OZtralia.tv Blog

Friday Sea Tales

By: Phoenix Arrien

Welcome to the last of my tall ships series…and this is possibly the most exciting trip out of all the ones I experience.

The initial thought that strikes people when first seeing the Bark Endeavour Replica is how authentic she looks. I realized in a flash that there is a huge difference between a modern square-rigger and an 18^th Century one. Then it hit me - she looks so tiny!

In Australian history, the Endeavour takes on a magnitude that is disproportional to her actual size. The original Endeavour was the first European vessel to circumnavigate New Zealand and prove it was a group of islands and not part of a continent. It then sailed to New Holland and charted 2,600 miles of the eastern coast, proving that this southern land mass, later Australia, was a continent and claiming it for the British. The ensuing convict settlements would change the face of the region.

Yet, for a ship representing such historical clout, the replica is only 109 feet with a beam of 29 feet and carries 56 people for voyages of up to several weeks. The original, 106 feet, had 94 men aboard…plus live animals…cooped together for three years.

For me it was only to be an attempt to survive with fifty people for three weeks…and that was tricky enough. More next Friday…

For A Chuckle Read These

By: Phoenix Arrien

Ha, ha, ha, ha….yes, ha, I am reading…hahaha…two of the funniest travel books in a long time. The Jetlag travel guides (I have two of the series of three) and they are keeping me in stitches.

Written by very witty Australian comics, Phaic Tan and San Sombrero are take-offs of those travel guides that tell you where to go, what to do, how, why and take all the fun of discovery out of everything - though they can be useful when we want to be efficient or have little time in a place.

Phaic Tan is a funny-bone sojourn to a country somewhere in Asia, probably, where “…just a handful of hardy travelers, aid agencyworkers and hostage negotiators…” visit. It is the “birthplace of the trouser press and irritable bowel syndrome.”

A few choice passages:

X-Rated

Those bringing pornographic material into the country should be prepared to declare it and, in some cases, make photocopies for the customs staff. Similarly X-rated video tapes will be confiscated by officials from the Culture and Information Department and not returned until they have been screened at their New Year’s Eve party.

Phaic Tan has strict quarantine regulations so you are not allowed to bring pets, unless they are for personal consumption.

The other book, San Sombrero, is a land of carnivals, cocktails and coups, somewhere in, er, Latin America.

“Apart from September to November (prime hurricane months), July and August (…ferocious heat…) pretty much anytime of the year is good for a visit to San Sombrero. However the wet season is best avoided because the heat can be intense and many roads impassable. June is considered a better option as the clouds of stinging hornets will often provide partial shade from the sun’s rays.

Oh I love it, I love it. If you don’t then you can probably handle more serious topics like astro-physics or just haven’t visited these places. You can bu ‘em for a little flight reading at Amazon.

Get What You Pay For

By: Phoenix Arrien

Australian luxury hotels are increasingly offering sleep menus. No, this is not being fed through the ears while you sleep, it is offers of services and amenities to help sleep come about easier.

Sleep menus often include:

• Massages

• Yoga

• Aromatherapy, such as baths or candles

• Scented (usually lavender) eye pillows

• Nightcaps

• Soothing music

• Herbal teas

• Some items that hotels offer we don’t usually think about until we need them including sewing kits - to repair that tear or resew the button back on the garment;

• Shoe polish and shine - if the shoes are looking a bit scruffy there are often shoe shine kits or even the concierge will shine them for you;

• Discounts for restaurant or shops in the local area

• Cellphone charger - forgot yours? Often hotels have the most common types

• Secretarial services - photocopying, typing, personal assistance and deliveries are often available

Just ask!

Take A Nice Broadbeach Dinner

By: The OZtralia Producers

We have spent our fair share of time in Broadbeach. It is really nice to go out to dinner here if you are staying on the Gold Coast. How do we say this politely? It is a bit more “upper class” than Surfers Paradise.Broadbeach is becoming famous for its high rise apartment buildings. Also, if you are looking to shop, check out Pacific Fair which is also the transportation center for the Gold Coast.Also in Broadbeach you will find the ever so famous Conrad Jupiters Casino, and the Gold Coast Convention Center which brings in a lot of neat events to the Gold Coast.

One of the World’s Best Zoos

By: The OZtralia Producers

We are quite fond of Australia Zoo. It is a gem on the Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Founded by the Irwin Family, Terri Irwin now runs Australia Zoo after the tragic death of her husband Steve Irwin also known as The Crocodile Hunter. Currently the zoo sits on 72 acres. The plan is to expand the zoo to around 500 acres of fun.

Steve Irwin’s parents, Bob and Lyn Irwin started Australia Zoo back in 1970. It first had the name, “Berrwah Reptile Park.” Lyn Irwin is widely known for being one of the first Australians to care for injured and sick animals in south Queensland. Today, Australia Zoo actually has a koala ambulance to care for sick and injured koala bears.

We really think you should check out the crocodile feeding shows that happen daily. As you see in the above video, zoo keepers dangle raw meat overhead crocodiles…don’t try this in your backyard swamp kids.

There have been reports by local papers that Australia Zoo will be sold to Animal Planet, but that has yet to be confirmed by us.

Continuing Our OZzy Slang Dictionary

By: Phoenix Arrien

 Today we bring you the letter E & F:

Earbashing: talking non-stop
Esky: insulated food/drink container for picnics, barbecues etc.
Exy: expensive

Face, off one’s: drunk 
Fair dinkum: true, genuine
Fair go: a chance (”give a bloke a fair go”)
Fair suck of the sav: exclamation of wonder or disbelief

The Most Lux and Expensive Australian Travel

By: Phoenix Arrien

Are you happily rolling in cash? Or perhaps you like to dream big? Really big!

The travel magazine ‘Australian Traveller’ has listed some very expensive holidays in this big country. Here are six exclusive holidays to be enjoyed in Australia and they sure are a nice bunch:

1.      Lizard Island in Queensland sits in the Great Barrier Reef and has every mod-con you can think of including a lot of privacy. Only $454,000 for five nights.

2.      Winnebago ‘Classic’ motor home has three TV’s and a cocktail bar amongst other luxuries that even my own house doesn’t have! It will set you back almost as much as the cost of the fuel to run it: $615,000.

3.      Presidential Villa, Crown Towers in Melbourne is a luxury suite with three bedrooms. Win big at the Crown Casino (I mean really big) and you can pay the $27,500 per night.

4.      Global Express chartered jet will whisk you off the pesky ground and in to the air for only $9000 per hour.

5.      Seidler Lodge, Thredbo is a great place to base yourself for some skiing at $14,475 per week and hey, a private helicopter is thrown in for just an extra $15,000.

6.      Seararis in Cairns will pop you on a 135ft superyacht with three decks for $124,850 per week.

Australian Diver Upset in Beijing

By: The OZtralia Producers

What would you catch us doing this weekend at the NetworkGlobal headquarters in New York? Watching the Olympics of course.

Australians have a very soft spot in our heart, so seeing Matthew Mitchum of Australia capture Olympic diving gold in Beijing, upsetting the favorite of China was truly inspiring.

Matt won gold in the 10 meter platform diving competition in the “Water Cube” in Beijing.

Matt, the announcers of NBC said you had some tribulations this past year, and we did the research and say, “Good on you mate. We think your great.”

Congratulations Matt. We clapped and cheered for you here.

Tasmania Sea Tales

By: Phoenix Arrien

In 1981, a group of 14 Tasmanians decided that the state should have its own “tall ship”. They chose to build a replica of the “Lady Nelson” built at a cost of $562,573 dollars by public subscription and completed in 1989.

Now operating out of Hobart offering educational and historical charters as well as harbour cruises, it takes 200 volunteers to keep the ship operating. The most popular voyage is a two night sail to the reaches of Bruny Island and the Tasman Peninsula

Sailing along the coastal cliffs of Bruny Island offers me a taste of the dramatic coastal scenery along the Tasman Peninsula. Seabirds and dolphins visit the ship.

Tasmanians love their Lady and come out to wave as we sailed past. There is something special about such this little vessel, a courage and spirit of adventure in one so small to brave the world’s oceans and I become very fond of her in a short space of time.

I can see why she inspires 200 people in a small population who commit to her continuing presence. www.ladynelson.org.au

The City Of The Land Down Under

By: The OZtralia Producers

When we were just lads, we watched that movie with mice, “Rescuers Down Under.” Do you remember that flick? They pictured the Sydney Opera House and we sat there and knew Sydney had to be a cool place.Now that we are all grown up (in some respects) and saw Sydney for real, and yep… we were right, it is a cool place.

With Australia only having a total population of 20 million people, Sydney is Australia’s most populous city. In fact, recent estimates say that around 4.3 million people call Sydney home. It is said that Sydney is on of the most multicultural cities in the world.

What makes Sydney so famous? Its beautiful harbor which gives it the title “the Harbor City.” When you visit Sydney, spend a lot of time by the Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge. Where is the best place to see Sydney’s Harbor by land? Well that would be at Mrs. Macquaries Point in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens. This is just east of the Sydney Opera House and gives you a breathtaking view of the harbor.

Australia’s history somewhat begins in Sydney also. The Rocks area is where the first convicts were dropped off. They say that The Rocks area is the “birthplace of Australia.”

Another famous place to visit in Sydney is Bondi Beach. We highly recommend this place (somehow Rescuers Down Under missed Bondi). When you go to Bondi don’t just be a beach bum, make sure to take a walk on the southern trails. They offer some great sights that a lot miss.

We also recommend Manly Beach which you can visit via ferry from Circular Quay. What is great about taking this ferry is you get a harbor cruise as well as you see in the above video.

If you are looking to get into some trouble, you can go to Kings Cross. We say that you should be a smart traveler and maybe avoid this area. Prostitution, drugs, and other naughty things go on here. With that said, the Sydney police have been working very hard to clean Kings Cross up.

If you are looking for no strings fun, and a little cleaner of a place to enjoy a night out on the town, check out Oxford Street. With that said, the trendy place to go out in is Darling Harbor. We stayed here while on our visit in Sydney and found it to be a central location to enjoy what the city had to offer.

To check out more videos on Sydney, click here.