Yeah but it’s bloody beautiful!
Ever since we landed! It’s felt like home – well if home was a clean, efficient, warm, friendly, perfectly manicured version of the real world.
Early thoughts:
- The Aussies treat you like a local (in Perth we probably could be, you hear so many British accents)
- Freemantle is officially coolsville – we loved it!
- Aussie men may be man mountains but the kids seem to be kept busy and fit – We’ve marvelled at how playgrounds are all clean and tidy with no fag dimps and broken cider bottles. That’s because there are clubs (mostly sports) galore, EVERYWHERE, to keep everyone busy.
- People spend lots more time (mainly mornings and evenings) outside, getting together and doing stuff.
- Barbies are in most public park/ beach spaces – They love ’em.
- Stunning scenery wherever you look
- Wildlife galore – just THERE!
- Research Australia’s best beaches – don’t bother – they’re ALL fabulous! Some might be windier than others, better for surfing, kids or topping up the tan but generally they are All good.
- When they have a sight for you to see, they present it properly – not in the American way of bigging it up as the best/ highest/ largest kind of way. They just do it well in terms of getting you there and navigating you around. Yes there’s a National Park fee at times but it doesn’t exactly break the back, You’ll pay as much just to park at a National Trust property in the UK.
- There’s often a free alternative – Yes, you can book on tours and get with the program but often, other travellers, visitor centers and locals will tell you to just follow the track and do it by yourself – Rivers, beaches, Gorges and wildlife belong to everyone after all.
- Petrol’s cheap
- Driving’s easy – On the left, like back home, slower, less traffic and much, much better roads
- Drive your road trip in the heat of the day with the aircon on – at dawn/ dusk and beyond you’ll only get wiped out by Roo
- Road trains are LOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNG! 1 standard HGV you’d find in the UK with up to 2 other tagalong HGV trailers rolling along behind. Good luck overtaking!
- They are seriously set up for the road tripper – wild camping spots with marked out bays, toilets and sheltered eating areas and the vans they drive! from the Ute to the off road able dual axel trailers – we’ve met several people who’ve been on the road for 10 or more years.
- Lots of the best Uk TV exports and even free to air sports!
- You don’t get the big sell, by anyone – well we haven’t yet anyway
- People are more relaxed, drop the car off what time you want, late check out – no problem – here’s something for the kids while your at it.
- And lastly, for us – the food – and I’m not talking exotic, or eating out – No, it’s the easy availabilty of the norm for us as veggies. Salads, stir-frys, dairy, hummous – just like home.
- But Yeah, it’s expensive, it does make you wonder how the hell our major supermarkets do it all in the UK so cheap in comparison, from tax cuts to squeezing the supplier. However it’s done, I’m pretty sure on the whole the man/ woman on the street are still shafted via tax, pensions or wages. So the expense we can live with. Up to now – Australia – we’re sold!
19 COMMENTS
Great it’s going so well…….and a happy birthday to Colette.
Thank you…we have birthday weeks in our house so I’m looking forward to more adventures.
Enjoying reading all your posts, sounds like your all having a blast! Katherine x
Yep we were sold too. Loved it. Wage level there is much higher than ours so if you lived and worked there I don’t think it would seem so expensive. It’s all relative. Agree with all your points, we had the same reflections. Especially love the outdoor culture. Glad you’re all enjoying it!
Wow! Always fancied Australia – but sounds so good I think we may not return if we do get there! 🤣😘😘
Fab updates!
Yay, we love it too! Glad you’re having a ball.
PETROL! fill up whenever you can on the west coast, you never know when the next service station will appear on those never ending roads that have that cinematic look to them in the distance – like the tarmac has turned to water and the truck hurtling towards you is dancing on it’s shimmering surface. it’s eye melting and mind bending stuff. Then you spot an emu, or a lizard, or a Kangaroo and you’re back in the room. We pulled off highway 1 today (aptly named as it’s the only bloody one that comes up here) at a sign for Shark’s Bay Nature Reserve. Massive billboard that made it look like it was just around the corner. 60 miles later, down the straightest road you’ve ever seen and you begin to realise the true enormity of Australia! It’s MASSIVE!
AND while you’re at it, never mind about working out where you are going, what you’re going to do when you get there, or even if you’re excited about it. What you really need to know is how you’re going – It’s the standard Aussie greeting, never mind G’day mite – oh no – “how ya goin?” – Well – how are you goin?
It all sounds so fantastic. Enjoy your birthday week Colette. I am finishing mine tomorrow with dinner at Anthony and karens. Love mum xx
Happy belated birthday hun. Enjoy Oz. Yes it’s expensive but worth it in my eyes. I love all the outside bbq and parks with shelters over the playgrounds for the kids. Easyness of life, scenery,culture and the wideness of roads . They are very proud of their country and use only their own manufactures . Hense the expense . Xx
Stacey, is this your comment? I’ve changed the ‘author’ name to yours as it originally said ‘Julie’
Yes this is Stacey. X
Hi Stacey and anyone else having this problem (your reply here shoes up as Julie (julie@myingredients.com) It may be because you’ve replied by clicking on the last comment in the thread which was Julie’s. You can go right to the bottom of the post page, fill in your name (email’s optional) and fill in the comment box there and it’ll show up as being from you.
Loving the adventure on here! Great to chat yesterday!
Lorna, is this your comment? I’ve changed the ‘author’ as it originally said it was ‘Katherine’
Ahh, reading this post took me back to how I felt when I arrived in Australia… So clean, healthy and friendly! Wow! It’s just so amazing isn’t it?
If you haven’t already, I highly recommend reading Down Under by Bill Bryson – makes a great background read to your experiences and will make you laugh!
Seeing your sunshine posts as Martha has spent the last 3 days hurling down ski slopes makes me smile. Keep enjoying xxx
Where are you skiing, L’Escala?
Bloodly marvellous….Its snowing (sort of) in Mcr….
This is me Colette and happy belated birthday. From the fat arse you know so well
What a lovely message, thank you fat arse.
Colette.
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