My romp around the Outback and NSW in 2001.
T'was a G'day, mate.
Ularu / Ayers Rock at Sunset
My pal Redmond
the Olgas at Sunset
content 'Roo at Pebbly Beach
the "worlds most beautiful" city
So in addition to the time for the wedding, I made arrangements to be in the land down under for 3 weeks.
One of the most stressful pre-flight activities was trying to figure out if my American drivers license would be sufficient for my driving activities. Everyone assured me that it would be OK but I wanted something more official than ...'me mate said, "No worries. It'll do ya." ' Well I got official information from an Australian car rental site and then set about the task of worrying about the actual act of driving on the left side of the road. I envisioned my car going the wrong way down a one way street or making a right hand turn head on into traffic facing a big ol' Mack truck. Well, of course none of those things happened. And as soon as this body cast comes off I'll be right as rain.
Before I get too far along in this I feel compelled to say that the people of Australia are a very warm and friendly lot,....as long as you keep handing them beer. Ha! Just kidding. Even without beer near, I was, not once treated as a loathsome, evil and uncultured Yank even though I probably deserved as much. People came forward countless times to lend a hand to a man who looked kinda the same as everyone around him but obviously was as clueless as a wallaby in the headlights and who confirmed his clueless-ness as soon as he opened his mouth.
From Dave at Dollar rent-a-car in downtown Sydney who provided great service and a road map book of Sydney, to the hotel owner in Port McQuarie who lent me videos to watch during the typhoon-like rain storm, to the winery owner at Jasper Valley who helped me find my way back to the main road, every one I met was helpful, kind and generous to a fault.
In Japan I work with a bloody fair number of Aussies. As a result, I have naturally acquired a heap of Aussie-isms as a part of my working repertoire of language. Yet, in Oz I was psychologically unable to reproduce these when confronted with situations that demanded them. Even when we were handing out prezzies while at the barbie and getting eaten by mozzies.... I finally figured it out while talking to Jack, the half owner of the B-n-B in Blackheath, NSW who kept telling me to give it a go and "do Aussie speak." I wanted to give it a go but had Buckley's of any actual Aussie slang coming out of me mouth. I was afraid that the Aussies would think I was taking the piss ou' o' 'em.
The one thing that I did find a bit annoying was the way the signs and banners around the city kept referring to Sydney as the "World's Most Beautiful city." Now don't get me wrong, Sydney ROCKS!! It IS very beautiful. It reminded me of Boston or New York with the exception that it is clean, it has class and the people are nice. Ok, so it is in fact nothing like those places.
Perhaps it even IS the most beautiful city in the world. But I just got so tired of people on the radio and signs reminding me of the fact every 20 seconds. Give it a rest. Let us realize it for ourselves.
Thanks to:
Kathleen & John-
Without your wedding it might have
been year, if ever, before I got to Oz.
Carmel
& Trevor -
For your friendship, food and fun. For a place to crash for and making me feel
welcome. Now if you can just get some Mt. Dew at your store...
Dave
@ Dollar Rent-a-car -
You Da Man. Got me off to a great
start and lent me comprehensive roadmap (book) of NSW.
Hotel
Owner in Port McQuarie -
Thanks the great advice and the
loan of the VCR and movies on that typhoon-esque day.