Or my favorite, "selling Ralph a Buick".:)
Just back from Australia 2 weeks ago. The Ozie friends we were traveling with introduced us to a friend of theirs, Suzie, in Cairns. Suzie almost immediately wanted to know if we'd been taught two essential (apparently) bits of "Strine": 1) "Old Fella" and 2) "A Root in the Dunny." Strewth Mate!
Maybe something a bit daggy about that girl...
I think Suzie needs a boyfriend....
Hope you enjoyed your trip.
James.
Excellent! Well, you picked a nice time of year for it too. Where'd you go? All over, or did you stick to a certain area?
James.
In this order: Sydney, Cairns, Melbourne (loved the Queen Vic Market), Mildura.
A bunch of little towns between Melbourne and Mildura as well as the communities surrounding Mildura. Also Mungo National Park - Walls of China awesome! Barrier Reef off of Cairns. Developed a craving for Vanilla Slice, Hedgehogs, Sausage Rolls, and meat pies (Pie Face, etc.) I'd be as fat as a pig if I lived there.
That sounds like you had a great time - some lovely areas there. Yes, vanilla slice is one of my weaknesses - my mother in law makes the best vanilla slice on the planet - I have tried many many vanilla slices in my time from many many places, and I can be unequivocal in my opinion. Did you have one with the passionfruit icing? They have to have passionfruit icing IMO, or they are not a proper vanilla slice.
James.
I tried several. Our friend had told me about a national contest for the best vanilla slice in the country which completely intrigued me. So I had to find out for myself what vanilla slice (or as she said it's sometimes called: a "snot box") was all about. But no I did not have a vanilla slice with the passion fruit icing. Thinking back I'm sure someone mentioned it, I just didn't try one. There were so many new things to try.
Just another reason, amongst many, to go back!
Here I am at the Queen Vic Market wearing my new Akubra "Coober Pedy" hat and blowing on what would become my first didge:
Attachment 112909
As our friends daughter said in response to one of my first attempts at the didge, "Did somebody just pop-off?" LOL!
Flash looking Termite Tube you got there mate. Is she a Dinky-Di tourist authenticated Aboriginal made artifact?! :p
Mick
Ef'n bloody oath mate!
I'll mention the only unpleasant part of our trip. It was when we were held captive in our Hawaiian Airlines jet on arrival at Sydney Airport and involuntarily fumigated with what I'm assuming were some form of pesticides. The crew only informed passengers about this procedure on descent just prior to arrival and described it as being for the purpose of treating the overhead storage compartments. Horse crap. Several "Agents" wearing vests labeled something like "Bio-Control" came aboard with respirator face masks and proceeded to discharge aerosol spray cans of God-knows-what into the cabin. They sort of aimed the spray towards the overhead bins, but it was obvious that they were spraying us as well. And we passengers had no choice but to sit there and take it. I've actually never felt more violated at any other time in my life. If they really wanted to treat just the overhead bins, they would have let us off of the airplane first.
I agree...The only thing I can say is that at least they made the noxious cr@p smell alright, but you're right. Warning should be given at the time you go to pay for your tickets. However, violating peoples rights is what this great country is all about these days. Rights?! What rights?!
While I'm off the subject of this thread (sort of), have you seen the stuff on this website mate? They've got just the thing for that new Didge of yours...Didgeridoo Bags :)
Mick
Okay then...me ol' cobber in crime Mick,gave me the good oil on Vanilla slice. That's stuff sounds ace !! I'm ready to bog in to a mountain O that !;)
Refer back to my last post on the Tea thread mate. :) Damn now I want a Breaka, Cherry ripe and a bloody Vanilla Slice. This is adding kilos just thinking about it!
Mick
Well then...before I go off for a bit...I guess I won't mention the pumpkin gingerbread trifle I got chillin in the fridge. Talk in a bit byeeeeeeee............
Silently walks away shaking head. This convo I must stay out of.
Shayne
More importantly, how long does disease and bacteria live on the great blob of bees-wax that forms the mouth peice? And how do you kill 'em without having to replace the stuff? Or should you just replace the stuff? :)
Getting paranoid yet mate?
Mick
What if a funnel web were to come crawlin out....Boooga !!!
Funny you should ask...
While I'm usually VERY careful about such things, maybe the excitement, maybe being in-the-moment, in the spirit, whatever, I completely and with total absent minded abandon of my usual state of wariness and care for self preservation, and I just applied lips to wax. It wasn't until later, and with a bit of horror that I came to my senses and asked myself, WTF!? Well, it's too late now! Hopefully beeswax has some antibacterial/ antiviral qualities. I hate to think of what nasty things I might have exposed myself to. Hopefully no one with herpes, hepatitis, or god-knows-what, preceded me on that didge...
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger...right??
Another thing I noticed in Australia was the absence of Fosters. We are told through advertising in the States that Fosters is, "Australian for beer, Mate..."
Tooheys, Carlton, Coopers, or VB yes, but I don't recall seeing a single stubbie or tap of Fosters anywhere.
I'm a fan of Foster's myself but perhaps it's because I don't know any better. The Aussies seem pretty unanimous that Foster's is indeed Australian for Old Milwaukee or Blatz. (For the Aussies, both are examples of really bad American beer that they will practically pay you to take out of a store). Apparently they export Foster's to the states because they can't sell any of it in Australia.
All this talk of the wonders of the Vanilla Slice I just had to look it up!
Turns out they are just what we call a Custard Slice. The French, trying to sound posh, call them mille-feuille.
Always loved a custard slice! Messy...
Gareth
Back on track a bit...
One of our Ozie friends referred to words and phrases such as, "Ridgy-didge" as "Aukerisms." While talking with another group I mentioned "Aukerisms" and an older gal took some offense stating that she was not an "Auker." She further stated that "Aukers" were what I suppose we in the States might referr to as "Low brow" or "Fill-in-the-blank trash."
And I never got around to trying the McDonalds lamb burger! I love lamb. They're so cute when they're grilled, roasted and barbequed!
Beer in Australia is a State by State thing really Queensland it's XXXX, NSW it's swill, Vic it's swill (Well VB is actually not swill really, but the other stuff they drink is!), S.A it's swill, W.A it's swill (Emu Export and Redback Original is good swill though), N.T it's vast quantities of N.T Lager and Tassie it's girly swill. Of course all those swill drinking states do have other beer that is palatable (refer back to VB and Emu Export/Redback Original) and we have, much like in the U.S, a booming Boutique/Micro Brewery brewing industry as well, that produce some very nice Aussie beers. Most of the big companies are no longer Aussie owned, including the greatest beer of all, XXXX (Four eX). However in no state do they sink so low as to claim Fosters as their beer of choice. That stuff doesn't rate on the swill scale, because the swill scale won't go that low.
Refer the above post. On a good note though Millers Genuine Draft (MGD) is a very acceptable American beer along with a few of the Micro brews I tried in New Orleans (I was given free beer until I found one that I liked. That was a helluva night I must say!)
But you also gave us Moa and shot yourselves in the foot!
That's 'Ocker-isms', you've confused the spelling due to the Aussie accent I would say. An Ocker would be closer in relation to the derogitry meaning of Red-Neck, but could well be a Bogan, Bevan or just a plain old everyday D!ckhe@d! However, I wouldn't refer to Ridgy-Didge as an ocker-ism. That's more slang than anything. A lot of what could be seen (heard?) as ocker is usually not really ocker at all, it's just the person whose mouth it came from is an Ocker rather than the word itself. It also depends on the setting and the context in which the word is used...And yes, I will say it, at risk, it also depends on the nationality of the person using the words. Some Aussie words just don't sound right without the Aussie accent to give them value and credibility.
Macca's i.e McDonalds is a prime example of Ocker no matter whose mouth and what accent is used. It is a stand alone ocker word and the only one to come to me at this time. There will be others, but mostly what I have said above holds true.
:tu
Mick
Now that you've mentioned it, and refreshed my memory, I did try XXXX beer while in Queensland. Not bad stuff. My buddy explained to me that there is a reason why the cans are labeled XXXX. Something about Queenslanders and not being able to spell the word BEER. Of course he lives in Victoria...
Any good jabs at Victorians would be appreciated!
Yes Coopers is the largest Australian owned and operated Brewery and they have a good line up of beer. I haven't tried them all yet, which is a good thing, because I haven't found one I really like yet. I'm sure I will find something amongst the Coopers though.
Mick
Strewth, Coopers is bonza, keep away from the Green Death !!
Cheerio
Ps Millers draught is not a bad US drop, ver popular with us team ropers in the West.