
Shopping cart Trolley
Actually Realistically (maybe that was just our guide?)
Questions:
-What is the proper etiquette when hiking through the nude beach fully clothed? Do you say "G'day” to passers-by, or look the other way?
-And does it strike anyone else as funny that while already exposing every single body part to the sun, nude sun-bathers still don a hat?
Related Posts:
New York Stories: Inside the Public Restroom
There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch--Even in Vegas
This is a post from Retirement: A Full Time Job. Subscribe, it's free. (Plus it makes me feel good.)
Breakfast or brunch = brekkie!
Posted by: Art | September 27, 2011 at 05:07 PM
Such a good message....
Wonder if those no ID and free wine are good in the airport in Vietnam???... we'll be doing several flights...would be nice!!!
Me
Posted by: Sara | September 27, 2011 at 07:01 PM
I love the translations!
Posted by: Michelle | September 28, 2011 at 07:11 AM
Cute post. But as long as I live, I'll never understand the International Date Line and how it can be Wednesday there but Tuesday here.
The farther west you go, the farther behind you get -- so if it's 6 pm in NY, it's 3 pm in CA. So shouldn't it be -- if it's Tuesday here, then it's Monday in Australia?
See what I mean. I just don't get it.
Posted by: Tom Sightings | September 28, 2011 at 08:23 AM
My favorite Aussie phrase - "No worries" instead of "Your welcome." It seemed to exemplify the overall Aussie approach toward life that we observed during our travels there.
Regarding being clothed on a nude beach . . . when we've encountered this (and blushingly agreed that as a result of our Puritan roots we just can't seem to get comfortable shucking our clothes and "doing as") we keep near the water line, gaze out at the ocean, admire it loudly, and keep on truckin' through.
Posted by: Tamara | September 28, 2011 at 09:25 AM
I'm on Maui at the moment taking a much needed break. Compare these prices to Australia's. A gallon of milk is $8.00. A regular container of Maxwell House coffee is $15.98. 2 morning cheese danish are $6.00. A grand slam at Denney's is $12.15. As of today gas is $4.45.
How anyone can afford to live here is beyond me. Even so, it is as close to paradise as I'm likely to come during this lifetime.
Enjoy your time down under.
Posted by: Bob Lowry | September 28, 2011 at 11:41 AM
Tom: It is a kick to get the day before everyone else. My step mom said "oh good, you can tell us what happens tomorrow!"
Tamara: I almost included the "no worries" one, except that one has made it to the SF Bay Area lexicon now, so I didn't.
Bob: I'd say the prices are very much like Hawaii--although not bad at the grocery store like they are in Hawaii, really just the restaurants. We've eaten a lot of dinners at home, not just to save money--we're usually so exhausted at the end of the day we're too tired to get out for dinner. Plus the house we're in on exchange is so lovely, we love hanging at "home". Have a great time in Maui!
Posted by: Retired Syd | September 28, 2011 at 01:21 PM
Back in our salad days, taking our little family to Hawaii was a hugh, hugh splurge. In order to economize, I packed a rolling ice cooler full of frozen meat, condiments, sauces and rice and checked it onto the plane. It arrived in Hawaii with everything intact and the meat still frozen solid. After unpacking in our condo, we used the cooler daily to carry our picnic fixings, and then I packed it full of Hawaiian pineapples and chocolate for the flight home.
I'm not saying I'd do this today, but I must admit I thought it was fairly brilliant at the time.
Actually, now that I've given it some thought, I absolutely might still do this today!
Posted by: Tamara | September 28, 2011 at 04:00 PM
Tamara,
We buy breakfast food and most lunch fixings at the grocery store and eat dinner out. A small cooler goes with us so if there are leftovers we can bring them back to the condo for another meal.
Even so, Scottsdale prices are looking good!
Posted by: Bob Lowry | September 30, 2011 at 11:45 AM
I love this country so much. You portrayed the topic well.. Especially the concluding paragraph and the mid section made a good read... keep posting...All the best.
Posted by: Tractor Shipping | January 25, 2012 at 10:51 AM
Australia it is! I wanted to visit that country for it has lots of tourist destination.
Got interested reading this section and great posting by the way, keep it up.
Posted by: Veta Preslar | July 19, 2013 at 11:24 AM