How You Going: Randoms from Oz

A few random tid-bits on Aussie culture before we effectively wrap up our report on Western Australia:

"How You Going"

This is the standard greeting in Western Australia which cracked me up every time... I don't know how you are supposed to answer, or if the question even really makes that much sense!

Beet Slice on Burgers

Okay... so we've become accustomed to the addition of a fried egg on burgers, but the beet root slice (something we also noticed in Sydney) is interesting! No big deal though, as it is easily removed and the remaining bits of the Aussie beef burgers did not disappoint!

Snake Catcher

Just a notice on a community bill board in case you have any issues with poisonous snakes! (This is for real. )

Boots

Not the overly-popular... Paris Hilton wears them in the summer down Rodeo Drive Uggs (although they are as Australian as the kangaroo), but the low, sturdy, ankle boots we saw everyone shodding their feet with in the westernmost state. (Although if I were in the snake catching business, I might go for something a little taller!)

The Flat White

I covered this one briefly last year, but its an Aussie creation apparently. It is an espresso-based beverage somewhere between a cappuccino and latte. (Comparable to the Spanish cafe con leche.)

And more of OZ: Rottnest Island

The last bit of our Australian holiday time was spent on Rottnest Island, 17 km off the coast of Freemantle. We took a high speed ferry, the Rottness Express, to the island. Our bags, which we checked at the ferry terminal, were delivered, as promised, directly to our accommodation.

The island is managed by the Rottnest Island Authority (like a park service.) Rates vary by season and accommodation. In the highest season (which we were fortunate to miss by a matter of weeks), there is a ballot (lottery) system in place.

We enjoyed: bike hire (rental); time on the beach; time in the water (with the exception of Eliza's jellyfish encounter); beautiful sunsets; great food on "the barbie"; shucking corn on the back veranda; and relaxing on our the front porch of our simple two-bedroom, barracks like bungalow.

We spent two sun drenched days drinking in the white sand beaches and sharing up-close encounters with the island's famous residents: the quokkas... a small member of the marsupial family that thrives on the predator free island. Whilst walking from our beach side bungalow into the main tourist area, we glimpsed a blue tongued skink, but were only to catch its chubby leathery foot on film (can find it above?).

The island has been known for:

• The salt lakes and former salt factories
• The infamously deplorable indigenous detention center it once housed
• The internment camps during the world wars
• The resort status it has enjoyed since the mid-1970s
• The Quokka. When Dutch explorers first arrived in the 1600s, they mistook these mini-kangaroo-like creatures for rats. They dubbed the island Rottnest (Rat Nest). We had a hard time wondering how these cute little creatures could be mistaken for ugly rats!

@ the Vineyards

Note the rows of mature grape vines on the far side of the dam.

(The nets are to keep the birds and roos @ bay)

Where we went...

We've taken to carving our holidays up into mini-stays.. maximizing our ability to visit as many places as we can for the price of one international flight.

When planning our first jaunt to OZ (Dec 08/Jan 09), we were almost paralyzed by the possibilities offered by a country that is also a continent. We settled for a Christmas in Sydney followed by a few days near the GBR. It was perfect, and each place completely juxaposed. Urban vs Wild, Cultured vs. um, decidedly Un-cultured?, (ie. Classy "Bottle Shops" vs. Liquor Stores with drive-throughs!), the UV conscious vs. the Leather Skinned; High brow vs. laid back... you get the picture.

We were excited about our Perth trip because it seemed to offer again more of what Australia has on abundant offer... diversity. It's a smallish city (just over a million Aussies) that is geographically closer to Asian cities than other Australian ones. Perth has benefited from a unique blend of influences: Asian (in part because of their relative proximity to Singapore, Indonesia, and trading with China etc.) and British, not just because this giant island is part of the Commonwealth, but also because Perth's population has a high proportion of British-born persons.

We had only one night in Perth... enough time to arrange or van rental, take in a museum, visit the Botanical garden, and dine on that Aussie staple: fish and chips, alfresco at the garden at the on-sight restaurant .

We planned a road trip down to Margaret River. This coastal, region of wine country is about three hours south of Perth, on a double lane, divided high-way (It was a good way for Mr Johnson to start his acclimation to driving a right hand drive, full size, Korean-made, no-frills van with no umph.) We noted road signs reminding us to watch for kangaroos. Our rental vehicle carried reminders that only four wheel drive rentals had permission to leave "sealed roads." We should check "tyre" pressure daily. And.... avoid driving at dawn and dusk... times when native animals were most likely to be on the roads.

Margaret River did not disappoint, and neither did the Farm Stay we were somewhat unsure of when we booked it. We stopped at vineyards, dairies, and chocolate factories, sampling local wines, cheeses and chocolate. We stopped at beautiful, nearly empty, white sand beaches, where we unfurled our beach mats and reveled in the blue skies and summer warmth of February in Oz.

Kings Park & Botanical Garden, Perth Western Australia

At the dimming of the day, on our first day in Australia, we wound our way up the steep hillside (on a multi-story outdoor cement staircase dubbed "Jacob's Ladder") to the the peak of what was once simply known as Mt. Eliza, but presently the setting of Perth's Botanical Garden.

Without a moment's hesitation, the girlies kicked off their shoes and frolicked in the short green grass that tickled their toes. With the remains of the day's blue sky overhead... with the coolness the accompanies the nearness of sun set... with the view of the city scape below us... and in the middle distance the Swan River... I captured the moment in my mind.

Out of the many adventures we've taken... despite the stress of lost bags, the sleepiness or sleeplessness of jet-lag, the reality of short fuses and the foreignness of languages... there is always a moment or two that stands out. The moment usually has more to do with the three girlies filling the frame in my mental snapshot, than the geographical location. But... the fact that The Three are placed against an exotic or simply foreign backdrop helps define what our life is all about in these "China years."

For me, each of our trips have had a moment like this one ... Moments to be savored, and remembered. I take "pictures I take in my mind," to hold in my heart.

I also took these, to share with you...

The Elizas

The city of Perth is slightly inland from the Indian Ocean. It is the largest city in Western Australia, and is relatively lonely in regards to location as Perth is actually closer to Singapore than Sydney!

The city's prominent features are: the Swan River, which winds beautifully through the city, filled with sail boats, ski boats, and other forms of water adventure; and the beautifully lush Kings Park/Botanical Garden.

The Garden Park is situated on Mt. Eliza, overlooking the central business district and the Swan River.

It's not often that our second daughter sees her name featured prominiately anywhere. We have only ever met two other Eliza's, and up until now she has been content finding her name hidden in the pages of author Mark Brown's Arthur books (made famous by the PBS series by the same name). Author Mark Brown hides the names of his three children (His daughter is named Eliza), in the illustrations of his books.

We of course, by choice, gave our children obscure names (ones that fall in the Baby Naming Books into categories like: "Vintage" or even "Grandma" names). After time after time being asked "Which Jennifer Johnson are you?" at the bank or library, it felt like a gift to give our girls unique nomenclature... especially when their first and second names were to be paired with the second most common surname in the United States! (Johnson only falls behind Smith in the US.)

In Perth we saw the name Eliza pop up on street signs, posh apartment towers, and on some of the most important real estate in the city. There was also a feature on Eliza Brown, a hard working pioneer woman in the early days of the Perth settlement, @ the Museum of Western Australia we visited upon arrival.