Archive-name: australian-faq/part4
Last-modified: 6 July 1994
Version: 2.0

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PART I (separate posting)
1.About soc.culture.australian
2.How to find Australians, Australian Information
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PART II (separate posting)
3.Citizenship/Visas/Immigration
4.Coming to Australia
5.Studying in Australia
6.For Australians Overseas
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PART III 
7.History
8.Politics
9.Geography, Natural History
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PART IV (this posting)
10.Australian Life
  10.1 Housing
  10.2 Schooling
  10.3 Public Transport
  10.4 Roads
  10.5 Prices
  10.6 Shopping Hours
  10.7 Crime
  10.8 Sport
11.Travel
  11.1 Money      
  11.2 Jet-lag
  11.3 Responses to 3 questions      
  11.4 Travel Reports and Recommendations
       11.4.1 Australia from south to north [JO]
       11.4.2 A Trip description 
       11.4.3 Uluru (Ayers Rock)
       11.4.4 Places of interest in Tasmania
       11.4.5 Accomodation tips to the low budget motorhome traveller (BB)
       11.4.6 Adelaide and SA
       11.4.7 Touring Australia by Motorcycle [C]
       11.4.8 Cheap travel agent [RM]
12.Language
  12.1 Australian pronounciation
  12.2 Australian spelling
  12.3 Australian slang, word origins
  12.4 Australian word usage (misc)
13.Culture
  13.1 Recipes and food
       13.1.1 Vegemite
       13.1.2 Sweets recipes: anzac biscuits, pavlova, lamingtons,
                                chocolate crackles
       13.1.3 Meat Pies, Damper, Galah, pumpkin soup
       13.1.4 Misc
  13.2 Songs 
       13.2.1 "Waltzing Matilda",  by Banjo Paterson (3 versions :-)
       13.2.2 "Advance Australia Fair", National Anthem
       13.2.3 "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda", Eric Bogle
       13.2.4  "Tie me kangaroo down" (Rolf Harris)
  13.3 Literature
       13.3.1 Fiction
       13.3.2 Poetry
 - "My Country" by Dorothea McKellar
 - "The Man From Snow River" by A.B. (Banjo) Paterson
       13.3.3 Children's Literature
       13.3.4 Non-Fiction
  13.4 Films 
  13.5 Music
       13.5.1 Classical
       13.5.2 Pop
       13.5.3 Jazz
       13.5.4 Other
   13.6 Opera
   13.7 Ballet
   13.8 Theatre
14. Contributors
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A major reorganisation has been done (June 1994) and some sections are
incomplete. Contributions welcome - send to Stephen Wales,
stephenw@mincom.oz.au.

PART IV

10.AUSTRALIAN LIFE

10.1 Housing

* Housing in Melbourne [miscellaneous contributors]

There are several kinds of things that you can rent: a unit, an
apartment, a townhouse and a house.  An apartment usually refers to a
dwelling in a multi-story structure.  There is no garden to maintain.
There are more of apartments closer to the city.  A unit is a dwelling
in a single-story structure that is usually connected to its
neighbouring units. There will usually be 3--6 units in a block.  2
bedroom versions of units are the most common starting at about $120
pw. 3 bedroom varieties are available but I do not know the price (I'd
guess about $150 pw).  You can find units all over the city. You might
have a small area of garden to look after.  A townhouse is like a
unit, but free-standing (ie not connected to neighbouring town houses)
and may be a two-story building. I think that the rent is similar to
the unit. You might have a small area of garden to look after.  I
think that you know what a house is. Houses in Melbourne are commonly
either weatherboard or brick veneer. No basement. No attic. 3 bedroom
and 4 bedroom versions are commonly available for rent.

Most areas in the north-western, eastern or sout-eastern areas, within
about 10km of the CBD would be suitable.  Rent would probably be about
A$200 a week depending on the location.  You could expect a 3 bedroom
house on a reasonable block (quarter acre or bit smaller), with a
decent sized backyard.  3 bedroom apartments are uncommon in
Melbourne.

Most of the northern and western suburbs are in general perfectly
safe, but are traditionally poorer areas and the quality of housing is
not good.  Some of them (esp.  Carlton) have been gentrified and are
now very beautiful, but be careful.  There has been a large scale
movement back into the city centres in Australia over the last 20
years, so that the poorer and less safe areas are now generally in the
outer suburbs.  I believe this is different from the US situation, but
it does mean you can have both a nice place to live and a reasonable
commute.

Melbourne has been assessed as the worlds most livable city. You will
not find the crime that you would be used to in Jersey or the crime
that is present in Sydney.  One of the nicer things about Melbourne is
that there's almost nowhere which is genuinely unsavoury to live.
Parts of the city are unsightly and much is visually uninteresting.
The prettier areas are northeast and east.  Southeast gets you the
beaches and west and north is cheaper and more industrial.

There are not really any areas which compare to the slum/ghetto areas
of large US cities. However, of course some areas are "better" than
others.  Very generally, the south east, and eastern suburbs are more
middle class.  The further out you are, the cheaper housing gets. The
really posh areas are Toorak, Brighton. The northern and western
suburbs are more low-middle and working class. Plus there are some
inner city areas that used to be working class but are now pretty
yuppified (Carlton, Fitzroy).  Find somewhere close to a train or tram
line if you are going to commute to the city centre.

* Housing in Sydney [BJ]

Sydney is a big place.  It's population is about 3.7 million,
depending on where you stop counting.  It spreads in every direction
from the CBD (Central Business District) until the sea or mountains
stop it.  Sydney has about 950 suburbs and 40 local government areas
("Councils"), 15 of which are cities in their own right.  Sydney also
has the highest population density in Australia.  Most dwellings
within a 10 km radius of the city centre are apartments, terrace
houses, or townhouses, with a smattering of semis (semi-detached
houses) and detached houses (on blocks of land that would be
considered tiny in other Australian cities) depending upon the suburb.
However, Sydney is generally clean and green, with lots of trees and
parks to compensate.

Outer suburbs and newer suburbs usually consist exclusively of
detached housing, but it is now State Government policy to enforce
higher density housing to contain the urban sprawl, which now sees
Sydney's outer suburbs a 60 kilometre drive from the city centre.

Sydney has by far the most expensive housing in Australia.  Luxury
homes with city and/or harbour views easily command multi-million
dollar price tags to purchase, or cost thousands of dollars a *week*
to rent.  Sydneysiders are obsessed with views and will pay to get
them.  The average price of a 3 bedroom house in Sydney is about
A$230,000, the average price of a 2 bedroom apartment is about
A$160,000, but the variation is enormous depending upon style and
location.  The typical rent is *approximately* 1/1000th of the value
of the dwelling per week.

Sydney's suburbs are generally classified by "area", going clockwise
from the city centre, in the following way:

- Inner City (CBD, Kings Cross, Pyrmont, Ultimo, Surry Hills)
- Eastern (Paddington to Vaucluse and Waverley)
- South Eastern (Kensington to Malabar)
- Southern (Rockdale to Sutherland and Cronulla)
- South Western (Canterbury, Bankstown, Liverpool, Campbelltown)
- Inner West (Glebe and Marrickville to Ashfield)
- West (Croydon to Parramatta)
- Far West (Blacktown to Penrith)
- Blue Mountains (Emu Plains to Katoomba)
- North West (Blacktown to Windsor)
- The Hills (Pennant Hills, Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill)
- Far North (Asquith to Brooklyn)
- Upper North Shore (Lindfield to Hornsby)
- Mid North Shore (St Leonards to Chatswood)
- Lower North Shore (Longueville to Mosman)
- Northern Beaches (Manly to Narrabeen)
- Peninsula (Mona Vale to Palm Beach)

Unlike many American cities, the suburbs closer to the City are
*generally* considered to be more desirable, and those further away,
less desirable, but this is by no means true in all cases.  There is
no widespread inner-city decay in Sydney, in fact it tends to be the
reverse, with many people lovingly restoring old inner city terrace
houses, or moving into expensive new apartment complexes complete with
swimming pools, squash courts and gymnasiums.

Sydney has a large number of Manhattan style residential towers (some
up to 50 floors) in its city centre, unlike Melbourne, which has
virtually none.  It is common for companies repatriating staff to
Australia for extended stays to arrange long term rent of these
apartments, or rent one for two weeks to enable that person to find
their own place to rent after arriving.

The Eastern Suburbs are considered the most prestigious, with City and
Harbour views, closely followed by the rival Northern Suburbs (the
"new money" Lower North Shore, and "old money" Upper North Shore).
Expect to pay big dollars in these areas to buy or rent.  To make life
complicated, there are prestigious areas within otherwise unremarkable
suburbs.  For example, a small part of Strathfield is very prestigious
and houses there command twice the price of other houses less than a
kilometre away.

This geographical snobbery in Sydney is far stronger than in any other
Australian city.  It may not be overt, but it is an undercurrent in
many people's thoughts.  Some in the Eastern Suburbs never dare cross
the harbour to visit the rival Northern Suburbs or vice versa.  Some
think all the cultural unwashed live west of Ashfield.  People who
live in the West hate being stereotyped by the snobs in the East and
North.

Surfies live on the northern beaches, trendies live in the Inner City,
the evangelists live in The Hills, and many suburbs noted for their
high concentration of one particular ethnic culture, whether true or
imagined (South Africans in St Ives, Chinese in Haymarket and
Chatswood, Vietnamese in Cabramatta, Arabs in Lakemba, Italians in
Leichhardt, etc etc).  Sydney is a real patch-work quilt.

* Canberra [TN]

Housing is getting expensive in Canberra.  A median house price
(probably 3-4 bedrooms, ensuite, 2 car garage, 0.2 acres) is about
$160,000, and rents for say $180-200 per week.  That is second only to
Sydney.  However, the medan house price is somewhat misleading as the
standard of the houses is not directly comparablable city to city.
You probably get much more for your money in Canberra than most other
cities, and the housing is newer.

Canberra is organised as a group of towns, where each town has a town
centre, with shopping malls, offices, service districts (specialist
shops, car yards, mechanics etc).  The city is very attractive, well
layed-out, nice parklands, lots of space.  The surrounding mountains
and bush are peaceful and beautiful, and it is only a 10-15 minute
drive from the city to be in genuine bushland.  Lots of virgin forest
and mountains for outdoor enthusiasts, rivers and lakes for canoeing
and fishing.

It's about 1-1.5 hours drive to the coast, and there is some nice
coastline.  Bateman's Bay is the closest and is therefore a bit
overcrowded with Canberrans.  A bit further north or south (say 50km)
gets you to some quiet beaches.  Good camping there too.  A lot of
Canberrans own beach houses.  Sydney is 300 km away on mostly freeway,
close enough for an easy weekend trip.

Jobs tend to be with the government or universities/CSIRO, or
companies that supply these directly or indirectly.  There is a
growing private sector, which has little to do with government.

Culture: some good restaurants if you ask around (as anywhere).  At
least one twin art cinema, plus three or four other cinemas.  More of
the touring cultural events visit Canberra than you would expect
because the population (approx 350,000?) is relatively well off and
educated.  There is a lot of additional culture because it is the
national capital, such as the Australian National Gallery, National
Library, etc.  However, Canberra is not like Sydney or Melbourne in
terms of choice or frequency of cultural events, or venues.

Canberra has two universities, Aust National Uni and Canberra Uni.

10.2 Schooling

Schools are Prep,1-6 (primary) and 7-12 (secondary or high school),
except 
- in WA, where primary school is years 1 to 7, and secondary school is
years 8 to 12. [AW];
- in Qld where there is no equivalent to Prep unless you send your
kids to Kindergarten / Pre-School (optional), and primary ranges from
1-7, Secondary is 8-12.
- in Catholic Schools in SA:prep-5 junior, 6-9 middle 10-12/13 senior.
This is often internal and many parish primary schools extend up to
year 7 for the parents who want to send their kids to a state school
for high school. [KW]

Attending school is compulsory until the age of 16.

The school year goes from the end of January or first part of Feb.
until the middle of December.  There are school holidays between each
term.  The school year has 4 terms (3 in Tasmania) with a week off at
Easter, 2 weeks in July (winter), 2 weeks at the end of Sept. or first
of October.

Most schools have uniforms - public and private.

[KW] In South Australia whilst all schools have uniforms State,
schools do not and cannot make it compulsory to wear them.  My
understanding of other states is that it is the same there.  What will
often happen however is that kids are encouraged to wear the colours
of the uniform.  Most wear the correct colours but never the actual
uniform, with the exception is that many girls do wear their summer
uniform.  With private school, you either wear it or don't come to
school anymore!!

* State vs Private

The majority of australian children attend State schools.  No actual
figures, but it appears the number of children attending private
schools is on the increase. One person thought this was leading to the
closing down of many state schools, however this may also be due to
falling overall enrollment due to lower birthrates.

Private schools fall into different categories. The majority of
private schools are Catholic, and often do not cost much, being
subsidised by the church. The others are called "Independent" schools,
which usually means they have affiliations with some protestant
religion.  The top independent schools are very expensive and very
prestigious, but there are a range of independent school with less
prestige and less expensive.

Geelong Grammar, where Prince Charles went for a year, is known as the
Eton of Australia.

Parents send their children to private schools for a number of
reasons: parents perceive they will get a better education; there will
be more discipline; children are more likely to get into the "top"
courses at university (Law, Medicine, Economics/Commerce); religious
education; better teachers.

It is true that private schools can and do suspend or expel students,
whereas this is almost impossible from a State school, because the
government is obligated to educate everyone up to the age of 16.  As
to the other factors, some research has shown that the overriding
predictor of educational success for a child is the parents' social
class and their education aspirations for the child. It has also been
shown that tertiary students from State high schools do better at
University than students with similar entrance marks.

A common perception is that anyone who afford it will send their child
to a private school, but there are actually many people who believe in
State education (my parents, for example [AN]).

* Completing High School

Each state has a different system for completing high school and
university entrance, and many states have changed the system in recent
years.

Victoria's old HSC has been replaced by the VCE (Victorian Certificate
of Education), done over years 11 and 12. Students are required to do
English, Australian Studies and a certain number of other units. Each
unit is assessed internally by CATs (Common Assessment Tasks). [Are
they going to bring back external exams? AN].

In South Australia it is still called Matriculation but is very
different to the old external exam system.  The new system involves
splitting topics into uni entrance and non-uni entrance.  Eg Chem is
uni entrance but typing isn't.  I think you get two years to do it and
then in year 13 can repeat some topics if you like to improve the
grade.  To get into uni you must take at least 5 uni entrance topics.
If you take more the best 5 are taken to give your entrance score.
The marks are out of 20 so you get an entrance score out of 100.  This
is not the whole picture by far but it is what the kids applying for
uni must do. [KW]

10.3 Public Transport

* Melbourne

Public transport isn't great.  If you work in the city and live near a
train, tram or bus line, it is OK for commuting.  You will probably
want a car for shopping etc.  The central suburbs of Melbourne
(including most of the above) are serviced by trams.  These are a
cheap and effective way of getting to work.  Trains also service the
entire metropolitan area, _but_ the lines radiate into the central
city.

* Sydney [BJ]

By Australian standards the public transport in Sydney is excellent.
By international standards, it's probably pretty average.

By far the largest people mover is the electric train system.  A quite
extensive network of lines criss-crosses the City and outlying areas,
with approximately 290 railway stations (10 underground) and 1700
kilometres of tracks.  The system only goes underground in the CBD and
Eastern Suburbs.  Nearly one million passenger trips are made each
day.  The only areas not served by trains are the Northern
Beaches/Peninsula (although plans are being considered to remedy this)
and the Northwest.

The trains are generally frequent (2-10 min at peak times), on time,
clean and fast.  If you live near a train station it is certainly the
easiest way to go to the city.  Driving into the city is actively
discouraged with extremely high parking fees, up to A$40 per day.
Trains are moderately effective for going from suburb to suburb.  A
variety of single/return trip, periodical and regional tickets are
available.

The train system used to run 24 hours a day until 1988, when 1-4 am
services were replaced by buses (ostensibly as a safety measure, but
really a cost- cutting one).  The State Government runs a fast and
frequent bus service in areas without trains, or as connecting
services to train stations.  Timetables are usually coordinated.  Some
services run 24 hours a day.  Again, many types of tickets are
available.  For infrequent travellers, the "TravelTen" ticket (a
no-expiry-date ten trip card) is the best value.  In the outer
suburbs, the only bus services are privately run and fairly expensive.
Most people will drive their car to a railway station and park in the
commuter car parks instead.

Probably the most pleasant way imaginable to travel to work is by
ferry.  Harbourside suburbs are well served with regular State
Government run ferries and connecting bus routes.  The Manly ferry
trip is internationally known.  New services have been recently
introduced to serve suburbs further up the harbour with high speed
catamaran type ferries ('JetCats').  JetCats also run to Manly.

Finally, Sydney has a 4 kilometre, 7 station Monorail loop running
between Darling Harbour and the City.  The majority of users are
tourists, with the rest commuters, mostly using it as a shuttle
between their company sponsored parking spaces at Darling Harbour and
the City.

* Brisbane [SW]

Queensland Rail has a fast efficient suburban train system.  Services
generally run from 5am till midnight with half hourly services during
non peak periods that go to 10-15 minutes apart during peak.  There
are 7 main 'lines', 4 to the north and 3 to the south/southwest.  At
least 90% of the suburban trains are air-conditioned electric trains.
There are still a few diesel hauled.  Basically all trains travel
through the three inner city stations covering Fortitude Valley,
Central (Central Downtown) and Roma Street (Northern Downtown).
Trains are usually on time.  Safety on the trains during daylight
hours is almost guaranteed.  Even at night it's pretty good (I've
never felt threatened) but there are security guards roaming the
trains randomly at night).

Brisbane City Council also operates a pretty good bus service.
Train/Bus connections can get you almost anywhere.

* [Other contributions? AN]

10.4 Roads

* Sydney [BJ]

Roads in Sydney are a mixed bag.  Some are atrociously potholed or
rough, simply buckling under the sheer pounding of thousands of cars
and trucks each day.  Others (such as the new privately run Tollways)
are extremely smooth, fast, and beautifully landscaped (some call them
'yuppieways').

There are seven main arterial links in Sydney called "Metroroads".
These roads follow a freeway or tollway if there is one, or the
largest main route (usually 6 lanes) if there isn't.  They are
excellently signposted and the route number is indicated by a single
digit in a white hexagon.

There are five radial links into the city centre, namely Metroroads
1,2,4 and 5.  M1 runs from north to south and goes right through the
CBD (actually through the Harbour Tunnel), and so forms a link in each
direction.  There are also two ring links (Metroroads 3 and 7), with
M3 at a radius of about 10 km from the CBD, and M7 about 20 km.  M6
doesn't exist yet.

Away from the Metroroads are State Roads.  These are main roads that
form feeders to the Metroroads, are usually at least 4 lanes, and are
also generally well signposted.  Route numbers are indicated by a 2 or
3 digit number in a blue shield.

Away from State Roads, you're in suburban territory.  Signposting is
optional.  Take your street directory.

* Canberra [TN]

Canberra has very good schools, roads, services etc.  Your day to day
life is without many of the hassles of bigger cities.  The traffic is
light (except for peak 10-minutes, rather than peak-hour), and most
main roads are devoted to being roads, and don't have houses, shops
etc on them (this makes it safer for bicyclists and motorcycles).
This can make Canberra look empty to the uninitiated.

10.5 Prices [1993]

These are averages, and there are significant variations.

  1 litre of Milk                              $1
  1 loaf of bread                              $1.25
  1 kilo of minced [Ground] Beef               $5
  1 pair of Levis' 501s                       $70
  1 one trip intracity bus ticket              $2
  1 monthly bus pass                          $60
  the daily paper                              $0.60
  the cheapest brand new Toyota Corolla    $17000
  1 five year old smaller Japanese car
    with 80000 KM on it                     $7000
  1 museum pass                                $6
  one month's rent on a 2 bedroom apartment:
    VERY location-dependent, ranging from $300 to $1500, average ~= $800.

Assuming petrol is at 72c/l, and an ecxhange rate of US$ -> AUS$ of
$0.66, this puts a petrol cost of $1.72/gallon. (that is US$ and US
gallons). [IS]

[JM] Last week [Sept 93] a newspaper article appeared describing a
survey of the cost of living in a number of countries.  It appeared to
be aimed at companies trying to establish a suitable living allowance
for their employees when posted overseas.  The survey indicates that
Australia is the cheapest of a sample of ten countries.  I have
reproduced the results published below:

                        Mar 92          Mar 93
                        ======          ======
        Japan           234.60          271.70
        Russia          170.10          189.90
        Sweden          199.30          167.10
        China           140.10          150.30
        Germany         138.00          146.40
        Singapore       129.10          138.30
        Hong Kong       127.50          136.00
        USA             107.70          114.70
        UK              122.90          110.10
        Australia       100.00          100.00

(I suspect the figures have been normalised to show Australia at $100
in each case.  This removes the effects of inflation in Australia -
which is low anyway - and currency fluctuations of the Australian
dollar against the others.)

The survey is based on a basket of goods including food, stamps,
laundry, cinema tickets, hair styling, clothing, electrical goods,
restaurant meals and drinks at a bar.  It excludes mortgages and cars.
I don't know if it includes rent, but it is possible to rent 3 bedroom
houses in the Melbourne suburbs for about $150/week.  (In relatively
good, but not expensive or inner suburban areas.  However, it depends
on what you are looking for, a "quality executive" style home will
cost you considerably more.)

The survey was prepared by Employment Conditions Abroad.  The local
spokesman is a Dr. Peter Rogers of Pacific Personnel.  (Phone 03 - 329
8352, fax 03 - 328 3489) I suspect they are a consulting company and
the full report will cost you a fair bit.

10.6 Shopping Hours

* Sydney [BJ]

City and Suburban shopping centres:
 Mon-Wed  0900-1700
 Thu  0900-2100
 Fri  0900-1800
 Sat  0800-1700
 Sun  1000-1600
 Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day.

Darling Harbour:
 Mon-Sat  1000-2100
 Sun  1000-1800
 Closed Christmas Day.

Kings Cross:
 Mon-Sun  24 hours

In addition, many supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths, Food Plus) and fast
food chains such as McDonalds have 24 hour outlets in various
locations.

* Brisbane

Mon - Wed  : 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Thu        : 8:30 am - 9:00 pm  Suburbs
             8:30 am - 5:30 pm  Inner City
Fri        : 8:30 am - 5:30 pm  Suburbs
             8:30 am - 9:00 pm  Inner City
Sat        : 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sun        : Closed

Some locations (e.g. Queen Street Mall) are partially open on Sunday.

10.7 Crime

* Sydney [BJ]

The crime in Sydney is often overstated.  Yes, there are parts in
which it is unwise to walk alone at night.  On the other hand,
allegedly dangerous areas like Kings Cross are often quite safe
because it is always crowded 24 hours a day and heavily patrolled by
Police on foot.  Just don't start a fist fight there :-) Overall,
Sydney is really a very safe city for its size if you use your common
sense and avoid obvious dangers.  At night, travel with someone else
if you are unsure, or at least look like you're *not* unsure if alone.

On trains, sit in populated carriages near the Guards Carriage
(indicated by a blue light on the side) if you're worried.  Transit
Police patrol trains and this has greatly increased safety at night.
Sydney also has a chapter of the NYC "Guardian Angels" riding
nighttime trains.  At train stations at night, wait in the well lit
striped areas of the platform.  Major stations have 24 hour video
surveillance and large red "Emergency Help" buttons on the platforms
that immediately summons the Police should you be in trouble.
Sydney's nighttime trains are 4 carriages long, but now they lock the
first 2, so you have to sit near the guard.  They've painted "Night
Safe Area" on the platforms where the unlocked carriages stop. [RA]

Buses are generally safe at any hour, and incidents on Ferries and the
Monorail are rare.

Always lock you car when leaving it, even at a petrol station, and
never leave *anything* on view in the car that isn't bolted down or
welded to it.  Especially do not leave anything valuable, a wallet,
handbag, or spare change on view.  Cars are broken into for $2 or an
umbrella (really - it happened to my wife!).  Also, don't leave a
Street Directory on the seat.  It looks like you're visiting an
unfamiliar area, and hence will be away from your car for some time.

10.8 Sport

* Australian Rules Football 

This is the main football code played in Vic, SA, WA and Tasmania.
The Australian Football League consists of 10 teams based in
Melbourne, plus Geelong, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. (It was
established a few years ago from an expanded VFL.) Fixtures, results,
statistics and match reports are available from
rec.sport.football.australian. Pre-season night competition begins the
end of February. Main season is end of March to August, with finals
series in September. West Coast won in 1992, Essendon won the flag in
1993.  (Carn the Ds in '94!  [AN] :-).

There is a competition of about 8 women's teams in Melbourne, but the
sport does not seem to be growing.

(If it isn't obvious, Melbourne is the home of this "sport".
Melbourne's winter football mania is one great reason NOT to be there
in winter! [CP, who probably still has cleat marks on his back from
his school days] :-P.)

* Rugby

The main football code in NSW and Qld is rugby. Rugby League is the
professional sport (reigning premiers are the Brisbane Broncos, who
beat St. George 14-6 this year), rugby union is still "amateur".
Rec.sport.rugby contains some postings about rugby in Australia
(though is dominated by discussion of the rugby union 5 nations
competition and the World Cup).

For the 1995 season, the current 16 team format is expanding to 20
teams.  The 4 expansions teams are the Auckland (NZ) Warriors,
Queensland Crushers (could be South Queensland, not sure), the ???
Cowboys (based in Townsville, could either be named Townsville or
North Qld) and a team from Perth.  The draw is becoming a Conference
style draw like the NFL in the US.

Women's rugby in Australia is still in it's infancy (we did not send a
team to either the 1991 or 1994 World Cups), but in 1994 the rugby
union championship was held for the 3rd year, and the number of
Australian teams competing increased from 4 to 14, plus one from NZ.
Christchurch beat the ACT in the final 13-5. The first test between NZ
and Australia will take place in September 1994.

[SW] Rugby League is played by girls up to age 12 or 13 in both
schools and weekend competition in mixed teams with boys. I believe
that after that age they are no longer allowed to play mixed.
However, I did see an article on Wide World of Sports on Channel 9 in
August 1993 depicting a Rugby League for Women Grand Final out of
Sydney.

* Cricket 

The most widespread summer sport is cricket. Australia plays regulars
Tests against England (for the Ashes), NZ, India, the West Indies,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and now that they have been re-admitted to the
fold, South Africa.  Each summer there are two touring teams which
play in a 3-way One-Day series.  The state competition is for the
Sheffield Shield (4-day matches), which is only semi-professional.
(Qld has never won this :-).  Many men and boys play club cricket on
the weekends (usually Saturday).

Women's cricket has been established quite a long time (first Test
versus England in 1934) but continues to be a minority sport for
women. There are about 100 club sides in Melbourne. The Australian
women's team is the best in the world; I believe there has even been
some TV coverage of Test and/or One-day cricket recently.

Note: live commentary of cricket matches is available via IRC
(Internet relay chat). It is available on the channel #cricket and
people discuss the match on #crickettalk. Information on this is
posted regularly to rec.sport.cricket. There is a cricket information
service, called CricInfo, available on gopher - see rec.sport.cricket
also for how to access it.

* Baseball

There is the ABL (Australian Baseball League). It is only 3-5 years
old.  There are 8 teams - Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, 2 from
Melbourne, Adelaide, Waverley and Perth. The season consists of 14
games of regular season played in January and February of each year.
[SW]

* Basketball

NBL consists of 14 teams (although Hobart Tassie Devils might not
play in 1994 because of financial problems).  Season is usually
from March/April until September. Each team is only allowed 2
imports (i.e. non Australian citizens). NBL was created in the
late 70's and has expanded since then, with several of the
original teams either leaving or being renamed/relocated. [SW]

* Athletics

* Horse Racing

Is everywhere. Traditionally Australians love to gamble. The Melbourne
Cup is the biggest race of the year. There is a holiday for it in
Melbourne.  For a few minutes on the Tuesday after the first Monday in
November the whole country stops to listen (supposedly).  Work place
sweeps proliferate. Phar Lap, which won the Melbourne Cup in 1930, is
a national hero, and his stuffed body may be seen in the Melbourne
musuem.

* Netball

There are over 1/2 million registered netball players in Australia, so
it is by far the most popular women's sport.

* Softball

Is the most popular women's summer sport.

* Soccer

[contributions? AN]

* Other Sports.

Field hockey is very popular for both men and women, and we do well in
International competition. Many people play squash.  Other sports
played include badminton, volleyball, table tennis, yachting, rowing,
swimming, cycling... [any more? AN]

11.TRAVEL

11.1 Money 

* transferring Money Australia <-> UK

Banks will accept sterling cheques, they just take longer to clear (2
weeks).  [Cost? AN]

[JC] To open any bank account you must prove your identity to a total
of 100 points, over a number of items e.g. passport 40?, driver's
licence (I do not know whether a UK licence is sufficent*), rent
notice, etc.

*You should be able to get an Australian licence with a valid UK
licence plus a road rules test + money.

All of the 'big four' banks i.e. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA),
National Australia (NAB), ANZ and Westpac have a nationwide branch
network, with very wide ATM access.  You can use Commonwealth ans
Westpac cards at the other's ATMs.  Similarly for NAB and ANZ.  There
are a number of smaller regional banks e.g. Advance, St George, which
havelinkages to nationwide ATM networks.

Transferring money UK <-> OZ should not be a serious problem. However,
ensure that you give very clear instructions as to where you want the
money placed.  I have tried transferring money to UK via telegraphic
transfer (where the UK bank charged to deposit it.), and by taking a
banker's draft in the currency of the destination country.  The latter
path works if you have taken sufficient cash (always more than your
estimate!) to survive until you can open an account and have the draft
credited to it.  If you want to make smaller, regular transfers
telegraphic transfer may be more relevant.

The Commonwealth Bank announced recently that they will support CIRRUS
both ways i.e for overseas travellers and for Australians overseas.
We got into a money hole in UK, and get close to making withdrawals
from our Australian account, even though we *thought* we had
sufficient cash for the initial cost 'hump'. CIRRUS offers a useful
backup.

There are low bank charges for business accounts.  Most of the 'big
four' will charge heavily for operating a cheque i.e. current account
but will give interest on savings accounts which can be linked to the
cheque account at the ATMs.  All of the 'big four' have branches in
London.

[JS] The easiest way to transfer money between Australia and any other
country is to deposit it into a credit card, and withdraw it on the
other end.  There's no fee, and the exchange rate is as good as you'll
get most places. Check with your credit card agency to make sure this
will be OK, just in case.

Regarding banks, in my experience Australia's banks are far more
user-friendly than UK banks. The last time I used UK banks was eight
years ago; they may have changed. Due to the mergers and interbank
links there's not much to choose from between them, and all have ATM
access and branches across Australia. I recommend choosing one that
has a convenient branch in the UK; that's the biggest factor that is
likely to affect you.

[MJ] I also received generally rotten service from Wespac over the
years.  The quality of this was about on a par with the (also lousy)
service my parents received from the Commonwealth. At least, this was
what I thought until I came to Britain. The level of incompetence and
rudeness, the patronising attitude of the employees, and a failure to
come to grips with technology that I have seen banking with Barclay's
over here have astonished me.
 
One general comment about banking in Australia. As a consequence of
deregulation in the 1980s, Australia now has many smaller and younger
banks in addition to the big four and the state banks. Many of these
are former building societies that have turned into banks. Generally,
these provide service of higher quality than do the larger and older
banks. (For instance, friends of mine who bank with the Advance Bank
and St George Bank (both in NSW) have told me very good things about
them). Their disadvantage is that being smaller, their branch networks
are not nearly as large (usually being concentrated in one
state/geographical area). On the other hand, most financial
institutions (smaller banks, building societies, credit unions) in
Australia other than the large banks have pooled their ATMs together
to form a single network comparable in size to those of the larger
banks.  Thus, at least from the point of view of basic access to your
money, the lack of branches is not that big a disadvantage.

* transferring money from Aus to the US [BJ]

- Write a cheque and post it. Takes time to clear, and there may be
bank service fee and the exchange rate may be bad.
- Bank draft: cost A$8-A$12.
- Wire transfer: cost A$30.
- Use my bank card (ATM card) issued by bank in the other country and
withdrawn straight from my chequing account.  This doesn't work on all
teller machines though...
- Draw money on credit card and pay off straight away.

* Credit cards in Australia

Almost everyone in Australia takes Bankcard, MasterCard and Visa.
Someone mentioned a few places that only take Bankcard, and also
suggested that a few don't take Visa.

[AT] I'd forget travellers cheques and use credit cards wherever
possible.  VISA and MasterCard almost universal, Amex and Diners
widely accepted.  You can get cash advances on VISA, Mastercard and
Amex at many ATM's and for VISA and Mastercard across the counter at
all banks.  You can also use Cirrus and Plus sytem ATM cards at many
ATMs.  ANZ Bank ATMs accept Cirrus and Plus, Commonwealth Bank accepts
Cirrus and State Bank takes Plus.  Using cards will in general get you
a better exchange rate and you avoid the additional fees which the
banks charge to cash travellers cheques.
 
* Travellers cheques

These are not commonly used as currency in Australia.  Thomas Cook and
American Express have offices in major cities, or you can change them
at banks.

* Visa

All visitors to Australia need visa, except for Australian and New
Zealand nationals.


11.2 Jet-lag

Different people have different strategies for trying to reduce the
effects of jet-lag. Here is a compilation of suggestions:

- Get a good night's sleep before the flight so you are rested.
- No binges on the night before, or specially heavy meals.
- Carry spare underwear and wash kit on plane. Change, wash face and
shave and brush teeth shortly before arrival at destination.
- Eat lightly and drink lots of liquids on the flight, but no
caffeinated drinks (coke!) until the later part of the flight. Avoid
heavy meals - airline dinners are a lot more sensible today than when
I started flying. I have a standing order for veggie meals when I fly
long distance. No booze unless you can limit it to one or two cans or
glasses. Alcohol and caffeine are diuretics which will drain you.
- Sleep or doze as much as you can. It doesn't seem to matter whether
it is real sleep or not. A blindfold often helps. A neck cushion helps.
- On arrival, get a shower ASAP. Have another before supper if you
want.  Eat lightly during the day, but let yourself go in the evening.
Get to bed at a reasonable time, but try not to sleep during daylight
hours. The next morning the body clock should be 99% hoodwinked.
- Exercise (a run or whatever) from the second day on also helps things.
- Carbohydrate loading on the day or two before the flight, with extra
protein on the day of the flight, may also reduce the effects of jet
lag.

11.3 Responses to 3 questions      

These 3 questions were posted at one stage. Here are a summary of
answers.

1. How are the conditions of the streets (or roads?) in Australia
in January?  I heard that the roads in the North are often
overflowed. Is this right?

2. We want to rent a car (or jeep or motor home) to go through
Australia.  Which kind of car is required or recommended
(especially for the desert in the center of Australia)?

3. Maybe we want to fly within Australia. Which airlines are
recommended and how much are the prizes (examples are enough)?

Answers (1) 

Roads are O.K. around here - but I live in Sydney :- I don't know
about the roads up north because I have never been there..

I've never heard of roads being overflowed, unless you mean
flooded (with water). This has happened over the last couple of
summers in the northern tropics, but roads are generally only cut
for a few days.  If you want to travel north, it is usually best
to do that May to November when it is dry and travel south
September to April. [FS]

The monsoon hits the far north of australia, so the roads may be
flooded and only usable by boats. however this only is a problem
north of Townsville in queensland and around darwin in the
Northern Territory the rest of the country is in summer HOT and
dry for the most part but its is much colder in the southern
parts and you may have some rain down there...  IT IS A BIG PLACE
and spands a large part of the earth!! [FW]

The term 'condition' usually implies whether they are good for
driving on or not.  The term 'streets' usually means the roads in
the cities.  The term 'roads' usually refers to the highways,
etc.  So, to answer your question: they are generally in a good
condition to drive on (the government has spent a lot of money
lately fixing up the roads).  I'm not sure where you mean exactly
when you say 'north' since there is a lot to the north half of
Australia (covering three states and many thousands of
kilometres).  If you mean Queensland (North East) then the roads
are usually busy with holiday travellers.  If you mean Northern
Territory (North Central of Australia) then the roads are usually
busy before Christmas (although there are still a number of
people about on the roads).  If you mean in Western Australia
(North West) then you will find a lot of outback, very few
people, few roads, and few cars.  I think you mean Northern
Territory ? [IC]

No worries. Stay on the highways and you'll have no problems. It
often rains a bit, but it is rare these days to have major
holdups. But don't go off on to unsealed roads. [RC]

Answers (2)

Almost every area in Australia is accessible by any car. That is,
as long as you stay on the bitch (bitumen) you can go anywhere.
If you really want to go off the beaten track you will need a
4WD, but I've never owned one and I've never felt that I've
missed anything. If you want a cheap form of accommodation that
you can take almost anywhere, hire a motor home. If you can
afford the outlay, and you are staying long enough, the cheapest
way by far is to buy something civilised and semi reliable, then
sell it before you go (you could pick up a half decent mid range
car for A$3-4,000. [FS]

Unless you have driven a four wheel drive (4WD) in sand/mud
before then stick to a conventional car/motor home they are
cheaper and you will probably not have enough time to spend
exploring the rougher areas. If you want to see a sight that is
only available by 4WD then there is probably a tour that will
get you there and back for less trouble than hireing a 4WD. [FW]

I would recommend a four-wheel drive vehicle for driving around
through the desert in the centre of Australia.  A motor-home will
probably slow you down and use up a lot more petrol, a jeep will
probably mean you will get sunburnt very easy. [IC]

A bloody big one mate.! Rent a car, Ford or Holden from a
reputable company, with air conditioning. Stay in motels and
hotels. Don't leave the main roads, and even then, carry a 15ltr
can of water if you go more than 200 km inland from any city on
the coast. Travel with other vehicles in convoy if you can
arrange it. Does this sound bad? keep in mind that there are only
17 million people in Oz, and most of those live in Melbourne,
Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, then Darwin.  That doesn't
leave many to spread out over a country that is the size of
Europe, plus England, plus lower Medetranian etc. Try it on a
map.  It can be many days between passing cars in central
Australia, and if you are broken down, you MUST stay with your
vehicle.  My advice ? See Australia by bus tour, the only way to
go unless you are prepared to face the last frontier and all the
hardships that that entails.  And wear a hat. The temperature can
be 40+ C in the shade. [RC]

Answers (3)

I never fly when going on holidays in Australia. This is because
everything is so spread out. You fly somewhere then you have to hire a
car to get out and see something, unless you want to ride on a sheep
truck (tourist bus). Also when you fly you miss out on all the good
things in between major centres where the airports are built. [FS]

You should arrange this as part of your air ticket to australia as it
will be cheaper than buying the air tickest here.  All of the
australian air lines are very good one of the best safety records in
the world sometimes the service may not be the best but its a lot
better than some of the service I have had in other parts of the
world.  Basicly pick out what you want to see ask where it is, there
may be a number of sites eg desert, we have about 5, sandy, stony etc
then plan your trip it would take 4 days to cross the country east
west 3 days to cross north south by fast car, with no stops for sight
seeing... [FW]

[IC] I presume you are not going to book these flights until you get
to Australia (so you can ask around and get the best price at the
time).  However, the problem with this may be that many airlines will
be heavily booked and getting a flight during the holiday season in
Australia may take some time.

Unfortunately, a local airline company (called Compass) went broke for
the second time and a lot of really cheap flights within Australia
have gone. There are 3 main local airlines now are Ansett, East-West
Airlines and Qantas, previously the government owned international
carried, merged with Australian Airlines, the government owned
domestic carrier. The fleet is being repainted in Qantas colours.

I don't have any actual information handy,so I am guessing here and
these are my own approximate guesses (Prices in Australian Dollars):

* Sydney - Perth.  This is a long trip. Probably $700 - $900
Apparently it is cheaper to fly to New Zealand than to fly to Perth
from Sydney.
* Sydney - Darwin Approximately $400
* Darwin - Perth Approximately $600
* Flights to Tasmania (or is going by ship better?)  If you don't
think you'll get sea sick, then a ship (from Melbourne) will probably
end up being cheaper.

I have from a paper some exact figures from Melbourne:- (This is
Ansett Airlines and the price is for a return ticket).

 Melbourne <-> Sydney    $179
 Melbourne <-> Adelaide  $189
 Melbourne <-> Canberra  $199
 Melbourne <-> Brsisbane $289
 Melbourne <-> Perth     $419
 Melbourne <-> Cairns    $489

Another paper I have quotes this price (it is a 17 day package) :-
* Darwin <-> Perth (Aeroplane and Bus) 17 days $3973
  [includes hotel accommodation, plane, bus fares and most meals]

11.4 Travel Reports and Recommendations

11.4.1 Australia from south to north [JO]

This gives some comments on travel in Australia.
I have some definite biases and will admit them as appropriate.
Also, I am assuming that the reader has an atlas with maps of
Australia and New Zealand.

My biases:
- I don't like large cities, deserts or rainforests.
- I do like small cities, mountains, beaches and seacoasts.
- I think that the US and Canada have some of the most beautiful
scenery and interesting cities in the world.  Australia needs your
money and I would love to meet you but honesty compels me to say you
should see the US and Canada first.

I have never seen Adelaide or Western Australia so make no comments.
Also note that Australia is large.  You will need to fly unless you
like long train or bus trips.  Don't plan on intercity driving.  The
roads are poor and there is nothing like the US interstate highway
system.

Hobart in Tasmania is a small but very nice city.  It has a beautiful
harbour, steep hills and some very good seafood restaurants and a
colony of artists and craft workers.  (San Francisco in miniature).  It
is a popular tourist area for Australians but most overseas visitors
miss it.  Tasmania itself is popular with Australians because it is
very different from the mainland.  Cooler and wetter, greener and has
more trees and some heavily forested low mountains.  People from the
eastern or northwest US would probably not see much point in visiting
it.  If you are from the plains or southwest US than it will be
different from home.

Melbourne - Sydney and Melbourne have a long standing feud (like San
Franciso and Los Angeles).  Its a nice city if you like cities of 3
1/2 million.  It does have a beautiful art gallery with a good
collection, some lovely parks, and a number of wildlife preserves
nearby in the Dandenong mountains.  It also has a good public
transport system of trams (streetcars) which are fun to ride.  There
are a lot of good restaurants and I think there is an "Eating Out in
Melbourne" guide book which is supposed to be reliable.  Eating in the
major hotels is a recipe for bankruptcy. (Just like the US.)

Sydney - Its slightly bigger than Melbourne, suffers from a horrible
urban sprawl, driving is terrible (no freeways) but there is good bus
and train service.  The harbour and Opera House are just as beautiful
as you have heard.  There are harbour ferries which are fun to ride.
The ferry service has several guided tours of the harbour which are
relatively inexpensive and worth the time.  The Opera House also has
guided tours. There is an historical area near the harbour called "The
Rocks" which is fun to wander through. Note that down here anything
older than 100 years is "historical.  My unimaginative but practical
suggestion is that the best way to see Sydney is to take one of the
bus tours like Grayline.  They all go to the same places .  There is a
public zoo (Taronga Park) which can be reached by ferry.  That is the
easy way to see koalas and kangaroos.  There is also a "Koala Park"
that I've never been to. I think its included in many of the sight
seeing tours.  Sydney also has an "Eating Out" guide and plenty of
good restaurants of all nationalities.  It lacks chains such as
Denny's or Sizzlers but the take away snack bar food is fairly good.
Not gourmet but they won't poison you.

Outside Sydney, the major tourist area is the Blue Mountains.  They
are not high (1500 meters/5000 feet) but are scenic. If you like
caves, try the Jenolan caves near Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.
There are coach tours from Sydney to the Blue Mountains and the caves.
Alternatively, take a train to Katoomba (2 hours, $8) and than catch
one of the coach tours there.  I believe the railroad organises this.
You might want to stay one or two nights.  There are plenty of good
motels.  I can also recommend the train trip to Wollongong as very
scenic but then I am biased since I live there!

The Whitsunday Islands: Now we jump 1500 km to central Queensland.
The Whitsunday Islands are a group of small, semi-tropical islands at
about 20S latitude.  You may be able to find the largest (Whitsunday
Island of course) in an atlas.  The nearest towns are Bowen and
Proserpine.  Two islands, Hamilton and Hayman, have been developed as
international standard resorts at international standard prices.  A
number of other islands have "family style" resorts aimed at the
ordinary Australian.  Hamilton Island has an airport.  You can fly
directly to it and take a boat to the other islands.  All the other
islands have check in counters at the Hamilton Island airport.

South Molle was run by Ansett Airlines.  Their lease expires in June
'94 and they are not renewing it.  So far, I have not heard whether it
is closing down or someone else is taking over.  Radisson Long Island
Resort was targeted at the 18 - 35 age range.  It has just been
purchased by another company.  The new owners say it will cater to all
ages.  I don't know if they plan to redevelop or whatever [JO].

The islands are inside the Great Barrier Reef.  All the resorts
provide high speed catamarran trips to the outer reef (about 2 hours
to get there).  There you can snorkle, take glass bottom boat trips or
take a ride in a "submarine".  These don't submerge.  You sit inside
the underwater hull and look out through big windows.  The Whitsunday
Island region is world famous for scuba diving and sailing.  There are
dive boat operators for qualified scuba divers.  The island resorts
also have dive courses. Yachts can be rented for bareboat cruising and
there are tour operators who take people on 5 to 7 day cruises of the
islands using 45 to 55 foot yachts . You sail in the daytime and camp
on the beaches with tents, sleeping bags and air mattresses at night.
The operator provides the camping gear, crew and cook.  This is a bit
of "pot luck" since you will be with strangers and the boat might have
6 passengers or 18.  The cooking is also "pot luck" because the cook
will probably be a young woman who is touring Australia and has signed
on for only one trip.  With luck, she may know how to cook!  I did
this once and liked it.  For details, ask your travel agent for
brochures on the Queensland Islands, Whitsunday Islands or Northern
Queensland.

Cairns and Cape York: Now jump another 1000 km north.  Cairns is in
the tropics at about 9S latitude and is also inside the Great Barrier
Reef.  It has access to the reef and the rainforest of Cape York.
When I went there it was small and very lovely.  There are no beaches
in Cairns but some beautiful tropical beaches to the north of it and
around Port Douglas (an hour drive to the north).  Since I was there,
it has been developed as an international tourist resort (mostly for
Japanese).  I don't know what the town is like now but the reef and
rain forest are still there.  Cairns is an international airport with
flights to Japan, New Zealand and the US.  You could go skiing in NZ
in August and than fly to Cairns for swimming and sunning on the reef.
Warning: Don't go to Cairns or the Whitsunday Islands between December
and March. That's the cyclone (hurricane) season.

The Outback: I've never been there and have no interest in it.
However, if you want desert, kangaroos, or dingos than Alice Springs
and Uluru (Ayers Rock) are supposed to be very good.  There is also a
tropical park called Kakadu in the Darwin area.  Its reported to have
lots of crocodiles and birdlife and be very interesting if that's your
thing.  Watch the weather.  The rainy season is said to be awful -
roughly November to March.

11.4.2 A Trip description 

I returned from Oz about three four months ago.  I had an 11 month
stint down there.  I was working in Sydney and Brisbane.  I went on a
whirl wind tour of Australia which included.  Sydney -> Alice Springs
-> Darwin -> Cairns -> Sydney.  All this was done in 2 and 1/2 weeks.
I would not go into the outback or the rainforest, etc. without some
sort of guide but Australia is reasonably civilized.  Your main enemy
is not going to be people but the harsh environment.

I do not recommend that you try and see Australia in 2 and 1/2 weeks
like I did.  The reason that I did that is because I was trying to fit
it into my regular holidays.  What I did in that time was well filled
but it would nice to have the luxury of time to contemplate what you
want to do and where you want to go.  I was in Alice Springs for about
5 days and that was about 2 days too long.  It's the middle of the
desert and the key landmarks there are Ayer's Rock, the Olgas, and
King's Canyon.  I definitely recommend seeing Alice Springs.  The rock
is spectacular.  I went on an AAT Kings tour but if I was to do it
again, I would either go on a younger or more adventure based tour
(AAT Kings is for the blue rinse set :->).  Or else organise
transportation to the major places and just hike around (that would be
far cheaper than taking a tour and I don't think that you miss much by
skipping a tour.)  In the desert it is very important that you carry
lots of water.  It is very easy to get dehydrated.  Also, I would
recommend going to Alice in the Winter (which is the same time as
North American summer) if at all possible.

In Darwin, I went on a 5 day tour of Kakadu with an adventure
back-packing company called Backpacker's Australia (or something like
that.  There's another tour which is shorter but similar by Saratoga
Safaris (there is more of an emphasis on wildlife on this one.  It is
run by an ex-zoologist).  I organised my travel out of Darwin through
Top End Travel.  They are excellent!  I was in Darwin during the dry
season (which is the same as the North American summer)

Cairns, I found, to be very touristy.  There's a million things to do
but they all cost money.  Definitely get out on the reef.  There's
tons of cruises out to the reef to suit any type of lifestyle.  You
can snorkel or dive and there are tons of certification courses
available if you are interested in getting certified.  (I couldn't
because of my asthma)

11.4.3 Uluru (Ayers Rock)

*Accomodation at Uluru (Ayers Rock) [GR]

1) If you are a group 4/5/6 ++ people look at the possiblity of
renting a mobile home... It is stationary but cost about A$50/day.
2) Pioneer Outback Hotel (A$80/night bed/bath)..booked through AAT
Kings travel agency..very pleased
3) Kitchenettes... somewhere in the 60 to 100 dollar range... double
bed, a/c, share bathroom...best choice at price
4) Check with NT bureau

11.4.4 Places of interest in Tasmania

[JL] Things I would look at:

The Gorge in Launceston
Hellyer Gorge on the West Coast
Ocean Beach at Strahan
day walks at Lake St Clair (overnight if you're set up)
SW rainforest (might be difficult - check out adventure tours out of Hobart)
scuba diving at Bicheno
fishing on the East Coast

Tas Redline Coaches, who have some sort of Tassie Pass for out of
state travellers (008 006 006). However [MP] Just be careful to
investigate the Red Line Tassie Pass a little more carefully.  I spent
several weeks in Tassie and loved it with one exception: actually
getting around.  The Pass doesn't even go to certain parts of the
island and when it does it's usually once a day, every other day, and
things like that.  It's possible to rent a VW bug for A$25 per day or
something which really works well if there are two or three of you.
Four, five or six might be pushing it a little.  Simply drawing out
your itinerary beforehand and then pricing it on individual tickets
actually competes with the Pass within a few dollars believe it or
not!

11.4.5 Accomodation tips to the low budget motorhome traveller (BB)

1. Obtain the Automobile club district maps for the area. They are the
best to navigate by showing all the sights to see and have "Rest
Areas" marked on them. Now some rest areas can be nothing more than a
rubbish bin on the side of the road but others, particularly in
Queensland can have toilets,fresh water and even showers. As a
traveller you can stay for up to two nights at a proper rest area. I
know of two places within 20mins of the Gold Coast for example.

2. Obtain information from National Parks, State Conservation Areas
and State Forests on camping areas. Most are free and those that you
have to pay at are generally worth it. I regularly stay the night in a
State Forest near the Sunshine Coast.

3. Many remote picnic areas, lookouts etc are also good for one night
even if the sign says "No Camping". Who's going to know if it's only
one night and you don't make it obvious? Up to 10pm you're only having
a BBQ before returning to the camp aren't you?  I'm not campin' I'm
goin' fishin'!. And of course you got up early to have breakfast in
the bush.

4. The first bit of bush you like. Often there are areas of unfenced
land on the side of the road. Just find a track and drive in (careful
if raining, don't get bogged). With all bush sites I prefer to be as
far away from the road as I can. First because it's quieter. Second -
if they can't see you they can't bother you, even if it's some kids
wanting to hoon around. I can remember one night at Mallacoota this
young couple drove right past us into the centre of the clearing (it
was dark). She got out and urinated on the ground in full view then
back into the car for some fun. Suddenly they realised that they were
not alone. Engine on, quick reverse out of their favourite parking
spot!

I have been touring this way for 24 years without any trouble but a
lot of adventure. Camping grounds are for when you desperately need a
shower or to wash the clothes. They invariably are built next to the
highway or railway, have noisy people who insist on partying all night
and wasting the daylight hours sleeping in, and aren't anything like
being in the bush at dusk or dawn when the native animals are active.

11.4.6 Adelaide and SA

In Adelaide itself, there's some very interesting architecture.  It's
one of only two designed cities I know of in Australia - the other
being Canberra, the federal capital.  It was designed by Colonel
William Light (I hope I remember correctly) in the early days of the
colony.

There are many lovely churches, and the parks are also nice.  The
stone architecture in the area is unique in Australia - wood was
scarce in SA, so stone was used.  Also, many of the early migrants
were from Germany and Europe, and preferred stone to wood.

The town of Hahndorf just outside the city has some wonderful german
influences, including the food!

Then there's the wineries: To the north is the Clare Valley, to the
south is McClaren Vale, to the north east is the Barossa Valley.  The
Barossa is the longest established, and my personal favourite, because
one of there specialties is german-style white wine.  McClaren Vale
has some interesting styles including the light italian table wines.
Down in the south-eastern corner of the state can be found other
wineries specialising in sparkling wines (including methode
champagnoise).  The areas around Mildura also have extensive grape
crops, but these are often for sultanas, or made into wines by the
southern wineries.

The citrus growing areas close to Mildura are great for fruit - the
town of Berri can be seen lending its name to products in the
supermarkets all over the country.

National parks and recreation areas: The Adelaide hills have a number
of small national parks and recreation areas including some
spectacular gorges and viewpoints.  There are other small parks to the
south on the Fleurieu Peninsula, including Hallet Cove.  Kangaroo
Island, off the tip of the peninsula is a popular weekend destination
and has a lot to offer - including the chance to see seal colonies.

Other places for weekend trips - or preferably longer - include the
Flinders ranges and the Gammon ranges, the Eyre peninsula and the
Grampians National Park in Victoria.  There are also extensive
wetlands near the mouth of the Murray River, and paddle-wheeler trips
on the Murray are popular.

The Flinders Ranges, especially the Gammon Ranges at the northern end,
are a good introduction to a visitor of what "the Outback" really
means.  There are comfortable motels to stay in, but the gorges and
valleys are well worth seeing.  I was lucky enough to see the Gammon
just after rain - the ephemeral flowers were amazing, and the red rock
reflecting in still pools of the gorges something that must be seen to
be believed.

[DS] Kangaroo Island, just a 30-minute light plane flight or a
somewhat longer ferry ride from Adelaide, is a must-see.  The tourist
office can organise extremely cheap long-weekend trips incl. car hire
(but watch out for the roads -- I had a tyre come off and didn't even
realise it, the roads are that corrugated!) and accomodation.  It's a
great place with excellent swimming and fishing and, of course, lots
of kangaroos.

[WS] For animal petting, Cleland Wildlife Reserve is the place to go.
You can walk among wallabys andH(9Path: planet!isdnlin.mtsu.edu!darwin.sura.net!gatech!swrinde!sgiblab!brunix!aen
From: aen@cs.brown.edu (Ann Nicholson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.australian,soc.answers,news.answers
Subject: soc.culture.australian FAQ (Part 4 of 4) (monthly posting)
Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked
Message-ID: <1994Jul6.203655.10543@cs.brown.edu>
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 20:36:55 GMT
Expires: Fri, 12 Aug 1994 00:00:00 GMT
Sender: news@cs.brown.edu
Reply-To: stephenw@mincom.oz.au (s.c.a. FAQ maintainer)
Followup-To: soc.culture.australian
Organization: Brown University Department of Computer Science
Lines: 3636
Approved: news-answers-re RundallMall in downtown Adelaide.  On the River Torrens is "Popeye" whichoffers quiet trips on the river.  In that vicinity is the theatrecomplex. The Adelaide Zoo and the parklands around the main city arealso pleasant endeavours.[MW] BEACHES - don't let anyone tell you beaches are no fun in winter,it just isn't true.  Personally, I think the southern beaches are thebest, that is the ones south of Adelaide, heading towards CapeJervois.  For a secluded beach, you can't go past Normanville.  If youlike body surfing, try Boomer beach near Goolwa.  Victor Harbour isworth a day trip, and you can see fairy penguins under the rocks onGranite Island.  I haven't been to Kangaroo Island for quite a while,but people say it's still beautiful and relatively unspoilt.HILLS - Adelaide's best kept secrets.  Besides Hahndorf, there aremany other (less touristy) towns, with local crafts, tea shops, lovelyold buildings, and great country bakeries.  There are also forests tobe wandered through (Kuitpo "Kai-po" and Second Valley are thelargest).  Further north, the wildlife park at Cudlee Creek (alreadymentioned elsewhere in this newsgroup) is a must.  In the Barossa, tryto see the Whispering Wall.HIKING and bushwalking - the Flinders Ranges are really spectacular.The best time to go is August/September, when the wildflowers are outand the weather is not too hot.11.4.7 Touring Australia by Motorcycle [C]Oz by bike is heaven. Try the Great Ocean Road south west ofMelbourne. Most of the country is pretty safe, and it's beautiful, andhas lots of lovely curvy country roads, and frequent bike rallies(look at Two Wheels and Bike Australia magazines when you get here)and there are campsites all over the place in National parks, stateforests etc etc. And plenty of "motorcycle enthusiasts" to help youfind your way around.  (There's a wry joke that once we were filthybikies, but when the Grand Prix brings money into the state, we become"motorcycle enthusiasts".)A few tips: don't ride at dusk in the country; that's when you findlots of animals on the road. Don't travel alone on back country dirtroads in the desert a long way from the nearest town, unless you are amechanical genius and can fix everything with a bit of string andchewing gum. Take water if you do that. There are sealed roads allround the country, but a lot of the minor roads in less populatedareas are dirt. Radar detectors are illegal, and Australian beer isgood but drink-driving is a very bad idea. Sun-screen is a good idea.Spring and Autumn are good times to travel, because wearing fullleathers in summer sucks severely. If you're female, you need to beable to cope with minor sexual harrassment, but generally there's asufficient bike cameraderie that it won't get dangerous. Just insultthem back. (And if you're gay or lesbian there's cool bike groupsaround; "Dykes on Bikes" usually lead off the Mardi Gras parade.)11.4.8 Cheap travel agent [RM]Last month I questioned the net looking for consolidators to get acheap ticket to Australia. I found a good source and thought peoplewould be interested - indeed there have been a number of requests inrec.travel.air lately.Try AUSTRAVEL 1-800-633-3404Their San Francisco office is 360 Post Street, Suite 606Phone (415) 781-4329, Fax (415) 781-4358.They also have offices in New York, Chicago, Houston, Sydney, and Ibelieve they started in the UK, so there may be offices there (hencethe unrestricted distribution of my article).I don't know whether they are a "consolidator" as such, as I am not upon the strict definition. They have block bookings with Qantas whichare definitely cheaper than I could get direct through Qantas or myusually great travel agent (who is now going to use AUSTRAVEL for herAussie ticketing). You can still get FF miles with these tickets whichI understand is not generally the case with consolidators.  They alsogot me cheaper domestic connecting flights in Australia and I believehave package deals for tours and accomodation that I cannot commenton, having not used them.  They gave me good fast service, fedexed mytickets to me, are bonded with IATA.... in other words this is arecommendation from a happy customer who had one good experience andthought you'all ought to know.12.LANGUAGE12.1 Australian pronunciation* Prounounciation of Aussie [WE]Information concerning how/why Australians pronounce Aussie with an/z/ and Americans pronounce it with a /s/.  A linguistic analysis (I'ma linguist) suggests the following:1.  The Australian pronunciation of Aussie (/z/) is a normalphonological feature called "intervocalic voicing of consonants" whereEnglish speakers make /s/ -> /z/, /k/ -> /g/, /t/ -> /d/ etc. whenthey are between consonants.  Some Americans pronounce "significant"as significant, water as wader and we all say "laser" with a /z/.2.  The American pronunciation of Aussie (/s/) is an example ofspelling pronunciation -- which, once again is normal behaviour whenwe don't know the pronunciation of a word.  We usually say it the wayit spells until we find out differently.3.  So why do Americans insist on saying Aussie with an /s/ even whenwe tell them Aussies say it with a /z/?  Once again, that's normal.We all have great difficulty saying things in a way that goes againstthe grain -- our grain. I've lived a long time in the U.S., but stillcan't say NEW York with /nu/.  I have to say /niu/.  Most Americanssay greasy (/s/) or blouse (/s/) -- all with /s/'s.  I think it may goagainst the grain for them to say Aussie with a /z/.* To distinguish Australian accents from various British ones: [RC]  Australian "day" sounds like "die";  Australian "buy" sounds like "boy".So that "daylight" ends up something like "die-loyt".  For moredetails see Afferbeck Lauder's, "Let Stalk Strine".Actually I've heard people distinguish three different Australianaccents: Cultivated, General and Broad.  In the "broad" variant thevowel shifts are particularly obvious, but I speak "cultivated" andhave been mistaken for English by Englishmen several times.[PW] Some pommy accents are quite similar to strine.  In particular,some of the south-coast ports are quite similar - probably because ofhistorical reasons !  There seem to be fundimental differences betweenthe northern and southern english accents.  The australian accentseems to have picked up a mixture of the pronunciations such thatpeople here sometimes think that I'm really posh because of the way Ipronounce some words.The variation in ozzie accents seems to be more to do with the scaleof the changes in pronunciation rather that the actual changes.  Forexample, country accents always seem "stronger" that city ones, butseem to have the same way of pronouncing words.  This seems to holdtrue for all but the most posh people, but they live in world of theirown anyway.[TG]There are many theories about the evolution of the Australian accent.There would appear to be influences from cockney pronunciation, andthere are also vestiges of Irish influences as well (a lot of earlyteachers were of Irish background, particularly in church runschools.)  You will also find remnants of Irish, Scottish and Welshinfluences in the Australian pronunciation of some words.  Then, ofcourse, we had a large influx of German, Greek and Italianimmigration, which has probably also had an influence as well.  Oflater years, the language has been strongly influenced by TV media,from, you guessed it, the USA.  To say that the convicts are thepredominating influence is probably false.  There were many more freesettlers than there ever were convicts.One common comparison that is made is between the ReceivedPronunciation (RP) (a la BBC English) and what is termed CultivatedAustralian (CA).  There is also a classification of Australian speechcalled General Australian (GA).  GA differs from CA in that vowelstend to become a little longer and some vowels are "diphthongized"(hard to explain if you don't know phonetics -- maybe someone elsecould have a bash at this one?)  CA is more likely to be found informal speech and GA in conversational.  There tends to be a slighterm, what you might call a "class distinction" between the two,although this is by no means a general thing. (Often politicianscultivate a GA manner of speaking to be more appealing to the votingpopulation, as GA is more laid back, you might say.)  I might alsopoint out that the Australian accent was the but of much disdain forsome time earlier this century -- speech trainers would teach the"proper speech" i.e. RP.In general, CA speakers tend to form their vowels more forward in themouth than is the case for RP.  This is why RP pronunciation is oftenassociated with the phrase "plum in the mouth" because the vowels tendto be formed further back in the mouth.  To an CA speaker, this isprobably the most noticable characteristic.  RP speakers also tend tohave a more rounded lip formation than CA speakers for the samesounds.  (Now *that's* a big generalisation!)Another difference is the way in which words and phrases arepronounced in isolation and in connected speech.  CA speakers tend touse what is called the neutral vowel more often than RP speakers do inconnected speech.  Also CA speakers tend to have a slightly smallerintonation range than RP speakers.  This lead to several criticisms ofCA speech as "monotonous" by many speech trainers earlier thiscentury.  There are other traits of RP pronunciation that are notpresent in CA, such as frequent use of a definate vowel in the finalposition.  These differences wrt neutral vowel and intonation patternsare also why many Australians label someone speaking with an RP accentas excessively pedantic.These are some of the characteristics compared to RP, now of coursethere are many dialectic variations of English in Britian!  RP is justused as a useful reference point.  Also, any given speaker is notnecessarily going to use a "pure" dialect either, you'll find CAspeakers using GA pronunciations and all sorts of variations in themiddle.One book you might like to look at is Mitchell and Delbridge"Phonetics of English in Australia".12.2 Australian spelling[Contribution needed. AN]12.3 Australian slang, word origins* What is the origin of the word "Pom" or "Pommy"? [BR] - from daniels@rand.org (Greg Daniels):   shipping crates labeled "P.O.M.E."  (Property of Mother England) - for deverett@vms.macc.wisc.edu (David W. Everett):   Prisoner of Mother England (POME) - from njc@robots.ox.ac.uk (Nick Cerneaz):   Piss Off Mother England - from adally@afit.af.mil:   convict clothing being labelled P O H M for Prisoner Of His Majesty - from ins559n@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Andrew Bulhak):   Push Off Miserable Englishman - from ins559n@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Andrew Bulhak):   short for pomegranate, referring to the complexion of recent arrivals   who have not yet absorbed much of the Australian sun - from Jacco.Zwetsloot@f550.n635.z3.fidonet.org (Jacco Zwetsloot):The general concensus (amongst academics at least) is that `pom' camethrough this train of words and word association: immigrants came tobe called `jimmygrants' via some sort of rhyming slang.  `jimmygrants'became `pomegranates' via another sort of rhyming slang.  This in turnbecame shortened to `pommy' and `pom'.  While this may seem like anincredible (in the literal meaning of the word) explanation for theorigin of `pom', it is verified in a number of books.  One being "TheAustralian Language" published in 1945. - from bls@sector7g.Eng.Sun.COM (Brian Scearce):   My _Dictionary of Historical Slang_ has this to say about it:        pommy, Pommy. A newcomer from Britain, esp. from        England: Australian: C.20.  The OED Sup. records it at        1916, but it was current before the Great War.  Origin        obscure; possibly a corruption of TOMMY imported by        Australian soldiers returning from the Boer War        (1899-1902).  Or perhaps ex. *Pomeranian*, a very        "superior" sort of dog.  It may also have developed        from JIMMY GRANT thus: Jimmy Grant > immy-granate >        pomegranate > pommy.   "Jimmy Grant" is, as a previous poster pointed out, rhyming slang for   "immigrant" (or "emigrant").* Sydney is spelt with a "y", not Sidney. It was named afterBaron Sydney of Chislehurst, the Home Secretary at the time whenthe First Fleet arrived.  Actually, they named Sydney Cove andthe city was supposed to be called Albion, but it didn't come outthat way. [HG]* State-based NicknamesFrom:  Nickname:NSW  Cockroaches,                Ma-staters,                Mexicans (by Queenslanders)                CornstalksVic  Mexicans                Cabbage-patchersSA  Crow EatersWA  Sand GropersQld  Banana BendersTas  Apple EatersNT  Top-enders* Origin of "Whinge"[BD] The Macquarie dictionary says "Northern form of OE _hwinsian_ towhine", and for whine "OE _hwinan_".* Origin of "Dunny"[LC] I was using the toilet the other day and noticed that thebrandname stamped on the porcelain was "Dunedin". Could this be theorigin from which the endearing term "dunny" is derived ??[IR] Unfortunately no.  The Macquarie gives: "short for Brit. d.dunnakin, dunnaken, from dannaken, from danna (dung) + ken (place)"* "Show us your map of tazzy"[PG] Well, being the literary expert that I am . . . 8-) I'll have acrack at it.  Reference page 182 "A Nice Night's Entertainment" BarryHumphries published 1981 by Granada:"Anyway, there she was starkers! I didn't know where to look.  Thedriver seen her norks in the rear-vision mirror and nearly come offhis dual carriageway.  He said, 'Ay, miss, 'ow are you goin' to payme?", at which she *pointed* ... Now, there's a nice crowd in heretonight so I'm not going to tell you where she pointed; suffice it tosay she pointed at the map of Tasmania.  Those of you with arudimentary grasp of geography will have a rough idea of what I nearlyhad a rudimentary grasp of - a large triangular land mass deep in thesouthern hemisphere."  Quiz question: which BH character said this?8-)[JMack] I first heard the expression in conjunction with the arrivalof the show "Hair" in Sydney (this was about 1970). I don't rememberwhether it was a friend, or a review in the paper or a quote fromRobert Helpman, but the person referring to the costumes on the stage,mentioned the maps of tasmania.  It's not quite as graphic as BarryHumphries use above, but it predates it.* "Claytons'"Originally the brand name of a non-alcoholic beverage that looks likeneat Scotch whiskey, the television commercial featured Australianactor Jack Thompson(sp?) sitting at a pub bar and ordering "I'll havea Claytons' - (to camera) the drink I'm having when I'm not having adrink" Almost immediately the press media used "Clayton'sPromise(chk?)" to headline a politician "making a promise when you'renot making a promise".  It now has accepted usage as a derogatoryadjective of anything that has questionable authenticity.  (Victorianusage anyway) [RK]* "Nugget"This is a brand-name of a New Zealand shoe polish made of paraffin and?carbon. To "nugget" your shoes is to apply any shoe polish and buffthe footware to shiny clean. Many Australians incorrectly think Nuggetbrand shoe polish as a local Australian invention, it is just marketedvery well. [RK]* "West Island".New Zealand is another country, not a state of Australia. (Sometimespeople in NZ refer to Australia as the "West Island" as NZ has twomain land masses, North and South Islands) [RK]* Origin of Taswegian [ZS]Tasway n, {Colloq.}  Tasmania  [backformation from TASWEGIAN by analogy     with {Norwegian} adj, from {Norway}Taswegian n -> Tasmanian [TAS(MANIAN) + {-wegian} (by analogy with     {Norwegian, Glaswegian,} etc.)]* What is a bunyip? [BT]Originally an Aboriginal legend.  A bunyip is a creature which livesin fresh or brackish waterways (rivers, billabongs, swamps, but notthe ocean).  I believe that like most legendary creatures, it eatshumans.More recently, "Bazza the Bunyip" has been appearing on Australian TVsets, begging us all to "not muck up the Murray [River]", but I don'tthink that's what the question meant.Also, there is a mechanical bunyip in the Murray Bridge caravan park.If you insert 20 cents, (s)he will rise from the depths of his/hercaged pond, let rip with some terrifying roars, and subside.  Thewhole performance takes about a minute, and used to be a lot morefrightening when I was very young...* What is the aboriginal name for koals?"Koala" is a bastardisation of a word from an Australian language.  Asstated, the question doesn't really have an answer, as there werearound 200 Australian languages at the time of European contact, andwhile many if not all of these are fairly closely related, there aremany different words for koala.  "Koala" appears to be a misreading of"kuu(l)la", the word for Koala in certain languages of the Sydneyregion. [CM]* What does QANTAS stand for? "Qantas, n. The Australian international airline, founded in   1920 as the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services   Ltd, with Sir Fergus McMaster as provisional chairman, P.J.   McGuinness and W. Hudson Fysh as the pilots and W.H. Baird as   the mechanic."* And further in the line of QANTAS trivia, why is the name or word(clue) Longreach, painted on the fuselages of the 747-400's?Didn't QANTAS have it's origins at Longreach in QLD (where theStockman's Hall of Fame now is) ?  Also, when they bought the firstnew 747-400, they flew it non-stop from London to Oz. [RB]* Does water go down drains in the opposite way?If you know anything about fluid dynamics than the fact that theRossby number for such a tiny vortex is very large, should give youthe answer.  In simple terms: a bath-tub vortex is much too small andtoo fast for the Earth's rotation too have any effect on it. Planetaryscale mid-latitude lows and tropical cyclones however do spin inopposite directions as a result of the rotation of the Earth, butsmaller scale vortices like tornadoes and dust devils do not. [SD][MJ] Technically, this is in some sense the case. The Coriolis forcedue to the earth's rotation will in the absence of all other effectscause the whirlpool in a bathtub to rotate in the opposite directionin different hemispheres. In practice, however, the forces involvedare so small that other effects are more important ie you can make thewhirlpool go in either direction if you give it a nudge. As for usingthis effect to determine whether a ship is north or south of theequator, I don't believe a word of it. The effect increases as you goaway from the equator. It is largest at the poles. It is _zero_ on theequator.  Anywhere even remotely near the equator, it is much smallerthan in somewhere like Australia. Combined with the fact that a shipis likely to get buffeted around by the ocean a little, a much largereffect, the whole idea is ridiculous.* Australian Tea Tree Oil Malaleuca Alte [BS]Tea tree oil-based antiseptic cream is the most fantastic skin creamyou can imagine.  It's great for open cuts/wounds, or acne, so far asI have tried.  With acne, rub it in 3 times per day for very quick andeffective results.  Also I had a shampoo based on it - was good fordandruff!  It was used in WWI in the trenches as an antiseptic creamfor open wounds.  Two companies that I know in Australia includeMelacare (based in Grafton) and Thursday (Island?) Plantation, notsure where they are based but their products grace many a chemist'sshelves.  Also in London you can buy tea tree oil based products fromHouse of Mistry, Hampstead.[KX] But it hurts (and stinks) like hell. I had a some pretty badscratches on my back that my cat inflicted and there is NO way thatI'd have had the courage to apply this stuff to "new wounds".Although, I must admit, when I have actually used it (rare occasions,I must add) it does actually seem to work.  BTW - if you're a horseowner, Tea Tree Oil works well on minor cuts from fences etc., , bitemarks and similar injuries.[AW] There is a pretty informative and interesting article on the teatree and its products in the February/March issue of _The HerbCompanion_, and probably lots of other information available fromherbal supply sources.  Seems to be a real wonder!* What's the name of the swagman in Waltzing Matilda?[RG] Andy."Andy sat Andy watched Andy waited till his billy boiled..." ;-)* What does "BYO" mean in restaurants?"Bring Your Own". Means alcohol.* What is the "Didgeridoo"?Traditional instrument of Australian Aborigines. A very long (> 6ft)pipe.  You have to maintain a continuous stream of air through it,which means you have to be able to store air in your cheeks to blowout, and breath in through your nose. See also section on music in14.5.4.* What is a wanker?Macquarie:1. _wank_ v.i. colloq. to Masturbate.2. _wank oneself_, to maintain an illusion; deceive oneself. 3. an actor instance of masturbation 4. a hobby: /flying is his wank/ 5.behaviour which is self-indulgent or egotistical. 6. _wank wank_,/Colloq./ (an exclamation indicating an ironic dismissal   of some previous statement).[orig. uncert.] -wanker, /n./* Why do the stars on the Australian flag have 7 points?(See 9.6.1 The Flag)* WHY IS AUSTRALIA CALLED AUSTRALIA?"Terra Australis" was the land of the south.  The portugueseFernandez de Quiros, in the serive of Philip III of Spain, namedit Australia del Espiritu Santo (Southern Land of the Holy Ghost)"Australia" was used to flatter the King who was a Prince of theAustria Ruling house. [VS]* What is the source of ".oz" as an internet address representingAustralia?  (is it any different from ".au"; and why do some addresseshave ".oz.au" both, or is that just harmless redundancy?)[KRE] No, its certainly not the same as AU, nor is it redundant inaddresses where it appears, its required, and can't be used in others.Long ago when we were first setting up addressing for Aust we werealways going to use domain addressing - this is way back when xxx.arpawas the standard name for US hosts on the arpanet (& milnet).  Thatis, the use of domain names wasn't new, but there was not yet anyorganised structure for domain naming (ie: the edu, gov, ... and thetwo letter country names didn't yet exist).We knew we wanted a domain name that represented Australia in someway, and things like AU and AUS were suggested, but we also knew thatour (then) small group fo sites couldn't really ever claim torepresent all of Australia, and do anything that would effectivelytake over the entire Australian namespace leaving nothing for anyoneelse unless they could fit themselves into our naming scheme.I should also mention that at this time we were already using domainnames, the domain we used was "SUN" which meant "Sydney Unix Network"(and sometimes "Sydney University Network") - the Australian net wasan outgrowth of a network that started in Sydney at Sydney University,and linked UNIX systems.  The network started before Sun Microsystemswas created - still they asked us if we could use something other than"SUN" as our name - and since our net was no longer just in Sydney,that seemed reasonable (though the software used remained called "SUN"then SunII and SunIII, until comparatively recently when SunIV wasrenamed MHSnet).In any case, needing a name, something Australian, but not to pretendto represent the whole of Australia, someone (it certainly wasn't me,but I don't recall who) suggested "oz".  That sounds like the "Aus"part of "Australia" or "Aussie" when spoken by an Australian (ratherthan an American, who pronounce the thing in some totally wild way),and is fairly commonly used by various people to represent thingsAustralian (and has no relationship I know of with the wizard), andwas adopted.Eventually, the two letter country naming stuff was invented, and AUof course became Australia - the "oz" part, which was always just asubset of Australia fitted very neatly as a sub-domain of AU, and sothat's what was done with it.  In time, other sub-domains of AU werecreated, including the edu.au com.au etc domains, that serve basicallythe same community as oz.au does, but also telememo.au and otc.au(which match the X.400 naming "ADMD=telememo; C=au") that are used bycommercial e-mail systems in Australia, which has retrospectivelyjustified the decision to confine our naming within a subset of theAustralian namespace, and not even pretend to take over the wholething.There's another version of the "creation of oz" story, which relatesto the very first international e-mail connection that the academiccommunity had here, which ran between the University of Sydney (homeof the Sydney University/Unix Network) and Bell Labs.  It wasimplemented using a maildrop on an IBM mainframe at the University ofWaterloo in Canada, Bell labs would dial there, and leave mail forAustralia in a file, then the University of Sydney would call, usingX.25, and pick up the mail in the file, and leave another for BellLabs the next time they called.  This was set up by Ian Johnstone,initially from UNSW, but then at Bell Labs - the theory is that "oz"was the name of the account at Waterloo, or one of the file names, orsomething like that.  This may indeed be what sparked the suggestionto use "oz" as the domain name, I don't know, I certainly don't recallthat name being in any visible use in that e-mail system though,whatever use it had, if there was one, must have been internal Ithink.* What is the village in northern France where the Australian presencein WW1 is still celebrated?In a little town called Viller-Bretonneuve, just outside Amiens,there's a memorial to Australian soldiers a couple of kilometresoutside town, signposted from the main road. There's also a cafe onthe main road called the Boomerang Cafe, which makes me feel it's theright area. :-) [HJ]I can confirm that Villers-Bretonneux appears to be the town that youhave in mind. A large Australian contingent was situated in or nearthe town during WW1. There remains a number of overt signs of thispresence [MS]:- some of the streets and shops bear Australian names  (e.g., Melbourne Street)- there is a large Australian War Memorial just outside the town on arise. It contains a lookout and wall with the names of the Australiansoldiers lost (and, for the most part, never found) in the battles ofnorthern France and Flanders. On the wall, it is noted that 11,000Australian soldiers died between 1916-1918, so this gives you anindication of the size of the wall!- At the entrance to Villers-Bretonneux, is situated Adelaide Cemeterycontaining the graves of some of the Australian soldiers.- In fact, the region contains a number of Australian and BritishCommonwealth war cemeteries, all of them immaculately kept with cutlawns and red roses!- Villers-Bretonneux has an Australian "twin town" (Robinvale, Vic.if I remember correctly).- I spoke with the mayor, who showed me around the local school, whichwas apparently built after WW1 with donations from Australia. The mainhall is panelled in Australian wood, and has a number of large woodcarvings of Australian animals.  The mayor said he visits Australiaevery year, to maintain the contact between the Villers-Bretonneux andAustralia.In the cathedral of nearby Amiens, there is a commemorative plaquethat states: "...to the memory of The Australian Imperial Force whovaliantly participated in the victorious defense of Amiens from Marchto August 1918 and gave their lives for the cause of justice, libertyand humanity..."* What is the name of the crazy boat race held in Darwin every year?The Beer Can Regatta* In which dry river near Alice Springs is there a boat race every year?The Todd River* Why is November 11th remembered (PB)First and foremost, it is the anniversary of Armistice Day, theend of the War to end all Wars (well,almost). It has also beenchosen as the date for the formal laying to rest in theAustralian War Museum in Canberra of the Australian UnknownSoldier, an Australian soldier recovered from a graveyard inFrance as a symbol for all Australians of the sacrifice theAustralian troops made during WW1.It is also the anniversary of the sacking of the WhitlamGovernment by the G-G, Sir John Kerr in 1975.And finally, it is the 113th anniversary of the hanging of Edward"Ned" Kelly in Melbourne Gaol in 1880.12.4 Australian word usage (misc) * Units of measure"kilo" - always refers to a weight (ie kilograms)eg. "I've put on half a kilo", "one kilo of chicken breasts please""k" - always refers to distance or speed (ie kilometres or km/hour)eg. "It's 250 k's to Lithgow from here", "I got busted doing 140 k'son the freeway""mil"  - refers to liquid volume (ie millilitres)eg. "I'll have the 500 mil bottle please"The terms grams, metres, litres and degrees are used as is.  As yetthere is no conversational abbreviation for centimetres, which mayexplain why description of people's heights in feet and inches stillpersists somewhat in the street, although not in newspapers or on TV,where the full word is used.* Australasia and Oceania [BJ]Australiasia=Oz+NZ.Oceania=Oz+NZ+Fiji+all those South Pacific Islands...13.CULTURE13.1 Recipes and food13.1.1 VegemiteVegemite is a spread, made from a yeast extract. Kraft make it inAustralia.  It looks kinda like black smooth peanut butter, and tastesVERY salty.[Glenn]When I returned to Australia for a visit in 1985 I telephoned thefolks at Kraft in Pt. Melbourne. Here is the basis of what the mantold me regarding its manufacture:First the yeast cells are taken from the breweries. For those of youinto making home made beer yor know what I mean. For the others, thisis a very thick tan colored "liquid" smelling like beer but loadedwith spent and still alive yeast cells. This "liquid" it then treatedso the yeast cells undergo "cell lysis" which means the cells burstopen.  The liquid is then "washed" (his term) to remove the cellwalls. The internal contents of the cell are then mixed with salt,dried parsley and spices etc.(whatever that is -- I have not been ableto find etc. in Australia nor NorthAmerica) I guess it is the etc thatgives Vegemite its characteristic flavour!Anyways in closing, the man said that it was packaged is small tins (Ihave seen 1 oz. cans of it in Australian Army ration packs) and invarious containers up to barrel (45 gal?) size.[DT] Vegemite and Marmite are not the same thing they were differentproduct brands. Marmite was actually in production and on the shelveswell and truly before vegemite ever existed.  When Vegemite was firstreleased it had a very difficult time - very few people bought it. Itwas apparently taken off the market for a short time and given a new(temporary) name after a competition was held. The winner came up withthe name Parwill. Followed with the slogan "If marmite then parwill".Fortunately this also had marketing problems. It wasn't really untilthe "war to end all wars" that the renamed vegemite started to sell.It was all the shortages of food stuffs and the "scientific" sellusing the vitamin B argument.If you really want a good amount of information I suggest that youwrite to:     Kraft Australia Foods Limited     Consumer Advisory Service     Salmon Street     Port Melbourne Victoria 3207     AUSTRALIA(See section 6.3 on Australiana in the U.S. for where to get vegemite)13.1.2 Sweets recipes* ANZAC biscuits1 cup SR Flour                  4 tblsp butter, "  "  sugar                     2 "     boiling H2O"  "  oatmeal                   1   "   golden syrup"  "  coconut                   1 tsp   bicarb sodaPut flour, sugar, oatmeal, coconut in bowl & mix.  Put butter, water,golden syrup, bicarb soda in saucepan & melt together on stove. Mixwith dry ingredients.  Put in teaspoonfuls onto greased tray.350F/180C for ~10 min.  Enjoy!* Lamingtons4 oz butter             1 tsp. baking powder3/4 cup castor sugar    1/2 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. vanilla          pinch salt2 eggs                  1/2 cup milk2 cups flourCream butter & sugar, add vanilla, beat in eggs.  Fold in dryingredients alternately with milk.  Spoon into greased and lined pan(approx. 8"x11") bake at 350F for 40-45 min. Cool and store for a day.Cut into squares, dip in chocolate icing, then roll in coconut.Chocolate icing: Sift 1 lb. icing sugar and 4 T. cocoa into bowl.  Add1 T.  melted butter to a cup of warmed milk.  Blend to make a smoothcoating consistency [John Doyle].* Pavlova4 egg whites                    1 tablespoon corn starch1 cup superfine sugar           half pint whipped cream2 teaspoons vinegar             kiwi fruit or strawberries or passionfruit.Place egg whites in a clean glass bowl. Beat slowly until frothy, thenincrease the speed and beat until stiff. GRADUALLY add the sugar,beating well after each addition. (When all the sugar has been added,the mixture should be shiny, very stiff, and should stand in peaks.)Gently fold in the vinegar and corn starch with a metal spoon.Line a cookie sheet with brown paper (from a bag) and grease itlightly. Pile the meringue mixture on it; it should form a cylinderabout 8 inches in diameter and 2 inches high.  Preheat the oven tojust under 300 degrees. Bake the pav for between 90 and 105 minutes.When cooked, leave the oven door ajar and allow the pav to coolinside. When cold, peel off the paper and transfer to a servingplatter. Just before serving, top with the whipped cream and fruit.About 8 smallish servings.  [Steve Wright wright@mcs.anl.gov]* Chocolate CracklesHere is the recipe as read from the Rice Bubbles packet (Apparently itis also on the Copha wrapper):     4 cups Rice Bubbles (= Rice Crispies)           250 gram copha (8 oz)1.5 cups sifted icing sugar                     1 cup desiccated coconut 3 Tbs cocoa (60 ml not 45ml, ie 4 American Tbs) 24 patty pans     Mix the first 4 ingredients together. Pour in melted Copha and mix.Put into patty pans and chill.  Makes 24.13.1.3 Meat Pies, Damper, Galah, pumpkin soup* DamperThe basic recipe for damper is just self rising flour (4 C) and milk(2 1/2 C) or water, mixed to a very stiff dough and then baked in oneof several ways: in a cast iron "dutch oven" buried in the ashes of afire, wrapped around the end of a stick (only a small handful or so)and toasted over the fire, or formed into a round loaf and baked in aconventional oven. You can spice it up by adding a handful of driedfruits, by topping it with some mustard and grated cheese or, ifyou've been bold enough to do it on a stick, by filling the hole wherethe stick was with jam.  [CP]* Australian Meat Pie [JN]:  Reference: Australian Women's Weekly Home Library: Cooking ClassCookbook, p70. (reproduced without permission).Filling:750 g (1.5 lb) minced steak             1 teaspoon soy sauce2 beef stock cubes                      salt, pepper1.5 cups water                          pinch nutmeg (generous -JN)2 tablespoons plain flour               1/4 cup water, extraPie Base:2 cups plain flour                      2/3 cup water1/2 teaspoon salt                       60 g (2 oz) beef drippingPie Top:375 g (12 oz) packaged puff pastry      1 egg yolk1 teaspoon waterMaking the filling: Place meat into the pan, stir over low heat untilmeat is well browned.  Drain off any surplus fat.  Add crumbled stockcubes, water, salt, pepper and nutmeg, stir until boiling, reduceheat, cover, simmer gently for 20 min, remove from heat.  Combineextra water and flour, stir until flour mixture is smooth.  Add flourmixture to meat, stir until combined.  Return to heat, stir until meatboils and thickens.  Add soy sauce (to give brown colour), stir untilcombined.  Simmer, uncovered, 5 to 10 min; remove from heat allow tobecome cold.Making the pie base: Sift flour and salt into basin.  Place water anddripping into saucepan, stir until dripping melts; remove from heat.Make a well in centre of dry ingredients, add liquid, stir untilcombined.  (2a. If you're in a hurry, just use premade (bought)pastry.  It works ok, too. -JN)Turn out onto lightly floured surface, knead lightly.  Roll out pastryto line eight greased pie tins.  [We use "real" aluminium 6 or 8 inpie casings - JN] Cut excess pastry around sides of pie plates using asharp knife.  Fill centres with cold meat filing.Pie crust: Roll out puff pastry on lightly floured surface, cut outrounds for top of pies, use a saucer as a guide.  Wet edges of basepastry, and gently press tops into place, trim around edges with asharp knife.  Brush tops with combined egg-yolk and water.Cooking: Bake in hot oven 5 minutes or until golden brown, reduce heatto moderate, cook further 10 min.Galah [PB]Having plucked and cleaned galahs, place in a large saucepan of waterover an open fire.  Add two or three large rocks from a creek nearby.Boil for two to three days, adding water as required.  By this timethe rocks should have softened, throw away the galahs and eat therocks.Galah variations [KP]Variation 1 (from my landlady the late Mrs. Rose Roots of PunchStreet, Gundagai, N.S.W., 2722) After the rocks are done, reduce heatbut continue simmering over low heat for another week. Make sure thewater level is kept up.Variation 2 (from my team mates at the Junee RSL Shooting Club, Junee,N.S.W.)  After the rocks are done, remove and maintain a slow boil ofthe Galahs while a side dish of lava is obtained.  Serve bothimmediately, preferably with the lava on top of the meat.Pumpkin Soup [JL]In a large pot I put cut up pumpkin, 2 chopped up onions, 3 choppedslices of celery and enough water to cover.  Then I simmer it untilthe pumpkin is soft and then I mash it all or blend it.  You then needto add some curry powder which gives it a wonderful flavour.  Thebiggest problem in the US is that most of the pumpkins are much morewatery than the Queensland blue pumpkins in Australia so the soup isnot the same.  However, this year I grew some JackbeLittle pumpkinsand they were just fine for soup.[MM] I have found that "Butternut Squash" == "Butternut Pumpkin", makea pretty good soup.  However they are definitely not the same as aQueensland Blue.13.1.4 MiscAustralian/US substitutions Oz   US Copha   Hard vegetable shortening (made from    coconut).It's purified coconut oil, sufficiently dehydrated that itfunctions as a quite-edible shortening.[BD] Corn Flour  Corn starch Caster sugar  Regular sugar ( actually slightly finer     than regular US sugar, but not much) Golden Syrup  Dark Corn Syrup    (Lyle's Golden Syrup is available in the     southeastern US at Food Lion [CC]) Icing sugar  Confectioner's sugar        Rice Bubbles            Rice KrispiesIn Australia, margarine in stick form has animal fat. For no animalfat, to buy "soft" margarine or butter.When recipe calls for minced steak/beef, N. Americans should use leanground beef, not extra lean [JN].Other recipes to be included if I get them: kangaroo tail stew... [AN]13.2 Songs 13.2.1 "Waltzing Matilda",  by Banjo Paterson (3 versions :-)* Waltzing Matilda - the song we had to have.  Copyright A.B."Banjo" Paterson (reproduced here w/o permission).  (thanks toRoss Paterson for correcting the "tt" mispelling :-)     Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,    Under the shade of a coolibah tree,    And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled,    "You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me."    Chorus:      "Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda,      You'll come a-waltzing Matilda  with me;      And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled,      You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me."      (Substitute third line of verse in each chorus.)    Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong,    Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee;    And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tuckerbag,    "You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me."    Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,    Down came the troopers -- one, two, three;    "Whose that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tuckerbag?"    You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.    Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong,    "You'll never catch me alive", said he;    And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,    You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.There is also a "Queensland version" of the song, generallybelieved to be the Patterson original (or pre-original).  It hasvery similar words but has a different metre and is set to awaltz tune. The "standard" version of the song was subsequentlyrewritten to fit a march time tune pinched from some othersource.  In a wonderful essay published at the time of thereferendum which chose AAF as the anthem, some (forgotten by me)author made the point that Waltzing Matilda was much moreappropriate. It tells the story of the swagman, unemployed anddesperate, driven to petty theft by society's oppression. Thesquatter symbolises the priveliged property owners (probablymulti-national) with the sinister intrusion of the Police tosupport privilege. Finally, the hero dies in an heroic gesture,which unfortunately leads only to the pollution of an inlandwaterway. [CM]------------------------------------------------------------------Here is what appears to be the original "Waltzing Matilda", from"The Collected verse of A. B. Patterson", first published in1921.  It seems to have been published in "Saltbush Bill, J.P."(1917), although I have a feeling it may have been presented inthe Bulletin somewhat earlier.  Punctuation as printed in the1982 edition -- don't blame me for the unmatched quotation markin the second verse :-). [IR]                        WALTZING MATILDA                       (Carrying a Swag.)Oh! there once was a swagman camped in a Billabong,   Under the shade of a Coolabah tree;And he sang as he looked at his old billy boiling,   "Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"      Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, my darling,         Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?      Waltzing Matilda and leading a water-bag--         Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?Down came a jumbuck to drink at the water-hole,   Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him in glee;And he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker-bag,   You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me."Down came the Squatter a-riding his thoroughbred;   Down came Policemen -- one, two and three.      "Whose is the jumbuck you've got in the tucker-bag?   You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me."But the swagman, he up and he jumped in the water-hole,   Drowning himself by the Coolabah tree;And his ghost may be heard as it sings in the Billabong   "Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"Both versions are in the Australian Scout Song Book, available by mailorder from the Sydney Scout Shop price $2.65, phone +61 2 7999640.--------------------------------------------------------SWAGMAN: An itinerant labourer, a hobo, a bum.  So called becausehis most important possession is his bedroll ("swag"), wornbehind his head as he walks along.[TM]An excellent book, probably no longer in print, is "Diary of aWelsh swagman" published in Australia some years ago. It is basedon the journeyings of a Welsh immigrant who was walzing Matildain the late 19th century [AC](Jenkins, Joseph, 1818-1898. Diary of a Welsh swagman, 1869-1894/ abridged and annotated by William Evans. -- South Melbourne,Vic. : Macmillan, 1975.)WALTZING MATILDA "Waltzing Matilda", "humping a bluey, "carryinga swag" are all terms for the same thing, namely tramping aboutlooking (or not looking) for itinerant work like shearing. The"Matilda" was the swag. [PA]Matilda=swag=bluey = (american) bedroll (blankets, etc.)The reason I know of is that one name for a swag was "Matilda" -a feminine name for the swagman's sole companion. Walking fromplace to place was called "Taking Matilda for a waltz". [jds]BILLABONG: A billabong is what the geographers call a "truncatedmeander", i.e. a lake formed by a loop in a river course beingcut off by the river subsequently cutting a new and shorter path.In the US they are called "ox-bow lakes".[JB]COOLIBAH: Type of eucalypt (gum) tree with hard strong wood, veryhardy, found in central Australia near inland water courses andbillabongs.BILLY: A small tin, generally used to boil water for tea.  Thethird- most important possession of a swagman.JUMBUCK:  A (male?) sheep.TUCKERBAG: A bag for carrying tucker (food).  The second-mostimportant possession of a swagman.SQUATTER: Someone  who just  grabbed land  early on,  often latergiven title to the  land by  the government.Basically the  landedgentry.TROOPER:  A soldier or policeman. * Short VersionThe "verse" below is from a competition to shrink works of OZliterature conducted by the Australian (?) newspaper some timeago. I found it in some papers I was looking through. I don'thave the attribution to hand. There was a shrunken "Sydney WhitePages" too.[CM]    Waltzing Matilda    ================    Swaggie dreams of roast lamb dinner     Passing jumbuck looks a winner    Bags it, but here come the cops     Into billabong he flops    Drowns himself, forgoes hot roast     Leaves the last waltz to his ghost    "Sod the law" says our aquarian,     "Better dead than vegetarian!"* Waltzing Matilda to Music! [JS]     .      |\        D                  A7              Bm                    G-----|-)--#------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     |/                                        |                                               |----/|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|   / |     #                                   |                                               |--/--|_--------|\---|\---|\---|\---------------|--------------|\-------------------------------| /  /| \   C   |    |    |    |     |      |   |    ----|     |                                |-\-(-|--)------|----|----|----|-----|------|---|---|----|-----|----|\-------------------|------|  \__|_/      @    @    @    @      |      |   |   |    |    @     |           |\       |      |-----|-----------------------------@------@-------|---@-----------|-------|\---|--------|------     |                                            @ ---           @        |   |       @    `-'                                                                  --|---@-                                                                          @        1.  Once   a   jol - ly   swag - man      camp'd     by    a     bil -la   -  bong          .     |\       D                            A7                            D           A7-----|-)--#------------------------------ -----------------------------------------------------      |/                                  |                             |                       |----/|-----------------------|----|\--|\-|--|\--|\----|----|-----------|-----------------------|   / |     #                 |    |   |  |  |   |     |    |           |                       |--/--|_-----------------|\---|----|---|--|--|---|-----|----|-----------|--|---|\-|\------------| /  /| \                |\  @    @   @   | @___@     @    @         |\ |  |   |  |    |     |  |-\-(-|--)----------|\---|----------------|----------------------|\--|--|--|---|--|----|-----|--|  \__|_/           |   @                 |                      |   |  | @   @  @     |     |  |-----|-------------|--------------------- ----------------------|--@-----------------@-----@---   . |       |    @.                                           @      `-'     --|--             |          --@--                         Un - der  the shade  of  a   cool - li - bah tree, And he   sang as he watch'd and     .     |\      Bm               G              D                               A7          D-----|-)--#------------------------------ -----------------------------------------------------      |/                                  |                               |                     |----/|-----------------------------------|-------------------|-----------|---------------------|   / |     #                             |                   |    |\     |                     |--/--|_---------------|\-----------------|--------------|\---|----|---|\-|---------------------| /  /| \          |\  |                  |              |\  @     |   |  |    |   |\   |\      |-\-(-|--)-----|\--|---|---|\----------|--|----------|\--|--------@----|--|----|---|----|----|--|  \__|_/      |   |  @    |       |\  |  |          |  @             @   |    |   |    |    |  |-----|--------|--@--------|---|\--|---|-- ----------|-----------------------@----@----@-----|--   . |       @           @    |   |  @       |     @.                                      @   `-'                      --|--@--       --|-                             @               |                                          --@--                                                                                                                  wait-ed till his bil-ly boiled 'You'll come a- waltz-ing  Ma  -  til- da  with me.'     Chorus     |\        D                                       G-----|-)--#------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      |/                                             |             .                            |----/|-----------|---------|\----|\----|------------|----@-------@--------------------|--------|   / |     #     |         |     |\    |            |   |       |      @              |        |--/--|_----------|---------|-----|-----|-----|------|---|-------|-----|------@--------|--------| /  /| \        @         @.    @     @      |      |   |       |/    |/    |        @         |-\-(-|--)------------------------------------|------|-----------------|/----|------------------|  \__|_/                                    @       |                       |                  |-----|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    . |                                                                                             `-'             'Waltz  -   ing    Ma - til - da,         Waltz  - ing    Ma - til  -    da,     .     |\       D                           A7                          D          A7-----|-)--#----------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------      |/                     |           |                          |                           |----/|---------|---|\--|\---|---|\---|\-|--|-----------------------|---------------------------|   / |     #   |   |   |\   |   |    |\ |  |   |\                  |                           |--/--|_--------|---|---|---@----|----|--|--|---|---|\--------------|---|---|\--|---------------| /  /| \      @   @.  @        @.   @   | @    |   |    |       |\ |   |   |   |  |     |\  |\ |-\-(-|--)-------------------------------|-----@----|----|---|\--|--|---|---|---|--|-----|---|--|  \__|_/                                |         @     |   |   |  |  @   @   @   |     |   |  |-----|---------------------------------- --------------@----|--@-----------------@-----@---@---    . |                                                     @                            ----   `-'              You'll come a-waltz-ing   Ma - til- da with me.' And he    sang as hewatch'd and --      .     |\      Bm                G              D                               A7           D-----|-)--#------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------      |/                                   |                                |                   |----/|------------------------------------|-------------------|------------|-------------------|   / |     #                              |                   |     |\     |                   |--/--|_---------------|\------------------|--------------|\---|-----|---|\-|-------------------| /  /| \         |\   |                   |              |   @      |   |  |   |  |\   |\      |-\-(-|--)----|\--|----|---|\------------|-|----------|\--|---------@----|--|---|--|----|----|--|  \__|_/     |   |   @    |        |\   | |          |  @              @   |   |  |    |    |  |-----|-------|--@---------|----|\--|----|- ----------|-----------------------@---@----@-----|--   . |      @            @     |   |   @       |    @                                      O       `-'                       --|--@--       ---|-                              @                |                                             --@--           wait-ed till his  bil- ly boiled 'You'll come a-waltz - ing Ma  - til-da  with  me.' 13.2.2 "Advance Australia Fair", National AnthemAustralians all, let us rejoice,For we are young and free,We've golden soil and wealth for toilOur home is girt by sea;Our land abounds in nature's giftsOf beauty rich and rare;In hist'ry's page, let every stageAdvance Australia Fair.In joyful strains then let us sing'Advance Australia Fair.'[Original second verse deleted, cos its all about the British :-) AN]Beneath our radiant Southern CrossWe'll toil with hearts and hands,To make this Commonwealth of oursRenowned of all the lands,For those who've come across the seasWe've boundless plains to share,With courage let us all combineto Advance Australia Fair.In joyful strains then let us sing'Advance Australia Fair.'* A less respectful version [JD]        AdvanceAustralians never had a choice,Had they the eyes to see,That any Royal could only spoilRepublic luxury;With leaps and bounds opinion shifts,Where most just couldn't care :The silent rage, an equal wage,And pinch-free underwear;We'll raise a glass to anything,You poms stay over there.13.2.3 "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda", Eric BogleWhen I was a young man I carried my packAnd I lived the free life of a rover From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback,   I waltzed my matilda over.Then in nineteen fifteen my country said Son,It's time to stop ramblin 'cos there work to be done,So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun,    and they sent me away to the warAnd the band played Waltzing MatildaAs we sailed away from the Quay,And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the cheersWe sailed off to Gallipoli.How well I remember that terrible dayHow the blood stained the sand and the waterAnd how in that town that they called Suvla BayWe were butchered like lambs at the slaughter.Johnny Turk he was ready, he primed himself well,He chased us with bullets, he rained us with shells,And in five minutes flat he'd blown us all to hell,Nearly blew us right back to Australia.But the band played Waltzing Matilda,As we stopped to bury our slain,We buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs,Then we started all over again.Now those that were left well we tried to survive,In a mad world of blood death and fire,And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive,But around me the corpses pile higher.Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over tit,And I woke up in my hospital bed,I saw what it had done I wished I was dead,Never knew there were worse things than dying.For I'll go no more Waltzing MatildaAll around the green bush far and nearFor to hump tents and pegs, a man needs both legsNo more Waltzing Mathilda for me.So they collected the cripples, the wounded, the maimedAnd they shipped us back home to Australia.The armless, the legless, the blind and insane,Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla.And as out ship pulled into Circular Quay,I looked at the place where my legs used to be,And thanks Christ there was no one there waiting for me,To grieve and to mourn and to pity.And the band played Waltzing Matilda,As they carried us down the gangway,But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared,Then turned all their faces away.And now every April I sit on my porch,And I watch the parade pass before me,And I watch all my old comrades, how proudly they marchRenewing old dreams of past glory.And the old men march slowly, all bent, stiff and sore,The forgotten heroes from a forgotten warAnd the young people ask, 'What are they marching for?'And I ask myself the same question.And the band played Waltzing Mathilda,And the old men answer the call,But year after year their numbers get fewer,Some day no one will march there at all.13.2.4  "Tie me kangaroo down" (Rolf Harris) [TS](With wobbleboard background)[Spoken] There is an old Australian stockman, lyin, dyin, And he getsup onto one knee and he says...Chorus: Tie me Kangaroo down, Sport Tie me Kangaroo down,  Tie me Kangaroo down, Sport Tie me Kangaroo down.Keep me Cockatoo cool, CurlKeep me Cockatoo cool, Aw don't go let lettin him actin the fool, CurlJust keep me Cockatoo cool.All together now, Chorus:Mind me platypus duck, Bill Mind me platypus duckAw don't let him go runnin amuck, BillMind me platypus duck.All together now, Chorus:Put me Koala back, MacPut me Koala back.He lives somewhere out on the track, MacJust put me Koala back.All together now, Chorus:(I include this verse as it was in the original though I find it offensive)Let me Abos go loose, LouLet me Abos go loose.They are of no further use LouLet me Abos go loose.All together now, Chorus:Tan me hide when I'm dead, FredTan me hide when I'm dead.So we tanned his hide when he died, ClydeAnd that's it hangin on the shed.All together now, Chorus:13.3 Literature* To find a book, in or out of print, "International bookfinders",Sydney, (02) 909 3000, (02) 953 1240.13.3.1 Fiction(If authors also write poetry, non-fiction, I include that here withthe fiction entry)* Thomas Keneally began writing in 1964. Born in northern New SouthWales in 1935, he now lives in Sydney with his wife and two daughters.Novels:- _Schindler's Ark_ (published in the US as Schindler's List, now a major  film by Steven Spielberg. Based on the true story of German  businessman Oscar Schindler who save over 1000 Jews from the Nazi    extermination camps)- _A Family Madness_- _Victim of the Aurora_- _The Playmaker_ (set in first convict settlement)- _Thomas Keneally Flying Hero Class_ (interesting Koorie perspective)- _The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith_(*), (made into a film)- _Confederates_(*),- _Gossip from the Forest_(*)* shortlisted for the booker prize      Nonfiction: Outback, an account of life in Central Australia* Patrick White (winner of the 1973 Nobel Prize for literature) wasborn in England in 1912, when his parents were in Europe for 2 years;at 6 months he was taken back to Australia where his father owned asheep station. When he was thirteen he was sent to school in England,to Cheltenham, 'where, it was understood, the climate would betemperate and a colonial acceptable'. Neither proved true, and afterfour rather miserable years there he went to King's College,Cambridge, whree he specialised in languages.  After leaving theuniversity he settled in London, determined to become a writer.During the war he was an R.A.F. Intelligence Officer in the MiddleEast and Creece. After the war he returned to Australia. [Did hedie recently? AN]Novels: _Happy Valley_ (1939), _The Living and the Dead_ (1941), _TheAunt's Story_ (1946), _The Tree of Man_ (1956), _Voss_ (1957), _Ridersin the Chariot_ (1961), _The Solid Mundala_ (1966), _The Vivisector_(1970), _The Eye of the Storm_ (1973), _A Fringe of Leaves_ (_1976),_The Turyborn Affair_ (1979),Collections of short stories: The Burnt Ones (1964), The Cockatoo(1974) including several short novels (interesting collection of shortstories dealing with modern Australian life [MJ])Autobiography: Flaws in the Glass (1981)* Tim Winton is the author of several novels, short story collectionsand children's books, for which he has received every major literaryaward in Australia, including the Australian/Vogel Award and theprestigious Miles Franklin Award. He currently lives on the WesternAustralia coast with his wife and children._Cloudstreet_: When two large working-cass families, the Lambs and thePickles, are forced to share a massive house and inevitably theirlives, their past misfortunes and conflicting personalities merge in abreathtaking explosion of joy, tragedy, and the occasional miracle.[I loved it! AN]Other works: _An Open Swimmer_, _Shallows_, _Scission_, _That Eye_,_The Sky_, _Minimum of Two_, _In the Winter Dark_, _Jesse_, _LockieLeonard_, _Human _Torpedo_, _The Bugalugs Bum Thief.* Peter Carey grew up in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, and was educated atGeelong Grammar School and Monash University, where he read science.Novels: - _Bliss_ (1981) (made into a film, I found the book a bit strange, and rather boring - must admit I didn't finish it. AN), - _Illywhacker_ (1985) (short-listed for Booker prize) - _Oscar and Lucinda_ (1988) (winner of the Booker prize, great, AN).  Short Stories: _The Fat Man in History_ (I enjoyed most of these,though they tend to be a little bizarre, AN)* David MaloufFiction: _Johnno_, _An Imaginary Life_, _Fly Away Peter_, _Child'sPlay_, _Harland's Half acre_, _Antipodes_, _The Great World_ (winnerof the Commonwealth Prize and the Prix Femina Etranger), _RememberingBabylon_.Autobiography: _12 Edmonstone Street_Poetry: _Bicycle and Other Poems_, _Neighbours in a Thicket_, _theYear of the Foxes and Other Poems_, _First Things Last_, _Wild Lemons_Libretto: Baa Baa Black SheepIn _Remembering Babylon_ David Malouf gives us a rich and compellingnovel, in language of astonishing poise and resonance, about thesettling of the continent down under, Australia, and the vicissitudesof first contact with the unknown. In the mid-1840s a 13-year-oldcabin boy, Gemmy Fairley, is cast ashore from a British shipwreck ontothe Queensland coast, and is taken in by aborigines. Sixteen yearslater, three children from a white settlement come upon thisapparition: "...."... Possessed of lyrical intensity and alwaysrespectful of human complexity , Remembering Babylon tells the storyof Gemmy, and of his relation to the whites. Given shelter by theMcIvors, the family of the three children, he seems at first to have asecure role in the settlement, but currents of fear and distrustintensify. At once white and black, a man with a voice but unable tospeak the language, he confounds all categories that might explainhim. To everyone he meets .... Gemmy is a force of nature that bothfascinates and repels. He finds his own whiteness as unsettling in hisnew world as the knowledge he brings with him of the savage, theaboriginal. In his most accomplished novel to date,David Malouf haswritten a powerful fiction, informed by a vision of eternal humandifferences. Remembering Babylon is a brilliant mythopoeia of ourunending encounter with the Other.* Martin Boyd: _A Difficult Young Man_ (I studied this in HighSchool. AN], _Lucinda Brayford_, _The Cardboard Crown_, _Outbreakof Love_, _When Blackbirds Sing_, _Day of My Delight_.* Frank Hardy: _Power without Glory_. Frank Hardy's compelling storyof corruption and political manipulation created violent controversyon its first release and has excited and intrigued Australians eversince.  Power Without Glory traces the rise of the ruthless John Westfrom his impoverished working-class beginnings in a Melbourne slum toa position of great wealth and political influence. His rising publicdominance contrasts with the growing emptiness of his personal life,where even family turn from him, estranged by his implacable andpitiless pursuit of power. A startling expose of bribery, fear andcorruption in high places, Hardy's tale revealed the sordid world ofgambling, political intrigue and underworld depravity. Upon the book'sfirst publication he was accused of overstepping the fine line betweenfiction and the depiction of real Australian people and events, andwas sued for libel.  The sensational legal battle which followedcreated debate and outrage across the nation and, despite Hardy'sacquittal, the questions it raised remain unanswered today. [Made intoa television series]* David Williamson Collected Plays Vol 1 (including _The Coming ofstork_, _Don's Party_ and _The removalists_ [MJ])* Justin D'Ath, _The Initiate_ (aboriginal protagonist; coming-of-agesorta)* Peter Corris writes light detectives set in and around Sydney andthere's another (female) author of similar stuff setting them all overthe place (Murder on the Ballarat Train was one). [MJ]* Miles Franklin, _My Brilliant Career_. Made into a film by GillianArmstrong, starring Judy David.* Henry Handel Richardson, _The Getting of Wisdom_: Country girl'sexperiences of going to boarding school late last century.  Made intoa film.Joan Lindsay, _Picnic at Hanging Rock_. Girls from a boarding schoolin country Victoria, early this century, go on a picnic to Hanging Rockon Valentine's day, and 3 of them and a schoolmistress disappear. Madeinto a film by Peter Weir.Neville Shute: _A Town Like Alice_ (film and also tv mini-series), _AFar Country_, _On the Beach_.* Early colonial life: _The Fatal Shore_, Robert Hughes, EleanorDark's trilogy _'The Timeless Land_.* Robert Drewe _The Savage Crows_ (a fictional dive into Australianhistory) and _The Bodysurfers_ (celebrating the great Australian beachculture). [MVN]13.3.2 Poetry* "My Country" by Dorothea McKellar [CP] The love of field and coppice,  Of green and shaded lanes, Of ordered woods and gardens Is running in your veins. Strong love of grey-blue distance, Brown streams and soft, dim skies- I know but cannot share it, My love is otherwise. I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror-  The wide brown land for me! The stark white ring-barked forests, All tragic to the moon, The sapphire-misted mountains, The hot gold hush of noon, Green tangle of the brushes Where lithe lianas coil, And orchids deck the tree-tops, And ferns the warm dark soil. Core of my heart, my country! Her pitiless blue sky, When, sick at heart, around us We see the cattle die - But then the grey clouds gather, And we can bless again The drumming of an army, The steady soaking rain. Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold, For flood and fire and famine She pays us back threefold. Over the thirsty paddocks, Watch, after many days, The filmy veil of greenness That thickens as we gaze. An opal-hearted country, A wilful, lavish land - All you who have not loved her, You will not understand - Though earth holds many splendours, Wherever I may die, I know to what brown country My homing thoughts will fly.* The Man From Snowy River, by A.B. (Banjo) Paterson [CP]There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around that the colt from old Regret had got away,And had joined the wild bush horses - he was worth a thousand pound, So all the cracks had gathered to the fray.All the tried and noted riders from the stations near and far Had mustered at the homestead overnight,For the bushmen love hard riding where the wild bush horses are, And the stock-horse snuffs the battle with delight.There was Harrison, who made his pile when Pardon won the cup, The old man with his hair as white as snow;But few could ride beside him when his blood was fairly up - He would go wherever horse and man could go.And Clancy of the Overflow came down to lend a hand, No better horseman ever held the reins;For never horse could throw him while the saddle-girths would stand - He learnt to ride while droving on the plains.And one was there, a stripling on a small and weedy beast; He was something like a racehorse undersized,With a touch of Timor pony - three parts thoroughbred at least - And such as are by mountain horsemen prized.He was hard and tough and wiry - just the sort that won't say die -  There was courage in his quick impatient tread;And he bore the badge of gameness in his quick and fiery eye, And the proud and lofty carriage of his head.But still so slight and weedy, one would doubt his power to stay, And the old man said, "That horse will never doFor a long and tiring gallop - lad, you'd better stop away, These hills are far too rough for such as you."So he waited, sad and wistful - only Clancy stood his friend - "I think we ought to let him come," he said;"I warrant he'll be with us when he's wanted at the end, For both his horse and he are mountain bred."He hails from Snowy River, up by Kosciusko's side, Where the hills are twice as steep and twice as rough;Where a horse's hooves strike firelight from the flintstones every stride, The man that holds his own is good enough.And the Snowy river riders on the mountains make their home, Where the river runs those giant hills between;I have seen full many horsemen since I first commenced to roam, But nowhere yet such horsemen have I seen."So he went: they found the horses by the big mimosa clump, they raced away towards the mountain's brow,And the old man gave his orders, "Boys, go at them from the jump, No use to try for fancy riding now.And, Clancy, you must wheel them, try and wheel them to the right. Ride boldly lad, and never fear the spills,For never yet was rider that could keep the mob in sight, If once they gain the shelter of those hills."So Clancy rode to wheel them - he was racing on the wing Where the best and boldest riders take their place,And he raced his stock-horse past them and he made the ranges ring With the stockwhip, as he met them face to face.Then they halted for a moment, while he swung the dreaded lash, But they saw their well-loved mountain full in view,And they charged beneath the stockwhip with a sharp and sudden dash, And off into the mountain scrub they flew.Then fast the horsemen followed, where the gorges deep and black, Resounded to the thunder of their tread,And the stockwhips woke the echoes, and they fiercely answered back From cliffs and crags that beetled overhead.And upward, ever upward, the wild horses held their way, Where mountain ash and kurrajong grew wide;And the old man muttered fiercely, "We may bid the mob good day, NO man can hold them down the other side."When they reached the mountain's summit, even Clancy took a pull - It well might make the boldest hold their breath;The wild hop scrub grew thickly, and the hidden ground was full Of wombat holes, and any slip was death.But the man from Snowy River let the pony have his head, And he swung his stockwhip round and gave a cheer,And he raced him down the mountain like a torrent down its bed, While the others stood and watched in very fear.He sent the flint-stones flying, but the pony kept his feet, He cleared the fallen timber in his stride,And the man from Snowy River never shifted in his seat - It was grand to see that mountain horseman ride.Through the stringybarks and saplings, on the rough and broken ground, Down the hillside at a racing pace he went;And he never drew the bridle till he landed safe and sound At the bottom of that terrible descent.He was right among the horses as they climbed the farther hill, And the watchers on the mountain, standing mute,Saw him ply the stockwhip fiercely; he was right among them still, As he raced across the clearing in pursuit.Then they lost him for a moment, where two mountain gullies met In the ranges - but a final glimpse revealsOn a dim and distant hillside the wild horses racing yet, With the man from Snowy River at their heels.And he ran them single-handed till their sides were white with foam; He followed like a bloodhound on their track,Till they halted, cowed and beaten; then he turned their heads for home, And alone and unassisted brought them back.But his hardy mountain pony he could scarcely raise a trot, He was blood from hip to shoulder from the spur;But his pluck was still undaunted, and his courage fiery hot, For never yet was mountain horse a cur.And down by Kosciusko, where the pine-clad ridges raise Their torn and rugged battlements on high,Where the air is clear as crystal, and the white stars fairly blaze At midnight in the cold and frosty sky,And where around the Overflow the reed-beds sweep and sway To the breezes, and the rolling plains are wide,The Man from Snowy River is a household word today, And the stockmen tell the story of his ride.     - A.B. "Banjo" Paterson13.3.3 Children's Literature[This section is very incomplete cos I don't have any of my kid'sbooks here in the US with me. Contributions welcome! AN]The Billabong series, by Mary Grant Bruce. Set on a station calledBillabong late last century, story of brother and sister Jim andNorah, and Jim's friend Wally. Treatment of aboriginals ratherpaternal and racist these days, but I really enjoyed these yarns as akid.  Also by Mary Grant Bruce, _Possum_. [AN]Ivan Southall.Colin Thiele: _Blue Fin_, many others._The Magic Pudding_, and especially _Snugglepot and Cuddlepie_(May Gibbs).[MJ]Blinky Bill.The Muddle Headed Wombat by Ruth Parks._Seven Little Australians_, _The Family at Misrule_, Ethel Turner.13.3.4 Non-Fiction* Bruce Chatwin, _Songlines_: 'The Songlines emerge as invisiblepathways connecting up all over Australia: ancient tracks made ofsongs which tell of the creation of the landi. The Aboriginals'religious duty is ritually to travel the land, singing the Ancestors'songs: singing the world into being afresh. _The Songlines_ is onemans impassioned song' Sunday Telegraph.  [Highly recommended. AN]* _My Place_, by Sally Morgan. Modern Australian women writing aboutlife as an aboriginal woman. Sally Morgan has also written an awardwinning play, and painted some canvases that imo are the best in theWA Gallery (which is quite well stocked). [RH]* Two books about early colonial women:(1) _The Women of Botany Bay: A Re Australian Society_, by PortiaRobin pp.  $16.95 paper.(2) _Life Lines: Australian Women's Lives 1788 to 1840_, editedby Patricia Clark and Dale Spender. Sydney, NSW: Allen and Unwin,1992, 249 pp.  @22.95 paper (US distribution: Paul & Co., PO Box442, Concord, MA 01742).* I recommend Paul Kelly's _The end of certainty_ for a chronicling ofthe relationship between economic and social policies in the LiberalParty.  It seems to Kelly that Howard was the one to try and introducesocial conservatism into the Libs to match the economic shift.Hewson, it appears, is so narrowly focused on the economy (laser-likeanyone?) that this is now irrelevant. [PR]Jack Davis, _A Boy's Life_. An entertaining account of growing up(Koorie)Diane Bell, _Daughters of the Dreaming_. Feminist Aboriginalanthropology.Jill Conway, _The Road from Coorain_. Autobiography. In the traditionof My Brilliant Career - a woman's exquisitely clear-sighted memoir ofgrowing up Australian. Jill Conway is a noted historian, specialisingin the experience of women in America and was the first womanpresident of Smith College (a women's college in the USA).*Hugh Lunn, _Over the top with Jim_ (and the sequels) -- popularautobiographies dealing with growing up in the '50s.* Alan Marshall, _I can jump Puddles_ (Story of writer Alan Marshall'schildhood, after he was crippled at a young age by polio. A classic.He wrote several other autobiographical works, and a number of them,including "I can ..." were made into a TV series by the ABC)* Albert Facey, _A Fortunate Life_. This is the extraordinary life ofan ordinary man. It is the story of Albert Facey, who lived withsimple honesty, compassion and courage. A parentless boy who startedwork at eight on the rough West Australian frontier, he struggled asan itinerant rural worker, survived the gore of Gallipoli, the loss ofhis farm in the Depression, the death of his son in WWII and that ofhis beloved wife after sixty devoted years - yet felt that his lifewas fortunate.  Facey's life story, published when he waseighty-seven, has inspired many as a play , a television series and anaward-winning book that has sold over 1/2 a million copies.  [Movingand unforgettable.AN]* Stan Arneil. _One Man's War_. The diary of a young Australian armysergeant, Stan Arneil, kept as a prisoner of war duing WWII.  Itcovers the entire period of imprisonment from the fall of Singapore in1941 through the infamous Burma railway camps, his return to Changiand his repatriation to Australia in October 1945. Winner of the 1981International Pen Award for Non-fiction.  After the war Stan Arneilwas active in welfare and church work.  In the 1950s he establishedthe credit union movement and he has been awarded the Order ofAustralia for his efforts in that field.* Susan Mitchell. (1) _Tall Poppies_. Nine Australian women talk aboutwomen and succes in Australia today.  _The Matriarchs_.  TwelveAustralian women, from their sixties to their nineties, talk abouttheir lives, and about being alive today.* John Pilger, _A Secret Country_.  John Pilger was born and educatedin Sydney, Australia. He has been a war correspondent, film-maker andplaywright. Based in London, he has written from many countries andhas twice won British journalism's highest award, that of Journalistof the Year, for his work in Vietnam and Cambodia. Among a number ofother awards, he has been International Reporter of the Year, andwinner of the United Nations Association Media Peace Prize.  JohnPilger writes about his homeland with life-long affection and apassionately critical eye. In A Secret Country he pays tribute to alittle known Australia and tells a story of high political drama.-"Tenaciously researched, fiercely argued, both unsparing andpatriotic, A Secret Country presents a harsh narrative of class,race and power; of the oppression and resistance, the betrayaland amnesia, that lie behind the sunny illusions of theAustralian self-image" Robert Hughes.-"A moving account of the abuse of human rights in Australia' GrahamGreene- "This is a patriotic book in the best sense, written in the beliefthat Australia deserves not old bromides and stereotypes, but therespect of critical appraisal.  With _The Fatal Shore_ by RobertHughes, it is an essential text for anyone wishing to understand thereal Australia obscured by the advertising industry's image of anation of 'white Anglo-Saxon Crocodile Dundees with the wit of thecast of _Neighbours_'. It is also a necessary book for those of us whobelieve in the redeeming power of truth. Daily Telegraph, London.-"He reveals a hidden Australia at once more ugly and more heroic thanthe official history... Combining investigative journalism withwhimsical anecdote, it's a powerful critique of Australian society anda bloody good read."  Australian Tribune.* Paul Kelly, _The Hawke Ascendancy_ is the story of how the LaborParty returned to power in 1983 after its crushing defeat in1975.  Itis the inside story of three men- Bob Hawke, Malcolm Fraser and BillHayden - and their unique power struggle. The account covers the fulleight years which began with Fraser's 1975 supremacy and closed withHawke's 1983 triumph and first year of office.13.4 Films From the Sunday "New York Times", Jan 2nd 1994 [AT]:"Perhaps the closest parallel to the vitality of Ireland's movieindustry today is the Australian experience of the late 1970s. In aperiod of just a few years, the Australians gave the world"Gallipoli," "Breaker Morant," "My Brilliant Career," "Picnic atHanging Rock" and "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith." Critics slaveredover the output of directors like Peter Weir, Bruce Beresford, FredScepisi & Gillian Armstrong. "'Crocodile' Dundee," the ultimate inoutback machismo, established box-office records in both Australia andthe United States, where it was the 2nd-highest-grossing movie of1986.The success of these films changed the image of the country thatproduced them. Suddenly, Australians loomed large as a force in themovie world.  ......Soon after they made their mark, nearly all the best-knownAustralian directors scampered off to Hollywood. The mighty Australianfilm industry faltered -- partly because of recession & unemploymentbut also because its proficient pool of talent opted for the biggerbudgets and wider distribution offered by the studios."[Entries mostly taken from a Maltin's 1991 TV Movies and Video Guide.I'll fill in more each month. Also I don't have much on more recentreleases. Also contributions from AR. Contributions welcome. AN]ACTION/ADVENTUREEscape 2000FortressForty Thousand HorsemenThe Lighthorsemen Period dramas of WW1 in the Middle East.  The Australian Light Horse, the charge at Beersheeba, etc.Mad Dog Morgan Bushrangers.Mad Max (1979) Dir. George Miller. Mel Gibson. In the desolate nearfuture, the police have their hands full keeping roads safe fromsuicidally daring drivers and roving gangs. Top cop Gibson tires andquits, but when his wife and child are murdered by vicious cyclists,he embarks on high-speed revenge. Weird atmosphere and characterscombine with amazing stunt work in this remarkable action film.        Mad Max 2 (The Road Warrior) (1981) Sequel finds Max, now a loner,reluctantly helping a tiny oil-producing community defend itself againstband of depraved crazies thirsty for precious fuel. Far less originalscript-wise, but trend-setting visual design and some of the mostunbelievable car stunts ever filmed make this equal to, if not betterthan the original.Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) Tina Turner. Mad Max comes uponTurner's cutthroat city of Bartertown, survives a battle-to-the-deathin the Roman-style Thunderdome, and is exiled to the desert where heis rescued by a tribe of wild children.  Lots of stunts and action,and even some philosophical moments, but lacks kinetic energy.        The Man From Snowy River (1982) Dir George Miller. Kirk Douglas, TomBurlinson, Sigrid Thornton, Lorraine Bayley. Grand, old-fashionedWestern-style saga, based on epic poem, about strong-willed young manwho goes to work for an empire-building cattleman, and falls in lovewith his daughter. Kokey, simplistic, but great fun, with eye-fillingscenery of the Snowy Mountains and incredible action scenes with somewild horse.  Thompson cameo role as Clancy of the Overflow.The Odd Angry Shot A Vietnam war film from the Australian viewpoint.  Stars Graham Kennedy, Graeme Blundell. "You could set your watch to this fucking rain." :-)The QuestRazorback The "Jaws" of feral pigs.Return to Snowy River, Part IIWalk Into HellWe of the Never Never (1983) Angela Punch McGregor.  True story basedon the memoirs of the first white woman to travel into Australianinland wilderness (known as the Never Never). Visually stunning.COMEDYBliss (1985) High-powered businessman has a major heart attack, seeshimself dying, the revives - which changes his entire outlook on life.After a dynamic opening this stylized satire slows to a snail's paceand loses its thrust.  Australian Academy award winner and internationalfilm festival favourite.The Cars That Ate Paris (1974) Peter Weir. The poor people of Paris(Paris, Australia) keep the economy going by inducing trafficaccidents and selling the spare parts/scrap metal.  Iffy black comedyhas its moments. (in US released as The Cars That Eat People?)"Crocodile" Dundee (1986) Paul Hogan. Amiable, laid-back comedy (thatbecame an enormous world-wide hit) about an adventurer who shows apretty American reporter around the bush country, then accompanies herto the equally strange terrain of New York City.  Irresistibly simpleand old-fashioned, with a sweetness that's rare in modern comedies.[Unfortunately this is all most Americans know about Australia. AN]"Crocodile" Dundee II (1988) Sequel, not too bad.Don's Party (1976) Bruce Beresford. Powerful black comedy about theinteraction - sexual and otherwise - about a group of youngsuburbanites who get together to watch election returns. Stunningdirection, superb performances by all; biting script by DavidWilliamson, from his play.Flirting: director John DuiganMalcolm (1986) Charming, disarmingly off-beat comedy about aslow-witted young man with a genius for mechanical devices and hisunusual entry into a life of crime. Australian film institute winnerfor best Picture.Norman Loves Rose (1982) Ok comedy of teenager Owen who becomesenamoured with sister-in-law Kane. She becomes pregnant and who is thefather?Rikky and Pete (1988) Pete is a misfit with a penchant for gimmickyinventions, Rikki is his sister who is still trying to find herself;together they flee to a remote mining town where their lives take someunexpected turns. Followup to Malcolm by the same director and writer,hasn't the same sweetness or consistency but it's admirably quirky.Strictly Ballroom.  Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio), one of Australia'sbest ballroom dancers, is on-target for a number of championshipsuntil he starts to dance from the heart, abandoning the DanceFederation's rigid steps in favour of his own moves.  His partner Liz(Gia Carides) leaves him and Scott is forced to take up with anamateur.  Fran (Tara Morice) matches Scott's zest for life, but onequestion hangs over them as they teach each other about life, love,and dancing: can they win by rejecting tradition?Touch and Go (1980)Young Einstein (1988) Nutty comedy based on the premise that Einsteinnot only developed the theory of relativity, but invented rock 'nroll. The silliness continues from there... but any movie thatcontains 'cat pies' can't be all bad.The Year my Voice Broke:director John DuiganDRAMABreaker Morant Period drama of the Boer War in South Africa.  Rule 303 & all that.  Stars Edward Woodward.Burke and Wills Intrepid explorers die of hunger, thirst & stupidity.CactusCaddie Period drama of 1920's Australian underworld. Stars Helen Morse.Careful, He Might Hear YouChain ReactionA Cry in the Dark: The Azeria Chamberlain story, with Meryl Streep as        Lindy ChamberlainDawnThe Devil's PlaygroundThe Fringe DwellersThe Getting of WisdomGround ZeroHeatwaveHigh TideKangaroo Sons & Lovers goes to Thirroul in NSW, where it's not nearly grimy & cold enough.The Killing of Angel StreetKitty and the Bagman Period drama of 1920's Australian underworld.Last Days at Chez NousThe Last WaveLonely HeartsMan of FlowersThe Mango TreeMiracle Down UnderMy Brilliant CareerMy First WifeNewsfront Period drama of newsreel reporters.  Re-creates the Maitland floods.Now and Forever-On the Beach. Based on a Neville Shute novel, set in Melbourne, thelast place on earth just about that people are still alive after anuclear war, waiting for the sickness to reach them.Picnic at Hanging RockProof: Blind man takes photographs as proof that he was there.Puberty Blues Rites of passage for westie surfie chicks. The film of the book by The Salami Sisters (Kathy Lette & ???).Rebel (1986)Shame (1988)Squizzy Taylor Period drama of 1920's Australian underworld.Storm Boy Boy, pelican, boats, etc.Summer CityTimA Town Like AliceTraveling NorthWarm Nights on a Slow-Moving TrainWeekend of ShadowsWho Killed Baby AzariaThe Wild DuckWinter of Our DreamsMUSICALDogs in Space Life in inner-city Melbourne shared terraces.  Based on the band Whirlywild.  Amazingly, many people depicted in this movie aren't dead yet.  Stars Michael Hutchence of INXS.StarstruckMYSTERY/THRILLERDead CalmPatrick13.5 Music[Any volunteers for collecting material for this section? AN]13.5.1 Classical13.5.2 Pop* Hunters and CollectorsThey're a Melbourne band who've been around for well over ten yearsnow and they've changed their style a hell of a lot since theystarted. In the early 80s they brought out this weird sounding albumcalled Hunters & Collectors which was characterized by a metallicpercussion from a huge metal cannister or something they used to dragup on stage with them.At some stage they moved to England and made an album called JudasSheep which they seem to be pretty embarrassed about now I think.Mark Seymour, the singer, said it contains some of the mostpretentious lyrics he's ever written. I think the next album, madeafter having moved back to Oz, was The Jaws of Life, which is close tomy favourite album. It's really, um, almost crude, and is full ofchant-like lyrics and sounds great, but probably takes some gettingused to. I like especially the songs 'The Jaws of Life' which toucheson an incident in the Northern Territory where a truck driver ploughedinto a pub (on purpose?) and killed some people, and 'Betty's Worry orThe Slab' which is about masturbation.Another really good album is Human Frailty. The singing on this albumis really good - the harmonics. 'Throw Your Arms Around Me' became areally well known song in Oz.  Then came What's A Few Men, which Ireally like too: good lyrics, good singing. After that, I think, cameGhost Nation, and then they released 'Collected Works' which has songsfrom every album except Judas Sheep, and a remix of Throw Your ArmsAround Me.  They brought out an album a couple of years ago called,um, shit, now I#ve forgotten, something monosyllabic. I didn't likethat album as much the earlier stuff but that's just a matter oftaste. There may be a new album after that, or on the way.13.5.3 Jazz13.5.4 Other* Aboriginal music[JO] The band Outback does a good job of the didgerido, and they'renow on Ryko.  They used to be on Hannibal Records.  Second is TranceMission, with their self-titled album on City of Tribes records.  Theyuse clarinet, too...  it's real strange, but it grows on you.  Lastly,you've heard of Steve Roach, haven't you?  :) He's been on severallabels, and I'm not sure which he's with now.  But just about anythinghe does -- except maybe Empetus -- there's probably a didgeridoo in it.* Didgeridos [PW]Firstly, how to get a sound.  With brass instruments, you make a soundby vibrating both lips into a mouthpiece.  With a didj though, you areonly supposed to vibrate your top lip, keeping the bottom one still.Having played the trombone for about 7 years, I found it quite easy toget a sound somewhat similar to a kid blowing down a vacuum cleanerhose (or a plastic pipe for that matter).  It took me a bit of time toget a proper type of sound but when I did, I found I used a lot lessair, and could manipulate the sound far more.  Then again, havingplayed the trombone, I was used to the principles of manipulating mymouth (just ask the wief ;-].  Effects such as "dingo calls" areachieved by making a noise with your vocal-chords at the same time asthe drone with your lips.  This also takes a bit of practice !Secondly, circular breathing.  This I have not yet tried with muchconviction but I'll get around to it real soon now !  The basicprinciple is that you puff your cheeks up, block off the back of yourmouth with your tongue, and then breath in your nose while pullingyour cheeks in to expell air through your mouth.  Blocking the back ofthe mouth can be done by raising the back of the tongue to the top ofthe mouth.  It helps a bit to push your tongue forward as you pullyour cheeks in to get a bit more pressure.  Also, don't try this withyour mouth wide open - you need a small gap in your lips to keep thepressure up.  The book I have also suggests getting a straw with atwist in it, putting the end in a glass of water and blowing throughit.  This way you can see if you are breathing properly (and youreally know it if you breath in your mouth instead of your nose :-).Thirdly, if you can't hear the instrument very well because it'spointing away from you, put the end into an open cardboard box - itmakes a huge difference.  Unfortunately, my wife doesn't appreciatethe empty box in the middle of the living room floor .....13.6 Opera13.7 Ballet13.8 Theatre15. CONTRIBUTORSThe following people have made contributions to this FAQ.  If you haveany corrections, suggestions, additions, subtractions, etc., pleasemail them to Stephen Wales, stephenw@mincom.oz.au.NOTE: Unfortunately, I cannot post articles on behalf of others,arrange aus.* feeds, look for lost relatives, etc.  I only havetime to deal with email that is related to this FAQ.Andrea Janelle Dickens (ajd2k@Virginia.EDU)Andrew Clarke (ajc@libserver.canberra.edu.au)Andrew Davie (s1331501@giaec.cc.monash.edu.au)Andrew Raphael (raphael@research.canon.oz.au)Andrew Taylor (andrewt@cse.unsw.edu.au)Andrew Torda,  (torda@igc.chem.ethz.ch)Andrew Williams (andreww@uniwa.uwa.edu.au)Angela Taylor (angela@dsl.rhilinet.gov)Ann Nicholson (aen@cs.brown.edu)Anna Watkins (di980@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)Aron Eisenpress (AFECU@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU)Barth Richards (barth@cbnewsd.cb.att.com)Bede Seymour (bedes@tx.uk.sun.com)Bionic Tapeworm (tmason@awadi.com.au)Bob Backway (b.backway@trl.oz.au)Bob Dick (bd@psych.psy.uq.oz.au)Bob Dick (bd@psych.psy.uq.oz.au)Bob Marks (bobm@agsm.unsw.oz.au)Brendan Jones (brendan@mpce.mq.edu.au)Brian Ross (brian@coombs.anu.edu.au)Bruce Cockburn (bcockburn@acorn.co.uk)Carol Denehy (ccd@ccadfa.cc.adfa.oz.au)Cath (s9100032@csdvax.csd.unsw.edu.au)Charles Creegan (ccreegan@uncecs.edu)Chris Beiting (beiting@vax.ox.ac.uk)Chris Maltby (chris@softway.sw.oz.au)Chris Maltby (chris@suite.sw.oz.au)Chris Penington (cjp8b@Virginia.EDU)Christopher Manning (manning@kinks.stanford.edu)Corran Webster (cwebster@math.ucla.edu)Darryl Harvey (djh@shell.portal.com)Dave Horsfall (dave@eram.esi.com.au)David Everett (deverett@vms.macc.wisc.edu)David J Birnbaum (djbpitt@pitt.edu)David M. 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Wyse (02h@oasys.dt.navy.mil)George Michaelson (G.Michaelson@cc.uq.oz.au)Gopal Rajan (grajan@worldbank.org)Greg Vernon (vernon@bcstec.ca.boeing.com)Helen JohnstonHugh Garsden (hughg@ee.su.OZ.AU)Ian Couroulis (i899435@greybox.ucnv.edu.au)Ian Couroulis <ian@ironbark.ucnv.edu.au>Ian Doust (iand@hydra.maths.unsw.edu.au)Ian Staples (ianst@qdpii.ind.dpi.qld.gov.au)Ivan Reid (ivan@cvax.psi.ch)James Harland (jah@cs.mu.OZ.AU)James Mullen (jmullens@cssc-melb.tansu.com.au)Jane Anna LANGLEY (squirrel@cs.mu.OZ.AU)Jaqui Lynch (lynch@delphi.bc.edu)Jim Breen (jwb@capek.rdt.monash.edu.au)Joe Mack (mack@fcs260c.ncifcrf.gov)John Colville (John.Colville@brunel.ac.uk)John Lamp (jw_lamp@postoffice.utas.edu.au)John Marinopoulos (stajm@lure.latrobe.edu.au)John Nash (jnash@ccs.carleton.ca)John Newman (J.Newman@icarus.curtin.edu.au)John Oliver <j.oliver@uow.edu.au>John P Onorato (wizard@bga.com)Josef Widjaja (jwidjaja@laurel.ocs.mq.edu.au)Justin Sullivan (justin@sydney.dialix.oz.au)Karen Wood (karen@cs.flinders.edu.au)Ken Pisichko (pisichko@uwpg02.uwinnipeg.ca)Kerry Wilson (kerryw@bundle.uk.sun.com)Kim Badcock (Kim.Badcock@ml.csiro.au) Kym Horsell (khorsell@ee.latrobe.edu.au)LSLawrence Cavedon (cavedon@cogsci.edinburth.ac.uk)Leanne Archer (Leanne Archer)Luke Brennan (BRENNAN@COCO.CCHS.SU.OZ.AU)Mark L. Sawley (sawley@dme.epfl.ch)Mark Morwood (morwood@wal.hp.com)Mark the Magnetic (mpiton@chem.queensu.ca)Matthew Winefield (s66041@cc.ntnu.edu.tw)Melissa Rogerson (rogerson@bkfug.kfunigraz.ac.at)Michael Johnson (mick@mullara.met.unimelb.EDU.AU)Mike Van Niekerk (mvn@perth.DIALix.oz.au)Ming (mkoh@hp-vcd.vcd.hp.com)Nick (nfoskett@mv.us.adobe.com)P Atcliffe (p_atclif@pat.uwe.ac.uk)Peter Butler (peter_butler.its_2_po@ms-gw.uow.edu.au)Peter Dormans (DORTMANS@padova.infn.it)Peter Rayner (pjr@splash.Princeton.EDU)Phil Ganderton (gandini@unm.edu)Phil Watson (Phil.Watson@newcastle.ac.uk)Rex Mammel (rexm@csn.org)Rhys Weatherley (rhys@cs.uq.oz.au)Richard Helm (helm@watson.ibm.com)Richard Hickling (kinlen@ox.ac.uk)Rob Geraghty (robg@citr.uq.oz.au)Robert Chalmers (earth@nanguo.xanadu.dialix.oz.au)Robert Elz (kre@munnari.OZ.AU)Ron Seto (rons@zubrette.mpce.mq.edu.au)Ronald J. Bartle (snuffy@zelator.in-berlin.de)Ross Alford (zlraa@marlin.jcu.edu.au)Ross Casley (casley@Tarski.Stanford.EDU)Ross Paterson (rap@doc.ic.ac.uk)Russell Bride (eedrjb@teamos37.ericsson.se)Russell Deighton (zxmwb06@studserv.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de)Ruth Isabella McKai (mckay@leland.Stanford.EDU)Ruth McKay (mckay@leland.Stanford.EDU)Samir KASME (samir.kasme@alcatel.ch)Shannon McNeil (mcneil@angis.su.OZ.AU)Simon Tortike (W_S_Tortike@qmmin.mineral.ualberta.ca)Stephen Peter (steve@keystone.arch.unsw.EDU.AU) Stephen Rasku (Stephen_Rasku@mindlink.bc.ca)Stephen Wales (stephenw@mincom.oz.au)Steven Rossetti (stever@wench.ece.jcu.edu.au)Sytske Drury (drury@essc.psu.edu)Thomas Cohen (thos@suite.sw.oz.au)Thomas Marvan (tmarvan@sdcc3.ucsd.edu)Tim Littlejohn (little@ere.umontreal.ca)Tom Northey (tom@opal.com.au)Tony  van Rosmalen (crisar@rulcvx.LeidenUniv.nl)Tony Gedge (tonyg@cs.uq.oz.au)Tony Mason (tmason@tuart.awadi)Tony Sprent (sprent@sol.surv.utas.edu.au)Vincensius Sugito (sugito@tartarus.uwa.edu.au)Warren Smadbeck (cherry@cscns.com)William Eggington (William_Eggington@byu.edu.23.0@byu.edu)Zev Sero (zev@asis.unimelb.edu.au)cc: scot@sysx.apana.org.aujondarr@macadam.mpce.mq.edu.au king@qut.edu.auraphael@mama.research.canon.oz.au