What do you think of Australia?

[MercurySteam]

At some point or another part of us is in drought, flooded, on fire or has a cyclone passing through. Not to mention the scorching weather. Still, I love it here.

 

[Hiraeth]

My family and I visited in December. We went to Cairns, and I learned how to pronounce the name properly after a few false starts. I thought it was very hot (I'm from Alaska, and we went from winter to summer, so...), and loved the people. Everyone was so friendly, and took pity on the poor lost Americans when we needed help. And I got badly sunburned because I forgot my sunscreen when we spent an hour at the beach. I hear rumors that there's a hole in ozone layer there...

That being said, my main opinion of most of Australia has been formed by two sources: Yahtzee, who always complains about the editing of the games and how long it takes everything to be released, and this passage from Terry Pratchett's "The Last Continent":

Spoiler

Death held out a hand. I WANT, he said, A BOOK ABOUT THE DANGEROUS CREATURES OF FOURECKS-

Albert looked up and dived for cover, receiving only mild bruising because he had the foresight to curl into a ball.

After a while Death, his voice a little muffled, said: ALBERT, I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD GIVE ME A HAND HERE.

Albert scrambled up and pulled at some of the huge volumes, finally dislodging enough of them for his master to clamber free.

HMM... Death picked up a book at random and read the cover. "DANGEROUS MAMMALS, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, BIRDS, FISH, JELLYFISH, INSECTS, SPIDERS, CRUSTACEANS, GRASSES, TREES, MOSSES, AND LICHENS OF TERROR INCOGNITA, " he read. His gaze moved down the spine. VOLUME 29C, he added. OH. PART THREE, I SEE.

He glanced up at the listening shelves. POSSIBLY IT WOULD BE SIMPLER IF I ASKED FOR A LIST OF THE HARMLESS CREATURES OF THE AFORESAID CONTINENT?

They waited.

IT WOULD APPEAR THAT-

"No, wait master. Here it comes."

Albert pointed to something white zigzagging lazily through the air. Finally Death reached up an caught the single sheet of paper.

He read it carefully and then turned it over briefly just in case anything was written on the other side.

"May I?" said Albert. Death handed him the paper.

"'Some of the sheep, '" Albert read aloud. "Oh, well. Maybe a week at the seaside'd be better, then."

WHAT AN INTRIGUING PLACE, said Death. SADDLE UP THE HORSE, ALBERT. I FEEL SURE I'M GOING TO BE NEEDED.

I love (LOVE) that book. It's actually nearly impossible to believe that it wasn't written by an Australian, some of the stuff is so specific.

I drove to Cairns from Darwin like seven years ago with my family (Google Maps says that's about 2,700km). We snorkeled on the Barrier Reef and it was amazing. On topic - I like Australia, and I'm local, I currently live in Melbourne, but only for another week, then I'm going back to Darwin.

I think that I'm sorry that Australia, and the nearby countries, have gotten rather pooped on by Mother Nature, over the last 8-12 months. and it sucks. Other than that, I think I won't pet the jellyfish or spiders.

Actually it's probably a better idea to not pet anything in the wild.

Not even the pretty girls? I noticed you have a fair number of those, and I've heard they're no better behaved (in some circumstances) that girls anywhere else.

I'd strongly suggest getting permission before petting any pretty girls here. They have been known to kill and eat men up to three times their size.

 

[Squidwogdog]

I like it but I can't wait to leave,go to Canada maybe. Tropics kind of gets old after a while.

 

[Funkysandwich]

I think it needs more people and more potable water. I've known a few aussies, all good folks. But I worry about your ability to expand relying on aquifers so much, and your ability to defend yourselves.

Aquifers? Pretty much all of our water here in Melbourne is from dams that catch rainwater. Pretty effective given the amount of rain we've had recently. As for the more people thing, it's already pretty cramped here, and there isn't a lot of good land close to the cities left, especially around Melbourne and Sydney. Thirdly, defend ourselves from who? Aside from the fact that we've been fighting America's wars for the past forty or so years (And our forces generally fared better then the yanks did), who exactly is going to invade us? We don't have any nukes, our government is about as influential as a piss in the ocean and we're incredibly remote. So basically, we're not going to be invaded, run out of water and our two largest cites are pretty much at capacity.

 

[Hiraeth]

I think it needs more people and more potable water. I've known a few aussies, all good folks. But I worry about your ability to expand relying on aquifers so much, and your ability to defend yourselves.

Aquifers? Pretty much all of our water here in Melbourne is from dams that catch rainwater. Pretty effective given the amount of rain we've had recently. As for the more people thing, it's already pretty cramped here, and there isn't a lot of good land close to the cities left, especially around Melbourne and Sydney. Thirdly, defend ourselves from who? Aside from the fact that we've been fighting America's wars for the past forty or so years (And our forces generally fared better then the yanks did), who exactly is going to invade us? We don't have any nukes, our government is about as influential as a piss in the ocean and we're incredibly remote. So basically, we're not going to be invaded, run out of water and our two largest cites are pretty much at capacity.

Haven't you read Tomorrow When The War Began? That's practically un-Australian! [Note: although I haven't read it myself, I saw the film, which totally counts. Even though I hated it]

Apparently in that book we get invaded by people who have run out of space, because that's pretty much the only resource we've got an inexhaustible supply of. In the movie, they make the choice to depict the ambiguous enemy of the books as being very obviously Asian.

 

[Funkysandwich]

I think it needs more people and more potable water. I've known a few aussies, all good folks. But I worry about your ability to expand relying on aquifers so much, and your ability to defend yourselves.

Aquifers? Pretty much all of our water here in Melbourne is from dams that catch rainwater. Pretty effective given the amount of rain we've had recently. As for the more people thing, it's already pretty cramped here, and there isn't a lot of good land close to the cities left, especially around Melbourne and Sydney. Thirdly, defend ourselves from who? Aside from the fact that we've been fighting America's wars for the past forty or so years (And our forces generally fared better then the yanks did), who exactly is going to invade us? We don't have any nukes, our government is about as influential as a piss in the ocean and we're incredibly remote. So basically, we're not going to be invaded, run out of water and our two largest cites are pretty much at capacity.

Haven't you read Tomorrow When The War Began? That's practically un-Australian! [Note: although I haven't read it myself, I saw the film, which totally counts. Even though I hated it]

Apparently in that book we get invaded by people who have run out of space, because that's pretty much the only resource we've got an inexhaustible supply of. In the movie, they make the choice to depict the ambiguous enemy of the books as being very obviously Asian.

I've always meant to... but I never got around to it.

 

[theriddlen]

That.

 

[Hiraeth]

I've always meant to... but I never got around to it.

Yeah I'd continue my false chastisement but I really can't be bothered. I don't think I'll ever bother with those books, the movie was enough to put me off. I'm not really a fan of teenagers wangsting about their feelings while there's a war going on. I'd rather see the actual war.

 

[ENKC]

I had an Australian friend who made me love it. Especially Canberra. But...honestly, I'd be much too afraid to visit it. With the amount of critters out there looking to kill you and all the natural disasters and with me being...well me, I'd be dead as soon as I'd get off the plane.

You honestly think you'd last until the plane lands? Cocky sort, aren't you?

I live in Perth, which for our American friends is to Australia like a cross between what LA and Anchorage are to America. Way out west, isolated and generally cooler than everywhere else. Not in the temperature sense.

 

[Joel Soh]

Its weather sucks!

*Located - S/W of Sydney*

 

[R0cklobster]

i think it's ok here, but like almost everybody else has mentioned, the government seems to be intent on treating the population like they're all 5 year olds, the game prices suck and the rating system for games is fucking retarded. The average gamer age is 30, so honestly, why do we need a rating that's any different from movies here. That's another thing I like though. The movie rating system seems much more fair to me.

And the whole "there's tonnes of stuff that'll kill you in Australia" is pretty overblown. For 90% of people who live here, it'll never be an issue, because as far as i know that's the amount that live in urbanised areas.

 

[=Paranoid=]

It look like a cool place to go to for an holiday if it were for having so many spiders!!! I have a fear for them.

Spiders aren't that bad, you aren't likely to see them and the ones that would do real damage to you aren't the monstrous visage most people with arachnophobia imagine. The red back and white tips are really small but there venom is toxic (the female red back has enough venom to kill an adult), and as for funnel webs well... that's another story. But you wont find them unless your looking for them and even then the red backs and white tips aren't even that aggressive unlike the funnel web or a huntsman (which is non toxic).

I'm surprised no one has mentioned our messed up national sport yet! Fremantle is the best by the way!

[sarcastically] Cricket???

 

[Ghengis John]

I think it needs more people and more potable water. I've known a few aussies, all good folks. But I worry about your ability to expand relying on aquifers so much, and your ability to defend yourselves.

Aquifers? Pretty much all of our water here in Melbourne is from dams that catch rainwater. Pretty effective given the amount of rain we've had recently. As for the more people thing, it's already pretty cramped here, and there isn't a lot of good land close to the cities left, especially around Melbourne and Sydney. Thirdly, defend ourselves from who? Aside from the fact that we've been fighting America's wars for the past forty or so years (And our forces generally fared better then the yanks did), who exactly is going to invade us? We don't have any nukes, our government is about as influential as a piss in the ocean and we're incredibly remote. So basically, we're not going to be invaded, run out of water and our two largest cites are pretty much at capacity.

Apparently in that book we get invaded by people who have run out of space, because that's pretty much the only resource we've got an inexhaustible supply of. In the movie, they make the choice to depict the ambiguous enemy of the books as being very obviously Asian.

I seem to have insulted you because you are coming off as very angry. If you didn't need water your government would not have tried (and failed) to actually redirect the current of one of your rivers. The land away from your big cities is actually very reliant on aquifers. And despite the amount of water "you've had recently" or what percentage of rain water you derive in Melbourne the trend is still that your aquifers and rivers are drying up. http://www.economist.com/node/1911936 You sound like the conservative who points to the snow outside in the winter as incontrovertible proof that global warming is a fallacy. Despite any unintended insults you may have suffered from your national pride, the fact of the matter is unchanged.

The lack of water prevents you from developing the interior, your farmlands are relying on pumps and pipeline 1200 miles away and your armed forces have expressed hesitation that they could defend themselves in the event they were dragged with the US into a global conflict, or that the US will be able to help defend them in the event of a regional conflict. Beyond the questions of invasion there is the more realistic factor of control that emanates from the threat of force. All of the reasons you have listed, you don't have nukes, you are remote and your government is as influential as piss in the ocean are actually weaknesses that are listed among their concerns. Furthermore, your domestic sectors advise that you may not be able to keep up with the other pacific rim nations in economic output without population increases.

It also seems you do not know your own country as well as I do in another respect, because beyond space it is abundant in mineralogical wealth, being one of the world's largest producers of gold and uranium for example. The term "the lucky country" was actually coined by Donal Horne in reference to your vast wealth of natural resources. These may not be the opinions of you, a Melbourne city kid, but they are the concerns of your leadership. The question was not "what do you think of Australians", or "what does an Australian think of Australia" but "what do you think of Australia", which I answered truthfully. And I am for a stronger Australia that can resist the pressure of it's pacific rim neighbors and it's "allies" abroad who would seek to use it as a puppet. I'm sorry if you feel differently but the question to me is not, "What do I see now." But "What's the forecast like?" And I read some of the reports and run across things on the NPR and BBC broadcasts and share your leadership's concerns about the ultimate fate of your nation because I like you guys.

It is not my intention to argue with you. If you want links to articles I can provide them and you can take it up with them. Surprise though, your country actually has problems like everywhere else. That shouldn't be a shocker. Now, let me just wish you the best without going "we don't need you to yank, piss off and by the way we're better than you!".

 

[Lord Doomhammer]

Australia always looked like a cool place to vacation to for a while, but I suspect that its a rather mundane and frustrating place to live. Of course thats because of your silly government (trust me, ours is just as annoying). The real thing that would bug me about living there is that I wouldn't be an american.

 

[Dott]

Its fine I guess. Really hot in the summer though.

Unless you actually live in Australia, Summer = Winter down there.

Personally, I've considered the idea of building two evil doom forts (don't ask what for) with a teleporter in each. I won't reveal the location of the first one, but the second one will be in Australia, so whenever it gets too hot in the first one, I'll teleport myself to my holiday doom fortress in Australia!

Who knows, maybe I'll even bring some work too, simply for convenience and a continuously stabile income?

 

[Jazoni89]

England gave birth to two countries.

One of these births was Australia which was like England's love child, that always got hugs and kisses, and was really cared for.

The other was America which was like England's demented child that was dropped down the stairs, and was chained up in the basement all day, forever tormented.

That pretty much sums everything up.

New Zealand, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Canada, Singapore, Samoa, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, heaps more I forget... England had a shit load of children.

Anyway, I live here and I like it. There is a lot of ingrained racism, but I suspect most places are like that in one way or another.

Yeah i know, just using them two as examples because they are both are on the opposite ends of the spectrum.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I think that I'm sorry that Australia, and the nearby countries, have gotten rather pooped on by Mother Nature, over the last 8-12 months. and it sucks. Other than that, I think I won't pet the jellyfish or spiders.

Actually it's probably a better idea to not pet anything in the wild.

And this is what keeps Australians alive in what other people seem to view as a dangerous place to live.

 

[Vanalosswen]

I think it needs more people and more potable water. I've known a few aussies, all good folks. But I worry about your ability to expand relying on aquifers so much, and your ability to defend yourselves.

Aquifers? Pretty much all of our water here in Melbourne is from dams that catch rainwater. Pretty effective given the amount of rain we've had recently. As for the more people thing, it's already pretty cramped here, and there isn't a lot of good land close to the cities left, especially around Melbourne and Sydney. Thirdly, defend ourselves from who? Aside from the fact that we've been fighting America's wars for the past forty or so years (And our forces generally fared better then the yanks did), who exactly is going to invade us? We don't have any nukes, our government is about as influential as a piss in the ocean and we're incredibly remote. So basically, we're not going to be invaded, run out of water and our two largest cites are pretty much at capacity.

Haven't you read Tomorrow When The War Began? That's practically un-Australian! [Note: although I haven't read it myself, I saw the film, which totally counts. Even though I hated it]

Apparently in that book we get invaded by people who have run out of space, because that's pretty much the only resource we've got an inexhaustible supply of. In the movie, they make the choice to depict the ambiguous enemy of the books as being very obviously Asian.

Hmmm, I guess that means we Alaskans might get invaded too, since we have just under a square mile per person here. Lots and lots of empty space. 'Course, invaders might all freeze to death. I might want to read that book, just for the heck of it.

 

[TheRealCJ]

I live in Adelaide and there's plenty to do. Fringe is on right now, if you can't find stuff to do here at the moment you're blind or you're just not looking.

"Darleeeeen! The Fringe festival is on! What do you want to do today?"

"Church".

 

[Nazz3]

Its a cool place. Never visited but I would like to visit