For when blogger just doesn't cut it when sharing photos...I now have Flickr.
I've christened my Flickr account with some photos taken on Woody Island in Esperance and a video of Shane skiing in Bunbury over Christmas.
www.flickr.com/photos/lindsaymb
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Good Read: Batavia
There are some things, quite confidently, Americans know about Australia. It has a city named Sydney, its native wildlife includes strange animals like Kangaroos and Koalas, and it’s down under – somewhere.
There is one other well-known fact about Australia – which many of us are taught during our school days– and that is the history of the first British settlers who exported convicts to Australia. My husband’s paternal grandfather was brought to this country from England as a wee baby. His mother was an unwed mom so her family put her and her newborn son on a ship to Australia with the rest of the convicts and misfits. In Sydney, she met her husband whose family name determined the fate of Shane’s family name, and more recently mine. But this is a story for another time.
The book Batavia is not about the British settlers. What many people don’t know is that the first Europeans to set foot on Australia were not British but the Dutch, who discovered and mapped what is today the coast of Western Australia, two hundred years before the British discovered Australia’s East Coast.
It was the lucrative spice trade that brought Dutch sailors to this part of the world. Their twelve month journey which originated in Amsterdam would take them all the way around Africa, past India and conclude in what is now present day Jakarta, Indonesia.
Eventually, a more adventurous captain discovered that if he headed directly east from the southern tip of Africa, taking advantage of the “roaring forties” all the way to what is essentially Perth and up the coast of Australia then three months was shaved off the journey. Hence, the Zuidland (southland) was discovered. With a dangerous coastline of islands and coral reefs, an apparently barren and waterless mainland, and no obvious civilization to dominate, the Zuidland was ignored.
But, in 1629, the Dutch East India Company (the first company with a system of shares and investors) set sail on its’ maiden voyage their most glorious ship, the Batavia, filled with over 300 men, women and children and some of the company’s most precious jewels and coins. On the final leg of the journey the Batavia met its fate on the Abrolhos islands, off the coast of what is today the town of Geraldton, 450 kms or five hours north of Perth.
This disaster was only the beginning of what the book’s author, Peter Fitzsimons, describes as an “adults-only version of Lord of the Flies meets Nightmare on Elm Street.” What makes this amazing and true story even more fascinating is that it was not until the 1960’s that the wreck was discovered and human bones and artifacts were found on the islands. Today the Abrolhos remain a quiet group of 122 islands and atolls, occupied mostly by Cray fisherman with very little accommodation and tourism. Read a bit about the islands today and watch a short video here.
I was bemused (and amused) that Fitzsimons opens his book with a quote from fellow Missourian Mark Twain, written in the year 1897. Twain’s quote reads as follows:
“Australian history is almost always picturesque; indeed, it is also so curious and strange, that it is itself the chiefest novelty the country has to offer and so it pushes the other novelties into second and third place. It does not read like history, but like the most beautiful lies; and all of a fresh new sort, no mouldy old stale ones. It is full of surprises and adventures, the incongruities, and contradictions, and incredibilities; but they are all true, they all happened”
Whether or not Twain knew anything of the Batavia, his sentiments echo the heart of this story. I highly recommend this book no matter where you live. As it was only recently launched in Australia, it has yet to be published overseas but the book’s publisher assures me it will be published in the US, UK, and Singapore to name a few. If you are doing the e book thing, then it can be purchased through Amazon. Otherwise, coming soon to a Borders near you. Errr, maybe not Borders.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Steep Point
Shane abandoned Bronson and I for four days to forage for fish with five other blokes. Although I was jealous that he went on holiday while I was stuck home working and vacuuming, I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the destination.
Steep Point is at Shark Bay where Shane and I holidayed last year. There is no fresh water, no plumbing, no services (I mean no services), and lots of flies...so I've been told, and it's accessible only by a 180 kilometre gravel road. The only thing to do at Steep Point is fish and drink piss. Not that I don't enjoy either of those activities but in a more modern setting.
The prized catches were a 14 kilo Yellowfin Tuna and a 16 kilo Mackrel, both caught by Scott. Although Shane didn't break any fishing records we now have a freezer filled with fish. I've reaped the reward of their efforts from the comfort of my home and its modern amenities.
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| Scott and his 16 kilo Mackrel |
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| 14 kilo Yellowfin Tuna |
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| Red Throat Snapper |
Friday, March 4, 2011
Esperance
Following our recent visit to The Great Southern, we continued eastward to Esperance to complete our exploration of WA’s south coast - or at least the inhabited portion of it. It’s a five hour drive from Albany to Esperance although we took a slightly amended trip to drive through the Stirling Ranges just north of Albany.
The town of Esperance (population 15,000) is the final frontier of WA. Only overseas tourists and “grey nomads” who take several months or a year to drive around Australia explore the roads east of Esperance. From Esperance it’s 24 hours until you reach Adelaide, South Australia, the next major (or even mentionable) population centre.
Esperance is best known for its white sand beaches. Lucky Bay, in Cape Le Grand National Park, was deemed Australia’s whitest beach by the National Committee on Soil and Terrain - but it didn’t come without some fuss from those Queenslanders on the Great Barrier Reef. White sand beaches - it’s a competitive business here in Australia. Instead of taking the sophisticated 40 minute drive from Esperance to Lucky Bay we opted for the shorter and more scenic route driving on the beach. In other more accessible parts of the world, such amazing beaches would be swarming with people but we saw very few.
Another pride of Esperance is the Recherché Archipelago - 105 islands and 1500 islets and the largest group of islands in southern Australia. We took a half day boat cruise through the islands to view Eagles, Sea Lions and Seals, and apparently Penguins but it must have been the wrong time of year because we didn’t see any. The tour, hosted by Mackenzie's Island Cruises, took us to Woody Island, one of the largest islands in the Archipelago.
In 1976, the owner of Woody Island was out fishing with his Labrador Twiggy. Twiggy disappeared overboard and by the time her owner realized she was gone, she was nowhere to be found. The conditions were bad, and taking his own safety into consideration, he was in no position to go looking for her. Fast forward three months and his business partner is on Woody island and spots what appears to be a dingo although no dingoes lived on the island. After coaxing a skinny and skittish Twiggy with large amounts of food she returned to Esperance to live with her owner for another 4 years. She swam 3 kilometers in the shark infested harsh conditions of the Southern Ocean and then survived on Woody Island for three months on lizards and birds eggs. Today stands Twiggy’s Landing in memory of Twiggy’s plight.
The 8 hour drive from Esperance back to Perth is long and boring and after awhile, even the beautiful countryside becomes dreary. If you can’t survive on roadhouse meat pies and chips then stock your car with alternative options. Don’t expect a KFC or even a McDonalds along the way.
Fortunately, we had Wave Rock to entertain us half way into our journey – a two billion year old wave shaped granite formation standing 15 meters tall and 100 meters wide. We saw it…we even surfed it…and then we ate meat pies and continued on our way…
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| Lucky Bay, Cape Le Grand National Park, Esperance |
Following our recent visit to The Great Southern, we continued eastward to Esperance to complete our exploration of WA’s south coast - or at least the inhabited portion of it. It’s a five hour drive from Albany to Esperance although we took a slightly amended trip to drive through the Stirling Ranges just north of Albany.
The town of Esperance (population 15,000) is the final frontier of WA. Only overseas tourists and “grey nomads” who take several months or a year to drive around Australia explore the roads east of Esperance. From Esperance it’s 24 hours until you reach Adelaide, South Australia, the next major (or even mentionable) population centre.
Esperance is best known for its white sand beaches. Lucky Bay, in Cape Le Grand National Park, was deemed Australia’s whitest beach by the National Committee on Soil and Terrain - but it didn’t come without some fuss from those Queenslanders on the Great Barrier Reef. White sand beaches - it’s a competitive business here in Australia. Instead of taking the sophisticated 40 minute drive from Esperance to Lucky Bay we opted for the shorter and more scenic route driving on the beach. In other more accessible parts of the world, such amazing beaches would be swarming with people but we saw very few.
Another pride of Esperance is the Recherché Archipelago - 105 islands and 1500 islets and the largest group of islands in southern Australia. We took a half day boat cruise through the islands to view Eagles, Sea Lions and Seals, and apparently Penguins but it must have been the wrong time of year because we didn’t see any. The tour, hosted by Mackenzie's Island Cruises, took us to Woody Island, one of the largest islands in the Archipelago.
In 1976, the owner of Woody Island was out fishing with his Labrador Twiggy. Twiggy disappeared overboard and by the time her owner realized she was gone, she was nowhere to be found. The conditions were bad, and taking his own safety into consideration, he was in no position to go looking for her. Fast forward three months and his business partner is on Woody island and spots what appears to be a dingo although no dingoes lived on the island. After coaxing a skinny and skittish Twiggy with large amounts of food she returned to Esperance to live with her owner for another 4 years. She swam 3 kilometers in the shark infested harsh conditions of the Southern Ocean and then survived on Woody Island for three months on lizards and birds eggs. Today stands Twiggy’s Landing in memory of Twiggy’s plight.
The 8 hour drive from Esperance back to Perth is long and boring and after awhile, even the beautiful countryside becomes dreary. If you can’t survive on roadhouse meat pies and chips then stock your car with alternative options. Don’t expect a KFC or even a McDonalds along the way.
Fortunately, we had Wave Rock to entertain us half way into our journey – a two billion year old wave shaped granite formation standing 15 meters tall and 100 meters wide. We saw it…we even surfed it…and then we ate meat pies and continued on our way…
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| Recherche Archipelago |
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| Recherche Archipelago |
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| Recherche Archipelago |
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| Woody Island, Recherche Archipelago |
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| Woody Island, Recherche Archipelago |
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| Esperance |
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| Esperance |
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| Sunset, Esperance Wind Farm |
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| Great Ocean Drive, Esperance |
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| Wave Rock |
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| driving home |
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Great Southern
Flanked by ancient forests to the west, the Stirling ranges to the north, the Southern Ocean to the south, and the empty coastline of the Great Australian Bight to the east is The Great Southern region of Western Australia.
With the town of Albany as our base, we recently spent three days exploring The Great Southern. I was surprised to learn that this small city tucked away on the south coast and the sixth largest city in WA (population 34,000), was the first British settlement in the state, settled in 1826, three years before the establishment of Perth. Like the west coast, it was also explored by the Dutch in the 1600’s and repeatedly abandoned due to a lack of natural resources. A rather ironic fact considering WA is now a hotbed of iron ore, gold, diamonds, and even grains which are exported all over the world. Thirty-five minutes to the west of Albany is the town of Denmark (population 5,000) - a historic and proudly “green” town and another great spot to use as your base for exploring the area.
This region has matured insignificantly since the 1800’s, allowing its natural beauty and diverse landscape to flourish. With slightly milder temperatures and slightly more rainfall it’s a landscape much different to Perth 4.5 hours to the northwest. Add to that the roaring swell and winds of the Southern Ocean which feel as if they’ve travelled directly from Antarctica (and they have!) with marathon endurance. During our visit, temperatures struggled to reach the 25 degree mark, while in Perth we’ve experienced 23 consecutive days of 30 plus (86! F) temperatures…and counting.
The most stunning aspect of this region is the dramatic coastline characterized by rolling and at times mountainous hills, sweeping bays, and rocky cliffs. The forests to the east are home to 50 meter tingle and karri trees, some of the oldest trees on the planet. You can view life from their perspective at the Valley of the Giants Treetop walk. Dividing The Great Southern from the Wheatbelt region to the north is the Stirling Ranges whose peaks extend more than a kilometer towards the sky. And this area that was once considered infertile by Dutch explorers is now synonymous with some of WA’s most popular winemakers, local produce, and livestock.
But before the vineyards and the farmers were a part of the landscape, the Whaling industry played a significant part in the region’s framework in the cold deep waters of the Southern Ocean. In November of 1978 commercial Whaling in Australian waters came to an end and in place of Albany’s historic Whaling station sits Whale World where tourists can learn about the fascinating (and sad) history of the Whaling industry and these gentle giants.
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| Valley of the Giants - Walpole-Nornalup National Park |
Flanked by ancient forests to the west, the Stirling ranges to the north, the Southern Ocean to the south, and the empty coastline of the Great Australian Bight to the east is The Great Southern region of Western Australia.
With the town of Albany as our base, we recently spent three days exploring The Great Southern. I was surprised to learn that this small city tucked away on the south coast and the sixth largest city in WA (population 34,000), was the first British settlement in the state, settled in 1826, three years before the establishment of Perth. Like the west coast, it was also explored by the Dutch in the 1600’s and repeatedly abandoned due to a lack of natural resources. A rather ironic fact considering WA is now a hotbed of iron ore, gold, diamonds, and even grains which are exported all over the world. Thirty-five minutes to the west of Albany is the town of Denmark (population 5,000) - a historic and proudly “green” town and another great spot to use as your base for exploring the area.
This region has matured insignificantly since the 1800’s, allowing its natural beauty and diverse landscape to flourish. With slightly milder temperatures and slightly more rainfall it’s a landscape much different to Perth 4.5 hours to the northwest. Add to that the roaring swell and winds of the Southern Ocean which feel as if they’ve travelled directly from Antarctica (and they have!) with marathon endurance. During our visit, temperatures struggled to reach the 25 degree mark, while in Perth we’ve experienced 23 consecutive days of 30 plus (86! F) temperatures…and counting.
The most stunning aspect of this region is the dramatic coastline characterized by rolling and at times mountainous hills, sweeping bays, and rocky cliffs. The forests to the east are home to 50 meter tingle and karri trees, some of the oldest trees on the planet. You can view life from their perspective at the Valley of the Giants Treetop walk. Dividing The Great Southern from the Wheatbelt region to the north is the Stirling Ranges whose peaks extend more than a kilometer towards the sky. And this area that was once considered infertile by Dutch explorers is now synonymous with some of WA’s most popular winemakers, local produce, and livestock.
But before the vineyards and the farmers were a part of the landscape, the Whaling industry played a significant part in the region’s framework in the cold deep waters of the Southern Ocean. In November of 1978 commercial Whaling in Australian waters came to an end and in place of Albany’s historic Whaling station sits Whale World where tourists can learn about the fascinating (and sad) history of the Whaling industry and these gentle giants.
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| Circular Pool - Walpole-Nornalup National Park |
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| Conspicuous Cliffs lookout - Walpole-Nornalup NP |
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| Greens Bay - William Bay NP |
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| Elephant Rocks - William Bay NP |
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| Madfish Bay - William Bay NP |
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| Whale World - Albany |
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| Natural Bridge - West Cape Howe NP |
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| Natural Bridge - West Cape Howe NP |
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| The Gap - West Cape Howe NP |
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| Roo relaxing |
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| Albany from high |
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| Two People Bay - outside Albany |
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| Stirling Ranges |
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Geographe Bay
Geographe Bay is a popular tourist destination for West Australians, conveniently located 2.5 hours south of Perth. This area is known for its beautiful sheltered beaches and is also the northern gateway to the Margaret River Wine Region. Although the bay technically starts further north, the Geographe Bay region begins with the coastal town of Busselton. From there the coastline changes direction, giving the bay a northerly aspect. Twenty-five kilometers to the west along the coast is the very small yet modern and trendy tourist town of Dunsborough. Just beyond Dunsborough the bay culminates at Cape Naturaliste which protects the calm shallow beaches of Geographe Bay. The area between Cape Naturaliste in the north and Cape Leeuwin in the south is the Margaret River Wine Region and when looking at a map, it resembles a hammer head sticking out into the Indian Ocean.
We spent our time exploring Cape Naturaliste’s surrounding coastline and the towns of Busselton and Dunsborough which together, along with the surrounding area, has a population of 26,000. In its early days, Busselton was a port city for the local timber industry. At 1.8 kilometers long, the Busselton Jetty is the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. Its astounding length compensates for the shallow waters of the bay and those that walk the 1.1 miles to the end can visit the observatory 8 meters below the surface of the water.
On the other side of the cape is Yallingup – hardly a town but home to some beautiful beach houses situated in the coast’s gentle hills. It’s in this area that Shane tried his hand at gathering up the Abalone that make their home along the rocky coastline. Abalone are large sea snails easily caught by pulling them from the rocks of coastal rock pools. Unfortunately, the only ones he found were too small to meet the strict size requirements for collecting so we left without any dinner. Our friend Andrew was also in the area last weekend so he and Shane walked through the bush, down the sloping coastline to collect “Abs”, while I waited from above with Bronson.
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| Smiths Beach - Yallingup |
Last week I proposed to Shane that we get out of town and go camping over the weekend - a rather appropriate time for proposals since it was also our one year wedding anniversary. There are few spaces between Perth and Cape Leeuwin - the SW corner of Australia - that I have yet to discover but Geographe Bay was one of them.
Geographe Bay is a popular tourist destination for West Australians, conveniently located 2.5 hours south of Perth. This area is known for its beautiful sheltered beaches and is also the northern gateway to the Margaret River Wine Region. Although the bay technically starts further north, the Geographe Bay region begins with the coastal town of Busselton. From there the coastline changes direction, giving the bay a northerly aspect. Twenty-five kilometers to the west along the coast is the very small yet modern and trendy tourist town of Dunsborough. Just beyond Dunsborough the bay culminates at Cape Naturaliste which protects the calm shallow beaches of Geographe Bay. The area between Cape Naturaliste in the north and Cape Leeuwin in the south is the Margaret River Wine Region and when looking at a map, it resembles a hammer head sticking out into the Indian Ocean.
We spent our time exploring Cape Naturaliste’s surrounding coastline and the towns of Busselton and Dunsborough which together, along with the surrounding area, has a population of 26,000. In its early days, Busselton was a port city for the local timber industry. At 1.8 kilometers long, the Busselton Jetty is the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. Its astounding length compensates for the shallow waters of the bay and those that walk the 1.1 miles to the end can visit the observatory 8 meters below the surface of the water.
On the other side of the cape is Yallingup – hardly a town but home to some beautiful beach houses situated in the coast’s gentle hills. It’s in this area that Shane tried his hand at gathering up the Abalone that make their home along the rocky coastline. Abalone are large sea snails easily caught by pulling them from the rocks of coastal rock pools. Unfortunately, the only ones he found were too small to meet the strict size requirements for collecting so we left without any dinner. Our friend Andrew was also in the area last weekend so he and Shane walked through the bush, down the sloping coastline to collect “Abs”, while I waited from above with Bronson.
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| Eagle Bay |
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| near Bunker Bay |
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| view from Cape Naturaliste |
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| view from Cape Naturaliste |
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| near Yallingup |
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| near Yallingup |
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| look closely to find Shane and Andrew searching for Abalone near Moses Rock |
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| sunset from Busselton |
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| sunset from Busselton |
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| Busselton Jetty at sunset |
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| all 1.8 kms of Busselton Jetty |
Friday, January 28, 2011
How to speak Australian
Can you put my carton of piss in the eskie? Ta.
or
The bub dropped her dummy on the bitumen while I was getting a nappy out of the pram.
It’s not code, a secret language, or just plain disgusting. It’s the Aussie language and by the time you finish this post I guarantee you’ll be well prepared should you ever find yourself in Oz.
Below I've compiled a list of all the Australian/American translations that I could come up with in one sitting.
A couple disclaimers - Please note that for some words, both forms of the word may be used in both countries. For example, some people in the US use the word Aunty for Aunt but in Australia Aunty is exclusively used so I’ve included translations where there’s a strong tendency of one form over the other.
Secondly – from the perspective of a North American, Aussie English is at times very similar to Pommie English (see POM below). This isn’t to say that Australian isn’t a language of its own but more often than not it’s more similar to Pommie English than Yankee English (see Yank below).
Finally - Fosters is not Australian for beer and you don't throw another shrimp on the barbie.
The basics - pronunciation and spelling:
H pronounced hach (hey-ch)
Z pronounced zed (soft z and soft e)
Replace o with ou
Replace z with s
Sometimes replace i with y as in tyre, and
Reverse r and e as in centre
Australian/American
Education
College/high school
University/college
Kindy or kindergarten/US equivalent to pre-school
Pre-kindy (no need to explain)
Tertiary/advanced degree
People
Bloke/dude
Bird/woman (sheila is a dying Aussie word)
Mate/friend
Mum/mom
Aunty/aunt
Me/my
Nanny or nana/grandmother
Poppy or pop/grandfather
Bub/baby
Bogan/red neck
Yanks/Americans
POMs/British (Prisoners Of her Majesty)
Clothing and Essentials
Pram/stroller
Nappy/diaper
Dummy/pacifier
Bathers or boardies/swimsuit or board shorts
Runners/tennis shoes or running shoes
Sunnies or goggles/sunglasses or glasses
Jumper/sweater
Jumper/sports jersey
Purse/wallet
Bag/purse
Mobile/cell phone
Food and Dining Out
Tea/dinner
Morning or afternoon tea/morning or afternoon snack
Prawn/shrimp
Lollies/candy
Serviette/napkin
Mains/entré
Entre/appetizer or starter
Long black/coffee
Short black/espresso
Flat white/latte
Pub/bar
Biscuit/cookie or cracker
Nibbles/snacks or finger foods
Tea towel/kitchen towel
Eskie/cooler
Chips/fries
*Chips are still potato chips but in the UK they are crisps
Carton/case
Capsicum/bell peppers
Salad cream/salad dressing
Bottlo or bottle shop/liquor store
Sugars/sugar (don't ask)
Rockmellon/cantelope
Chewie/gum
Cuppa/cup of tea or coffee
Fairy Floss/cotton candy
Toastie/toasted sandwich
Maccas/Mcdonalds
Hungry jacks or HJ’s/burger king
In case you find yourself in the hospital
Jab/injection
Tablets/pills
Thrush/yeast infection (sorry, had to share that one, it makes me giggle because I hate the word thrush)
Theatre/operating room
Getting Around
Bush/country
Lift/elevator
Toilette/bathroom (it's perfectly appropriate to ask where the toilette is)
*dunny (toilette) is another dying Aussie word
Car park/parking lot
Cbd/downtown (central business district)
Footpath/sidewalk
Petrol/gas
Push bike/bicycle
Bitumen/pavement
Number plates/license plates
Shops/store
Trolly/shopping cart
Voucher/gift card
Postal code/zip code
Stocktake/inventory (i.e. a department store may have a stocktake sale)
Tip/dump
Around the House
Rubbish/trash
Rubbish bin/trash can
Boot/trunk (of a car)
Dog’s lead/dog’s leash
Lounge/living room
Wardrobe/closet (clothing)
Swag/sleeping bag
Sticky tape/tape (again, don't ask)
Badge/pin (as in "flare" or a ribbon pin to signify cancer awareness)
Greetings and other phrases
Ta/thank you
Cheers/thank you or good-bye or used when signing off on an email
Good on ya/good for you
G’day (I don’t need to explain this one but it’s not often used to be honest)
fair dinkum/ fair enough
Reckon/think (as in do you reckon?)
Then there's the overusage of words like brilliant, lovely, gorgeous, or you beauty pronounced as youuuu beeuuuty! These are the equivalent to words such as cool, awesome, fabulous or fantastic in the US.
Adults only
Bloody (swear word of choice)
Root/sex
Piss/beer
Pissed/drunk
Jocks/men’s underware
Knickers/women’s underware
Sunday session (excessive drinking at the pub on a Sunday afternoon)
Bum/butt
Fanny/vagina (hence a fanny pack becomes a bum bag for obvious reasons)
Unintentionally funny
Rubber/eraser
Thongs/flip flops
Other
Holiday/vacation
Annual leave/vacation (in terms of taking days off work)
Superannuation/401k (referred to as super)
Surname/last name
Full stop/period (as in firstname.surname)
Cyclone/hurricane
Autumn/fall
Fringe/bangs
Roo/kangaroo
When in doubt, shorten the word and add y, ie, or o.
This separates the Aussies from all other English languages.
Tv/telly
Football/footy
Present/pressy
Breakfast/breaky
Christmas/Chrissy
Bar-b-que/barbie
Mosiquito/mossy
Brickie/brick layer
Tradie/tradesman
Arvo/afternoon
Rego/registration
Servo/service station
or
The bub dropped her dummy on the bitumen while I was getting a nappy out of the pram.
It’s not code, a secret language, or just plain disgusting. It’s the Aussie language and by the time you finish this post I guarantee you’ll be well prepared should you ever find yourself in Oz.
Below I've compiled a list of all the Australian/American translations that I could come up with in one sitting.
A couple disclaimers - Please note that for some words, both forms of the word may be used in both countries. For example, some people in the US use the word Aunty for Aunt but in Australia Aunty is exclusively used so I’ve included translations where there’s a strong tendency of one form over the other.
Secondly – from the perspective of a North American, Aussie English is at times very similar to Pommie English (see POM below). This isn’t to say that Australian isn’t a language of its own but more often than not it’s more similar to Pommie English than Yankee English (see Yank below).
Finally - Fosters is not Australian for beer and you don't throw another shrimp on the barbie.
The basics - pronunciation and spelling:
H pronounced hach (hey-ch)
Z pronounced zed (soft z and soft e)
Replace o with ou
Replace z with s
Sometimes replace i with y as in tyre, and
Reverse r and e as in centre
Australian/American
Education
College/high school
University/college
Kindy or kindergarten/US equivalent to pre-school
Pre-kindy (no need to explain)
Tertiary/advanced degree
People
Bloke/dude
Bird/woman (sheila is a dying Aussie word)
Mate/friend
Mum/mom
Aunty/aunt
Me/my
Nanny or nana/grandmother
Poppy or pop/grandfather
Bub/baby
Bogan/red neck
Yanks/Americans
POMs/British (Prisoners Of her Majesty)
Clothing and Essentials
Pram/stroller
Nappy/diaper
Dummy/pacifier
Bathers or boardies/swimsuit or board shorts
Runners/tennis shoes or running shoes
Sunnies or goggles/sunglasses or glasses
Jumper/sweater
Jumper/sports jersey
Purse/wallet
Bag/purse
Mobile/cell phone
Food and Dining Out
Tea/dinner
Morning or afternoon tea/morning or afternoon snack
Prawn/shrimp
Lollies/candy
Serviette/napkin
Mains/entré
Entre/appetizer or starter
Long black/coffee
Short black/espresso
Flat white/latte
Pub/bar
Biscuit/cookie or cracker
Nibbles/snacks or finger foods
Tea towel/kitchen towel
Eskie/cooler
Chips/fries
*Chips are still potato chips but in the UK they are crisps
Carton/case
Capsicum/bell peppers
Salad cream/salad dressing
Bottlo or bottle shop/liquor store
Sugars/sugar (don't ask)
Rockmellon/cantelope
Chewie/gum
Cuppa/cup of tea or coffee
Fairy Floss/cotton candy
Toastie/toasted sandwich
Maccas/Mcdonalds
Hungry jacks or HJ’s/burger king
In case you find yourself in the hospital
Jab/injection
Tablets/pills
Thrush/yeast infection (sorry, had to share that one, it makes me giggle because I hate the word thrush)
Theatre/operating room
Getting Around
Bush/country
Lift/elevator
Toilette/bathroom (it's perfectly appropriate to ask where the toilette is)
*dunny (toilette) is another dying Aussie word
Car park/parking lot
Cbd/downtown (central business district)
Footpath/sidewalk
Petrol/gas
Push bike/bicycle
Bitumen/pavement
Number plates/license plates
Shops/store
Trolly/shopping cart
Voucher/gift card
Postal code/zip code
Stocktake/inventory (i.e. a department store may have a stocktake sale)
Tip/dump
Around the House
Rubbish/trash
Rubbish bin/trash can
Boot/trunk (of a car)
Dog’s lead/dog’s leash
Lounge/living room
Wardrobe/closet (clothing)
Swag/sleeping bag
Sticky tape/tape (again, don't ask)
Badge/pin (as in "flare" or a ribbon pin to signify cancer awareness)
Greetings and other phrases
Ta/thank you
Cheers/thank you or good-bye or used when signing off on an email
Good on ya/good for you
G’day (I don’t need to explain this one but it’s not often used to be honest)
fair dinkum/ fair enough
Reckon/think (as in do you reckon?)
Then there's the overusage of words like brilliant, lovely, gorgeous, or you beauty pronounced as youuuu beeuuuty! These are the equivalent to words such as cool, awesome, fabulous or fantastic in the US.
Adults only
Bloody (swear word of choice)
Root/sex
Piss/beer
Pissed/drunk
Jocks/men’s underware
Knickers/women’s underware
Sunday session (excessive drinking at the pub on a Sunday afternoon)
Bum/butt
Fanny/vagina (hence a fanny pack becomes a bum bag for obvious reasons)
Unintentionally funny
Rubber/eraser
Thongs/flip flops
Other
Holiday/vacation
Annual leave/vacation (in terms of taking days off work)
Superannuation/401k (referred to as super)
Surname/last name
Full stop/period (as in firstname.surname)
Cyclone/hurricane
Autumn/fall
Fringe/bangs
Roo/kangaroo
When in doubt, shorten the word and add y, ie, or o.
This separates the Aussies from all other English languages.
Tv/telly
Football/footy
Present/pressy
Breakfast/breaky
Christmas/Chrissy
Bar-b-que/barbie
Mosiquito/mossy
Brickie/brick layer
Tradie/tradesman
Arvo/afternoon
Rego/registration
Servo/service station
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Fremantle
The port city of Fremantle is mysterious, unexpected, historical, eclectic, and dark yet delightful. It’s a place where creative types, backpacking travelers, the outlandish, and locals converge. It’s also the home of my favorite old church with sunshine colored doors, my favorite Italian restaurant, my favorite Asian food court, my favorite gelato and finally (deep breath) my favorite organic, rice bran oil, no trans fat, low saturated fat, GMO free, cinnamon sugar doughnuts - surprisingly mouth watering and thankfully only available on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday when the Fremantle Markets are open.Fremantle IS my favorite corner of Perth. Located at the mouth of the Swan River, 19 kilometers west of the city, Fremantle has a vibrant urban appeal that in many ways Perth lacks.
Fremantle was founded in 1825 as a part of the Swan River Colony and the facades of many of the buildings still display their 19th century charm. Equally old churches appear to flag the ends of Fremantle’s main streets but churches aren’t the only reminder of the days of the Swan River Colony.
Sitting high on a hill alongside the Indian Ocean is the Round house – an eight cell prison and the oldest standing building in WA and first permanent building of the Swan River Colony. At the other end of town sits the much larger Fremantle Prison built in the 1850’s. Today it operates as a popular tourist attraction. Fremantle is a glorious example of Australia’s British convict history which adds to the intrigue and mysticism surrounding the city.
Although the Fremantle of the 1800’s still lingers like a tenacious ghost, the city streets of today are alive with trendy cafes, restaurants, and shops. The smell of coffee fills the morning streets while the scent of garlic and wood fire ovens will guide you to one of the areas many Italian restaurants during the days and nights.
But there’s also a seedy side to Fremantle. In between the charming shops and colorful cafes are tattoo parlors, questionable adult shops, fortune tellers, new age stores filled with promises of a better future, and an abundance of souvenir shops. Along the wharf sits large abandoned warehouses with no signs of rehabilitation. In Fremantle, anything goes and it’s this mix of new and old, sordid and sophisticated that gives Fremantle its personality.
The town itself is only half the equation. Every day ships from all over the world dock in Fremantle’s Harbor. We are fortunate to live just outside “Freo’s” doorstep and every time Shane and I pass the docks on our way to the beach one of us comments on the enormity of a standing ship as if it were the first time we had seen such a thing.
It’s not only cargo ships that grace Fremantle’s shores but yachts and fishing boats of all sizes can be viewed from Fisherman’s Wharf over a meal of fish and chips from one of the many seafood restaurants. Next door sits the Maritime Museum filled with stories of sunken ships and the history of WA’s first explorers.
A day in Fremantle would be at the top of my list for anyone visiting Perth. Friday through Sunday the Fremantle Markets are open which sell everything from produce to patchouli and my favorite organic, rice bran oil, no trans fat, low saturated fat, GMO free, cinnamon sugar doughnuts.
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| remains of the past |
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| Maritime Museum |
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| Scots Presbyterian |
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| Fremantle Markets |
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| Town Hall |
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| Cafes on South Terrace |
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| old warehouse |
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| Wharf |
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| High Street with the Round House prison at the end |
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| an old facade disguising a parking lot |
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| Round House prison |
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| High Street from the Round House |
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| Fisherman's Wharf |
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