Looking forward

I will arrive in Perth on the 30th. Then my mate and I
will make a fes stops in WA and cross the Nullarbor to
Adelaide, a few stops in SA and VIC, the Canbera (maybe
Jindabyne), a few stops in NSW, and maybe to Brisbane.

I need a URL for a train schedule from Brisbane to Sydney.

What I look forward to the most is lamb for dinner. In
the States, lamb is a forgotten meat. And what I have
yet to eat is Roo Stew. Anyone want to volunteer a place
for great Roo Stew?

Norseman to Adelaide looks like two days of hard driving
with the sun in you face in the morning. Any ideas on
how to make it easier?

This holiday has been planned and put off for eight years.
It would have been put off until next year except my
frequent flier miles are about to expire.

The main reason for my trip was to spend time with a mate
in Canberra. But he passed away a month ago. So I've
decided to make a scenic tour.

The worst part of it is the bloody ****** owed me three
slabs of bitters!

Dick

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:16:51 +0000 (UTC), (Dick
Adams) wrote in :

I will arrive in Perth on the 30th. Then my mate and I
will make a fes stops in WA and cross the Nullarbor to
Adelaide, a few stops in SA and VIC, the Canbera (maybe
Jindabyne), a few stops in NSW, and maybe to Brisbane.

I need a URL for a train schedule from Brisbane to Sydney.

Fastest is probably the XPT service:

"Countrylink's "Brisbane XPT" train runs once each day from
Brisbane's Roma Street station to Sydney Central station. The
train departs Brisbane early in the morning, travels through the
day then arrives in Sydney in the evening. The journey takes
about fourteen hours. You can also get off this train at
Strathfield or Hornsby station in Sydney's suburbs, at
Broadmeadow in Newcastle or at one of many other stations along
the way."
http://www.railmaps.com.au/journey_r...rigin=Brisbane

What I look forward to the most is lamb for dinner. In
the States, lamb is a forgotten meat.

Admittedly not the most popular, or even common, meat
there. One good reason for this, IMHO, is that in the
U.S. what we would call "hogget" here was [possibly still is]
sold under the name of "lamb". Which it definitely isn't. For
readers who might not know the difference:

"Lamb is meat from sheep under 12 months of age. A hogget is a
sheep older than a lamb, and a hogget has developed 2 permanent
teeth. Hogget is usually between 15 and 24 months old. Mutton is
from a sheep that’s older still, and this has a stronger
flavour."
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/cookandchef/txt/s1963265.htm

And what I have
yet to eat is Roo Stew. Anyone want to volunteer a place
for great Roo Stew?

Norseman to Adelaide looks like two days of hard driving
with the sun in you face in the morning. Any ideas on
how to make it easier?

Sun visors, tinted windscreen, polarised glasses...or
travel at night...or catch a train or bus instead of driving.:-)

This holiday has been planned and put off for eight years.
It would have been put off until next year except my
frequent flier miles are about to expire.

The main reason for my trip was to spend time with a mate
in Canberra. But he passed away a month ago. So I've
decided to make a scenic tour.

The worst part of it is the bloody ****** owed me three
slabs of bitters!


Dick

Translation for other readers. In Victoria, a "slab" of
beer would be called a "case" of beer in the USA. "Bitters"
would probably be the popular brew "VB". [IMHO, not as
good as Queensland "xxxx" aka as "fourex"] :-)

I'll leave it to you to explain "******". :-)

Cheers,
Kangaroo16

kangaroo16 wrote:
On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:16:51 +0000 (UTC), (Dick
Adams) wrote in :
[...]

The worst part of it is the bloody ****** owed me three
slabs of bitters!


Dick

Translation for other readers. In Victoria, a "slab" of
beer would be called a "case" of beer in the USA. "Bitters"
would probably be the popular brew "VB". [IMHO, not as
good as Queensland "xxxx" aka as "fourex"] :-)

Oh dear, I feel another beer-thread (or threat? :-)) coming up! :-)

I'll leave it to you to explain "******". :-)

That's a cue for this (IMO) famous quote:

"Unfortunately Americans don't recognise the word '******' which is
strange for a country that has so many!"

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:16:51 +0000 (UTC),
(Dick Adams) wrote:

I will arrive in Perth on the 30th. Then my mate and I
will make a fes stops in WA and cross the Nullarbor to
Adelaide, a few stops in SA and VIC, the Canbera (maybe
Jindabyne), a few stops in NSW, and maybe to Brisbane.

I need a URL for a train schedule from Brisbane to Sydney.

Try this:
http://www.countrylink.info/
Specifically:
http://www.countrylink.info/__data/a...oastRegion.pdf

Have a look at the various passes, one may suit you:
http://www.countrylink.info/travel_passes
Note that if you want to get to Byron Bay that line no
longer operates (it's my line too) and it is a bus
connection back to the main line.

I wrote a personal comment on the trip from here to Sydney a
while back. The section from Casino to Sydney is part of the
Brisbane-Sydney line.
http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/20...t-railway.html

What I look forward to the most is lamb for dinner. In
the States, lamb is a forgotten meat. And what I have
yet to eat is Roo Stew. Anyone want to volunteer a place
for great Roo Stew?

Norseman to Adelaide looks like two days of hard driving
with the sun in you face in the morning. Any ideas on
how to make it easier?

Possibly take the train there too, although it is a bit
expensive:
http://www.railaustralia.com.au/indianPacificFares.php

This holiday has been planned and put off for eight years.
It would have been put off until next year except my
frequent flier miles are about to expire.

The main reason for my trip was to spend time with a mate
in Canberra. But he passed away a month ago. So I've
decided to make a scenic tour.

The worst part of it is the bloody ****** owed me three
slabs of bitters!

Dick

Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Slovenia
http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/
latest: Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest

On 16 Nov 2007 22:03:45 GMT, Frank Slootweg
wrote in
:

kangaroo16 wrote:
On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:16:51 +0000 (UTC), (Dick
Adams) wrote in :
[...]

The worst part of it is the bloody ****** owed me three
slabs of bitters!


Dick

Translation for other readers. In Victoria, a "slab" of
beer would be called a "case" of beer in the USA. "Bitters"
would probably be the popular brew "VB". [IMHO, not as
good as Queensland "xxxx" aka as "fourex"] :-)

Oh dear, I feel another beer-thread (or threat? :-)) coming up! :-)

As beer is such a popular beverage here, perhaps we should alert
tourists that Aussie beer is a bit more potent that the 3.2% beer
in the U.S.A. When I left, this was a national standard for beer
strength. Could get stronger brews, but they were sold as "malt
liquor".

Yanks who fancy themselves drinkers should try a popular drink
in Queensland. A glass with a tot or two of O.P. Bundaburg rum,
remainder filled with draught "XXXX" beer.

If really feeling suicidal, they can get into a "school" of 5 or
6 Aussie drinkers, and see if they are still conscious when it is
their turn to buy a round.:-)

I wonder why the U.S. never bothered to standardize the
size of their beer glasses? If traveling all over "Oz" perhaps
we should warn them that different states here have different
names for the common sizes?

Australian Drinking: A Brief Guide: Intro
Some states actually have names for six different sizes of beer
glass. We'll present just the most commonly-used two or three for
each state. ...
www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~jas/beer/misc/index.html - 3k

Q&A
The following table identifies the different names for the
varying glass sizes peculiar to each State. Beer drinkers'
nicknaming of glass sizes varies from ...
www.liquormerchants.org.au/Q&A.htm - 12k

From the chart in this one, they can learn that a
"schooner" is 15 oz [425 ml] in four states, but
that in South Australia it is only 285 ml, or
10 oz.

Should we tell them that traveling from one state to
another is in some ways like traveling between different
countries?

Or that their is a difference between calling someone a "*******"
as opposed to "proper *******". Hint: the former is often used
as a friendly greeting. The latter isn't. :-)

I'll leave it to you to explain "******". :-)

That's a cue for this (IMO) famous quote:

"Unfortunately Americans don't recognise the word '******' which is
strange for a country that has so many!"

ROTFL! I've been here for decades, but don't remember hearing
that quote! Might cause some Seppo to chuck a wobbly, fair
dinkum! :-)

Perhaps visitors should acquaint themselves with Aussie slang
before arrival? One basic guide can be found at:
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~enigm...lia/slang.html

Another at:
http://www.travel-library.com/pacifi...-language.html

Both have an alphabetical list of more common words on the same
page.

Oh, yes, there are also regional variations within states. For
this, see:
http://www.abc.net.au/wordmap/

Cheers,
Kangaroo16

"Dick Adams" wrote in message
...
I will arrive in Perth on the 30th. Then my mate and I
will make a fes stops in WA and cross the Nullarbor to
Adelaide, ...

How long in WA? And where will you be stopping off?

Gerrit - in Perth

kangaroo16 wrote:
Dick Adams wrote:

And what I have
yet to eat is Roo Stew. Anyone want to volunteer a place
for great Roo Stew?

Is there no place for great Roo Stew?

Norseman to Adelaide looks like two days of hard driving
with the sun in you face in the morning. Any ideas on
how to make it easier?

Sun visors, tinted windscreen, polarised glasses...or
travel at night...or catch a train or bus instead of driving.:-)

Catch a train or bus? Surely you jest. Crossing the Nullarbor
is akin to running with the bulls!

This holiday has been planned and put off for eight years.
It would have been put off until next year except my
frequent flier miles are about to expire.

The main reason for my trip was to spend time with a mate
in Canberra. But he passed away a month ago. So I've
decided to make a scenic tour.

The worst part of it is the bloody ****** owed me three
slabs of bitters!

Translation for other readers. In Victoria, a "slab" of
beer would be called a "case" of beer in the USA. "Bitters"
w would probably be the popular brew "VB". [IMHO, not as
good as Queensland "xxxx" aka as "fourex"] :-)

Bitters is Pale English Ale and is a superior beer when
compared with American Swill, i.e., Bud, Millers, Coors and
other light lagers - except Munich Dunkel and Dortmunder
Export.

I'll leave it to you to explain "******". :

We all know a ****** when we read one.

--
BTW: Kangaroo16 - where in OZ are you? Can you put me
and my mate up for a night?

Dick

kangaroo16 wrote:

Yanks who fancy themselves drinkers should try a popular drink
in Queensland. A glass with a tot or two of O.P. Bundaburg rum,
remainder filled with draught "XXXX" beer.

Watch you mouth. I am a son of the South and here the
word is damnyankee.

If really feeling suicidal, they can get into a "school" of 5 or
6 Aussie drinkers, and see if they are still conscious when it is
their turn to buy a round.:-)

Is there money involved in this wager?

"Unfortunately Americans don't recognise the word '******'
which is strange for a country that has so many!"

******s per capita varies very little from country to country.

Dick

gerrit wrote:
"Dick Adams" wrote:

I will arrive in Perth on the 30th. Then my mate and I
will make a fes stops in WA and cross the Nullarbor to
Adelaide, ...

How long in WA? And where will you be stopping off?

A day or two. Having Friday dinner at an Indian Restaurant
not far from Rolleystone. You are most welcome to join us.
E-mail me at and I'll have me mate Charlie
tell you when and where.

Bartholomews Meadery in Denmark is a major stopping point.

Dick

On Sat, 17 Nov 2007 08:19:25 +0000 (UTC), (Dick
Adams) wrote in :

kangaroo16 wrote:

Yanks who fancy themselves drinkers should try a popular drink
in Queensland. A glass with a tot or two of O.P. Bundaburg rum,
remainder filled with draught "XXXX" beer.

Watch you mouth. I am a son of the South and here the
word is damnyankee.

Well, Cal, what makes you think I may not be a "son of the
South", born south of the Mason-Dixon line? Readers
who are unsure which US States are considered south of this line
can check
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im...Historic_1.png

As to "damnyankee", "Yankee" is a pretty ambiguous word. The
definition I learned as a kid was that to the world, a "Yankee"
referred to Americans in general. In the U.S., to a southerner,
it applied to anyone north of the Mason-Dixon line. To those
north, it meant someone in the New England states. To residents
of those states, it meant someone from Vermont. In Vermont, it
meant someone who ate pie for breakfast. :-)

If really feeling suicidal, they can get into a "school" of 5 or
6 Aussie drinkers, and see if they are still conscious when it is
their turn to buy a round.:-)

Is there money involved in this wager?

Not offered as a wager, as would have no way of knowing
just which humans have a high tolerance for alcohol. The
U.S. has some pretty hardened drinkers who might survive
the Beer & Bundy combination. As you probably know, the
drink composed of beer and spirits is known as a
"boilermaker", or was in my part of the U.S. anyway.

If participate in a "school" of drinkers here, it is considered
impolite to join a "school" and not buy a drink for the group
when their turn comes around.

Obviously, if someone is unconscious on the floor, he will
be unable to do this. Yanks who are unsure if they could
stay conscious until it was their turn could leave enough money
to provide a round of drinks for the Aussie's could always take
the precaution of putting enough cash in a plastic bag and tying
it around his neck so that if he falls to the floor at any stage
he can fulfill his obligations. :-)


"Unfortunately Americans don't recognise the word '******'
which is strange for a country that has so many!"

******s per capita varies very little from country to country.

Dick
True, however one chooses to define the word. Difficult to
predict a percentage range of ******s in the world population,
though. If someone could, they could produce a distribution
using mean, median or mode :-)

Still, we have economists who use statistics to try
to predict what the economy, stock market, etc. will do.
They even make money doing so.

Some humans seem willing to pay economists to make
predictions. A couple of millenniaa ago, their spiritual
predecessors used to slaughter a sacrificial animal,
often a sheep, and "read" its entrails to try to determine
the future. They weren't all that successful, but
probably got rewarded for their effort.

Does any reader doubt this? How many stock market
crashes since 1850 or so have been widely predicted?

From memory only one economic forecaster predicted
the 1987 crash.

Perhaps they should all go back to studying the entrails of
slaughtered animals? IMHO, this method would be as good as
any.:-)

Cheers,
Kangaroo16