March 30 – Random notes on Australia

Here are some totally random and unrelated thoughts, that I have not recorded in any other posting in this blog.

On the way to the take out restaurant, we passed two young girls who were creating some art work on the sidewalk.  It was a message to people saying that "we are all in it together" and "we all wash our hands".  The first is a government slogan regarding the rules put into place for the Corona virus and the second is a public health reminder.  This gave us hope for the future.

Ever day I read the Canadian news on the CBC website, so we are up to date on the Corona virus news from home.  It seems to me that Australian approach to “flatting the curve” is much more draconian than what is being enacted in Canada.  For example, in Ontario gatherings are limited to 5 people.  In Australian the limit is 2 people.  Repeat offenders will be jailed. Funerals are limited to 10 people and weddings are limited to just 5 people. In Canada travellers, such as ourselves arriving from overseas, can self isolate. But in Australia you must go into forced quarantine.  After Friday if you arrive in Australia, you will have to pay for the hotel where you will reside during quarantine. These are just a couple of examples, but there are plenty more.

There is a world of difference between Australian Aborigines and New Zealand Māori.  The Aborigines seem like that they haven’t integrated into modern society and are quite happy to live off the state in poverty.  The Māori in New Zealand seem to be more entrepreneurial and better equipped to function in todays society, without sacrificing their culture.

Generally speaking, I think the younger generation here are more fit than Canadians.  It might be something in the Australian milk, but they seem taller and more muscular.  Surfing seems to be one of the most popular sports among the young.

In public parks, there are usually gas BBQs where the fuel is supplied by the local council.  I don’t know if you must reserve the BBQ or if it is first come first serve.  This is a nice touch to get people into their beautiful parks.

I think Australians are much more knowledgeable about the nature sciences.  It is not uncommon for them to identify multiple plants, trees or animals during a walk.

Even after eight weeks, driving on the left is still hard to get use to.  We still just look down the street both ways before we cross the street.

Cell phone plans are cheaper in Australia. I bought a thirty-day plan for $30.  It included unlimited local and international calling and a huge amount of data. The only thing it did not cover was international texting.  The coverage area was extensive, and very rarely was I in a dead zone.

Telephone numbers are confusing. It seems that sometimes you enter 6 numbers, sometimes 10 numbers and if the number is prefixed with 61, then you need to remove it. A number is made up of country code, area code and a unique telephone number.  But sometimes depending on which part of the city you want to call, determines the if the area code must be entered.

All credit card transactions are tap and go.  This is the preferred method of payment over cash for most retailers.  Tipping is rare in Australia and a good tip is usually 5%.  The tap and go screens usually do not allow for tips.

Shopping districts are more popular than big malls. It seemed that in most towns and cities we visited, that the main street was very vibrant.  We are staying in the Sydney suburb of Mascot.  Their shopping district is a modern mix of tall apartments towers with ground level stores with access via of pedestrian walkways.

Coles & Woolworth are the two major food store chains in Australia.  Other than the brand names, you would be hard pressed to differentiate between stores here in Australia and Canada.  In the last couple weeks both chains have implemented special hours for the elderly and health care workers, so that they too have equal access to essential goods.

Usually for dinner I will order wine to drink, but I’ve grown to like a beer called “XXXX Gold”.  It is considered a mid strength beer and it has little after taste.  It is made by Castlemaine Perkins brewers, so I don’t expect I will be able purchase it in Canada.

The biggest burger chain is Hungry Jack’s which is actually the American chain Burger King.  Using another name doesn’t make their burger any better.  It is still crap.

The local trains are dirt cheap.  To go from Sydney to Nowra, the nearest train station to John & Ellen’s home, it only cost $11. A similar trip In Canada, London to Toronto, would be $37.

Finding a cab is hard, at least in the suburbs of Sydney.  When we got off the train in Wolli Creek, it took five attempts to find a taxi company that would respond.  It may be a result of the restrictions due to corona virus.

Gas prices are over the map.  The average price is $1.12 for a litre of fuel.

An auto body shop is called a "smash repairs".

TV is mix of Australian, British and American shows.  Two of the most popular shows are Australian versions Survivor and Dancing with the Stars.  My favorite is the Chase in which three contestants match wits against the show’s resident expert.  The expert is this middle-aged lady, who has an acid tongue and a superior knowledge of trivia.

A food you want to eat when in Australia is the Tim Tam Biscuit.  It is a chocolate covered biscuit.  The food you want to avoid is Vegemite, which is a spread which is really an acquired taste.

So tomorrow we leave for Canada  It has been a great seven weeks, despite the corona virus measures in the last two weeks.  So this will be the second last entry.in this blog.  We will have two weeks to compose our final entry as we enter into self isolation.