Swimming... in Australia

It's a warm sunny day at one of Australia's many beaches. The continent is covered with beach after beach and now it's time to take a swim in the ocean. Stop! Are you at the beach during the day? Is it a public beach? Is the year between 1838 and 1902? In Australia, it was illegal to swim at public beaches starting in 1838. Luckily, the law was only upheld until 1902. (http://www.convictcreations.com/culture/facts.htm)
How and why would such a law be passed? At that point in history, many online articles hinted, that it was related to the newness of the country. It was a time when many of Australia's inhabitants were convicts. They also said that none of the convicts could bathe in the beach water during the daytime. Truly, times in Australia have changed, but this law sure proves to us how the transformation continues to grow.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

About ten percent of the Australian population are Irish Australians. That percentage does not go unrecognized this time of year. In America, we have a lot of crazy traditions and, of course, we see way too many people wearing green. Also, your sure to find a mile long line in the McDonald's drive thru to get the festive shamrock shakes. Or maybe you'll just end up having corn beef and cabbage with your grandparents as they insist each year.
In Australia, they once again have no excuses to miss out on a holiday as St. Patrick's Day. Many gather to see intense parades in both Sydney (http://www.stpatricksday.org.au/) and Brisbane. Like many Americans, they wear green and shamrocks as a symbol of Ireland. Australia even has an Irish newspaper called The Irish Echo. Although it may not be a national holiday, your sure to see quite a few celebrations around the country which many will be looking forward to.

Ridiculous YouTube Australia

There are some youtube videos that are absolutely ridiculous. Sometimes when you watch them, you can't understand why they have one million views. Of course, Australians have youtube videos too.

This first one is somewhat lengthy (you don't need to watch the whole thing): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XSPx7S4jr4&feature=related. After the disastrous wildfires, it is easy to see how wildlife has been affected. This video is posted in about twenty different versions and even was brought to the interest of local Australian news channels. This video show a firefighter giving a koala water.

This news clip shows how crazy a sixteen year old can be as a reporter tries to get a young party thrower to apologize to his parents and community. He through an out of control party while his parents are on a "holiday", has to pay a $20,000 fine, and refuses to take off his sunglasses (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm61svN4U5g).

This final video shows how culture around the world mirrors each other (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-pnz1m5pUc&feature=related). This clip from Australian Idol may be just as cheesy and ironically awkward as the show's American twin. However, no one can doubt that it is entertaining.

Hungry? Australia.

Food is a major part of common culture. Everyone loves it and, of course, it keeps us alive. If you have ever gone to an international fair as a kid, you have experienced how food can be different across the world. Each dish seems to express and define what the country is like in a strange and sometimes unfair way. It is no surprise that food is important to people around the world.

Now it's time to look at the average Australian. In their lifetime, they can expect to eat 17 beef cattle, 92 sheep, 406 loaves of bread, half a ton of cheese, ten tons of vegetables, and 165,000 eggs. Searching vigorously through the recipes, I found one that sounded appetizing, the Lamington Sponge Cake. The recipe is included below:
3 eggs
1/2 cup castor sugar
3/4 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup cornflour1
5g (1/2oz) butter
3 tablespoons hot water
Beat eggs until thick and creamy. Gradually add sugar. Continue beating until sugar completely dissolved. Fold in sifted flour and cornflour, then combined water and butter. Pour mixture into prepared lamington tin. Bake for 30 minutes. Top with chocolate icing and coconut. (http://www.aussie-info.com/identity/food/lamington.php)

Good luck cooking and enjoy the Australian dessert!
Don't forget the Australian word of the day:
clobber - clothes

Reading in Australia

Australia claims to have the highest literacy rate in the world and they also have the highest number of newspaper reading per capita. This fact is appropriate for a class based on journalism. There are a lot of aspects that go into creating a well organized newspaper with interesting stories and interesting articles. One newspaper I found, "The Sydney Morning Herald", (http://www.smh.com.au/) proved to be far from amateur with some exclusive articles and appropriate quotes, though some articles were too informative and not very entertaining. The accomplishment of teaching reading is very impressive. I found that 82% of the world can read, but 99% of Australians can read. So it's truly no surprise that they read the newspapers so often.

Word of the Day: Lolly Water is another term for soda or pop in Australia.

Lingo: The Amazing Australian Dictionary

"Banana Benders- another name for the people who live in Queensland. Sand Gropers- another name for people who live in Western Australia." Let's be completely honest, accents are fascinating sometimes. When people speak differently then we do, we're curious about what they are trying to tell us or teach us. In a country across the world, there is bound to be some differences in communication. Even in the United States, we find small word differences (some people say "coke", some say "pop", and some say "soda", though they are all referring to the same thing). According to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/, slang is "language peculiar to a particular group". We all have different ways to express the message we are trying to convey.
However, since this blog is entirely on the Australian culture, phenomenons, recent events, and random facts, there is no question that lingo should be included and learned. Starting today, I will (if i remember, and I should) add a word that is used frequently or occasionally from the Aussies themselves. Today, I'll begin with two: chewie and sunnies. The first word, chewie, is actually another word for gum or chewing gum. If used in a sentence, an Australian would say, "Can I have a piece of chewie?" (may I have some gum). Though it may sound comical to us, it is very real to Australians (if the website is legitimate). Secondly, sunnies is a cute way to refer to someones sunglasses. I'll be sure to use these slang words soon!

boomerang... what's happening?

In the cheesy romantic comedy "Little Black Book", they are used as a symbol: "The boomerangs, you know the kind. You throw them out there into the world... and they always come back to you". Maybe you've never seen them before or maybe you have a diverse collection; you may not know that they originated in Australia more than ten thousand years ago. I may have not mentioned that native peoples called Aborigines lived in Australia way before the colonization and their innovations have proved to be quite successful, including the boomerang. This invention is also known as the first heavier than air flying machine humans have ever made (as far as we know). Not only was it used to hunt wild kangaroos, but it was also used for communication.
Presently, they are continuing the boomerang traditions through international competitions every other year. In honor of its origin, they have an Aussie Round (which many consider "the ultimate test of skills"). Apparently, last years tournament was held in Tucson, Arizona. (http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Boomerang is the perfect site if you are looking for more techniques or facts). Quite honestly, I have to wonder why this event wasn't publicized or advertised as well as it should have been. Boomerangs will grow into a major sport one day. Or maybe it's best just to start a boomerang club myself.

Destination: Australia

Welcome yourself to Sydney, Australia! This big tourist destination is seen to many as the face to Australia. This may be perhaps from the beautiful beaches alongside a quickly growing city facing a well envisioned harbor. It's population has boomed over the years. Sydney is currently home to about 4 million people and has doubled in size since 1963. Sydney's population is larger than Chicago (three million residents), about the size of Los Angeles, and half the size of New York (eight million people). Not only is it the country's largest city, but it is also the oldest and was officially named a city in 1842, just two years after Great Britain stopped sending convicts there. Their crime rate today, many sources say, is "similar to New York or London". With it's beautiful weather and astonishing views, it easily attracts tourists.
Take a look at all the activities Sydney offers. You spend the night at the famous Sydney Opera House built just over thirty five years ago, take in the exciting night life, visit the Koala Park Sanctuary, shop at the Queen Victoria building, and stay at a place called the Tilibury Hotel Woolloomooloo. There really is a hotel with this name (http://www.tilburyhotel.com.au/). It is insane how many activities can keep you so occupied.
It is interesting to compare major cities of our country with those of the Australians. Though we don't have a major Koala Sanctuary (as far as I know) our advertising methods (http://us.sydney.com/) and attractions are just as competitive. Travelling around the world may be a great experience, even if you find aspects of the culture are the same. Countries across the world can still find ways to relate to each other from their hotels to their population.

Counting Sheep

Have you ever discovered that when you are researching a country in search of substantial information needed for a paper or presentation you discover a lot of facts about the country's natural resources? It is clearly evident that these factors influence the wealth and success of the country's land and people by looking at what they have a surplus of. Australia, in fact, has the world's largest population of Merino sheep. Blog after blog, it seems all that I can talk about is the exciting animal kingdom that continent is participating in. So the true fact is that Australia is responsible for 70% of the world's wool.
Sheep, however, are really weird animals to have such a major influence in Australia. People really fight their sheep or bet on them in races. Perhaps they are protecting them while they can from local "pests" or the dingos. These dogs that cannot bark prey not only on the sheep, but on the wallabies, wombats, and kangaroos. Yes, dingos really exist, but they're in danger of becoming extinct (http://www.walkaboutpark.com.au/index.php?id=224).
The moral of the descriptions is this. Sheep may be important to Australia and are connected with a lot of festivities and the economy and agriculture. However, although the dingos are becoming extinct, people seem to care more about the sheep because they are so influential. People should care more about the dingos or perhaps bring them to America. Maybe they would be more appreciated.

Star Bright Outback

According to an Australian Outback website for probable tourists, star gazing is quite a phenomenon. On a night with average conditions, you can see about 5,780 stars (http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/fun-facts-about-australia.html). However, is this any more staggering than the visible stars in any other open land. Is the night sky in Australia special? To determine the gravity of this fact, it once again would have to result in research.
The sources were all very general and broad which once again proof that I cannot trust what I read online. My first source revealed the average number of stars you could see (without clouds or city lights) is about 1,500. Another said the highest was about 1,900. The final source said that in the Australian Outback (although the sky is surprisingly filled with stars) has only 2,862 stars.
In my own opinion and in relation to the original website, I am concerned about this person's vision and counting skills. I think that their is pressure for advertising businesses to attract visitors; however, I cannot doubt that the number of the stars is that high. My first reason is that I don't trust the Internet. The second reason is that I have never been to the Australian Outback. Finally, I doubt I would take the time to count out all the stars in the sky if I went there. The fact (or fiction) is entertaining nevertheless.

music and movies... Australia style!

Isn't interesting that a country across the world can be so similar the United States? The culture is similar, the trends are similar, and, of course, so is our music and movies. Okay, so some of our television shows are a little different, but let's compare the top ten songs in Australia right now.

1. You Found Me - The Fray
2. Love Story - Taylor Swift
3. Get Shaky - The Ian Carey Project
4. Let it Rock - Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne
5. Gives You Hell - The All American Rejects
6. Burn - Jessica Mauboy
7. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson
8. Poker Face - Lady Gaga
9. Someday Soon - Natalie Bassingthwaighte
10. Walking on a Dream - Empire of the Sun

Don't pretend that you have never heard "love story" hummed by every junior high girl that passes you or have never stopped at a red light to face the silver Saturn blasting "Let It Rock" from its windows. The list seemed to combine America's finest hits with some of European techno mixes. This one was by far my favorite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCTZOkL3CEg. I can just imagine it creates quite an Australian party.

When it comes to movies, what can you possibly expect?

1. Gran Torino
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. Transporter 3
4. Changeling
5. Bride Wars
6. Valkyrie
7. Role Models
8. Underworld: Rise of Lycans
9. Australia
10. Hotel for Dogs

I'm not to sure why some of those made top ten, but the list was still insightful. I would guess that any of these movies and songs you haven't seen or heard many creep into our culture soon. It's still amazing that there are so many random similarities. I also was a little upset. I was half expecting all of these movies and songs to originate for Australia for my own entertainment. Why do we all have to share these things? I guess were doing something right!

Underwater Down Under

Everyone is somewhat intrigued as they are fumbling through the most recent version of the Guinness Book of World Records. From the disgusting to confusing to fascinating, the amazing records make us think and laugh. Like any other country, Australia has had their fair share of world records. One that was the most interesting to me was that Australia holds the record for the largest underwater dance class held with 74 participants (divers) and a simultaneous dance lasting at least ten minutes. What's the coolest part of this exciting record? It was for a charity! There is nothing more entertaining than a record breaking Australian underwater dance class to raise some money for charity.

On a more serious note, recently I checked my AOL news to find a shocking article (http://news.aol.com/article/australia-wildfires/333038). Today, about 173 people were found killed by Australia's worst wildfire. Now, 5,000 are left homeless and many struggled just to stay alive. They are still trying to determine to cause of these rapid and destructive fires (anything from arson to global warming). All we can do now is pray and hope that the people affected by these fires are okay and finding help.

breaking the law...

It's Sunday and I'm once again searching for weird facts about the country and continent of Australia. Suddenly, a shady site appears with the "fact" that, in Australia, a life sentence is twenty five years. It was a little strange, especially considering the site also said that, "It is illegal to roam the streets wearing black clothes, felt shoes and black shoe polish on your face as these items are the tools of a cat burglar" and "It is illegal to wear hot pink pants after midday Sunday" in Australia (http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/australia). However, in my quest to find a legitimate random fact about Australia, I searched for a more trusted resource.
The government website was really hard to navigate, but I did come across a few random laws. This year in South Australia, they revised Gaming Machines Variation Regulation to possibly exempt people who are on "vessels" in the Australian waters. Also, if they have a problem with their boss, it must be in writing. However, nothing too intense was discovered by research. I honestly think that the Australian government is very secretive or unorganized with their website. It was really hard for me to find something broad, I needed a specific search. So it may be possible that you can't wear those amazing new, hot pink pants next Sunday night in Australia. The true fact: I can't find anything on the Australian government website. This may give something for people to think about when they are considering messing around with the law in Australia.

Flood Warning in North Queensland

On February 4th (because Australia is a couple hours ahead of us), the Australia military rushed to the scene of a flood in North Queensland (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25006238-1248,00.html). Homes and retail stores were destroyed and the flood levels were higher than they were in 1974, when a major flood hit. They are continuing evalutaion to make sure everyone is safe from the disaster. They can only predict it will get worse.
The aspect of this article that shocked me the most was that crocodiles were what was interupting the rescue plan. Many have been spotted in the center of the Gulf towns. Ms. Smith, a hotel owner, said she saw "a 4m crocodile had been seen stalking residents and dogs in the flooded main street". This was perhaps the wierdest thing I could imagine. What bothered me the most about this article where do these Australian crocodiles come from. I have never heard of them bothering flood rescues before. However, this flood is quite a historic event and the crocodiles, no matter how few, have definitly made an impact on this current news story.

The Adventure of a Wild, Australian Camel

"Australia has the biggest number of wild one humped camels in the world". Did you know that fact? Of course, I was a little skeptical and a little in shock about the crazy information, so I researched. The camels with one hump are actually called "Arabian Camels" or dromedary, they feed on "salty vegetation", and can withstand not only extreme heat but extreme cold. Why aren't there many (or any) wild camels living in Alaska then? This information also raised my suspicion. National Geographic knows quite a bit and they mentioned that these special camels not only "rarely sweat", but have been introduced to Australia.
I'm still a little unsure; however, if you are truly interested in camels, you can see the facts and listen to the beautiful sound of the giant camel on http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/dromedary-camel.html. Somehow, Animal Planet has explained us the story of the camel's introduction to Australia.
It really all began in 1840. The explorers of the Australian deserts used them conveniently to transport themselves as well as their supplies across the desert. Until 1907, when railroads and cars became popular, camels came from a lot of different countries including India and Pakistan. Today, Australia has the largest estimated population of wild one humped camels. There are between 25,000 to 200,000 camels in Australia. It seems difficult to estimate the exact number; however, it's still a surprise that they were able to grow the population so rapidly there. I think, honestly, that the one humped camels must really enjoy it there!

A warning for all Australian bicyclists...

True or false: "Australia was the first country in the world to impose uniform national mandatory bicycle helmet legislation, beginning in 1990. "
I discovered this little fact from a website written by people who are very strongly opposed to the whole "Australian helmet enforcement". The author seemed bitter about the "police enforcement" by adding not only that the law "increased cyclist hospitalization" and "decreased cycling popularity" but severely "damaged public health". It even connected this law with Australia's struggle with obesity throughout the population.
I thought, initially, that the law was just some weird joke and a confused Australian had made it up. However, there truly is a helmet law in Australia (including Queensland and Western Australia). Numerous studies show that their has been a huge decrease in biking in Australia. Honestly, I think that the law is a pretty good idea. The government has a reason for it I'm sure, otherwise they would have taken away. In many ways, it relates to the "seat belt" law we have here (having your seat belt buckled is a reasonable law). So why, Australian bikers, do you stop biking because of a law? I honestly think you should all just wear your helmets (though it may be annoying). Did people stop driving their car just because they saw a sign that said: "buckle up, it's the law"? No, they just buckled up or faced the small punishment. Also, blaming the government for promoting public safety is not the best idea. I'm not saying that I want this law in the United States, but I don't think the concept is horrible. One article I found gave me a lot of satisfying statistics about the positive influence the law has made on safety of Australian bicyclists (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/04/bike_helmet.html) saying that brain damage amongst young cyclists has decreased more than 18 percent since the law was passed. So get on your bikes Australian cyclists and wear a helmet. If not, be prepared to pay the fine if you commit the crime.

Happy Skandia Geelong Week!

Today, January 24, is the beginning of a major yachting event called the Skandia Geelong Week. This three day long weekend event is a huge deal in the world of sailing in Australia. The festivities include about sixty live performances on the Geelong Waterfront, more than 100,000 spectators, and everything from aerobatic shows to fireworks to canoeing competitions. Ever since 1844, the Skandia Geelong Week has been known as Australia's largest sailing event.
So, what's the hype about? It may seem boring and questionable to many how so many Australians can get so "stoked" in reaction to such a slow moving event. The strangest fact about this event is that it includes a series of races. Yes, the sail boats are actually racing each other while people watch. This may not be the best way to celebrate Australia Day, but it has become quite an interesting tradition. Even Australian celebrities join in the fun, which is humorous because they're so passionate about the competition. They want the best crew and the fastest boat (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2tgJuNwBno&feature=related). In my opinion, this event is hopefully more exciting then they make it seem. It certainly is a tradition that makes Australia unique!

Australian Cows vs. Belgium

True or False: the world's largest ranch (also known as a cattle station) is in Australia and it is the size of Belgium. So is this fantastic idea a true fact or fiction? Belgium, according to believable sites was consistently about 30,230 square kilometers. They also could extra points for the water they own (basically, the "other" areas they have acquired) giving them a total area of 30,528 square kilometers.
In Anna Creek Station, the home of the world's largest farm, times are tough for both humans and the animals. In 2005, a major drought created a difficult lifestyle or those on the ranch (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/12/24/spark.ranch/index.html). The article claims that the ranch is 24,000 square kilometers; however, it also says it is the size of Belgium. The 16,000 cattle enjoy about 6 million acres. They each get 375 acres all to themselves. I believe that those cattle should share the land with people who need it. Why would one animal need that much space?

For every one Australian...

There are statistics that people who live in the United States might find comical. However, for many Australians, there are some facts that they just need to accept. I soon discovered a random fact that said, "For every one Australian, there are two kangaroos". I wanted the exact facts so I did a little research to be sure that this fact was true. According to www.cia.gov, Australia has 21,007,310 people since a count in July of 2008. This is a small number compared to the recorded United States population of 303,824,640 people; yet it is large if compared to Ireland's 4,156,119 inhabitants.
Kangaroos are twice as exciting as they may first seem, and that is a fact. It is hard to count every single kangaroo in such a huge area of land. One article I found, which was hilarious and sad, said the Greenpeace was trying to get people to eat more kangaroos in order to prevent global warming (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22562480-662,00.html). I don't agree with this article at all. It offered no clear reason that killing kangaroos would help the environment. The article jumped between different numbers of the exact population of kangaroos per population. They estimated that there were about 25 to 30 million kangaroos in Australia today. Unfortunatly, even if there were 30 million kangaroos jumping around out there, there would be still only 1.428074 kangaroos per person.

My First Post!

Hello and welcome to the exciting blog for weekly Australian fun facts. Australia is not only a unique country, but a beautiful continent. Its diversity and adapting culture are interesting for all of those who have the chance to discover it. But how much do we really know about Australia? Did you know, for example, that Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the whole world?

For a moment, think about what you always thought were the driest areas throughout the world. Was one of them Australia? It came as a huge shock to me. According to the Australian Government's Bureau of Meteorology, (http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/ausclim/zones.htm) the influence that this has on the rivers and seasonal change has a huge impact on the inhabitants of Australia who face rapidly changing weather. With regular weather phenomenons, from cyclones to heat waves to frosts, it seems like horrible mix of terrible weather conditions. However, they also comment that they have major droughts for long period of time, so it's not dry all year long!