If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#31
|
|||
|
|||
Electricity Question
kangaroo16 wrote:
On Sun, 23 Sep 2007 00:00:39 -0500, Janet Wilder wrote in Think you would be surprised at just how scenic is. It also has the advantage of a much better climate than Toronto. I've lived in areas of the US with a fair bit of snow in winter, but personally don't care if I ever see any snow again. :-) Just about anywhere, IMHO, has a better climate than Toronto! From what I've read the climate in Australia is similar to our southwest. I would be perfectly happy to only see snow on the top of a mountain while I am standing in the valley below in a tee shirt and shorts. A bit more on Sydney Tower, although haven't been up it for years:. There used to be an opal shop which had some beautiful black opal on display. AFIK, only Australia has black opal, and a solid chunk can be worth more weight by weight than diamonds. I don't know if the shop is still there, but if so, might be worth a quick look. I didn't see anything about the shop, but did find a coupon for a free meal at the Sky Lounge with the purchase of another meal. Printed that one! I also printed the map, schedule and info for the Explore bus. It has lots of discounts for museums and attractions. We can get a pass to get on and off all day for one fee. http://www.sydneypass.info/sydneyexplorer/ Depending upon how we survive our flight, we might tour on that bus our first day. We get into Sydney at around 6 AM. We have to clear customs and be taken to our hotel. If we have slept well on the plane, we'll sightsee. If not, we'll sleep. If we decide to do some touring after the cruise, I'm afraid we'll have to do it with the cruise excursion people as we will have loads of luggage to cart around and they handle all of that and get us to the airport. We will not be able to drag the luggage around town ourselves. About 25 years ago the Australian Gov't others started the ‘Slip!, Slop!, Slap!’ campaign 25 years ago. [Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat.] I just love it when ad agencies go public service. We have a seat belt one that goes: "click it or ticket" I was the last of my friends to give up my 35mm camera. Might consider one. How is the image quality compared to 35mm film though? Must admit haven't checked it out. Never very interested in prints, used 35mm Ektachrome for slides. First suggestion: If a tourist wants accurate color rendition, slides are almost always a better way to go, despite the inconvenience of displaying them. I take photos at their highest resolution. The quality is awesome. I do 8.5 x 11 inch prints from my photos. Newer cameras have more megapixels than mine. I have only 3.2, but still get good prints, if I want prints. It was a choice between optical zoom and megapixels and the zoom was more important to me. Mostly I clean up my photos with a little touch of Adobe and put them on CDs. Then we play them on the TV for captive audiences. The prints go into calendars I make for our family as holiday gifts. Each family gives me their own dates of importance (like in-law birthdays) and each one is custom made. The photos are from our travels during the year and the last page is our holiday letter to them. Second suggestion: If have a film negative that produces a poor print and it is important to you, have the negative professionally processed so they can spend more time on getting the best possible print out of it. I can do that myself with the digital pictures and Adobe Elements. That's the beauty of digital. You can also scan prints or negatives into your computer and use software to manipulate them. I did that with my 35mm prints. All of them have been digitized. There are some stores that develop film right onto CDs. Before I had my own scanner, I had my film developed at K-Mart or Walgreen's right onto disks. Seventh: Most tourists like to take a lot of photos, and they want them to come out well. If take a photo in your yard at home and it doesn't come out well can always take another photo. Coming back to Australia to reshoot a photo. I can see the photos right away. I don't have to wait for them to be developed. If something is very important to me, I'll look at it in the camera and if it's not good, I'll delete it and shoot again. I always take at least 3 shots of the same thing at different zoom settings. Have spent a bit of time in Western deserts, actually. They were in walking distance of a town I spent some years in. I still think you will see some striking new flowers here though. I hope to! I love "picking" flowers with my camera. Early settlers brought in foxes and rabbits for hunting purposes, and at one time Australia had huge rabbit plagues. Wasn't it Australia that had the Rabbit-Proof Fence? I saw a wonderfully touching movie on TV with that title a few years ago. If I were to travel by ship again, even a large cruise liner, would ensure a supply of tablets for seasickness. I don't get seasick. If DH does it's the first day on open water. The ship's physician doles them out to passengers. Thanks for the heads up on the octopi. Actually, the poisonous jellyfish can be a greater hazard if swimming or snorkeling on an unpatrolled beach. We have deadly jellyfish here, too. We have to be mindful at the beach along the Gulf of Mexico certain times of the year. I will pack my water shoes. One important area I haven't mentioned yet is that of travel insurance. We have already purchased travel insurance through the travel agent. We always buy it. It keeps the Evil Eye away. We also have a domestic insurance plan called SkyMed that will pick up where the travel insurance leaves off. The travel insurance will only repatriate us to the nearest place, in this case the west coast. SkyMed will get us back home to our own facilities. It will cover both the sick person and the traveling companion. It will, Heaven forbid, return remains, too. http://www.skymed.com/ At least information on given links might give realists some questions to ask their G.P. if they see anything of possible concern. DH is doing the rounds of his doctors last week and next week. I'm seeing mine next week and I'll also visit the dentist. I have a letter from my surgeon so I can carry my fluoride gel on the plane as I will have to treat my teeth on the long flight. (I had some nasty radiation last year and have to do all kinds of things to keep my teeth from falling out of my head) He has an insulin pump so he will be taking spare syringes and insulin in case there is a problem with the pump. I carry the glucose tablets, gel and have just learned to use a glucogon needle which I am hoping I won't ever have to do. We old people have to learn to deal with out maladies. g In the section on restricted mobility discussing deep vein thrombosis, I notice that they don't mention elastic stockings or firm pantyhose, but I understand that many adult air travelers use them these days. I will ask the physician about it. It may be more of a problem for him as his circulation isn't that great to begin with. We do face a long plane ride. As the old saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." You are so right! Thanks again for all of your travel tips and information. -- Janet Wilder Bad spelling. Bad punctuation Good Friends. Good Life |
#32
|
|||
|
|||
Electricity Question
On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 01:37:25 GMT, kangaroo16
wrote: I have heard claims here that Queensland once had a cattle station ("ranch") that had a greater area than the state of Texas before it was broken up before WW1. To be fair, though, have never bothered to verify this.:-) Probably true, but I don't know the history. Could have been Kidman's original holdings, they've got much smaller since his death: http://www.kidman.com.au/our_land_holdings.htm The biggest cattle station these days is sort of small - Texas is 7 1/2 times bigger (but it's bigger than Belgium:-) http://www.wrightsair.com.au/anna.htm Cheers, Alan, Australia -- http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/ latest: Slovenia http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/ latest: Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest |
#33
|
|||
|
|||
Electricity Question
On Sun, 23 Sep 2007 23:08:52 -0500, Janet Wilder
wrote in : kangaroo16 wrote: On Sun, 23 Sep 2007 00:00:39 -0500, Janet Wilder wrote in Think you would be surprised at just how scenic is. It also has the advantage of a much better climate than Toronto. I've lived in areas of the US with a fair bit of snow in winter, but personally don't care if I ever see any snow again. :-) Just about anywhere, IMHO, has a better climate than Toronto! From what I've read the climate in Australia is similar to our southwest. It depends a lot on how you define "similar" and "southwest":-) A world map might be a better guide, actually. Looking at Gulf & Caribbean lands map in my old printed set of Encyclopedia Britannica. First thing I notice is that no part of continental US extends as far south of the Tropic of Cancer at 23 degrees 6 minutes North Latitude, or 23°6' N pretty close to _Ciudad Victoria_ in Mexico. Brownsville Texas is north of this at 22° 55' N 97°30' W and this is about as close to the equator as a western US city manages. The Florida keys get closer, with Key West at 24°31 N 81°47 W. which is the southernmost point of the continental U.S. The Tropic of Capricorn comes close to the Northern margin of Cuba. Havana Cuba is Latitude: 23° 08' North Longitude: 82° 23' West so is closer to the equator. As Australia is south of the equator, our equivalent to the Tropic of Capricorn is the Tropic of Cancer which is 23°6' south. It passes through Rockhampton, Queensland so could expect it to be similar to Havana. If want a warmer temperature, go further north. Darwin, Northern Territory is Latitude:12° 23' South Longitude: 130° 44' East. The actual northern boundary off Cape York Peninsula in Qld.would be in the Torres Strait Islands would be at about 10° south. Climate wise 10° South Latitude would be roughly equivalent to 10° Degree North Latitude. If we go back to the Northern Hemisphere, this line would pass very close to San Jose, Coasta Rica Bar and through Barquisimeto, Venezuela. So you would have to go down to South America to get a climate equal to Darwin. Getting back to Australia, you could go south from Rockhampton seeking cooler weather. Brisbane, Queensland 27° 30' S Sydney NSW 33° 55' S Melbourne, Victoria Latitude: 37° 52' S Hobart, Tasmania 42° 50'S North American Latitude rough equivalents: Brisbane = West Palm Beach, Florida Sydney = Los Angeles, Calif. Melbourne = Fresno, Calif Hobart = Chicago, Ill ....So I think you can count on being warmer here. Now 4:16 PM Monday September 24 At 4:00 temp 77 °F / 25 °C Clear, Wind 15 mph / 24 km/h / 6.7 m/s from the NE http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/94767.html be perfectly happy to only see snow on the top of a mountain while I am standing in the valley below in a tee shirt and shorts. You are unlikely to see any on your visit here...:-) A bit more on Sydney Tower, although haven't been up it for years:. There used to be an opal shop which had some beautiful black opal on display. AFIK, only Australia has black opal, and a solid chunk can be worth more weight by weight than diamonds. I don't know if the shop is still there, but if so, might be worth a quick look. I didn't see anything about the shop, but did find a coupon for a free meal at the Sky Lounge with the purchase of another meal. Printed that one! I also printed the map, schedule and info for the Explore bus. It has lots of discounts for museums and attractions. We can get a pass to get on and off all day for one fee. http://www.sydneypass.info/sydneyexplorer/ Depending upon how we survive our flight, we might tour on that bus our first day. We get into Sydney at around 6 AM. We have to clear customs and be taken to our hotel. If we have slept well on the plane, we'll sightsee. If not, we'll sleep. If we decide to do some touring after the cruise, I'm afraid we'll have to do it with the cruise excursion people as we will have loads of luggage to cart around and they handle all of that and get us to the airport. We will not be able to drag the luggage around town ourselves. About 25 years ago the Australian Gov't others started the ‘Slip!, Slop!, Slap!’ campaign 25 years ago. [Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat.] I just love it when ad agencies go public service. We have a seat belt one that goes: "click it or ticket" Much like our random road breath tests. One ad warning of these uses "If over 0.05, you are under arrest." I was the last of my friends to give up my 35mm camera. Might consider one. How is the image quality compared to 35mm film though? Must admit haven't checked it out. Never very interested in prints, used 35mm Ektachrome for slides. First suggestion: If a tourist wants accurate color rendition, slides are almost always a better way to go, despite the inconvenience of displaying them. I take photos at their highest resolution. The quality is awesome. I do 8.5 x 11 inch prints from my photos. Newer cameras have more megapixels than mine. I have only 3.2, but still get good prints, if I want prints. It was a choice between optical zoom and megapixels and the zoom was more important to me. Sounds interesting, might get one. I note that higher megapixel ones getting cheaper. However, I would actually rather have a sensor installable on film plane of existing camera. I like to have control over shutter speed, f stops, & focus. :-) Mostly I clean up my photos with a little touch of Adobe and put them on CDs. Then we play them on the TV for captive audiences. The prints go into calendars I make for our family as holiday gifts. Each family gives me their own dates of importance (like in-law birthdays) and each one is custom made. The photos are from our travels during the year and the last page is our holiday letter to them. I have the cheaper Jasc Paint Shop Pro. Very interesting what can do with image editors, isn't it? Probably why most courts now won't accept still photos as evidence. Second suggestion: If have a film negative that produces a poor print and it is important to you, have the negative professionally processed so they can spend more time on getting the best possible print out of it. I can do that myself with the digital pictures and Adobe Elements. That's the beauty of digital. You can also scan prints or negatives into your computer and use software to manipulate them. I did that with my 35mm prints. All of them have been digitized. There are some stores that develop film right onto CDs. Before I had my own scanner, I had my film developed at K-Mart or Walgreen's right onto disks. Sounds like a lot of fun. Probably would have retained more interest in photography if hadn't discovered the magic of computers and the net. Makes one lazy, though. Have a lot of books, wanted to quote from one of them. Started to get up to look for it, but found it was much quicker and much easier just to find the info on the net. Seventh: Most tourists like to take a lot of photos, and they want them to come out well. If take a photo in your yard at home and it doesn't come out well can always take another photo. Coming back to Australia to reshoot a photo. I can see the photos right away. I don't have to wait for them to be developed. If something is very important to me, I'll look at it in the camera and if it's not good, I'll delete it and shoot again. I always take at least 3 shots of the same thing at different zoom settings. Have spent a bit of time in Western deserts, actually. They were in walking distance of a town I spent some years in. I still think you will see some striking new flowers here though. I hope to! I love "picking" flowers with my camera. You are coming at the right time, then. Spring &.or summer. Seasons not as marked here as in the US. Just a gradual sine curve between winter and summer. Early settlers brought in foxes and rabbits for hunting purposes, and at one time Australia had huge rabbit plagues. Wasn't it Australia that had the Rabbit-Proof Fence? I saw a wonderfully touching movie on TV with that title a few years ago. Yep, still the longest fence in the world as far as I know. If I were to travel by ship again, even a large cruise liner, would ensure a supply of tablets for seasickness. I don't get seasick. If DH does it's the first day on open water. The ship's physician doles them out to passengers. Thanks for the heads up on the octopi. Actually, the poisonous jellyfish can be a greater hazard if swimming or snorkeling on an unpatrolled beach. We have deadly jellyfish here, too. We have to be mindful at the beach along the Gulf of Mexico certain times of the year. I will pack my water shoes. Unfortunately ours are smaller and more deadly. :-( See: Worldwide deaths and severe envenomation from jellyfish stings http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/...ner/fenner.htm ------------- http://www.avru.org/general/general_animals.html (for index, but as far as irikundi are concerned http://www.avru.org/general/general_irukandji.html As to size: "It is a small jellyfish (around 2cm diameter bell) responsible for an unusual and dramatic syndrome observed following stings." 2 cm = 0.75 inches, so we aren't talking a large jellyfish like the Portuguese Man of War here. :-) ARVU is an interesting site, can look up info on all sorts of toxic critters. However, all this should be kept in perspective. Personally, my wife and I consider it a much safer place than the US, or we wouldn't be here. Both here and in the U.S. there are many more people at risk from an allergenic [anaphylactic] reaction to ordinary bee or wasp stings. Haven't checked it out, but it has been claimed that in the WW2 Pacific campaign far more military personell were killed by falling coconuts than by snakebite. The last terrorist incident on Australian soil was decades ago, we have never had a Prime Minister assassinated, and so on. The hazards here are well known to locals, and most Australians know enough to swim between the flags on a patrolled beach, and most don't take the chance of swimming on a non-patrolled beach. In Sydney, sharks aren't the main hazard, but rip currents which frequently change. However, if a shark alarm is sounded, getting out of the water is a good idea! If one drives highway one between Sydney and Cairns will see many miles of beaches with clean sparkling white sand with no one on them. There are reasons for this. :-) IMHO, Australia is one of the safest places in the world if one uses common sense. Is the blue-ringed octopus a major hazard or even a minor hazard? Nope, not if you don't mess with it. From memory, only 4 recorded deaths worldwide, but will take a quick look. ------------- Quote: "He said there had been four confirmed deaths from blue ringed octopus worldwide, two in Australia, one in Singapore and one in Okinawa, Japan. In all cases, the victims had pulled the octopus from the water and were handling them. " http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...006786,00.html ----------------- What I'm getting at here is that Americans know most of the hazards in the US, such as car hijackings in certain areas, but an Australian visitor might not. A friend of a friend was in Los Angeles rented a bicycle and rode it through the Watts district in Los Angeles, where lone L.A. police cars didn't go into the area. No, no one bothered him, but I wouldn't do it. :-) I would maintain that the greatest hazard to human beings are other human beings, not poisonous plants or animals. Of course, when we go bush, we don't stick our hands into hollow logs, carry a pressure bandage snakebite kit, have 2 Way radio and/or mobile phone, etc. The last time was in Cairns, if drove inland for about 15 miles there was a big sign that said something like "Warning: Do not proceed beyond this point without adequate food, water, petrol, oil, tools & essential spare parts." Realists heed such warnings, optimists often don't. The chances of running into trouble in a guided tour are very remote, especially if the tourist obeys advice, warning signs, and uses common sense. Of course, a bit of research can save the tourist a lot of problems. If you saw a pretty cone shell washed up on a beach would you pick it up? Not a good idea unless you are sure that the occupant is dead, or you are careful how you handle it. http://www.avru.org/general/general_cones.html If I was coming to Australia for the first time, and dealing with a travel agent or tour group I would expect to be advised of possible hazards. If I was an Australian visiting the USA for the first time I would expect the same warnings. For example, in some parts of the U.S. car hijackings can be a problem, and tourists in rental cars are a desirable target. A few years ago the Australian Gov't website for tourists warned visitors to drive with the windows up and the doors locked. Not on current warnings list, though. For current warnings, see: http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-c...tes_of_America One important area I haven't mentioned yet is that of travel insurance. We have already purchased travel insurance through the travel agent. We always buy it. It keeps the Evil Eye away. We also have a domestic insurance plan called SkyMed that will pick up where the travel insurance leaves off. The travel insurance will only repatriate us to the nearest place, in this case the west coast. SkyMed will get us back home to our own facilities. It will cover both the sick person and the traveling companion. It will, Heaven forbid, return remains, too. http://www.skymed.com/ At least information on given links might give realists some questions to ask their G.P. if they see anything of possible concern. DH is doing the rounds of his doctors last week and next week. I'm seeing mine next week and I'll also visit the dentist. I have a letter from my surgeon so I can carry my fluoride gel on the plane as I will have to treat my teeth on the long flight. (I had some nasty radiation last year and have to do all kinds of things to keep my teeth from falling out of my head) He has an insulin pump so he will be taking spare syringes and insulin in case there is a problem with the pump. I carry the glucose tablets, gel and have just learned to use a glucogon needle which I am hoping I won't ever have to do. We old people have to learn to deal with out maladies. g True! Airport security is pretty high these days, and a recent news report dealt with a traveler from Europe who had his hypodermics and insulin confiscated when he boarded. Made it to Australia OK, but was pretty sick when arrived. If carrying any prescription drugs, have copies of prescription, letter from your doctor. I hear that airlines are very fussy about anything that could be used as a weapon, including fingernail files, nail scissors, etc. In the section on restricted mobility discussing deep vein thrombosis, I notice that they don't mention elastic stockings or firm pantyhose, but I understand that many adult air travelers use them these days. I will ask the physician about it. It may be more of a problem for him as his circulation isn't that great to begin with. We do face a long plane ride. As the old saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." You are so right! Thanks again for all of your travel tips and information. Thank you! I am sometimes criticized for giving advice about possible hazards. When I came to Australia there wasn't a lot of such info that was easily available. I've been here for decades now, though, sometimes in very remote areas where the nearest doctor was hours away by air, and never had any problems with wildlife, police, criminals, and so on. Again, I feel that Australia is a far safer place than the USA for travelers or tourists. Last night watched a new T.V. series on the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Highly recommend it on the off chance it is available there. Advice here may be different than offered there, as in snakebite treatment. Bush fires can be a hazard here, and current advice is for those caught in their vehicle to stay in their cars and shield from radiant heat. Some fear that the vehicle will explode, but tests show very little chance of this, and being on foot is much more hazardous. How to shield from radiant heat inside a vehicle reminds me of one of the most useful items I've always carried in my travels, which is a Fischer Space Blanket. You probably know of the "space blanket". The one used for first aid and rescue use, which is a thin plastic sheet with an aluminum vapor deposited coating on it. This is also known as a "rescue blanket" and is single use. The more useful one is the foil blanket, a thin layer of nylon net, and a more rugged colored plastic layer. Sewn at edges, has grommets. Seriously, this is one item I wouldn't travel without. Wrap around yourself and is not only rain and windproof, but the shiny side reflects body heat back and keeps you almost as warm as a good sleeping bag. Shiny side up, and makes an excellent shade, as reflect suns heat back much better than canvas, etc. I used to carry one in a shoulder bag with camera inside it. From a sheer survival point of view, reflective surface makes it usable for signaling. If in a small boat, rigged in the proper shape, it acts as a radar reflector making a small boat appear much larger to search aircraft. Anyway, better close. Some things to do today. Cheers, Kangaroo16 |
#34
|
|||
|
|||
Electricity Question
kangaroo16 wrote:
On Sun, 23 Sep 2007 23:08:52 -0500, Janet Wilder wrote in I've read the climate in Australia is similar to our southwest. Brownsville Texas is north of this at 22° 55' N 97°30' W and this is about as close to the equator as a western US city manages. The Florida keys get closer, with Key West at 24°31 N 81°47 W. which is the southernmost point of the continental U.S. I live less than 20 miles up-river from Brownsville, Texas You are coming at the right time, then. Spring &.or summer. Seasons not as marked here as in the US. Just a gradual sine curve between winter and summer. Thank you. we were hoping for good weather. Where we live we only have two seasons: warm and hot, so I can well understand what you state. Early settlers brought in foxes and rabbits for hunting purposes, and at one time Australia had huge rabbit plagues. Wasn't it Australia that had the Rabbit-Proof Fence? I saw a wonderfully touching movie on TV with that title a few years ago. Yep, still the longest fence in the world as far as I know. Our government is trying to fence our border with Mexico. Their proposed plan is stupid. They want to put concrete-heavy fences on top of levees that are barely standing themselves. If I was coming to Australia for the first time, and dealing with a travel agent or tour group I would expect to be advised of possible hazards. We have been warned in print about the need for hats and sunscreen. I'm sure that when we get to Ayers Rock there will be additional warnings and when we get to Port Douglas, as well. If I was an Australian visiting the USA for the first time I would expect the same warnings. That's hard to do as there are vast differences in the various parts of the country. Airport security is pretty high these days, and a recent news report dealt with a traveler from Europe who had his hypodermics and insulin confiscated when he boarded. Made it to Australia OK, but was pretty sick when arrived. I have photocopied the specific page from the TSA regarding insulin and hypodermics, etc. According to the web site, Diabetics can bring those items on the plane without a note. I bowl with a fellow who works at our local airport (deemed "International" because of a few flights to Mexico which is actually closer to us than most US cities) for Homeland Security and he told me that if we ever have any problems with security because of the Diabetes and its equipment to ask for the screening supervisor. If carrying any prescription drugs, have copies of prescription, letter from your doctor. Why? As long as the prescription is on the bottle, there should not be a problem. I hear that airlines are very fussy about anything that could be used as a weapon, including fingernail files, nail scissors, etc. They have recently revised their rules to permit small scissors. Evidently the needleworkers' groups got nasty. g Again, I feel that Australia is a far safer place than the USA for travelers or tourists. We traveled extensively throughout North America when we lived in our recreational vehicle and knew enough to stay away from places and practices that invited trouble. The US is not that unsafe. How to shield from radiant heat inside a vehicle reminds me of one of the most useful items I've always carried in my travels, which is a Fischer Space Blanket. I used to have one in my car when we lived up north. I also had reflective foil sheets that I put under the regular bed sheets so I could save money on heating the house at night. It enabled us to turn the thermostat down quite low. I fed the kids beans and they kept themselves warm all night. Thanks again for all of your help, Janet -- Janet Wilder Bad spelling. Bad punctuation Good Friends. Good Life |
#36
|
|||
|
|||
Electricity Question
snipo
I have photocopied the specific page from the TSA regarding insulin and hypodermics, etc. According to the web site, Diabetics can bring those items on the plane without a note. I bowl with a fellow who works at our local airport (deemed "International" because of a few flights to Mexico which is actually closer to us than most US cities) for Homeland Security and he told me that if we ever have any problems with security because of the Diabetes and its equipment to ask for the screening supervisor. sn9ip Janet Janet, I suggest you look at the Travel Section of Diabetes Australia www.diabetesaustralia.com.au. You will find that Australia has different rules. I have just checked this out as I am arriving in Australia in the middle October. Their rules are stricter than the TSA. Martha T2 Canada |
#37
|
|||
|
|||
Electricity Question
On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 19:04:10 -0500, Janet Wilder
wrote: If carrying any prescription drugs, have copies of prescription, letter from your doctor. Why? As long as the prescription is on the bottle, there should not be a problem. This one is worth doing, Janet. You are quite correct, logically and legally. But in my experience TSA staff and logic are not always compatible. It is extremely unlikely that you'll need it - but in the event that you do it could be the thing that stops a tiny detail becoming a major hassle. I know I've said this before, but in my experience TSA staff are recruited for the size of their muscles. Particularly the one between their ears. It cost me very little to draft a letter for my doctor's signature and to carry a current prescription for my meds. Cheers, Alan, Australia -- http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/ latest: Slovenia http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/ latest: Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest |
#38
|
|||
|
|||
Electricity Question
On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:10:12 GMT, MI
wrote: You've hot your 'Tropics' backward. Cancer--- Northern hemisphere; Capricorn---Southern hemisphere. It's easy to remember: Cancer---Canada, Capricorn---Cape of Good Hope. That's the way I learned in school and it never fails. Martha AT2 Canada Capricorn has an "r" in it. So does Rockhampton, an Aussie city on the tropic line. How I remembered it as a kid. Cheers, Alan, Australia -- http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/ latest: Slovenia http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/ latest: Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest |
#39
|
|||
|
|||
Electricity Question
On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 19:04:10 -0500, Janet Wilder
wrote in : kangaroo16 wrote: On Sun, 23 Sep 2007 23:08:52 -0500, Janet Wilder wrote in I've read the climate in Australia is similar to our southwest. Brownsville Texas is north of this at 22° 55' N 97°30' W and this is about as close to the equator as a western US city manages. The Florida keys get closer, with Key West at 24°31 N 81°47 W. which is the southernmost point of the continental U.S. I live less than 20 miles up-river from Brownsville, Texas In that case, perhaps a bit further from the equator!:-) I didn't know your location, or hadn't noticed if you had mentioned it, but turned out to be a good guess for climate comparison, no?:-) You are coming at the right time, then. Spring &.or summer. Seasons not as marked here as in the US. Just a gradual sine curve between winter and summer. Thank you. we were hoping for good weather. Where we live we only have two seasons: warm and hot, so I can well understand what you state. Should have considered that you lived in the extreme south of Texas, where wouldn't get any snow. Northern Texas gets a bit, from memory. Early settlers brought in foxes and rabbits for hunting purposes, and at one time Australia had huge rabbit plagues. Wasn't it Australia that had the Rabbit-Proof Fence? I saw a wonderfully touching movie on TV with that title a few years ago. Yep, still the longest fence in the world as far as I know. Our government is trying to fence our border with Mexico. Their proposed plan is stupid. They want to put concrete-heavy fences on top of levees that are barely standing themselves. Have they decided to do that? Had heard that it was being considered. Agree that it probably isn't all that practical. Power substations are usually pretty well fenced in here. Roughly 9 foot high cyclone fence topped with three strands barbed wire facing out at 45 deg angle. Yet several years ago a 13 year old mentally handicapped boy managed to climb the fence, wiggle under the barbed wire, explored the substation. I don't remember the details offhand, but was probably a secondary transmission station, 132 kilovolt - 66 kv, or perhaps a high voltage distribution substation ranging from 23 Kv to 11 Kv. Although, since 1 Kv= 1000 volts, it really doesn't make much practical difference if get between any high voltage of sufficient amperage and earth. Not necessarily "one flash and you are ash" but usually non-survivable. There was a bit of public outcry at the time, letters to the editor and so on. Demands that the substations have "childproof" fences, as if there was any such thing! Others argued for guard patrols? Not that this all that practical either. From a security point of view, would need at least two guards to patrol the perimeter for 8 hours a shift, which would mean 6 guards per substation per day. Which wouldn't be cheap! Even this wouldn't be good enough to guarantee that no one would climb the fence, unless the guards were armed and to shoot, if necessary, to prevent anyone from climbing the fence. --- And if they did, there would be even more outcry if a kid was shot rather than be electrocuted. From my point of view, this would apply to a border fence as well. If one or more people want to penetrate it they presumably will have more skill than a low I.Q. 13 year old would. Sure, could back it up with machine gun teams, but in that case, why bother with a fence? All that would be needed is a machine gun team, all of whom would be willing to kill men, women and children who might breach a fence or cross an invisible line marking the border. If I was coming to Australia for the first time, and dealing with a travel agent or tour group I would expect to be advised of possible hazards. We have been warned in print about the need for hats and sunscreen. I'm sure that when we get to Ayers Rock there will be additional warnings and when we get to Port Douglas, as well. Very likely, not that either location is very hazardous. I suspect that the main danger around "Uluru" or "Ayers Rock" would be a coronary by a tourist choosing to climb it. See (for example) Ayers Rock closure could cripple tourism May 15, 2001 Posted: 10:30 PM EDT (0230 GMT) http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/a...uru/index.html If I was an Australian visiting the USA for the first time I would expect the same warnings. That's hard to do as there are vast differences in the various parts of the country. True, but the same would apply here. :-) Airport security is pretty high these days, and a recent news report dealt with a traveler from Europe who had his hypodermics and insulin confiscated when he boarded. Made it to Australia OK, but was pretty sick when arrived. I have photocopied the specific page from the TSA regarding insulin and hypodermics, etc. According to the web site, Diabetics can bring those items on the plane without a note. I bowl with a fellow who works at our local airport (deemed "International" because of a few flights to Mexico which is actually closer to us than most US cities) for Homeland Security and he told me that if we ever have any problems with security because of the Diabetes and its equipment to ask for the screening supervisor. Excellent! If our posts motivate diabetic to do such a check, our mutual efforts may be read and noted by other diabetic tourists! To me, such exchanges are what "Usenet" is, ideally, all about. The free exchange of information. Some diabetic tourist may not have realized that there could be a problem. You have found there might be, either on your own, or as a result of my post. Probably the former. Doesn't matter, as anyone who bothers to read our posts will learn enough to remind him to check further. If carrying any prescription drugs, have copies of prescription, letter from your doctor. Why? As long as the prescription is on the bottle, there should not be a problem. A couple of reasons, although am sure that others could suggest more. 1/ If want to renew the prescription for any medication in Australia, you can probably do it if have the original prescription, or perhaps just a copy of same. You would be unlikely to be able to do it just by presenting the original labeled container. The letter from the doctor is just an additional precaution. 2/ A few years ago, a lot of counterfeit US$ 50 bills were circulating on the black market. The US countered this by changing the details on a US $50 bill. From memory, the first counterfeit bill to get into circulation about a half an hour later. Some teenager with good equipment scanned and printed it out, left it on his desk. His uncle saw it, picked it up, went to the local liquor store and tried to buy some booze with it. Wasn't printed on proper paper, of course, but it caused a rather large "flap" when the store owner checked it. From my point of view, the uncle wouldn't have even tried to pass it if he didn't think it a genuine $50 bill. Now it would be much easier to forge a prescription label on a bottle than a passable $50 bill. .....Yeah, before you or others object, the same could be said of a copy or even an original prescription, letter from doctor, and so on. However, have to stop somewhere, and the latter are more reliable than just a labeled bottle. This relates to an earlier post about "cashability" of travelers cheques [or "checks"]. If you were a store clerk would you cash a theoretical T.C. based on "The Kangaroo Bank on the North Side of Sydney Harbour" and signed by "Kangaroo 16" and countersigned by a hypothetical "Platypus 11"? :-) No matter if it was denominated in A$ or US$? Hell, a few years ago a clerk in a large chain of stores here refused to accept a perfectly valid American Express travel check. [or "cheque" as it is called here.] He or she should have, of course, but there are some potential difficulties. Firstly, the cheque might not be genuine. Secondly, if it is, is it denominated in A$, not US$, as the rate frequently changes. These days, perhaps minute by minute. Thirdly, the clerk is going to be held responsible for any shortfall. Which is why I have recommended that all tourists use an international credit card such as "Mastercard" or "Visa" or a debit card such as "American Express". As not all retail stores, let alone smaller businesses or individuals at "garage sales" or "yard sales" will accept either "credit" or "debt" cards or even "genuine US currency" would advise tourists to have enough genuine Australian currency to buy something with no hassles. :-) I hear that airlines are very fussy about anything that could be used as a weapon, including fingernail files, nail scissors, etc. They have recently revised their rules to permit small scissors. Evidently the needleworkers' groups got nasty. g Getting careless are they? Were I an Australian airport security guard I wouldn't accept "knitting needles" or even "rolled up newspapers" ...No, I won't say why. Again, I feel that Australia is a far safer place than the USA for travelers or tourists. We traveled extensively throughout North America when we lived in our recreational vehicle and knew enough to stay away from places and practices that invited trouble. The US is not that unsafe. In general? I don't mean to imply or infer that it is. ...But, in general, in my experience, having grown up there and lived there, I still consider Australia much safer. How to shield from radiant heat inside a vehicle reminds me of one of the most useful items I've always carried in my travels, which is a Fischer Space Blanket. I used to have one in my car when we lived up north. I also had reflective foil sheets that I put under the regular bed sheets so I could save money on heating the house at night. It enabled us to turn the thermostat down quite low. I fed the kids beans and they kept themselves warm all night. Hadn't thought of that one, actually. Then again, don't have or want kids. Kathmandu, Nepal, gets pretty cold in winter, but I was warm enough inside a "space blanket" if can get used to the "crinkly" sound when one moves. :-) Thanks again for all of your help, Janet Again, no problem, and many thanks for your support. I think that I can safely evaluate you as a "fellow realist" :-) I cheerfully admit that enjoy corresponding with you. From your replies so far, you seem to have your plans well in hand, and probably don't need much, or any, of my advice. Your replies demonstrate that you are a very sensible individual. I, for one, really look forward to any posts from you. At present, or as time permits. You strike me as an extremely sensible individual. We are probably one of the older correspondents on the group. Old enough to correspond on some subjects anyway, and discuss subjects that perhaps other members of the group find somewhat "uncomfortable". (Shrug) Oh well, as the old saying goes "Too old, too soon ...and too late smart." :-) A quick search yields the following: ------- Pennsylvania Dutch Proverbs and sayings I am amazed by the number of proverbs and sayings that are produced by cultures over time. My grandmother was Pennsylvania Dutch and her house was covered with plaques of the German-English sayings she (and later I) grew up with. Below are the "best of the best" sayings I heard or read as a child. Throw the cow over the fence some hay. A big wife and a big barn never did any man harm. We get too soon old and too late smart. http://americanfolklore.blogspot.com...5_archive.html At the moment, won't worry about worrying about the exact German equivalent. To get a bit more personal, we may be in roughly the same age group. You have personally had children and grandchildren by choice, my wife and haven't, by choice. The world is rapidly changing, IMHO anyway. Perhaps for the better, perhaps for the worse. Will welcome any communication from you on the group, but seriously I don't want to intrude on your time and on planning for your trip. Sure, if you have any free time between now and when you leave, am sure that all of us will benefit from it. If you don't, then we will have to wait until you get back, won't we? :-) In the meantime, while you are visiting the amazing land of Australia, I may find enough comments on this group to keep me amused. If not, will monitor it, and comment on other groups. However, when you return with your impressions of Australia, rest assured that I will notice your comments on your return to the USA. Some members of this group have criticised me for telling the truth, although many haven't. Am sure that all will be interested in your impressions of Australia when you return to USA. Naturally, I will be interested to find out if I have, in your opinion, have inadvertently given any "misinformation". I think I understand why you are going to be avoiding computers on your holiday, but I also think that you could let us know when you get to Australia safely. I, for one, would appreciate at least a brief message to the group when you arrive safely. After that, I for one, will be content to wait until you get back home. Not that I think you won't arrive safely, or think that you will have any problems whatsoever here, but I think it safe to say that the group would welcome any posts from you while on the trip and when you return. I would still urge you to keep a "daily diary" on the whole trip, however you do it. I actually have a written diary from my departure from the USA, although must admit I didn't keep it up every day from my arrival here. Had more interesting things to do, I guess. Ah well, as the old quote goes "The road to Hell is paved by good intentions". :-) Reply to this post if you have time or are motivated. :-) Regards, Kangaroo 16 |
#40
|
|||
|
|||
Electricity Question
On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:35:18 +1000, Alan S
wrote in : On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:10:12 GMT, MI wrote: You've hot your 'Tropics' backward. Cancer--- Northern hemisphere; Capricorn---Southern hemisphere. It's easy to remember: Cancer---Canada, Capricorn---Cape of Good Hope. That's the way I learned in school and it never fails. Martha AT2 Canada Capricorn has an "r" in it. So does Rockhampton, an Aussie city on the tropic line. How I remembered it as a kid. Cheers, Alan, Australia Oops, sorry about that. I don't always proofread posts. After all, anyone interested in details should allow for that when their first check parameters. Still a fault on my part. I apologize for same. Cheers, |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Re NZ Electricity question.............. | Ian S..... | Australia & New Zealand | 3 | January 23rd, 2005 11:01 AM |
Electricity question for NZ | Kees Neve | Australia & New Zealand | 6 | January 13th, 2005 04:39 AM |
Electricity question for NZ | Kees Neve | Australia & New Zealand | 0 | January 6th, 2005 09:02 PM |
The eternal question about electricity | Mark Fagan | Europe | 40 | August 3rd, 2004 09:16 PM |
Convert or Adapt?.. A Question of electricity.... | KVN | Asia | 7 | June 9th, 2004 11:10 PM |