Any Australians?

[MoreCoffee]

Seems like years ago, unless it was an Indian Ocean route, most of the long haul flights went via Sydney. I see now that even Adelaide is now serviced by direct flights to some of the top Asian destinations; whereas Adelaide used to be really the Down-Under-of-the Down-Under, that was reached via bigger Australian cities.

I guess you know Adelaide also?

Yes, I've been there twice. It is a pleasant city. Gets very hot in summer - I think it gets hotter than Perth.

 

[onlyme]

Yes, I've been there twice. It is a pleasant city. Gets very hot in summer - I think it gets hotter than Perth.

I've seen pictures of Adelaide and it seems to have some really fine, period public buildings; but I was amazed that the whole population of South Australia is only slightly larger than that of Adelaide!

 

[MoreCoffee]

I've seen pictures of Adelaide and it seems to have some really fine, period public buildings; but I was amazed that the whole population of South Australia is only slightly larger than that of Adelaide!

Australian cities contain the major portion of the nations population. South Australia is not unusual in having nearly the whole population in its capital city (Adelaide). The same is true of WA, NT, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. Queensland would be the exception insofar as it has numerous coastal and some inland towns and cities that spread the population more than in the other states and territories of Australia.

 

[onlyme]

Australian cities contain the major portion of the nations population. South Australia is not unusual in having nearly the hole population in its capital city (Adelaide). The same is true of WA, NT, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. Queensland would be the exception insofar as it has numerous coastal and some inland towns and cities that spread the population more than in the other states and territories of Australia.

Interesting observation!

I was amazed to learn that the famous Alice Springs is only the third largest town in NT. There's a place I'd like to visit also, together with Uluru/Ayers Rock and the Olgas. Seems like in some ways NT is almost an extension - in terms of practical overland travel - of South Australia.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Interesting observation!

I was amazed to learn that the famous Alice Springs is only the third largest town in NT. There's a place I'd like to visit also, together with Uluru/Ayers Rock and the Olgas. Seems like in some ways NT is almost an extension - in terms of practical overland travel - of South Australia.

NT used to be part of SA

 

[onlyme]

NT used to be part of SA

Well, it makes sense!

I think I read that Darwin was the main Australian city that was bombed by the Japanese in WW2. I'm not sure how I would cope with the climate in Darwin, though; I think the other Australian cities would probably be more to my liking.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Well, it makes sense!

I think I read that Darwin was the main Australian city that was bombed by the Japanese in WW2. I'm not sure how I would cope with the climate in Darwin, though; I think the other Australian cities would probably be more to my liking.

Yes, and some towns on the north coast of Western Australia. These were military targets.

 

[onlyme]

Yes, and some towns on the north coast of Western Australia. These were military targets.

Oh okay!

Regarding WA, its vastness and isolation are rather appealing; I find it so, anyway. So people would be put off; but to me they are a plus, in some ways.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Oh okay!

Regarding WA, its vastness and isolation are rather appealing; I find it so, anyway. So people would be put off; but to me they are a plus, in some ways.

It's nice to be far away from other places. New Zealand has that quality too.

 

[onlyme]

It's nice to be far away from other places. New Zealand has that quality too.

I think that in some ways WA would probably be a good environment to raise a family. My wife and I have always been on our own, but if things were different Australia and maybe especially WA would have been a quite good environment for raising kids from a number of perspectives.

(Thanks for your vote in the other thread's poll just now, BTW!)

 

[onlyme]

So has anyone been to Kalgoorlie-Boulder, WA?

 

[MoreCoffee]

So has anyone been to Kalgoorlie-Boulder, WA?

I have.

 

[onlyme]

I have.

"On business", perhaps?

I have seen impressive looking frontages of hotels and public buildings at Kalgoorlie in the popular red brick of 100 years ago; some towns in Western Canada - such as Nanton, Alberta, are very similar. What outsiders also notice is the typical, 'Colonial' verandas.

 

[MoreCoffee]

"On business", perhaps?

I have seen impressive looking frontages of hotels and public buildings at Kalgoorlie in the popular red brick of 100 years ago; some towns in Western Canada - such as Nanton, Alberta, are very similar. What outsiders also notice is the typical, 'Colonial' verandas.

For interest when driving to Canberra back in the 1990s.

 

[onlyme]

For interest when driving to Canberra back in the 1990s.

I guess driving through a place rather than to it can be a different experience; I thought - maybe wrongly - that Kalgoorlie is such an isolated place that one would go to it rather than through it. But yes I suppose it's on the way to the cities of eastern Australia before crossing the Nullarbor Plain.

While isolation defines Australia's relations with the rest of the world, I suppose Kalgoorlie-Boulder effuses a sense of even more isolation within the country.

Australia seems an amazing place, anyway!

 

[onlyme]

Ayers Rock / Uluru is another place I'd like to go to. In fact, I think the Olgas look even more impressive and mysterious: rocky domes emerging out of the red desert high into the sky. Seems that Ayers Rock Airport is thriving these days.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Ayers Rock / Uluru is another place I'd like to go to. In fact, I think the Olgas look even more impressive and mysterious: rocky domes emerging out of the red desert high into the sky. Seems that Ayers Rock Airport is thriving these days.

We have lots of redness in this wide-brown-land (our own sunburned country) - it's mainly due to the bedrock being laid down when the oceans rusted about 2.3 billion years ago.

 

[onlyme]

We have lots of redness in this wide-brown-land (our own sunburned country) - it's mainly due to the bedrock being laid down when the oceans rusted about 2.3 billion years ago.

I think the Northern Territory's flag is partly ochre, reflecting the colour of the local soil.

(Seems that ACT and NT have similar flags.)

 

[onlyme]

I think the Northern Territory's flag is partly ochre, reflecting the colour of the local soil.

(Seems that ACT and NT have similar flags.)

Here's the NT flag:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Flag_of_the_Northern_Territory.svg