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When your family is in North America and Europe, ANY city in Oz would feel isolated, as its a long flight in either direction to see them. This is all I am saying.
Webcams are a beautiful thing.
I like to use them to keep up with friends and family at long distances.
A lot of the time, it doesn't feel much different than actually "being there."
I know, and I was teasing, but there also could be a practical side to the question,
like if someone had an extra plane ticket and was flying to ACT to go stargazing and asked if you'd like to join them...
yeah, coz I enjoy plane rides
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Donning a parka would either be for 'dramatic effect' or perahaps actually needed when spending hours outside at night in temps from 1-5 C.
(At those temps, I would... though most of my fellow countrymen probably wouldn't )
sitting still for long periods of time at the telescope in those temps would definately warrant a parka...
I dont mind Canberra for a visit..the Natl Gallery often has some great exhibits that don't travel anywhere else. I like the countryside around it too, the rolling, bare hills.
Adelaide....where do I start? (Sorry Mini, you know me)
I don't think it's 'boring' any more than any other Aus city (except for Melbourne). But you try making a living there without being in some kind of clique. It's waaaay too small and has the small town mentality of gossip and suspicion of new things. I mean, New Orleans has a much smaller population and a similar inward looking parochial feel to it, but is accepting of outsiders. Adelaide prides itself on a few festivals, but that is the ONLY time people ever become even slightly adventurous. I know this b/c we ran a cabaret venue for three long, hard, depressing years. We tried everything, but unless there is actually a festival happening, forget it. People are sooo strange there, it felt to us as if there was a lower level of intelligence generally. We continually had to repeat things...sloooooowly. Oh, and second guessing everything you say, here's one shining example:
We held a gay and lesbian fundraiser, the GLBT community is usually a bit more willing to have a bit of fun...so we thought. I mean, I worked within the community, so it seemed like the chance for a good night for once. My partner was working the bar, and said jovially to a customer "so, what would the most handsome guy here like to drink?" Now I said jovial, as in...happy..not as in "Im making fun of you".
The guy glared at him and said "Are you saying I'm ugly?".
Okaaaay. But that example is fairly typical of the majority of Adelaidians thinking, that you cant actually mean what you say, you MUST mean something else.
But boring? Nah.
Edit: I actually really like the Sth Aust countryside, and Pt Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills yadda yadda..its just Deadalaide itself that gives me a rash.
I ALWAYS look forward to your opinion on things Jacqs!
Yeah I miss the landscape of SA.. IMO, only reason to watch an occasional McLeod's episode..
And you know.. I love ADL.. tee hee.
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Originally Posted by jacq63
I dont mind Canberra for a visit..the Natl Gallery often has some great exhibits that don't travel anywhere else. I like the countryside around it too, the rolling, bare hills.
Adelaide....where do I start? (Sorry Mini, you know me)
I don't think it's 'boring' any more than any other Aus city (except for Melbourne). But you try making a living there without being in some kind of clique. It's waaaay too small and has the small town mentality of gossip and suspicion of new things. I mean, New Orleans has a much smaller population and a similar inward looking parochial feel to it, but is accepting of outsiders. Adelaide prides itself on a few festivals, but that is the ONLY time people ever become even slightly adventurous. I know this b/c we ran a cabaret venue for three long, hard, depressing years. We tried everything, but unless there is actually a festival happening, forget it. People are sooo strange there, it felt to us as if there was a lower level of intelligence generally. We continually had to repeat things...sloooooowly. Oh, and second guessing everything you say, here's one shining example:
We held a gay and lesbian fundraiser, the GLBT community is usually a bit more willing to have a bit of fun...so we thought. I mean, I worked within the community, so it seemed like the chance for a good night for once. My partner was working the bar, and said jovially to a customer "so, what would the most handsome guy here like to drink?" Now I said jovial, as in...happy..not as in "Im making fun of you".
The guy glared at him and said "Are you saying I'm ugly?".
Okaaaay. But that example is fairly typical of the majority of Adelaidians thinking, that you cant actually mean what you say, you MUST mean something else.
But boring? Nah.
Edit: I actually really like the Sth Aust countryside, and Pt Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills yadda yadda..its just Deadalaide itself that gives me a rash.
I think they have a reputation for being 'boring' compared to Sydney and Melbourne, but since Australia is still very Sydney-Melbourne focused (like the US is NY-LA focused) they have a tendency to bag other parts of the country. Queenslanders are lazy and too laid-back, South Australia is boring and the people are feral, Western Australia - well, few of them have even been out there, might as well be the Wild West to them.
There is plenty to see and do in and around those cities (Adelaide has the hills, vineyards, coast and is close to some great scenery) and Canberra's setting in the mountains is unique. Every Australian should go to Canberra at least once. It's not a huge, bustling metropolis like Sydney but I personally prefer it that way.
As for isolation, how can you call Adelaide isolated? It's a 7 hour drive from Melbourne. If you want isolated try Perth.
Couldn't agree more. They do have a reputation of being boring compared to Sydney or Melbourne, but that's just an opinion and certainly not mine. I grew up in Adelaide and loved it. I thought Sydney or Melbourne was great for a few days vacation, maybe shopping, but way to busy for me. Could never live there. In the end even Adelaide was too big for me and moved to a very small Alpine Village in Colorado.
In the end even Adelaide was too big for me and moved to a very small Alpine Village in Colorado.
I could take a 'very small' town/village in the US way more and way easily than I could a 'very small' town, or even 'fairly big' city in Oz. The small towns we've come across and stayed in on our trip here seem to have more life and energy than Perth even. And definitely way more than small towns in W.A., which seem extremely quiet and almost lifeless, comparitively. Not meaning to disparage, or criticise, it's just different that's all, and small town Aussies like it that way. Small town USA is a different species to small town Oz.
Plus, you're not that far away from the big city, or bigger towns, in the US. Many small towns in W.A., or in other states are so far from other places. You have to like small town life as well as the isolation. I could take the former, not the latter.
...Western Australia - well, few of them have even been out there, might as well be the Wild West to them.
It IS the Wild Wild West
Have met Americans on our trip here, who've been to Oz, but nobody yet who's been to Perth. "Too far", they say. They're right. It's a long way from the East coast and if they've only got 2 to 3 weeks, it's a big journey out of their way. It's a tough one for the WA Tourism Board to try to deal with. Especially since the cost to stay in Perth is high. And our service stinks, compared to the US.
Adelaide's only marginally better as far as accessibility. And I don't know how you would sell Canberra to the tourist market. It's in a pretty setting. It's the seat of our government. Ummm, what else?
As far as choosing Adelaide or Canberra to move to and live, it's all about jobs, jobs, jobs. People who move to Oz go to where the jobs are. Not about hate or footie rivalry - but where you can earn a crust to put food on the table.
It IS the Wild Wild West
Have met Americans on our trip here, who've been to Oz, but nobody yet who's been to Perth. "Too far", they say. They're right. It's a long way from the East coast and if they've only got 2 to 3 weeks, it's a big journey out of their way. It's a tough one for the WA Tourism Board to try to deal with. Especially since the cost to stay in Perth is high. And our service stinks, compared to the US.
Adelaide's only marginally better as far as accessibility. And I don't know how you would sell Canberra to the tourist market. It's in a pretty setting. It's the seat of our government. Ummm, what else?
As far as choosing Adelaide or Canberra to move to and live, it's all about jobs, jobs, jobs. People who move to Oz go to where the jobs are. Not about hate or footie rivalry - but where you can earn a crust to put food on the table.
I think that is one issue that bugs me quite a bit about when I travel down under is the crappy service at restaurants and hotels. Here in the states I find most hotel clerks are great about knowing local places to eat or whatever plus the restaurant service is usually pretty good, but down under it's the opposite.
Perth is quite the long haul and it's a tough sell for an American tourist. Most major cities connect into Los Angeles and then onto Sydney. Perth is almost a bridge too far. When I go to WA, I'll be flying out of New York via Dubai to Perth on Emirates, instead of two flights across the US, onto Sydney and then another flight to Perth.
Canberra is "scenic". For a city it's size I think it's nice enough. But I don't think you could make it a major tourist draw though despite there being a few things to do there.
Hearing "Wild West" gives me images of this:
- civilians strolling through town with pistols carried in belt-holtsters (on the hip)
- maybe the odd woman with a pistol hidden in one of her garter belts,
- lots of cowboy boots, maybe a few wearing spurs on them.
- a lot of "drovers"
- pubs with no "real doors," just swinging wood "partial-doors" (?) that do nothing but obstruct some of the view from the street.
Basically, like the recent movie "Australia" with Hugh Jackman.
(which reminded me of the late 19th century western U.S., but with a few cars thrown in)
*And I KNOW nowhere in Australia is like that.
(and probably nowhere has been that way since the 1960's )
I
Adelaide's only marginally better as far as accessibility. And I don't know how you would sell Canberra to the tourist market. It's in a pretty setting. It's the seat of our government. Ummm, what else?
I though Adelaide has much better access to the east coast cities as it's only a 50 minute flight from MEL and 1:40 from SYD. What is it from Perth to these cities?
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