[travel] Visiting Oz

[ickaimp]

Shoulda done this last night, but my brain currently seems to be asleep. *pokes brain with a spork* *ouch*

Actually have a bit of a travel blog written down, but have decided to ignore it, cause it's long and mostly our rambles. So, the highlights!!! er, Pictures!!!

SCA - Rowany Festival
The weird, the wonderful and the odd quotes. The Australian Synchronised Bladder Team! Going for the Gold! continues to disturb me.

SCA - The Chuffer
Doubles as a Pizza Oven! Why does this marvelous piece of technological brilliance deserve it's own page?!
Because it heated hot water for showers. Tell me that doesn't rock. Those who have gone on week-long camping trips know what I mean.

SCA - Chinese Box Bellows/Smelting Iron
As it's been stated before, sitting around watching Iarnulfr make stuff was the main source of entertainment. Most of the time, he was making box bellows with the intention of smelting iron ore with it. Which he did.

Random Aussie Stuff
Mostly a zoo park. Really wasn't expecting the Sydney Opera House to be covered in tiles. The Chinese Gardens were also wonderful to visit, an area of calm in the middle of the hectic city.


Quick Highlights:
- Australia is HOT. Like, Tucson Desert Hot. Because it is 90% DESERT. Suddenly all the brimmed hats and shorts make sense.
- Australia is also cold. Got below freezing several nights. See David's LJ for more on that.
- David also managed to go the whole event without a shower. I just had to say that. *runs*
- We saw more native fauna as road kill than we did alive.
- Did not see any crocodiles.
- We do know that kangaroo were at the event, one pooped on a tent stake.
- Po'e, you'd be proud of me. I met Mel at a cafe wearing a purple octopus hat.
- If you fly Pacific Blue, you must pay for everything. Except some entertainment, as the flight attendants introduced themselves as 'Sandy, Mandy, Brandy and Candy'. Evidently, before Candy, there was a guy who introduced himself as 'Randy'.
- You can walk into the Aussie Parliment and Sit In on the meetings in a balcony above the members. There's no glass or protective stuff between you and your representatives. But if you talk or shout, you're asked to leave. By big security guards. There's also no bullet proof glass in the chambers, although they are double paned for sound buffering.
- ...which was confusing until I talked to Christy's husband Paul, who commented that Aussies don't respect their voted representatives enough to try to kill them. ^^;;
- The difference between 'Kiwi Can-do' and 'Aussie Ingenuity' is that if you tell a New Zealander that they can't do something, they'll go do it anyway. If you tell an Australian they can't do something, they'll say yes they can and show you how. (at least, that was the response I got)
- One of the reasons why the Kiwi mindset prolly sits so well as it does in my head is that it is a much more holistic mindset. -I had to visit yet another country to figure that out.
- ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day was celebrated on Tuesday. It's kinda like the State's Memorial or Vetern's day, only taken SERIOUSLY. This is a really big day, honouring the men who died in World War II and past wars. But it started in WWII.
- VC stands for 'Victoria Cross'. Kinda like the US's Congressional Medal of Honour.
- Learned to juggle, need more practise before we can actually do it however...

... and that's all I can think of at the moment. ^^;;

Comments

[gracie-musica.livejournal.com]

^__^ Sounds like you had a blast.

While you were gone, I gave you a present. (http://community.livejournal.com/manycases1truth/102122.html) It's a 'welcome home' deal. ^__^

[magicbulletgirl.livejournal.com]

Many interesting facts. Looks like you had a lot of fun ^^

Yays and huggles that you're back ^^

[taranos.livejournal.com]

Great drawings and explanations. Was drinking some water when I hit the comment about the airline and nearly spewed all over my work computer. Glad to hear you are having fun.