Category: Australasia

The events following the tragic bushfires and floods in Australia have made me think that my people reflect the nature of the land. Both fire and flood are a part of the cycle of life here. Without them, much of our nature wouldn’t be replenished. Even tucked away in my safe corner of Sydney, I’ve… Continue reading People and Nature

Most people I met around the world look to Australia as providing the ideal climate. I wonder if they’re watching the news now to see the extremes of weather that we seem to oscillate between, though never so severe as this before. It’s been raining for the past week in Sydney and heavy, flooding rain… Continue reading Fires and Floods

My housemate is going to be disappointed. I told him that I’d try to bring him back an authentic Moroccan tajine, but it’s not going to happen. Firstly, I can’t see a way to get it back to Australia in tact, but more importantly, I learnt the secret of making a quality tajine… Use a… Continue reading The secret of Tajine

The first day in the desert was rather easy – just a couple of hours walking – but I took the opportunity to ride a camel. Mohammed told me that it’s not just a tourist gimick. Nomad children will ride the camels until they’re big enough to keep up on foot. I can see why… Continue reading Barefoot in the sand

When all work at the office stopped just before 3pm and everyone gathered before the big screen to watch the Melbourne Cup, my new Scottish colleague complained that he didn’t get the cultural significance. It started a discussion between a few of us as to why the whole country stops to watch a horse race… Continue reading Melbourne Cup Origins

My Danish guest quit her volunteer job at Greenpeace but the expected replacement job never came through, so she’s spending her days at home. One day this week I came home to find her with a big grin. I asked her what she’d done to make her so relaxed. ‘I had a long shower,’ she… Continue reading Long Shower

Port Macquarie was apparently the fourth colony of whites in Australia, established in 1821. Some features of those early times remain and while they might be recent compared to the history of some cultures, there is little to compete with their age in Australia. I went to visit my parents there over the weekend and… Continue reading History Vandals

Australia was the first country to make voting compulsory by law, with a fine for those who don’t show up. I often hear people from other countries saying that it’s a good thing, but I’m not so sure. The usual reasoning is that it forces people to take an interest in what goes on in… Continue reading Compulsory Voting

Echidnas are a rare sight even in Australia, partly because they’re so shy (and generally nocturnal) and partly because there are so few of them. I’d only seen one in my life before today and that was deep in the mountains of Tasmania in the middle of a 6 day walk. But today, an adult… Continue reading Echidna

I lost my sense of humour while I was in Japan. At first, it was just disappointing because the Japanese didn’t understand my precious Aussie humour, but then one particular girlfriend started getting angry whenever I joked. She saw the humour as either derogatory (when directed at others) or proud (when laughing at myself) and… Continue reading Aussie Humour