This is Australia

Hello Platypus this is a lovely thread. I for one would like to hear local to you news, about local places and local weather. I have a nephew and his family in Melbourne and a friend in New Zealand. Not being able to travel,due to the pandemic, I crave knowledge of different places.

EkwaNimitee awww bless - I’m just not sure what news everyone wants - what are people interested in about over here? General news? Covid? Politics? Places? People?

Anyone here from Mildura?

Hello, Platypus, this thread is a good idea, thank you.
I have DS2 and family living in Sydney and have visited twice. Unfortunately , last November/December's trip to there and New Zealand got postponed due to Covid, and now that postponed trip has been cancelled by me for the indefinite future.
My late DH and I were great travellers but never went to Australia because we imagined it would be full of boring white people like us! So it was South America, China etc etc. When he died, I went out there and loved it. I've always preferred the big open spaces to rather confined little England but even more than the country, I found Australians themselves greatly to my liking,
Trains having been mentioned, I will add that the last time I visited, I flew into Perth and travelled across to Sydney on the Indian Pacific. It was 3 whole days to cross a country! When a child, I loved studying the atlas and the name Nullarbor Plain fascinated me so I had a long held ambition to see it. It did not disappoint. It's huge and seemingly endless and beautiful in its way. I was definitely not bored! The food was great and we stopped for various outings, one to the Kalgoorlie gold mine at night...an absolutely vast hole in the ground. Just one of the great trips I've had out in Australia. I'd be very happy to live there permanently but for various reasons, it's not on now.
I'm going to be very interested in hearing news from the country.

That would be a bonus!

Oh but sleeping on a train! ? I’m sure if Michael Portillo turns up, it won’t be boring.

SueDonim

Yes, the local info said some of the Twelve Apostles had been lost, Platypus but I guess as the ocean is a living thing, new ones will be created eventually, even if not in our lifetime.

We would have done that trip on our visit last year but alas, events took over.
Shall we get there or will the Apostles still be there if ever we do?

We thought about The Ghan, we'd met someone who had been on it and enjoyed it, but Rufus said it was boring!

It was very atmospheric, I’ll say that! . Truly, though, I was utterly thrilled by that day. I said to my Dh that even if I had to go home the very next day, it would have been worth it. As it was, we had another glorious ten days in Australia. ❤️

That looks like the weather we had when we did the Great Ocean Road trip!

Awww they look lovely - good day for it definitely

I have a similar photo of my DH and I with the Apostles in the background - we travelled Australia for a year for our honeymoon-the day we arrived at the Apostles it was grey and howling with bitterly cold wind straight from Antartica.

Here’s one of my photos, amid the glorious Aussie sunshine!

SueDonim ahh thanks yes I thought some had been lost - that sea pounding in there is pretty powerful.

Spice101 I don’t think life ever can really go to plan - well it rarely does for me either - a furniture update - how exciting ! Maybe that’s just what you need to turn your luck and give you a bit of pep in your step.
How’s the move been? Did you move far? Do you know anyone in the area your new place is located? Was it a downsize?

SueDonim I think there are now 8 of the apostles left and no doubt some of them are quite fragile.

Platypus we moved into a new (to us) house 6 months ago and are updating most of our 50 year old furniture. Between lockdowns, a total knee replacement and severe arthritis in my feet and ankles and a heart operation for DH things are not quite going to plan.

Yes, the local info said some of the Twelve Apostles had been lost, Platypus but I guess as the ocean is a living thing, new ones will be created eventually, even if not in our lifetime.

Oh no Callistemon I don’t mean just coming by boat as a convict that only accounts for 20% of our population, although those with convict ancestors are now rightly proud of their heritage - I mean we all came by boat - first fleeters, free settlers, ten pound poms, indentured European immigrants and workers, boat refugees and immigrants from various parts of the world.

This might sum up how Australians feel about boat people - we’re all proud of our shared boat people heritage - unfortunately it’s an ad but you’ll get the just.

Australia’s a big country - there’s room for everybody plus more - you’re all welcome no matter where you come from.

youtu.be/yGdj1TwBU1w

G’day all! (Sorry, couldn’t resist) my middle son lives in Sydney, with his partner who is second fleet. We’ve visited a couple of times, once for an Aussie holiday - Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley, Putty Road then the coast, Tauranga. The Australian Reptile Park was fantastic. Second time we were on a New Zealand/East Coast Australia cruise. Loved NZ and hope to go back when we can.

I mean I hope you are right about Bert

Visiting in 2019 - did you miss our bushfires?

No, we didn't miss them, there was one blazing behind the mountain nearby. I had a bag packed ready in case we had to evacuate in the middle of the night. Luckily it was put out thanks to the efforts of local farmers who volunteer as firefighters.

Ernie was so funny. Hope you are right about Ernie, someone on Facebook said he had died.

Callistemon shall look up Patricia Shaw’s work - sounds fascinating - most of us arrived by boat so should be a good read.

Yes, do, Platypus - she wrote about 14 books I think.

It's amazing that at one point Australians seemed a bit embarrassed to have had a convict ancestor but now it's a matter of pride. I remember one of DD's neighbours telling me that his ancestor arrived with the First Fleet and was a convict (some minor misdemeanour).
Someone else we met said hers arrived in the Second Fleet.

Nanna8 don’t think Bert has died but Ernie Sigley has.

Vale Ernie Sigley as well - oh dear another lovely Melbournian.

Platypus I used to work for IBM, we were working with Telstra on desktop conferencing. We were allowed to fly business class with Quantas and had an hotel in Sydney with a rooftop pool, very luxurious! PD was a self funded holiday, stayed in a hostel, very different, great fun. I have a nephew in the Brisbane area, my friends son and wife are just outside Melbourne, another friends brothers are Adelaide way.

Omg noooo ol’ moonface - poor Pattie! He was such a character - onwards and upwards Bert!

Just heard that Bert Newton has died but can’t confirm. Hope this is wrong, he is a Melbourne icon.