Awesome Australia

It's a wild adventure to jump onto a plane in the middle of the night in Kuala Lumpur and wake up five hours later in amazing Australia! 

The airport was empty as we made our way

into the Customs area. Only one employee was on duty and she looked very bored. I guess we gave her something to do. So she proceeded to empty my backpack and examine every item carefully. Then she smiled and held up a sealed bag of Macadamia Nuts that I had never opened. She asked if the nuts were mine and I nodded nervously. Then she pointed to Item #11 on my Australian Customs Form. Nuts were on the long list of forbidden items in this country, Why?

"Keep them", I muttered while shaking my head in disbelief.

"No, you can keep them," she said and then returned my disheveled backpack. I pushed everything back inside quickly before she changed her mind. What a nutty interrogation. 

     Our stormy beach hotel is located in a tiny town outside of Perth. Even though its winter, time, that doesn't keep the surfers out of the wild waves. Some don't even wear wet suits. We try to act like locals as we walk the beach, drink coffee, and eat fish.The surfers must be waiters and bartenders in the evening. The wind and rain are constantly blowing. It is useless to comb my hair here. Every day is a bad hair day!

Last night we had an odd dinner interaction. My husband ordered two Australian roast dinners from a 'pop-up ' venue online. It sounded like fun to take an Uber outside of town and eat a local meal. Not! First, we had to pay $50 online before they would reveal the venue. Then it turned out to be an industrial warehouse for pick-up only. The Uber ride would have cost us $60. After multiple text messages, they refused to refund our money. It left a bad taste in our mouths. We have yet to find a decent restaurant here. Most employees show up late and are not customer oriented. I do not want to live here.

Did you know that Australia has three times more sheep than people? 90% of Australians live on the coast and I can see why, The ocean is surrounded by beautiful, sandy beaches and hillside homes. Their local sayings are fun such as "Crikey", "G'Day Mate and "Put another shrimp on the barbie." I am enjoying the small, hot meat pies filled with vegetables and gravy. Australia has more animal species than anywhere else in the world. Their unique list include  the platypus, echidna, koalas, and kangaroos which can be aggressive to people. There are also over 750 reptile species. The laughing kookaburra is Australia's national symbol and is a brown-colored bird about the size of a crow. 

I have met many Australian teachers and travelers outside of this friendly country. Many students backpack when they graduate from university. They don't like people cutting in line out of 'queue", rudeness, spitting, or asking them their age or weight. Hmmm...I have to agree with all of these. Chicken Parma and Meat Pies are their famous dishes. They also love Vegemite which is a thick, dark brown food spread made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives. It was developed by Cyril Callister in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1922. Even thought its too cold to swim this time of year, the magpie birds stand on the beach like they own it. They also are known to attack humans by swooping down and pecking their heads. Scary!

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Just now, I glance out my hotel window at the rain blowing sideways. Dark clouds hang over the white capped ocean. Everyone carries an umbrella with them. Australians also deal with larger issues such as the high cost of living and health insurance. There is a sense of isolation if you live outside of the urban areas facing the harsh, weather conditions. I enjoyed visiting this wild, beautiful country and experiencing local life. However, I only have to deal with the wind and rainy weather temporarily. Australians are friendly and enjoy life. 'Hooroo' means good bye to this unique island in the middle of nowhere.