Hello all. It has been AGES since I’ve update this blog? Why? Well, my priorities have shifted somewhat. I’m still in Australia, and loving the life here, but over the last few months I’ve had a number of big events in my life.

First off, I got married to my beautiful Aussie girl. We had a wonderful wedding week on the island of Kaua’i, where we had friends and family from both sides of the Pacific join us to celebrate our marriage.

When the ongoing project of planning the wedding finally subsided, we felt it was time for another. So as to continuously keep ourselves busy, we’re now building a custom home on the outskirts of Sydney. In an attempt to consolidate the many blogs I currently have running, you’ll be able to follow the build process here:

Megan and Stefan: Life, in progress.

See you there!

From a preferred destination to a most-avoided holiday spot – the downslide in the Indo-Australian tourism sector has come rather fast in the wake of the alleged racist attacks on Indians there. Indian tourists are cancelling plans to travel Down Under after watching the plight of Indian students there.

“We’ve just stopped selling Australia as a destination to our clients. We are instead asking them to go to Singapore etc,” says chairman of STIC travels, Subhash Goyal.

In March 2009 alone, as many as 30, 500 Indians had travelled to Austarlia. But that has changed now.

“We used to send at least 200 tourists to Australia in one month. It’s now come down to 40 or so. People are very worried about their safety and security. If it doesn’t stop, it will affect long term plans,” says another travel agent Inderpreet Singh Sodhi.

And while and even Tourism Minister Kumar Selja has cancelled her trip to the Oz land, the Indian Tourism Ministry is trying hard to play down the panic.

“We are saying go to Australia. These are isolated incidents. After all how did we project ourselves after 26/11? Things are fine,” says Tourism Secretary, Sujit Banerjee.

After all, Australians have been among the top five foreign tourists coming in to India.

Ok, I’ve never been squirmish about wildlife. Not reptiles, arachnids, or anything of the sort. Until now. Actually, I’m really not sure what to make of it anymore. You see, the wildlife here in Australia is completely different than anywhere else I’ve ever been. I’d venture to say that it all kinda “creeps up on ya”, but really, it’s been here the entire time, and it’s all easier to see coming. The lizards? They’re bigger here. How about the frogs? Bigger still. Snakes? Yep, huge. Even the ants, crickets, grasshoppers, and spiders are bigger here. Around three of four times the size. You think I’m joking? Come see it for yourself.

What’s funny (in a nervous laugh kind of way), is that a lot of it can kill you.

Seriously.

Australia, in all its beauty, is a rough and ready continent. Australia possesses more species of venomous snakes than any country on earth. (by the way, ALL snakes in the sate of Tasmania are poisonous). The “champion” of all poisonous snake in Australia, and also the world, is the Taipan snake which is considered 50 times more venomous than the cobra. In fact, Australia has six of the top ten most venomous snakes in the world. Of course, Aussies are quite proud of that. Pretty sure it makes them feel tough. I thought that is what rugby was for.

Spiders are far more common to tread across than snakes. As with snakes, spiders rank amongst the most dangerous. THE most dangerous spider in the world is the “Sydney Funnel Web Spider”. Appropriately named, this spider resides only the Sydney area. Woohoo, so glad I’m living in this locale. If you’re not visiting Sydney, or making the move here, you’ve got one less thing to worry about. If you are, you really have nothing to worry about, unless you’re completely careless about where you stick your hand at night. The far more common “Redback Spider” is the culprit of the majority of spider bites in Australia. For you Americans, this gal looks a lot like a Black Widow Spider, just three times as dangerous. Of those bitten, the majority are to the blokes, spending entirely too much time in the outhouse. I have come across this spider myself, in the organics bin while mowing the lawn. She’s a creepy looking creature, but was no match for my large wooden plank. Stefan 1, Spider 0.

I’ve had enough of these spiders and snakes. Let’s head for the river. Nope, never mind. Crocodiles there. The beach it is.

Good idea, but it’s not much better there. Great White Sharks, Blue Bottle Jellyfish, the Box Jellyfish, the Stone Fish, and so many others. We’re all familiar with the Great White Shark, but what is a Blue Bottle, a Box Jellyfish, and a Stone Fish?

The Blue Bottle jellyfish, or commonly referred to as the “Portuguese Man O’ War”, is actually a siphonophore—a colony of specialized polyps. That’s all well and good, and interesting to the scientific community, but when it stings, it stings like a jellyfish, and hurts. A lot. Bluebottles have a float or bottle-shaped blue sac, which sits on the water’s surface. They have many string-like tentacles hanging down from the float. Usually, you can see them in the water, or there are signs alerting you to their presence.

The sting from the tentacles is dangerous to humans. These stings usually cause excruciating pain, and have even been the cause of several deaths. Detached tentacles and specimens which wash up on shore can sting just as painfully as the intact creature in the water for weeks after their detachment. Medical attention is usually necessary, especially in extreme cases.

The Box Jellyfish (also known as a Sea Wasp) is a very dangerous creature to inhabit Australian waters. The Jellyfish has extreme toxins present on its tentacles, which when in contact with a human, can stop cardio-respiratory functions in as little as three minutes. This jellyfish is responsible for more deaths in Australian than snakes, sharks and salt water crocodiles.

The creature has a square body and inhabits the north east areas of Australia. The tentacles may reach up to 80 cms in length. It is found along the coast of the Great Barrier Reef. They are arguably the most venomous creatures in the world. Stings from such species are excruciatingly painful, either initially or as an after-effect, and are often fatal. However not all species of Box Jellyfish are this dangerous to humans. Unfortunately, the ones along the coast of Australia, are. In the Australian summer from November to April or May, box jellyfish are abundant in the warm waters of northern Australia and drive away most swimmers. However, they generally disappear during the Australian Winter.

The Stonefish is another of Australia’s deadly marine creatures. They inhabit shallow waters along the coast. The stonefish is well camouflaged in the ocean, as it is a brownish colour, and often resembles a rock, hence “Stone Fish”. Ugly bloke, isn’t he?

It has thirteen sharp dorsal spines on its back, which each have extremely toxic venom. The venom of a stonefish can kill a human in two hours, if not properly treated. If you’re swimming in a rocky area of the shore, please don’t step on that rock that has a bunch of spines sticking out of it. It’s just not a good idea. Trust me on that one.

Have I scared you yet? If so, I’m sorry. There ARE a lot of dangerous animals in Australia, but it’s rare to come face to face with them if you use common sense. Don’t stick your hands where they don’t belong, watch where you step during your bush walks, and keep an eye out at the beach. If there are signs saying,” Hey you, don’t go in the water, stupid.”, then you probably shouldn’t throw on your swimsuit and jump in the water. Of course, accidents happen, but there are anti venoms for most venomous creatures in Australia. Don’t let these guys keep you from seeing this beautiful country.

Tired of the rain? Me too, but it’s doing us, and the economy some good. Have a look.

“More than half of NSW is now out of drought, the latest government figures show. NSW Premier Morris Iemma said 46.1 per cent of the state was drought-affected, down from 52.6 per cent in December. Mr Iemma said it was the third successive month that the drought figures had fallen.

“Hopefully this will translate into cheaper food at the supermarket cash register, especially for staples like fruit, vegetables and meat,” he said today.

“Hardworking families have been doing it tough because of the drought and the signs are positive that 2008 will be the year the worst drought in living memory finally breaks.

“The state has had a drenching in the past week and hopefully that will continue.”

Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said 32.9 per cent of NSW was now rated satisfactory, while 21 per cent was marginal. He said while rain had filled dams, helped pasture growth for livestock and impacted summer crops, there was still a long way to go.

“We are not out of the woods yet,” he said.

“Recovery will still be tough.”"

Sounds promising. I suppose it’s good that a lot of rain is falling in a very short period of time. It allows the ground to stay saturated, resulting in more runoff into the catchment areas. I can live with it, for awhile.
The dog won’t stop playing the puddles. I’m tired of cleaning up after him.

“What did you just say?”

Welcome to Australia, where every word has either been shortened, or thrown out the back of the Ute and replaced with a shorter, easier alternative. It’s not that the Aussies are lazy, it’s just, well…they’re efficient. Aussie English is unlike any other form of English on earth. Everyday, new words and phrases are made up on the fly, and circulate into use pretty quickly. Amongst these new catchphrases are actual words that DO differ from other forms of English you may be used to. Nobody gets it, especially Mr. Bush.

On Australia Day this year (January 26th), an Article was posted by the Sydney Morning Herald that outlined a number of ways you know you’re Australian. Amongst these, are a few I found were relevant Aussisms.

You know you’re Australian if …

1. You know the meaning of the word “girt”.
2. You believe that stubbies can be either drunk or worn.
…
6. You believe it is appropriate to put a rubber in your son’s pencil case when he first attends school.
7. When you hear that an American “roots for his team” you wonder how often and with whom.
8. You understand that the phrase “a group of women wearing black thongs” refers to footwear and may be less alluring than it sounds.
9. You pronounce Melbourne as “Mel-bin”.
10. You pronounce Penrith as “Pen-riff”.
11. You believe the “l” in the word “Australia” is optional.
12. You can translate: “Dazza and Shazza played Acca Dacca on the way to Maccas.”
…
14. You call your best friend “a total bastard” but someone you really, truly despise is just “a bit of a bastard”.
15. You think “Woolloomooloo” is a perfectly reasonable name for a place.
…
18. You understand that “Wagga Wagga” can be abbreviated to “Wagga” but “Woy Woy” can’t be called “Woy”.
…
27. You believe that the more you shorten someone’s name the more you like them.
28. Whatever your linguistic skills, you find yourself able to order takeaway fluently in every Asian language.
29. You understand that “excuse me” can sound rude, while “scuse me” is always polite.
…
31. You understand that “you” has a plural and that it’s “youse”.
…
42. You know, whatever the tourist books say, that no one says “cobber”.

Did any of this actually make sense? No? You’re not alone. Unless you’re a true blue Aussie, it may never, but there’s no harm in asking for clarification. Unfortunately, you WILL be tested later.

Originally posted by blogger Scott Berkun

1. The people rock.

I can’t recall anywhere I’ve been where it’s so easy to make jokes and small talk with people I didn’t know. And it’s not the chilly polite vibe I so often find in America (even in Seattle), it’s this totally warm, friendly, isn’t life funny, knowing vibe. When Australians say no worries, it’s pretty convincing that they believe it, and as a traveler it’s a delight.

2. The food is magical.

I love to eat, and know where to go to find great food in most cities. But everywhere I’ve been in Australia it’s too easy. Food courts, those evil zones in American malls, are fantastic in Australia (at least in Sydney and Melbourne). It’s fast food, yes, but the quality of produce and the range of high quality ethnic foods is hard to match. (And what’s with the dairy products? Yogurt and cheese just taste amazing). I’m a health food guy, and the number of juice bars, vegetarian restaurants and healthy options is unmatched by most world cities (The Glebe neighborhood in Sydney has been a favorite haunt on both of my trips there. Had a great meal at Badde Manors).

3. Public transportation rocks.

I’m a former new yorker, and I miss living in a city with real public transit (The Seattle metropolitan area, despite it’s enviro-self righteousness, is a public transportation disaster). In Sydney you can get from the airport to downtown in 20 minutes for $10: It took us 30 minutes, on foot, to get from our hotel to our air-line check-in. Melbourne has free tram service (like Portland) in the downtown core. It’s all smart, clean and fast. Very impressive. I wish more Americans could see what a city is like when the infrastructure is done right, so we can admit what a crime against mental health the sprawl-o-rama urban planning of cities like Phoenix and Los Angeles are.

4. The vibe is comfortably in-between England and America.

Like the British, Australians have a sense of proper rules of order and how to run things well. But like Americans (and unlike the British), Australian’s seem naturally laid-back in their manner. Things run on time and there are standards, but there’s no snobbery about it. As an American, coming from perhaps the most casual country in the world (for better and worse), Australia feels like America+: it’s familiar, but things on average look, work and taste better.

5. Two hours to the wild.

We took the train from Sydney to Katoomba, and spent a week in the Blue Mountains. Only 100km or so away, but enough to escape any trappings of the big city. Katoomba was my perfect country town: a half-dozen used bookstores, a health-food co-op, and an affordable cottage with a mountain view. We did the giant stairway hike (photo above), and I spent many hours with my feet up, reading and sleep all day.

6. I love Australian slang .

I admit I do love Commonwealth accents (British and Australian makes American English sound flat and boring), but little Australian phrases and shorthand like “exy” for expensive and “brekky” for breakfast are just too fun not to use. I’m sure my friends back at home will think I’m a weirdo, but it will be hard not to keep using the bits of Aussie slang I’ve picked up.