wasn't belgium on a wendsday:)
Ron (from belgium)
"kangaroo16" schreef in bericht
news:qqqhj3lj7psej381i6bp33resjvs19216c@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:37:29 -0600, Janet Wilder
> wrote in
> <4738e415$0$30090$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com> :
>
>>We have just returned from our 3 week cruise-tour of Australia and New
>>Zealand. We found the people to be very friendly and helpful.
>
> Excellent post, Janet! IMHO, both this group and
> misc.immigration.australia+nz need more such feedback
> from both tourists and successful migrants.
>
> This group seems to get a bit more feedback than the immigration
> group, actually. There we get a lot of posts from people who are
> applying for a migrant visa, and when they get it, they let the
> group know about their success.
>
> After that, though, many seem to drop off the group, or even
> off the face of the earth. We seem to get little or no feedback
> about their first, and subsequent, impressions of Australia.
>
> Perhaps they are too busy? When I migrated to Australia from
> the U.S. decades ago, computers were rare enough, & the Internet
> as we know it now, was a distant dream. I kept in touch with
> family and friends by mail, but the net would have been far more
> convenient.
>
>>We tasted
>>Vegamite (not as bad as it looks),
>
> I can't say that am a great fan of Vegamite, although have tried
> it. Australians who migrate to the US are often disappointed
> that it isn't readily available there.
>
> For readers who have never encountered it, the product is
> probably very similar to English "Marmite". AFIK, both were
> mainly developed as a vitamin supplement. The main ingredient
> is "yeast cream", a by-product of yeast production.
>
> Various strains of yeast are cultivated, then pressed into cakes.
> The liquid exudates are known in the trade as "yeast cream".
>
> So why is Vegamite black? It is coloured by carmel, usually
> from burnt sugar. Why bother? Consumer acceptance, basically.
> The colour of the yeast cream varies from white to a shade of
> yellow. If the end product was marketed without the carmel, the
> colour would vary depending on the species of yeast, and the
> customers might get upset at the variation. The addition of
> carmel makes it a uniform black. Salt is added as a
> preservative. Various other flavors are added.
>
> Unfortunately, the carmel also makes it a bit bitter, and the
> end product is definitely an acquired taste.
>
>> ate quite a lot of yummy lamb
> Can offer some info here as well. In the following quote,
> "ovine" is derived from the scientific name for sheep,
> which is "Ovis aries".
>
> "What is lamb, hogget and mutton?
>
> Lamb is the meat from the ovine that is less than one year old.
> It has a mild flavour and low in internal and external fat.
> Requires short cooking times
>
> Hogget is the meat from the ovine that is one to two years old.
> It has a more intense flavour than lamb, low to medium in
> internal and external fat. Requires longer cooking times than
> lamb and more suited to roasting, stewing and braising
>
> Mutton is the meat from the ovine that is more than two years
> old. It has a very strong flavour, is high in internal and
> external fat. Requires extended cooking times and more suited to
> curing, 2nd class roasting (slow and low heat), stewing and
> braising. These cooking methods will render the excess fat which
> may be spooned or scooped and discarded, they will also ensure
> the meat is nice and tender."
>
> http://www.hub-uk.com/tallytip01/tip0031.htm
>
> If the meat comes from an animal less than a year old, it can
> be legally sold or served as "lamb".
>
> Unfortunately, in many states in the U.S.A. the regulations
> are more lax, and what we would call "hogget" here is often
> sold as "lamb" there.
>
> Perhaps that is one of the reasons you were impressed by the
> flavour of Australian or N.Z. lamb.
>
> Farm animals are sold mainly by gross weight, so lamb meat costs
> more per pound [or kilogramme] than hogget or mutton.
>
>>and got
>>to see some awesome scenery and lots of sheep and cows :-)
>
> Australia has more sheep than humans. The human population
> passed 21 million not all that long ago. Last time I checked,
> about 100 million sheep.
>
> Plenty of kangaroos around too. Perhaps 50 million or so.
>
>>In Australia we visited Ularu and did the Sounds of Silence dinner which
>>was a wonderful experience. I snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef, too.
>
> Assume that you found it interesting.:-) One of our greatest
> tourist attractions.
>
>>One interesting thing I learned is that Australians don't drink that
>>awful Foster's beer. They just export it :-) If they made it here, I'd
>>export it, too.
>
> Laughed at these lines, as totally agree with you. XXXX [a.k.a
> "Fourex"] is a pretty good brew. All "Aussie" beer is generally
> better than U.S. beer, of course, perhaps because most of it
> contains more alcohol than the 3.2% "beer" in the USA. :-)
>
> At least this was the standard percentage when I was last in the
> U.S.A.
>
>>I did taste some of the local brews and found them to be
>>very nice. The wines of both countries were fabulous, but that goes
>>without saying.
>
> Yep, we export a lot of it. Probably a lot more expensive there
> than here.
>
> -----------------
> Wine price falls despite record high in exports
>
> Tuesday, 09/01/2007
>
> Australian wine exports set new records last year, but the price
> per litre has continued to fall.
>
> Exports grew by 8 per cent to 757 million litres and were worth 1
> per cent more, at $2.82 billion.
>
> The average price per litre fell 17 cents... [more at]
>
> http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2006/s1823722.htm
>>
>>Sidney is a big city.
> It certainly is that. Of course, Los Angeles is a pretty big
> city too, but it isn't as pleasant a place to live, IMHO.
>
> Readers can check
> http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/
> or various links from this site such as
> http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/AboutSydney/VisitorGuidesInformation/Default.asp
>> It has some interesting architecture, like the
>>opera house, but urban is urban, no matter where.
>
> It was still under construction when I arrived. I had to ask a
> passing Aussie what the hell it was. :-)
>
> Yes, "urban" is "urban" but some cities are much better than
> others. In 2002, Melbourne, Australia and Vancouver, B.C.,
> Canada were tops.
>
> Melbourne, Vancouver top city list
>
> Friday, October 4, 2002 Posted: 2:38 PM EDT (1838 GMT)
>
> LONDON, England (CNN) -- Melbourne and Vancouver are the best
> cities in the world for expatriates to live in, according to a
> survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
>
> Both Australia and Canada fared well in the survey, with the west
> Australian city of Perth ranking third, and Sydney, Brisbane and
> Adelaide tying in eighth place.
>
> Toronto and Montreal also made the top 10, while Calgary was
> 16th. (Full list)
>
> Links from the above site, but is:
> http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/10/04/world.cities/#fulllist
>
> In Australia, Sydney, Hobart, & Brisbane rated #8. In the USA,
> Honolulu, Hawaii rates as #21. / #28. Boston, Massachusetts./
> #39. Houston, Texas.
>
> A search would probably provide a more current list. As you
> imply, though, urban areas are a bit of a drag, as have too high
> a population density.
>
> Wikapedia gives the population of the USA as 31 per square
> kilometer. [by population/area/density] Ranks 144 on list.
>
> 298,212,900 9,629,091 31
>
> Australia is a bit smaller than the continental US, but much
> less crowded, especially once get out of the state capitals.
> 192 on the list.
>
> 21,050,000 7,682,300 2.6
>
>> Melbourne was a little
>>more interesting.
>
> Will have to take your word for this. Never been there, let
> alone lived there. Haven't been in Hobart, Tasmania either.
> Have lived in others. [ Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin.] Have
> passed through Brisbane.
>
>> My impression was that the financial institutions were
>>more grand than the churches, which led us to believe that money was
>>definitely more important to the founders of the city than religion. Or
>>perhaps money was their religion?
>
> ROTFL! Not that Sydney is much better, though. Much more
> "Americanised" than it was in the sixties!
>>
>>The Olgas and Ularu are awe-inspiring. I have just managed to clean the
>>red earth stains from my white walking shoes. The laces are permanently
>>stained and will have to be trashed.
>
> White walking shoes in Australia? :-) Elastic sided boots are
> more practical.
>
>>We did a Liru walk with two
>>Aborigine gents and an interpretor and learned quite a bit from them
>>about how they managed to survive in the desert.
>
> And they may have wondered how you manage to survive in the
> U.S.A., especially if you live in a city...
>
>> We got to pet a live
>>koala and saw fields-full of kangaroo. They seem to adore the sports
>>fields as a habitat. We saw some crocs, too, not to mention tasting them
>>and "skippy" meat as well.
>
> Congratulations for being an adventuresome traveler! Many
> wouldn't. I've been here for decades, and consider kangaroo
> equal,or better than beef. Lower fat content.
>
> For the ultimate tourist food, were you offered, and did you
> try a "wichetty grub". Bores into trees, can be fished out with
> a twig or a bit of wire. Sort of like a large hairless
> caterpillar.
>
> Highly nutritious, lots of protein. Snap off the head before
> eating.
>
> More seriously, though, don't tell me you have actually tried
> one. I've been here for decades, and I haven't.
>
> Before I left the US, did try canned rattlesnake, though. Much
> like chicken.
>
>>Our ship sailed through the fjords of the South Island of NZ and the
>>scenery was breath-taking.
>
> It usually is in less populated countries, especially those along
> the "Pacific ring of fire", with live volcanoes, lots of rugged
> mountains, and so on. Australia is a much older continent, with
> a lot less tectonic activity. Even a small earthquake makes the
> news here.
>
>> It had rained for several days before we came
>>so we were treated to a myriad of waterfalls. We took the scenic train
>>in Dunedin through the gorge and I got the best souvenir ever on the
>>train. It's a little purse that is made of lambskin and looks like a
>>lamb's face. I had it on the ship and it was so unique that I was taped
>>with it for the DVD that the cruise line sells as a rememberence of the
>>voyage.
>
> Sounds like you are a very discerning tourist! Am sure that
> many visitors to Sydney take home a plastic or ceramic model of
> the Sydney Opera House. On the bottom, it will probably say
> "Made in China", though. :-)
>
>>
>>We also went to Rotorua and the Maori village, the Gloworm caves at
>>Waitomo (awesome!) and did some touring around in Christchurch and
>>Wellington. Unfortunately the ship had a mechanical problem and we
>>couldn't put in at Napier. We were in Wellington on the open visit to
>>Parliament day so we took a tour of the government buildings. You Kiwis
>>who haven't been should go next year. The library is very pretty. The
>>"Beehive" in my opinion, was quite ugly.
>
> I like your honesty! You don't worry about possibly offending
> readers!
>
>>
>>We looked at all the stuff that tourists are supposed to purchase but
>>I'm not fond of opals so there wasn't much in Oz to tempt me.
>
> Not even the black opals? AFIK, only found in Australia. Solid
> ones can be more valuable, weight by weight, than diamonds.
>
> Even the cheaper ones, "doublets" and "triplets" with a thin
> layer of black opal would be sure to attract attention even in
> Texas. Had you bought an opal ring, you could walk around the
> streets of your home town and wait for a comment on it. This
> would give you a conversional opening to tell others about
> your trip to Australia and N.Z. :-)
>
>> In NZ, the
>>woolens were lovely but very expensive. The thought of possum fur being
>>in some of the wool goods turned my stomach. To me possum is road kill.
>
> Likewise, but most of the native animals in Australia are
> marsupials. In the US, from memory, the opossum is the
> only "native" marsupial.
>
> The possums in N.Z. aren't really native, AFIK, probably came
> from Australia. Here we have a lot of imported mammals, such as
> dingos, rabbits, foxes, wild house cats, wild pigs, camels, and
> so on.
>
> Why foxes and rabbits? Well, an early English ["pommie"]
> immigrant missed the pleasure of fox hunting in "Jolly old
> England"
>
> Someone else thought it would be a good idea to import rabbits.
> No natural predators here, so they became a plague.
>
> Camels? Were used for early exploration of Australia. Were
> released into the wild when no longer required. As a
> consequences, AFIK, Australia is the only country in the world
> with herds of wild camels. One of our exports, actually.
>
>>Ugh! The other gift shop stuff was exactly the same in every place we
>>visited and it was too tourist-tacky to consider.
>
> You obviously have good taste!
>
>>I did get post cards
>>of a kiwi and that wonderful tree fern. We did get to see live Kiwis on
>>one of our excursions to the center where they are raising them. I also
>>did the Antarctic place, but the Te Papa museum was the best. What a
>>treasure you Kiwis have in that museum!
>>
>>Thanks to all of you for your hospitality. It was much appreciated and I
>>hope that any of you who are visiting way-the-heck-south Texas will
>>email me so that I can return the kindness.
>>
>>Kia Ora and G'Day,
>>
>>Janet
>
>
> Far south Texas on the Rio Grande, perhaps? Ever met "Cath" who
> is a frequent poster on misc.immigration.australia+nz. She
> sometimes appears on this group.
>
> Apparently a N.Z. migrant to Texas. Name that she posts under is
> "Cath". Do a search on both groups if you want to contact her.
>
> If you manage to do so, give her my regards. She often
> criticizes me for what she perceives as my "long" posts, but
> almost willing to bet that she will read this one to see if her
> name is mentioned.
>
> Obsessive/Compulsive personalities often do such things.
>
> If she doesn't like my posts, she could choose not to read them,
> or with a cheap program could "killfile" them.
>
> I doubt that she does, though.
>
> Anyway, if you ever do encounter her, give her my regards. :-)
>
> Obsessive/compulsive types are a bit rare on Usenet groups,
> actually.
>
> Most Usenet users are pretty open-minded, and tend not to
> criticize other posters.
>
> Still, not worth discussing her.
>
> Again, I praise you for an excellent post, and hope that other
> travelers or migrants report their experiences.
>
> Their is a subtle difference between "tourists" and "travelers".
> You belong in the latter class, as far as I am concerned, as your
> post indicates that you were not a mere "tourist".
>
> What is a "tourist"? by one definition, one that takes an
> around the world trip, looks at his calendar wristwatch, checks
> his tour guide, and says to his wife or companions "This is
> Thursday, we must be in Belgium"
>
> If they stay in a well-known chain of international hotels, this
> is possibly understandable. I don't have to name the chain,
> except to mention that if I and my wife were staying in one, we
> might have to look out the window to try to find out where we
> were at the time.
>
> Anyway, thanks again for your post. It impresses me, and I am
> not that easily impressed.
>
> "Gidday" to you as well, although Tuesday here, 4:13 PM. In
> Houston, Texas, it is around 11:13 PM Monday.
>
> Cheers!
>
> Kangaroo16
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