The Generous Aussie Spirit

Sunrise Over the Pacific

The bronzed Aussie, the shimmering ocean, and the inviting beaches are images that I’ll carry away from Australia. Yet, the thing that makes me envious of Australia is its apparent lack of economic disparity among its citizens. While the gap between rich and poor Americans keeps growing, Australia is still relatively egalitarian. Australians enjoy a high standard of living, relatively low taxes, and a social safety net that Americans can only dream of.

Australians may complain that their country is becoming less equal; however, the statistics don’t bear it out. And although Australia’s huge investment in infrastructure, social programs, and health care may be cause for alarm among some economists, there is no doubt Australia’s commitment has paid off in terms of an improved standard of living for all of its citizens. It’s this commitment toward shared responsibility that stands in sharp contrast to America’s lassez-faire approach, which leaves thousands homeless, without work and health care.  

In addition, Australia has also done pretty well toward breeding tolerance and diversity. There is no anti-foreigner political party in Australia, unlike most of Europe and large factions within the Republican Party in the US. This generous Aussie spirit toward immigrants may be one reason enterprising young people flock to Australia adding to its economic prosperity, an advantage America traditionally enjoyed. 

Hay Bales as Art

An Echidea, a rare Monotreme That’s Native to Australia

Angry Bird

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We spent ours in Sydney. Unfortunately, while the rest of Australia basked under sunny skies, Sydney was overcast and rainy. Not the typical Australian Christmas that I was hoping for.  

In the small town of Tarrington, a few hours’ drive west of Melbourne, hay has become an art form. Tarrington is located in a beautiful region that I visited a few years ago on my way to Ballarat. Farming and wine are mainstays of the region, and tourism has never been big. However, Tarrington is quickly becoming a sort of art destination, especially during the Christmas season when the locals use bales of hay to create quirky Christmas decorations, which are placed outside their homes and farms. Each year the hay bales become more elaborate, and each year more people visit. 

Australian Christmas

Darling Harbor Sydney

As an inhabitant of the northern hemisphere, I find the Australian Christmas all a bit strange, and it brings home how really distinct Australia is to the rest of the world. During the Christmas season, the days are long, and the weather is hot. Yesterday, the temperature in Sydney was 36° C (96° F).

All this hot weather got me to thinking. I try to imagine how an Australian child reconciles the season’s decorations featuring snow and ice with the actuality of summer heat.

A couple of days ago, I watched an episode of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, a TV series set in Australia during the 1920’s. In this episode, the characters celebrate Christmas in July by traveling to the Australian Alps to have a white Christmas. That seems like a lot of trouble. However, it illustrates how much of a hold the traditional image of Christmas has on Australians.

Sad About Sydney’s Bats

It was very disappointing to discover that the bats at Sydney’s Botanic Garden are no more. One of my fondest memories of Sydney was seeing these large creatures known as the grey-headed flying foxes roost in a small corner of the Garden. Wandering through their habitat and seeing them hang from the trees made me realize that I was truly in an exotic environment.

Under Australian law, the bats are classified as a threatened species. Nevertheless, the authorities thought it more important to protect some of the Botanic Garden’s palm trees, which are mostly introduced and not threatened, rather than set aside a portion of the Garden for the bats. The bats needed this refuge since their natural coastal habitats have been destroyed by urban development.  

So the “eviction” of the 22,000 bats came as a surprise when I visited the Garden this morning. It reminded me of Brisbane’s decision not to rebuild its unique Mangrove Boardwalk. 

The Botanic Garden’s new palm plantings, where the bats once lived, was pretty but seemed stark and sterile.

Sad About Sydney’s Bats

It was very disappointing to discover that the bats at Sydney’s Botanic Garden are no more. One of my fondest memories of Sydney was seeing these large creatures known as the grey-headed flying foxes roost in a small corner of the Garden. Wandering through their habitat and seeing them hang from the trees made me realize that I was truly in an exotic environment.

Under Australian law, the bats are classified as a threatened species. Nevertheless, the authorities thought it more important to protect some of the Botanic Garden’s palm trees, which are mostly introduced and not threatened, rather than set aside a portion of the Garden for the bats. The bats needed this refuge since their natural coastal habitats have been destroyed by urban development.  

So the “eviction” of the 22,000 bats came as a surprise when I visited the Garden this morning. It reminded me of Brisbane’s decision not to rebuild its unique Mangrove Boardwalk. 

The Botanic Garden’s new palm plantings, where the bats once lived, was pretty but seemed stark and sterile.

Kangaroo Island: Unfulfilled Expectations

Jester, Pirate, Spiderman?

Digging Machine with Christmas Tree

Forlorn Santa

Put some tinsel on a digging machine and you got yourself a float for the Christmas parade. Pirates, Spiderman, and Court Jester on a Christmas float. Why not! Such is the Christmas parade in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island. What the parade lacked in sophistication was made up for in enthusiasm. Watching from our hotel balcony, you couldn’t help but smile at the ad hoc mixture of costumes and participants parading down the street as 45 km/h winds and rains tried to dampen the holiday spirit. It all seemed fitting on our last full day on Kangaroo Island.  

I Just Arrived. How was I to Know?

Our visit to KI started out spectacularly promising. We saw dolphins swimming offshore, found an idyllic beach with clear turquoise water, and discovered a wonderful restaurant by the shore– all within an hour of landing. Unfortunately, nothing lived up to that first impression. The swarms of flies and hot weather made the visit miserable until the winds and rain provided some relief from the pesky insects on the last day. (Though it didn’t provide the best sightseeing weather.) KI can be summed up in what I said on the beach, “A fly went in my mouth. I spit it out, and it was still alive.”

Kangaroo Island: Unfulfilled Expectations

Jester, Pirate, Spiderman?

Digging Machine with Christmas Tree

Forlorn Santa

Put some tinsel on a digging machine and you got yourself a float for the Christmas parade. Pirates, Spiderman, and Court Jester on a Christmas float. Why not! Such is the Christmas parade in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island. What the parade lacked in sophistication was made up for in enthusiasm. Watching from our hotel balcony, you couldn’t help but smile at the ad hoc mixture of costumes and participants parading down the street as 45 km/h winds and rains tried to dampen the holiday spirit. It all seemed fitting on our last full day on Kangaroo Island.  

I Just Arrived. How was I to Know?

Our visit to KI started out spectacularly promising. We saw dolphins swimming offshore, found an idyllic beach with clear turquoise water, and discovered a wonderful restaurant by the shore– all within an hour of landing. Unfortunately, nothing lived up to that first impression. The swarms of flies and hot weather made the visit miserable until the winds and rain provided some relief from the pesky insects on the last day. (Though it didn’t provide the best sightseeing weather.) KI can be summed up in what I said on the beach, “A fly went in my mouth. I spit it out, and it was still alive.”

Adelaide is More Than Okay!

Along the River Torrens Adelaide

Adina Hotel (Btm Left) at Victoria Square

My heart sank as I glanced out the airplane window. We were landing in Adelaide and the arid landscape reminded me of central California. (I’ve had enough of central California to last a lifetime.) The taxi ride to the hotel confirmed my initial impression. Instead of the lively pedestrian-filled sidewalks of Melbourne and Sydney, the streets of Adelaide appeared empty. We drove past sprawling suburbs of cookie-cutter houses and strip malls. It appeared that our time in Adelaide would be pretty drab.

Two Galahs

However, things turned around when we reached our hotel, a former treasury building that manages to combine modern design without sacrificing architectural significance. The rooms are so large you can get lost in them, and there’s a gorgeous garden courtyard with a beautiful fountain.

Adelaide is an easily navigable city with next to no traffic jams, and a city center where everything is within easy walking distance of everything else. Moreover, there’s a beautiful green belt of parkland beside the River Torrens that runs right through the middle of the city where you can enjoy the outdoors. Here, I saw flocks of Galahs (a type of cockatoo with a rose-pink head and neck) roosting in the trees.

Enjoying Rundle Mall Adelaide

Another Person Enjoying Rundle Mall

However, what I like most about Adelaide was its unpretentious and laid-back character. Although I wouldn’t fly halfway around the world just to visit Adelaide, the city was refreshing after all the attitude of Sydney and Melbourne.

Dangerous Birds of Bodega Bay

Dangerous Birds of Adelaide

Adelaide is More Than Okay!

Along the River Torrens Adelaide

Adina Hotel (Btm Left) at Victoria Square

My heart sank as I glanced out the airplane window. We were landing in Adelaide and the arid landscape reminded me of central California. (I’ve had enough of central California to last a lifetime.) The taxi ride to the hotel confirmed my initial impression. Instead of the lively pedestrian-filled sidewalks of Melbourne and Sydney, the streets of Adelaide appeared empty. We drove past sprawling suburbs of cookie-cutter houses and strip malls. It appeared that our time in Adelaide would be pretty drab.

Two Galahs

However, things turned around when we reached our hotel, a former treasury building that manages to combine modern design without sacrificing architectural significance. The rooms are so large you can get lost in them, and there’s a gorgeous garden courtyard with a beautiful fountain.

Adelaide is an easily navigable city with next to no traffic jams, and a city center where everything is within easy walking distance of everything else. Moreover, there’s a beautiful green belt of parkland beside the River Torrens that runs right through the middle of the city where you can enjoy the outdoors. Here, I saw flocks of Galahs (a type of cockatoo with a rose-pink head and neck) roosting in the trees.

Enjoying Rundle Mall Adelaide

Another Person Enjoying Rundle Mall

However, what I like most about Adelaide was its unpretentious and laid-back character. Although I wouldn’t fly halfway around the world just to visit Adelaide, the city was refreshing after all the attitude of Sydney and Melbourne.

Dangerous Birds of Bodega Bay

Dangerous Birds of Adelaide

Kangaroo Island . . . Island of Flies

Me and the Flies

Flies! That is the memory that I will take away from my visit to Kangaroo Island. The travel guides don’t mention the flies that seem to be everywhere. Locals characterize the swarms as everything from “shocking” to “usual for December.” 

Taking a hike is nerve-racking and eating outdoors is miserable. The moment you step outside, they descend on you by the scores. They buzz around your face and settle on your back. Looking at a group of people in the distance, you see them waving their hands around. If you didn’t know they were frantically swatting at flies, you might think that everyone on this island was engaged in passionate conversations using hand signals.


Remarkable Rocks

Admirals Arch

Don’t get me wrong. Kangaroo Island is a very interesting place. Close to half of the island is either natural brush land or national park. It’s surrounded by pristine waters, and contains arid landscapes and lush eucalyptus forests. KI is home to 15,000 kangaroos, 6,000 seals, 5,000 koalas, numerous dolphins, and 600 rare Australian sea lions; but clearly the dominant species is the fly.