Trip to Oz

Engineer · July 24, 2007, 06:10:57 PM

If all goes well, I will be making a trip to Australia next Spring (March 2008) and staying for about a month. Location will be in the general immediate vicinity of Sydney and points NW.

Any of our fine forum folks hail from that area? I'd like to pick your brain on the local area and what to see and do.

Dave Shepard · July 24, 2007, 06:40:46 PM

Wow! Sounds like fun. I have always wanted to visit Australia, but not their poisonous spiders. ;D

Dave

edited for spellin'

Tom · July 24, 2007, 06:45:16 PM

Yeah, me too. Those Pacific Islands are supposed to have some mighty fine looking gals. ;D

Engineer · July 24, 2007, 07:00:45 PM

No comment on the gurlz. :

It's part of a professional exchange program run by Rotary International. Kinda like a student exchange, only for young professionals 25-40 yrs. old. If my application is accepted and I am selected, I will be going as the team leader for four other people. No kids, spouses, or anybody else from home, and it's a crazy schedule, but there is some downtime to see the sights. Most importantly, I want to EAT. Sample the local cuisine. Hope they ain't got anything like grits. ;D Although I think I'll avoid the Vegemite as well. :(

asy · July 24, 2007, 07:08:01 PM

#1 on your list should be:

Go visit with ASY!!!

Seriously!

We're in the north-eastern corner of NewSouthWales (well, the farm is, I'm still in Brisbane...).

There are lots and lots of things to do in the area you mentioned, here's a list of things you gotta do:

Spend a day on Sydney Harbour
Drive through the Blue Mountains
Drive down to Canberra and see all the monuments and museums (if that's what you like doing, I know I do)
Drive along the coast up to the NSW/QLD border, it's stunning.
If you like Zoos, in NSW you have Tooronga zoo, and Dubbo zoo.
I'll think of more.

Quote from: Tom on July 24, 2007, 06:45:16 PM
Those Pacific Islands are supposed to have some mighty fine looking gals. ;D

Quote from: Engineer on July 24, 2007, 07:00:45 PM
Most importantly, I want to EAT. Sample the local cuisine.

again:

asy :D

Dave Shepard · July 24, 2007, 07:08:56 PM

The great debate: grits vs. vegamite. :D

Dave

Tom · July 24, 2007, 07:36:12 PM

I've gotten to where I enjoy a snack of vegemite or Marmite.

Kiwi Charlie got me started on it when he sent me a little tube. It's reminiscent of the smell of a newly opened bottle of vitamin pills, but is heavily salted and very strong tasting. A little bit goes a long way. Yes, I've put a little on grits, just experimenting, and it was pretty good. It gave the taste of an artificial red-eye gravy..kinda...if you used a lot of imagination. I like it on saltines and other snack crackers as well as on buttered toast. I wish I knew someone locally who knew how to eat it. I use it more for flavoring than filling. On a piece of buttered toast, I'll spread 1/4 tsp of vegemite. It's supposed to be heavy in iron and makes a good supplement.

I can't buy vegemite here, but I can buy Marmite. It's similar. To the taste buds of someone unaccustomed to the taste, I can't tell the difference. To some who grew up with it, I'm told that there is a distinct difference.

I've heard that it is also a snack food in England. My orthopedic surgeon is from England and he talks of eating Marmite as a child.

Grits? That's wonderful fare to me. Perhaps you who were destined to grow up in a deprived area may have problems with it, but having been served it all of my life, I recognize the wonders of the taste and nourishment and certainly feel sorry for you.

I just had to go get some on my finger. ;D

Dave Shepard · July 24, 2007, 08:55:28 PM

Some of us grew up deprived of real oatmeal with real maple syrup on it too. :D I've got a buddy that gets on his motorcycle and heads down south with the sole intention of trying to get as lost as possible. One time he came home with a pretty severe addiction to grits, and he is a life long Yankee.

Anybody know what vegamite or marmite is made out of?

Dave

Tom · July 24, 2007, 09:11:08 PM

Yep, the dregs of the brewery. :D

Ianab · July 24, 2007, 09:42:10 PM

Mostly yeast, and yes it's generally sourced from a brewery ;)

Cheers

Ian

DR Buck · July 24, 2007, 10:08:46 PM

Been in and through Sydney 7 times. You got to see the Sydney Zoo and Botanical Gardens. You should see the size of the trees they got there !!!! 8)

WDH · July 24, 2007, 10:29:56 PM

I enjoyed the Syndey Aquarium.

pigman · July 24, 2007, 10:49:59 PM

I enjoyed Sydney when I was there more than a few years ago.

Bob

Texas Ranger · July 24, 2007, 11:19:29 PM

Ain't none a that stuff got hog fat in it, caint be good for ya! Got to have some grease in your blood, I was just explaining that line of thought to my doctor today, he didn't buy it. Maybe I will grow accustomed to grits with no bacon, or ham, or sausage, or cheese, or, DanG, country boys ain't sposed to eat that way.

asy · July 25, 2007, 02:05:48 AM

We joke that Vegemite is "Brewery floor scrapings" and I gotta tellya that's just about how it tastes to someone who didn't grow up eating it. Being fortunate enough to have "wog parents" I never ate Vegemite as a child, and I gotta tellya I'm really grateful for that!

Tom, firstly, Vegemite should be eaten with a tiny thin scraping onto buttered toast, or onto crackers (or for best flavour, throw it out and use Maple Syrop...). Still, if yer determined, let me know I'd be glad to send you a jar. :D

asy :D

Engineer · July 25, 2007, 07:12:30 AM

Quote from: DR_Buck on July 24, 2007, 10:08:46 PM
Been in and through Sydney 7 times. You got to see the Sydney Zoo and Botanical Gardens. You should see the size of the trees they got there !!!! 8)

They'd probably have to send Security, I'd be tryin' to lop off a piece of those trees and bring 'em back home for the sawmill. :D

tomboysawyer · July 25, 2007, 09:09:37 PM

Quote from: Engineer on July 24, 2007, 06:10:57 PM
If all goes well, I will be making a trip to Australia next Spring (March 2008) and staying for about a month. Location will be in the general immediate vicinity of Sydney and points NW.

Any of our fine forum folks hail from that area? I'd like to pick your brain on the local area and what to see and do.

Hope you get to go. I got the honor of taking a group of these Rotary folks to our local hardwood sawmill. I had a blast. One of the exchange professionals was talking about the state owned pulpwood fields. I can't remember what the other Brazilian did.

I also got the job of breaking the rules and taking the group to NYC for the day (out of District). I hadn't been to NYC since I was 16. The only advantage I had was English is my first language and I'm a natural navigator. We did the Empire State Building, the Subway, two ferry trips, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, a bus through Times Square and a pizza place in our whirlwind trip. Rumor has it I *pithed off some host families by getting back so late (22:30), but we missed our first ferry by 5 minutes and those Brazilians wanted so much to see NYC instead of historic places in Bennington (which is what I originally volunteered to do).

I wonder what the Districts are in Aussie Land. With the schedule and some very strict Rotary rules, it may be difficult to get out of District. Asy might have to come see you!

asy · July 26, 2007, 02:47:27 AM

Um, you do realise that Brisbane is over 1000 miles from Sydney, don't you?

I *might* be in Sydney later this year, IF I win that competition ;) Otherwise I'll be there some time next year as I'm a witness in a big court case in Sydney.

IF you can't get here, hopefully you'll coincide with one of my trips there...

asy :D

Engineer · July 26, 2007, 08:46:30 AM

The district I'd be in encompasses the suburban and coal towns NW of Sydney. I'd guess that we'd spend at least one weekend in Sydney proper, seeing the sights, but I don't think I'll range much farther than that.

What's typical March weather there? I'm thinking cool and dry?

Andy Mack · July 27, 2007, 07:02:19 AM

March is the tail end of summer, which is also the tail end of the wet season. The coal fields will likely to be cooler during the night but hotter during the day (compared to Sydney), expect some 30 degree C days.

As for vegemite, its an aquired taste, I've grown up on them. Smear ample qty onto a well, buttered Sao biscuit.

If your destination is the the Hunter Valley area you may wish to visit the wineries.

Handy Andy · July 30, 2007, 10:57:16 PM

If I was headin to Asy land, I'd have to see that great barrier reef. They say it's the best dive site in the world. And that Cozumel is 2nd. If you want to see what you are missin, check out extreme underwater ironing. Crazy Asys' take an ironing board, an iron, and a piece of clothing and go out and take pictures. Looks like a fun bunch. Jim