Hooroo
I googled "Australian good-bye" and came up with "hooroo" or "catch you later." I'm off to Australia and New Zealand for a few weeks. We were going to bring a laptop but then decided that it's too much trouble to tour around, lugging a laptop. So we'll use the internet cafes and business offices at the hotels. Hopefully I can check in now and then, which will be fun, from all the way around the world. Mr. Puffy will need to use the computer a few times for his job anyway.
Number one on my list of things to do is to check the swirl of the toilet flushing or the tub or sink draining. It's supposed to be counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. It's called the Coriolis effect.
Have you heard of the "Client 9" T-shirts? New York Governor Spitzer was client 9 so there are now t-shirts available that say "client 9" on them.
Surveysez' daughter is getting married this summer and has invited her "bloggy friends" to her wedding. I don't have details yet. If any of you are in the mood for a vacation or live within driving distance, keep it in mind. Let me know and I can forward her daughter's email address to you.
I wonder if they have April Fool's Day in Australia and New Zealand. I guess I'll soon find out. Catch you later!
posted by Puffy @ 1:34 PM
40 comments
40 Comments:
Hooroo!
Things you need to know:
If you order "lemonade" you will get Sprite.
A "Cozzie" is a swim suit and a "mozzie" is a mosquito.
You can discover the coriolis effect on your own, but it works better in a bathtub than in a potty. (Flush a potty and you'll see why.) Two buttons for "big flush", one button for "little flush."
When you get back I'll send you an article about potties and the coriolis effect.
XXXX beer is pronounced "Four-Ex" VB is Victoria Bitter and Foster's is crap.
If you go on a Sydney Harbour 10am coffee cruise WEAR SUNSCREEN.
Have a wonderful time! I want to stowaway in your luggage. I love Australia and want to have a second home there someday.
Fro, I meant to ask you about Australia and I forgot. Thanks for the tips! Any more suggestions? I leave on Friday.
Fantastic! I am so eagerly awaiting your photos!
Are you oging to go to THe Great Barrier REeef?
mmm...ostrich. I don't know if it is good but it sounds it.
Dont' return on flight 815.
Yep, we're going snorkeling at the GReaT baRRier rEEf. I don't know about ostrich, but I might eat some of *sings* Mary had a little lamb.
I don't watch Lost so I had to google Flight 815!
Make sure you get back on the boat! I saw Open Water.
Have a wonderful time Down Under, Puffy! My evil sister Carole lived in Sidney for 3 years and one of my nieces was born there - but I know Not Much about it.
I thought Aussies ate more Emu and Kangaroo than Ostrich? I found this recipe for BBQ Emu on an Aussie cooking site:
Method :
-Prepare a good sized hole in the ground filled with white ash and coals.
-Take young hen - stretch neck.
-Remove some feathers for decoration.
-Place hen on coals and cover with green boughs.
-Cook until all feathers are gone and skin is golden brown.
-Rub with Mallee Roots to remove quills.
Tip:
-Serve to old men and dogs, then the women and kids.
Strange place you're going, Puffy. Have fun flushing!!!
Oh, I could tell you so much, but part of the fun is discovering it on your own. Still, I'm about to write a novel so sit tight...
Go to a grocery or convenience store (or gift shop at the airport) and get Tim-Tams. They are delicious with coffee. I miss Tim-Tams. There are many flavors, but I recommend the chocolate and the double chocolate. *drool*
I'm not sure how much time you have in Sydney, but if you have a chance, the Opera House usually has day-of performance tickets cheap. (Or cheap-ish.) There are 4 theaters inside the opera house so you don't have to see an opera. The first time I was in Sydney I saw the ballet of Madame Butterfly, and when I was there a few years ago with Mr. Fro we saw the opera La Boheme.
Circular Quay in Sydney Harbour is where everything happens. The O.House is there, trains, ferries, the Bridge, the Rocks (shopping & fun). There's a woman who paints her self silver and dresses like the Statue of Liberty and stands there all day. I swear, she was there in 1998 and was still there when I was back in 2005. There's also a gigantic fig tree right if you walk up the quay toward the Bounty (as in, Mutiny on the...) that is perfect for a sit-in-the-shade rest and gaze at the Opera House.
"Quay" is pronounced "Key." (Maybe you know that by Mr. Fro didn't and he couldn't tell what I was talking about when looking at maps.)
Mr. Fro and I did the bridge climb, where you go up and over the Harbour Bridge. It's very touristy and not for those who are afraid of heights, but you get to wear a funky blue jumpsuit and stand on top of the bridge. It was a lot of fun. It's a little expensive (insurance liability, I'm sure.)
If you don't want to climb the bridge make sure you DO go climb up inside the pylon that faces the harbour. You can get the BEST photos of downtown and the Opera House from there. That photo I posted on OT of the opera house was taken from the Harbour Bridge pylon.
The aquarium in Sydney is really nice. When we were there they had a whole "finding Nemo" thing going on.
There's a fun tour that you can sign up for at Circular Quay that is an Australia convicts tour. You walk around the Rocks and get to go inside an old jail. There's also a pub stop and beer involved.
The Blue Mountains national part (Katoombah) is very beautiful. About an hour west of Sydney. There's also some fun shopping in the town which is about a 10 minute walk from the national park.
I forget if you're going to Brisbane, but if you are, go for dinner to the Breakfast Creek Hotel. (If you want to sound more local, call it the Brekkie Creek Hotel) Steaks, made to order. You pick the raw steak you want and they cook it up for you. Also in Brissie: shopping on Queen Street. Craft fair on the other side of the bridge.
Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin RIP) is about 2 hours north of Brisbane. It is a gorgeous, wonderful zoo. I highly recommend, if you're in the area. The Big Pineapple and Big Macadamia are also nearby. I opted for the Nutmobile, but there's also a Pineapple train. I wouldn't go out of my way to go the the Big Pineapple nor the Big Mac, but if you're at the zoo why not stop?
As for NZ I've only been in Auckland. All I can tell you is that NZ is amazingly, breathtakingly beautiful. It's also an amazing culture. They really are making an effort to preserve the local Maori culture to the extent that some TV channels are in the Maori language. (It's a beautiful language; listening to it makes me think of those big bunches of giant, dark purple juice grapes.)
The geysers in Rotorua are very cool, as is the whole cultural center there. Around there somewhere are glow worm caves which sounds kinda dorky but is actually very cool.
In Auckland, don't be tempted to go to Kelly Tarleton's Underwater World. It stinks. They do have King penguins, and an interesting history of Antarctic exploration, but you don't get to linger and watch the Penguins - they drive you past them in an Ice Cat. Otherwise, it's just a small aquarium - kinda disappointing. However, all of the posters and advertisements all over the place, everywhere, will make you think that you will regret your entire existence if you do not visit Kelly Tarleton's Underwater World. RESIST!
Buy wool and eat lamb. I recommend socks for the wool purchasing.
Try Vegemite and/or Marmite. I think it's ooky.
Remember that Aussies like to put odd things on hamburgers and pizzas. I'm talking about things like eggs and beets. If you get "salad" with a sandwich it doesn't mean a tossed green - it means the little bit of lettuce/tomato/onion that you might want to put on your sandwich.
Heed warnings about the sunscreen. The sun is very very powerful down there. I got the worst sunburn of my life on the aforementioned coffee cruise. Be especially careful when you snorkel - cover up and wear a hat and the sunscreen. It's not worth ruining your trip.
If you run into The Wiggles wake Jeff up and tell Anthony that he can make special guest appearances in my dreams anytime! Raaar.
I want to go.
Maybe I'll stick to a vegetarian diet, Swami.
Fro, thanks so much for the suggestions!
Ooh, I think you're leaving today.
All I know is New Zealand folks get pretty pissed off if you think they are from Australia. :-)
Aw, that's very sweet of Survey's daughter. Wish it weren't so far away.
Have a FANTASTIC time! It sounds awesome! The Puffsters are my travel heros.
Thanks for the tip, Deb. It's good to know. It's like someone from England coming up to us and asking, "Hey, mate, do you know where I can get a fag?" We'd gasp in astonishment while he was only looking for a cigarette.
We just looked at our glossary of Australian terms. We say "beer." They say "piss."
am so jealous of your travels! Hope you have a wonder, fun-filled trip.
I hope you are having a blast!!! You really do have fun, fun trips.
My toilet water swishes clockwise.
Hey all! Here I am in Australia. We saw wombats, kangaroos, emus, camels, wallabees, koalas, and best of all, little penguins!
Fro is right; don''t eat vegemite. Do eat Tim Tams!
I haven't been able to figure out which way the water drains.
Tomorrow: The Great Barrier Reef and a rainforest!
That's a lot of wildlife to see real quick, Puffy! Is your hotel in a zoo?
Funny I thought your post would be upside down.
Swami, I saw a baby kangaroo in it's mom's pouch! I think it's about time it left the nest, so to speak. it was 7 mos old already!
Zombs, I am posting upside down, get down from that headstand!
I've seen Biggest Loser, Australian edition. They lose kgs instead of lbs. i've also seen Deal or No Deal, australian version, The Today show with Matt and meredith, and Letterman.
The tub does drain in the opposite direction. We flush the toilet with either 1/2 or full flushes, a different button for each one.
I ate kangaroo. The menu also featured "hop, skip, hump, and jump"-kangaroo, crocodile, camel, and emu. There's also "bugs" on the menu.
I've seen grubs and some aborigines making fire with sticks. There's a picture of me at tribal council with my torch.
I did not do as Colby did on Survivor; I didn't steal any coral from the Great Barrier reef.
I swear that you and Mr. Puffy have the greatest trips. Yay for you two. *smooch*
The old Survivor Outback set is still there? And it's a tourist thing? Somehow that stikes me as too funny!
Is camel good tasting?
We didn't see the Survivor set, but the show we went to looked like it. Very touristy. But I found it funny because it reminded me of Survivor so much. Everything else has been amazing. We walked across the Sydney Harbor bridge and we went up to the Sydney opera house (didn't go inside). We're seeing 3 or 4 World Heritage sites on this trip!
I think camel, kangaroo, emu, and all these animals taste like chicken. *grin*
So if the toilets have 2 buttons that you can push according to need - is Australia the source for that old slang about "going number one" and "going number two"? I always wondered where that came from!
Swami, you could be right. "Piss" is another name for beer so getting pissed off is drunk.
Frodis gave me so much excellent advice! Auckland is beautiful; we're there now. We took a ferry to a little island, about 15 mins away and we're walking around the town.
We bought me an beautiful opal necklace in Australia and a gorgeous bracelet here on this island, called Davonport. Sadly, Mr. Puffy hasn't bought anything for himself yet. *grin*
You do the funnest things!
When I grow up I want to travel all over the world with Mr Puffy too!
( because traveling with my own Hubby would be the pits LOL!)
I am so excited to see the pictures!
Goo' Day!
I'm so jealous. :) I'm glad you're having a great time.
Those "bugs" on the menu are probably Botany Bay Bugs, which are kind of like lobsters. Kind of. They're weird looking but they taste good.
Oh, and Mr. Puffy would look good in one of those outback hats, Crocodile Dundee-style. :)
Piss off!
I would love to push buttons to flush...cause it's too much work to use the handle.
Zombs<---lazy American
Zombs, I try to use a tissue to push the buttons to flush so I don't touch the buttons with my fingers. But it usually flushes too fast and then I'm stuck with a piece of tissue. Most "toilets" don't have paper towels (only hot air dryers) so there's no "rubbish" can.
The New Zealand/Australian version of Deal or no Deal starts at 50 cents, has a car between $20,000 and $40,000, and only goes up to $200,000. There is no banker. There are no beautiful models! Plain old people hold the suitcases and they're sitting down. The contestants on Deal or no Deal and on 1 vs 100 Australian and New Zealand versions are just as greedy in the U.S.
We went to the glow worm caves today. The New Zealand countryside is beautiful. There are only 7 people in our group. One man is from Idaho. He can tell apart the milk and beef cows and if they're Jersey or Holstein cows.
We had Hoky Poky gelato, found only in New Zealand. It's made from honeycomb and toffee.
'gud day folks!
Are you home yet?
*waits*
yay for an awesome trip! I've always wanted to go there.
So are you back yet?? I can't wait for your photos!
Hope you are having a great trip, Puffy and Mr. Puffy! You guys go on such great trips!
How nice to SS's daughter to think of us. It's a bit far from here, but I would send a card. Maybe Carmen could go for us?
*makes weird face @ Seana*
Don't you remember? Carmen was kidnapped by Sophie!!! We have Sanjana now.
I'm still in New Zealand, but thank you to all of you who have come to visit my blog. We met a girl who has been traveling all over the world since last March. She's returning to Canada in May to surprise her mother. We met another girl who is here from Canada to play rugby for a few months in New Zealand.
They spell words and use words here as if they're in Canada. What do you know about that?
I fell like I'm exiting the Big Brother house every time I tramp (New Zealand word) around with my big black duffle bag, all bent over to the side.
Today we are going to see Albatross and Penguins and a castle. We are in a Scottish city called Dunedin in the south of New Zealand.
I have NOT had any American fast food here, although there are plenty of American places such as mcDonalds and Subway.
Tomorrow we go to Milford Sound which is a fjord. It should be beautiful.
I miss you all! We come home on Saturday, April 5.
Yeah, I was wondering if you were back yet!
I hope you have lots of fun pics to show us!
One more day 'til Puffy's home!!!
WHEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Time for a welcome home par-tay!!!
*runs to store for cups & ice* :D
Oh yay! Can't wait to see pics!
Nutz: Oops. Yes, I knew that. I've even hosted Sanjana. Duh.
Yay! Puffy must be home by now! Sounds like you had a great trip! :)
*In my best Phil Keoghan voice*
MR AND MRS PUFFY: YOU'VE TRAVELED &^%$(# MILES IN 23 DAYS. YOU ARE THE WINNERS OF A FABULOUSLY MEMORABLE VACATION!
Yes, I'm home and exhausted. We did 2 loads of laundry (with about 3 more loads needing to be done) and went to the market. My cat is being very needy and possessive. She doesn't usually meow. When we got home, we heard her meowing before we even got in the house. She hasn't stopped purring yet.
Hey, I've missed you, Puffy!
I hope you are enjoying the greatest of vacations.
Oh, and I've tagged you on my blog.
Yeay! THe Puffy's are home!
I'll have to check out Steve Martin's book - I roam the new nonfiction aisle at the library - I like to read about people!
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