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1) Playgrounds everywhere that have numerous kinds of climbing and swinging equipment. Some of them, I'm completely awestruck to see how complex they are.
2) Most park areas also have washrooms (aka. restrooms/toilets) with sinks as well as toilets. Sometimes you see a washroom just off the side of the road, as a courtesy to motorists. Some might be locked in the night, but still... Almost none of the municipal parks in Toronto have toilet facilities. We actually have a lot of park area with no facilities. Most parks DO NOT HAVE drinking fountains in Toronto either. This could be because our winters are so harsh. As someone who loves the outdoors and outings at parks, this is completely unfair that Australia has this, imho. It makes Australia seem "ritzy" or "posh."
3) VERY casual clothing standards. (Nightclubs, pubs and bars excluded though.) Freedom to shop barefoot in many of the stores. People sometimes go sleeveless in places I wouldn't expect too, even in winter when it's neither warm inside or outside. I used this to my advantage once, with WA short shopping hours, after being at the beach I was in too much of a hurry wipe all the sand off my feet to put on my socks and shoes; the stores were closing in 5 minutes.
4) Your fruit and vegetables, often expensive, but they basically never taste too far out of season. In Canada we often buy fruit that they probably wouldn't sell, or sell at full price. There's usually an obvious difference in freshness between seasons for most fruit and vegetables in Canada... not so in Australia?
There might be more, but those are some things I recall being clearly superior.
I certainly agree with you about the toilets, Australia certainly the most convenient conveniences of any place ive being to, and they are all free to use as well! (If theirs a pay toilet in australia ive never seen it)
I certainly agree with you about the toilets, Australia certainly the most convenient conveniences of any place ive being to, and they are all free to use as well! (If theirs a pay toilet in australia ive never seen it)
I think there are pay toilets around the train stations for TransPerth. (public transit; like above-ground subways)
I thought my thoughts on produce might interest other Aussies.
Our produce never tastes bad in Canada, but sometimes it's just not great for certain items, seasonally.
When i visited Australia a few years back, I too fell in love with it. It was like america in some ways, but different in others. The people are generally friendly and like to joke a lot, which I freakin loved, I had so many good laughs, americans can be so uptights and sensitive.
I'm a joker my self, so I found myself getting along quite good with the ozzie.
love the beach culture and outdoor culture there. Here in florida we have a beach culture, but its different, its more about looking good and working on ur suntan, wheras in australia its more active with sport and chillen with friends and cold beers. Cant drink on most US beaches, oh well.
I found the suburban style, low density housing exactly like in the US so that was a bit of a surprise. I expected more english looking houses, but a lot of their housing and communities looked like burbs in the us.
what else?
oh yeah, ozzies have some cool ass animals too. but thats not cuz of ozzies themselves, they just got lucky with that one
I certainly agree with you about the toilets, Australia certainly the most convenient conveniences of any place ive being to, and they are all free to use as well! (If theirs a pay toilet in australia ive never seen it)
With the plethora of pubs around, I'm not sure why people in cities ever need to use a public toilet.
yep thats true, i went to sydney for the first time ever last year, I suppose i just never noticed any pay toilets.
Anyway i was surprised at coldys comments about the fresh fruit and veges, personally i dont feel we are any better or worse than other contries when it comes to that.
Having never being to the US or canada i cant really make any comparison.
I might depend a lot on where you are, I get almost all my fruit and veges from the lockeyer valley (a farming district west of brisbane), and never really have a problem with quality.
yep thats true, i went to sydney for the first time ever last year, I suppose i just never noticed any pay toilets.
Anyway i was surprised at coldys comments about the fresh fruit and veges, personally i dont feel we are any better or worse than other contries when it comes to that.
Having never being to the US or canada i cant really make any comparison.
I might depend a lot on where you are, I get almost all my fruit and veges from the lockeyer valley (a farming district west of brisbane), and never really have a problem with quality.
IME, fruit, vegetables and meat, in Australia are of much higher quality than North America and much of Europe (the Southern European countries have a high standard of produce although meat is pretty pricey). I think a lot of it comes down to factory farming and the lack of it in Australia.
We grow a lot of our own fruit and veg here in Oz so I find much of it to be tastier as it's not picked too early. Canada doesn't grow things like bananas, citrus, avocadoes, etc. They come from Mexico and further south. Grapes, even though some is grown in Canada, far better and tastier here. Stone fruit and berries, though - better in Canada, and cheaper.
Our seafood is spectacular - the choice and the quality. Canada is better only for wild salmon as we can only get farmed here.
But the barefoot bogans .... yuk! I hate that. So slovenly. It'd be alright if we were talking about a shop near the beach but you see them here miles from the ocean, in winter. Dirty feet and toenails on display ..... ewww!
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