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Thread: Ask me stuff about Australia.

  1. #1
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Default Ask me stuff about Australia.

    Carn! 'Avago, ya mug!

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    Have you, personally, ever stolen a generation?

    Also, is there a rabbit-proof fence in your line of sight?

    Also, did you personally know that crocodile hunter dude?

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    What the hell is Aussie-rules football?

    Why do English people eat Marmite when Vegemite is so obviously superior?
    Last edited by Exy; 30 Jul 2010 at 10:50 PM.

  4. #4
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    OK. I'm not good at using that quote thingy, so I'll just answer one-by-one and see what happens.

    * I've stolen generations of flies. Not humans. Yet.

    * The rabbit-proof fence is a fair way from where I live, but I used to live quite close by. It's absolutely useless. The rabbits laugh and go on their way.

    * I've met Steve Irwin, but didn't actually 'know' him. He was one crazy dude.

    The Aussie Rules question will take a bit to answer, so I'll do that in another poast.

  5. #5
    Padding Enabler Panther Squad's avatar
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    Please tell me what animals/creatures need to be avoided in Australia. Please focus on spiders, strange flies, and medium-sized mammals that are occasionally aggressive.
    comcast guy - m4m - 18 (nb)
    seem like we had that connection when we looked at each other
    you had a blue shirt on nice asss,dought you will see this but dosnt hurt to try, but id love to play with you. tell me what you where fixing, or the street name,or describe me.

  6. #6
    Padding Enabler Panther Squad's avatar
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    Wait, are questions about the movie Australia also allowed in this thread?

    Are Australians annoyed by questions like that because you can't ask me about that movie AMERICA. (although you can ask about the band, Tom might know the answer)
    comcast guy - m4m - 18 (nb)
    seem like we had that connection when we looked at each other
    you had a blue shirt on nice asss,dought you will see this but dosnt hurt to try, but id love to play with you. tell me what you where fixing, or the street name,or describe me.

  7. #7
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Well, Aussie Rules. To start, here's a brief outline: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_rules_football

    An even more brief outline follows: basically, you try to kick a ball through some posts. The posts are like this l l l l . If one kicks the ball through the middle posts, ie l l*l l , it's called a 'goal' and that team gets 6 points. If the ball passes like l*l l l or
    l l l*l , it's known as a 'behind' and is worth 1 point. The team with the most points at the end is declared the winner.

    As for Marmite, I can't even imagine why anyone would eat it. In fact, I struggle to understand why people compare Vegemite with Marmite. The 2 are quite different IMO, and Vegemite is far superior, as Exy mentioned.

  8. #8
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Panther Squad View post
    Please tell me what animals/creatures need to be avoided in Australia. Please focus on spiders, strange flies, and medium-sized mammals that are occasionally aggressive.
    Pretty much any spider that looks dangerous, might be. We have horseflies, that sting like hell, but I don't think they're limited to Oz. We have dingoes, foxes, possums (different to the ugly American ones), emus, kangaroos, 100's of different venomous snakes, fruit bats that spread a rabies-like virus, platypi, magpies that try to behead people every spring, crocodiles, sharks, Tasmanian devils, and maybe a few more I missed for now. But you're welcome to come and have a look yourself! :smile:

  9. #9
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Panther S, I haven't seen the 'Australia' movie in full, so you might know more about the movie than I do.

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    Have you personally ever eaten wichety grubs? Or do you guys only feed them to us tourists and laugh at us later?

    What is the best Australian beer?

  11. #11
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    How many crocodiles do you have to kill as you ride your wallaby to work every morning?

    Why are koalas so cute when they are, in fact, vicious little bastards?

  12. #12
    Oliphaunt The Original An Gadaí's avatar
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    Are you really all a bunch of convicts?

    Can you recommend any Aussie films us foreigners probably haven't heard of?

    Have you been in every state/territory of Australia?

    Do people from different parts of Australia have stereotypical traits? I've heard the term "Deep North" for Queensland but dunno how common that is, or how accurate the stereotype is.

    Is it a mandatory requirement for Aussies to go travelling for a year?

  13. #13
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph View post
    Have you personally ever eaten wichety grubs? Or do you guys only feed them to us tourists and laugh at us later?

    What is the best Australian beer?
    Yes, I've eaten witchety grubs. Thry're disgusting raw, but not too bad cooked on a campfire. Tho white Aussies usually save this for unassuming tourists.

    My favourite Aussie beer is VB. I'm from Victoria, so I may be biased.
    Last edited by Trojan Man; 31 Jul 2010 at 11:37 PM.

  14. #14
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Orual View post
    How many crocodiles do you have to kill as you ride your wallaby to work every morning?

    Why are koalas so cute when they are, in fact, vicious little bastards?
    Zero. The wallaby kills them for me.

    Koalas use thier cuteness to lull humans into a false sense of security. They have short arms, so it's easier for them if your face is REAL close.

  15. #15
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by The Original An Gadaí View post
    Are you really all a bunch of convicts?

    Can you recommend any Aussie films us foreigners probably haven't heard of?

    Have you been in every state/territory of Australia?

    Do people from different parts of Australia have stereotypical traits? I've heard the term "Deep North" for Queensland but dunno how common that is, or how accurate the stereotype is.

    Is it a mandatory requirement for Aussies to go travelling for a year?
    I ALREADY TOLD YOU SOME OF US ARE NOT DESCENDED FROM CONVICTS!!!

    'The Castle' may seem quaint to foreigners. Can't think of any others ATM.

    I've travelled extensively throughout Oz, everywhere except one state.

    Victorians tend to be 'metropolitan' or 'Euro-esque'. NSWers think of themselves as the 'first settlers' coz of history, Qlders are laconic and tend towards racism, and so on. These are just stereotypes and not necessarily true for all inhabitants.


    <quote> Is it a mandatory requirement for Aussies to go travelling for a year?

    I ALREADY TOLD YOU SOME OF US ARE NOT DESCENDED FROM CONVICTS!!!

  16. #16
    Content Generator AllWalker's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by spitz View post
    My favourite Aussie beer is VB. I'm from Victoria, so I may be biased.
    Biased is an interesting word for "total lack of taste".

    I really, really don't want to turn this into a flame war, but VB is honestly the worst of the commonly available beers.

    The best Aussie beers, IMHO, might be Blue Tongues. Their alcoholic ginger beer especially. But I usually go for Carlton Draught, if only because I don't mind blowing five bucks on a schooner.

    Interesting fact: the official language, currency and religion of Australia is alcohol.
    Something tells me we haven't seen the last of foreshadowing.

  17. #17
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Carlton Draught - fair enough. Blue Tongues?! You call yourself an Aussie?! That's what's wrong with this country. For shame!

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    Curmudgeon OtakuLoki's avatar
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    Every encounter any box jellies?

  19. #19
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    You both should be sent to New Zealand.

    Coopers.

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    Spitz, if you are not ALL descended from convicts, you are all descended from people who SHOULD HAVE BEEN convicts, but never got caught.

    Anyhoo, who's most representative of Oz, Dame Edna or Rolf Harris?
    To sleep, perchance to experience amygdalocortical activation and prefrontal deactivation.

  21. #21
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by OtakuLoki View post
    Every encounter any box jellies?
    I've eaten jelly beans from a box, yes. The other kind, no. :touches wood:

  22. #22
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Zweedo Rodriguez View post
    You both should be sent to New Zealand.

    Coopers.
    New Zealand?! That's not very choice, eh bro? I'm so mad, I'll slap you wiv me jandals!!!

  23. #23
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by ivan astikov View post
    Spitz, if you are not ALL descended from convicts, you are all descended from people who SHOULD HAVE BEEN convicts, but never got caught.

    Anyhoo, who's most representative of Oz, Dame Edna or Rolf Harris?
    Finally, a Pom who understands the *convict* thing!!!

    As for your question, I think they should be thrown into a centrifuge together and 'physically synergised'. And thrown on the garden and forgotten about. Possum.

  24. #24
    Content Generator AllWalker's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Zweedo Rodriguez View post
    You both should be sent to New Zealand.

    Coopers.
    Coopers is good. And generally not overpriced.

    Random true fact: Australia has snow! It's somewhere in between the sand that makes up the beach and the sand that makes up the desert. On a good day you can cool a six pack with it.

    But only the one, and there's usually a queue.
    Something tells me we haven't seen the last of foreshadowing.

  25. #25
    aka ivan the not-quite-as-terrible ivan astikov's avatar
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    Apart from , are there any other known instances of 'roo's being domesticated? Why hasn't there been a remake of "Skippy, The Bush Kangaroo"?

    From the comments in the above youtube link:
    #
    mcwolfus
    4 months ago

    i heard that there were a few 'skippys'. They were kept in sacks in the shade until they were needed for filming. Then, after they were shot and used as animal feed. -mum never told me this, i just found out for myself. huh, disalussionment.
    I'm shocked!
    Last edited by ivan astikov; 26 Aug 2010 at 03:42 AM.
    To sleep, perchance to experience amygdalocortical activation and prefrontal deactivation.

  26. #26
    Stegodon
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    Seeing how Spitz is busy packing his bags or drinking terrible beer somewhere, I will hijack his topic.

    Quote Originally posted by ivan astikov View post
    Apart from , are there any other known instances of 'roo's being domesticated?
    Hundred's. My cousins had a tame wallaby on their farm.

    Quote Originally posted by ivan astikov View post
    Why hasn't there been a remake of "Skippy, The Bush Kangaroo"?
    There was, The Adventures of Skippy.

    Quote Originally posted by ivan astikov View post
    From the comments in the above youtube link:


    I'm shocked!
    Wiki says they used between nine and fifteen animals per episode. I'm not sure about the shooting for animal feed afterwards, though.

  27. #27
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE HAVE AGAINST VB?! PHILESTINES, THE LOT OF YOU!!!

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    Based on my trip to eastern Oz I can tell you that VB is shit. I am sorry to tell you, spitz.

  29. #29
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    I SHALL START A VB MESSAGEBOARD!!! WE SHALL NUMBER INTO THE DOZENS!!!

    Last edited by Trojan Man; 03 Sep 2010 at 10:32 PM.

  30. #30
    A Dude Peeta Mellark's avatar
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    Being so far from the rest of the anglosphere, do you feel sort of "disconnected" from it? Do you think there's a big cultural impact because of the distance involved and how much closer you are to Asia?

  31. #31
    Oliphaunt
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    What's a jandal??

  32. #32
    aka ivan the not-quite-as-terrible ivan astikov's avatar
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    Why won't the Aboriginals let you have raves around Uluru? Would it really be disrespectful to the ancestors to set up a DJ stall and a laser show on top of that big rock?
    To sleep, perchance to experience amygdalocortical activation and prefrontal deactivation.

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    Quote Originally posted by Peeta Mellark View post
    Being so far from the rest of the anglosphere, do you feel sort of "disconnected" from it? Do you think there's a big cultural impact because of the distance involved and how much closer you are to Asia?
    Our sporting ties with other Commonwealth countries keep us connected. Asia is where tourists go for cheap drugs and child sex.

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    Quote Originally posted by Orual View post
    What's a jandal??
    Dit's a Kiwi term for thongs, Bro.

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    Administrator CatInASuit's avatar
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    So Fosters or Castlemaine XXXX? Which one is better?
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  36. #36
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Peeta Mellark View post
    Being so far from the rest of the anglosphere, do you feel sort of "disconnected" from it? Do you think there's a big cultural impact because of the distance involved and how much closer you are to Asia?
    Yeah, a little disconnected. When our TV is saturated with American content, we take on Americanisms, but reluctantly, as if they're being pushed upon us (they're not, but we feel that way sometimes). Our proximity to Asia certainly has an impact. It's changing our social landscape much more (IMO) than most Aussies would like to admit. Having said that, I think it's a good thing. Australia's too young to really have a strong independent culture of its own, and I believe the 'melting pot' effect makes us unique, if that makes sense.

  37. #37
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by ivan astikov View post
    Why won't the Aboriginals let you have raves around Uluru? Would it really be disrespectful to the ancestors to set up a DJ stall and a laser show on top of that big rock?
    Well, for starters, your question might be better rendered as: 'Why won't the Aborigines .... '. Aboriginal is an adjective. It's a pretty big deal here (for some people).

    And yes, it would be bad. The Aborigines consider Uluru as a god. I'm not Indigenous, so I can't give a proper explanation, but it's a sort of kangaroo spirit god, and if you ever go there, you might understand better. It really is a mystical place.

  38. #38
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by CatInASuit View post
    So Fosters or Castlemaine XXXX? Which one is better?
    I prefer Foster's personally, but as you've seen from this thread, my taste in beer isn't always taken seriously. But because Fosters isn't readily available here (it's more of an export beer) I do on occasion drink XXXX Gold, the light version. The heavy XXXX tastes like metal to me, and makes me physically ill. I think I may be allergic to it.

  39. #39
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    If an enraged wombat crossed paths with you, how likely would it be to seriously injure you?

  40. #40
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Zuul View post
    If an enraged wombat crossed paths with you, how likely would it be to seriously injure you?
    If I was in its burrow, I might be sans face after an attack. They have strong, sharp claws.

    If you mean me being upright, then none. I would just run. But you have to do something pretty bad to get a wombat angry, IME. I've patted one, and it didn't hurt me at all.

  41. #41
    Oliphaunt jali's avatar
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    Were there big Moon Festival celebrations yesterday? Is it a big deal there?

    I got to organize a surprise MF lunch in honor of Chenyue our coworker from China. Most that I spoke with here never heard of the celebration.
    They weren't singing....they were just honking.
    Glee 2009

  42. #42
    Elen síla lumenn' omentielvo What Exit?'s avatar
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    How bad is the water shortage in Aussie now?
    Is it affecting Agriculture yet?
    Are national reforms underway to handle the shortages?

  43. #43
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    I've vaguely heard something about a moon festival, but I don't know any details, sorry.
    Last edited by Trojan Man; 23 Sep 2010 at 05:22 PM. Reason: I tried to attach this to jali's post, but it didn't take. I need coffee!

  44. #44
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by What Exit? View post
    How bad is the water shortage in Aussie now?
    Is it affecting Agriculture yet?
    Are national reforms underway to handle the shortages?
    Ah, good question. It's been raining a fair bit nationwide lately, which is good, but we need some sensible long-range solutions to water shortage problems. It has pushed the price of groceries way up, pushed many a farmer to bankruptcy, and been a big pain in the bum. Politicians use it as an excuse to import cheap crops from o/s, while our crops drop off the trees and rot.
    Several suggestions have been put forward to fix it, but nothing really workable, IMO.

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    Quote Originally posted by jali View post
    Were there big Moon Festival celebrations yesterday? Is it a big deal there?
    Depends very much on where you live. I live in an area with a strong Chinese heritage (gold-mining history), so the moon festival was a big deal here - dancing dragons and lions, so on.

    Quote Originally posted by What Exit? View post
    How bad is the water shortage in Aussie now?
    Is it affecting Agriculture yet?
    Are national reforms underway to handle the shortages?
    SE Australia's had some rain: where I live, water storages are now at their highest level since about 1996 or something insane like that. We're out of town on tank water - tanks filled only by rainfall - and this is the longest we've had to go without buying water for the last seven years or so.

    Some areas are more affected than others but, on the whole, it's been affecting agriculture for years. We've always been prone to dry spells, but this one isn't a dry spell, or even a drought; it's just how things are now.

  46. #46
    Administrator CatInASuit's avatar
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    How much impact has Neighbours and Home and Away had on colouring the perception of Australia by other countries.
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

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    Eh, you'd probably have to ask them that. If you can find someone who's not embarrassed about admitting they watch that garbage
    Last edited by rotheche; 24 Sep 2010 at 05:05 PM.

  48. #48
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by CatInASuit View post
    How much impact has Neighbours and Home and Away had on colouring the perception of Australia by other countries.
    I've seen very little of either show, but I've heard all about them. Poms especially seem to think we all say 'flaming drongo!' or whatever. The problem is, they seem to make us all look like bogans.

  49. #49
    Mi parolas esperanton malbone Trojan Man's avatar
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    Australia was actually Britain's first attempt at a penal colony. What isn't mentioned is that they stopped using it once they discovered that it was a lot cheaper to ship people off to Ireland and just steal their potatoes until the Irish got so depressed that they emigrated to America and became crooked cops.

    Australia was originally a British penal colony for exiled thieves and murderers. It is not to be confused with France, which was originally a British penal colony for the cowardly and annoying.

    Australia eventually outgrew its shady past and evolved into a modern civilized nation, France has yet to make that particular leap.

    The basic units of Australian currency are giant cans of beer, which explains why Australian men have gargantuan arm muscles.

    The central portion of Australia is a dry, barren wasteland containing nothing of interest. Think of it as the real-world equivalent of a soap opera.

    The Prime Minister of Australia is Julia Gillard, and not, as most Americans assume, Steve Irwin. (He’s dead.)

    Australians are strong, loyal, trustworthy, and fierce fighters. If for some unimaginable reason you don't own a gun, consider carrying an Australian instead.

    The following fun facts about Australia are from Lonely Planet’s Australia:

    You’re Safe in Their Hands.

    Australia has almost 112,600 Surf Life Savers, who collectively spend some 1.4 million hours patrolling Australian beaches, where they rescue approximately 10,000 people per year.

    Fun facts about Australia: Sports.

    Aussie Tug of War.

    Wooli (pop. 600) hosts the Australian Goanna Pulling Championships over Easter. Rather than ripping the eponymous animal to shreds, participants squatting on all fours, attach leather harnesses to their heads and engage in cranial tug-of-war. This sport was all the rage in the 19th century, until it was replaced in popularity by sheep worrying and dunny dodging.

    Note: if you don’t know what a goanna or a dunny is you haven’t lived, not in Oz at least. .

    Fun facts about Australia: Patents.

    Great Australian inventions include the half-car-half-truck utility vehicle, (known in Oz as a ‘ute’, every ‘bloke’ should own one), the bionic ear, the black box flight recorder, the notepad and, my very own favourite, the wine cask ( may The Almighty forever bless this man ).

    Fun facts about Australia: Food.

    The Australian fetish for meat pies is legendary: Australians eat 260 million of them a year, around 13 per citizen. (and ain’t they good......sometimes).

    Fun facts about Australia: The Cane Toad.

    Queenslanders have several nicknames, but perhaps the most curious one is ‘cane toad’, after the amphibious critters that were introduced to Australia in 1935 in an attempt to control the native cane beetle.

    These creatures are not a pretty sight and have proved to be absolutely useless as they ignored the pesky cane grub and instead focused on reproducing.

    From an original batch of just 101 toads, there are now over 200 million of these long-legged creatures hopping around Australia- an invasion that has seen the populations of native snakes and goanna lizards decline.

    Indeed, the problem has gotten so bad that a millionaire pub owner has introduced a beer-for-a-bag-of-toads bounty that’s even got the support of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

    But it seems not everyone hates them; Queensland’s representative rugby league team (the best in the world) has chosen the cane toad as their unofficial mascot and they have even been listed by the National Trust of Queensland as a state icon, warts and all.

    Unusual Zoo.

    Even if you don’t normally like zoos, you must visit the Australia Zoo.

    This isn’t your typical zoo- the animals aren’t in cages; instead they roam through semi-natural habitats spread over acres, many of which you can walk directly through.

    This zoo is the life’s work and great love of the late Steve Irwin.

    Profits from the zoo help endangered species and fund an on-site wildlife hospital.

    Just be careful when you’re wandering through the crocodile enclosure... .

    Fun facts about Australia: The Great Barrier Reef.

    The Great Barrier Reef is home to about 1500 species of fish, 400 types of coral, 4000 breeds of clams and other molluscs, 800 echinoderms, including sea cucumbers, 500 varieties of seaweed, 200 bird species, 1500 different sponges, and 6 types of turtle.

    Fun facts about Australia: Souvenirs.

    If you’re looking to do more than simply soak up the sun on your travels there are a number of ways you can leave your mark on the environment- in a good way.

    The Tolga Bat Hospital, located just outside Atherton near Cairns, is always looking for volunteers to help look after the hundreds of bats that they rescue, rehabilitate and release every year.

    The winged critters are surprising cute and work might include feeding the ‘bubs’ or looking after orphaned flying foxes.

    Fun facts about Australia: Yellow Gold.

    Prized for its rich golden hue, rot-resistant oils and fine grain, Tasmania’s Huon Pine is one of the slowest-growing and longest-living trees on the planet.

    Individuals can take 2000 years to reach 30m in height and live to be 3000 years old.

    Fun facts about Australia: Doo Town.

    No one is really sure how it all started, but the raggedy collection of fishing shacks at Doo Town all contain the word “Doo” in their names.

    There’s the sexy “Doo Me”, the approving “We Doo”, the Beatle-esque “Love Me Doo”, and the melancholic “Doo Write”.

    We’re a funny lot, us Aussies.

    Beer Can Regatta.

    Don’t miss this cheerfully odd event held in mid-July at Darwin’s Mindil Beach, featuring races for boats made entirely from beer cans.

    Getting the building material can be a lot of fun.. .

    Fun facts about Australia: Prince Leonard’s Land.

    If you thought Australia was an island nation, you would be incorrect.

    The Principality of Hutt River is Australia’s “second largest country” formed when Leonard Casley, appalled by new government quotas on wheat production, seceded from the Commonwealth in 1970.

    The principality has around 13,000 citizens and is constitutionally valid.

    It has a post office and gift shop and welcomes visitors.

    PS you don’t need a passport to visit.

    Staircase to the Moon.

    The reflections of the rising full moon hitting the rippled mud flats at Roebuck Bay in Western Australia, exposed at low tide, create the optical illusion of a golden stairway leading to the moon.

    The town is abuzz with everyone eager to see the spectacle.

    At Town Beach there’s a lively evening market with food stalls and people bring their fold-up chairs and a bottle of something.

    NB The original says ‘a bottle of something’ but the writer has obviously never been to Oz, no-one ever takes just ONE bottle...

    No part of Australia is more than 1000 km from the ocean and a beach.

    (The point in the world that's the furthest from any ocean would be in China.)

    Australia has the world's largest cattle station (ranch).
    At 30,028 km2 it is almost the same size as Belgium.

    Australia is so big and sparsely populated that population density in Australia is usually calculated in square km per person, not people per square km.

    Australians have 380,000 square metres per person available, yet well over 90 of Australia's GDP) cover 0.02% of Australia's land mass.

    More land is occupied by pubs. (Can't find any statistics on the GDP here, my guess is: substantial).

    In 1954 Bob Hawke made it into the Guinness Book of Records: he sculled 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds.

    Bob Hawke went on to become the Prime Minister of Australia.

    Says a lot for our politicians....

    Funny stories:

    Who do you think was more scared? The Australian family camping in Kakadu National Park who woke up when a three metre crocodile tried climbing up on their tent, or the crocodile, when the family started screaming

    The poor croc turned straight around and raced back towards the water, unfortunately overlooking the tree in its way.

    The tree lost a fair bit of bark and there were two big wet circles where the croc's nose had slammed into the tree...

    Another.

    A tourist from New South Wales had to stop another vehicle to ask for directions to Ayers Rock.

    Nothing strange or funny about that?

    Well, Ayers Rock is huge (348 metres high), is the only significant feature along the only road in the area, and he was right in front of the rock with his headlights shining on it!

    You'd think you'd notice, wouldn't you?

    Nope.

    He pulled over the next car coming along, to ask for directions.

    The car looked like a ranger's vehicle to him.

    Well, they were cops instead and they immediately whipped out their breathalyser... 0.116.

    Too bad... (if you don’t know, 0.05 is the legal limit for driving in Australia and if you drive with more alcohol in you than that you’re a bloody idiot...).

    Fun Facts About Australia: Animals.

    Rabbits are considered a pest in Australia. Although somewhat cute and fuzzy, they tend to wander the country in packs, destroying everything in sight, and pooping everywhere with no respect for property rights, much like American hippies.

    There are 1500 hundred species of Australian spiders.

    If you read about our spiders you might not like this: the average person swallows three spiders a year.

    We have over 6000 species of flies, about 4000 species of ants, and there are about 350 species of termites in Australia.

    The combined mass of all termites in the world is more than ten times the mass of all people.

    Termites are also called white ants, but they're not ants, in fact not even closely related to ants.

    Dingoes are wild dogs native to Australia, and shouldn't be confused with Ding-Dongs, which have less hair, and more cream filling.

    A platypus is an odd-looking creature that appears to be a cross between a duck and a beaver. They live primarily in water and only exist to confuse biologists.

    Australia has the world's largest population of wild camels with one hump.

    The Tasmanian Devil does exist, it has the jaw strength of a crocodile and you can see it at Australia Zoo.

    Sharks are immune to all known diseases.

    There are more than 150 million sheep in Australia, and only some 20 million people.

    Fun Facts About Australia: Geography.

    Imagine if the fully welded rails of the Ghan train track weren't restrained properly, on a hot outback desert day they would expand and at the Darwin end they'd stick out 1.1 km into the ocean.

    Star gazing: under ideal viewing conditions, like in the Australian Outback, the naked eye can detect about 5,780 stars, I counted them one night when I had nothing better to do.........???

    The Sydney Opera House roof weighs more than 161,000 tons.

    The Great Barrier Reef is the largest organic construction on earth.

    Termite mounds are the tallest non-human constructions on earth.

    Yulara, the Aboriginal name of the Ayers Rock Resort, means "crying", "weeping".
    The cynics amongst us say it’s called that because that's what visitors do when they see their bill...

    http://www.golberz.com/2009/12/fun-f...australia.html

  50. #50
    Oliphaunt The Original An Gadaí's avatar
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    Great collection that spitz.

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