“It is not true that the English invented cricket as a way of making all other human endeavors look interesting and lively; that was merely an unintended side effect.”
- Bill Bryson/In a Sunburned Country
I knew a fella in Memphis who'd been, not everywhere, but close to it. We were talking one day about some of the favorite places he'd visited. I asked him, of all the places, where would he not go back to or go at all if he knew what he knew? Any guesses? He didn't think long before saying, “Australia.”
Now, I'm just reporting what the man said. He wasn't denigrating the country, just offering his experience from a tourist standpoint. His reasoning was that it's a long way to get there. Once you do, there are big cities on the east coast that are, for the most part, like all big cities. The Outback is 80% of the country and is so vast that it's virtually un-seeable from a tourist standpoint. Everything is FAR apart, so if you're visiting for a short time, he didn't think it was the most rewarding investment of time. New Zealand, on the other hand, he felt was worth the effort.
Americans are generally charmed by the idea of Australia. It seems exotic and we think the accents are fun. I read Bill Bryson's book In a Sunburned Country about his travels around the continent. If you're planning to visit down under, I'd suggest reading it. You'll learn many things and you'll laugh every page. One thing that I remember most from the book is all the many, many dangerous and poisonous things that can kill you in Australia. The list is long. Look it up.
I've never been, so I have no experience to offer. I would go for sure, but I've moved it down on the travel list a few notches. Our friend Sheila is there on work-related trips several times a year and I think she's all around thumbs up on it. So, go or don't go. I'm just passing on a conversation.
Past and present, there's lots of music from Australia, though. Love ‘em or hate ’em, there are many we're all familiar with: The Bee Gees, AC/DC, Air Supply, Little River Band, Gotye, Midnight Oil, Men At Work, Crowded House, INXS, Olivia Newton John, Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave.
But I like to know about the lesser-knowns. I have a few below but I'm always looking for new ones: