Australian Impressions

[rivet]

I'm finally home, and trying to wind down enough to go to bed. Meanwhile, some thoughts

Comments

Australia

[edm]

I'm convinced that Canberra (which was a "planned city" in the sense that they started from scratch and did the design in one go) was designed to look good from the air (or more accurately, on the plan) irrespective of the practicalities. (It also suffers from being designed after the invention of the car and thus misses the whole locality of facilities -- and abundent public transport -- which much of Europe and other older cities have.)

That said, Canberra is very pretty in April ("fall"). I still recommend Canberra in April. Having also been there at other times of the year, the trip in April (last year) was really the only one which grabbed me.

Incidentally I must pick your brains about Sydney at some convenient time (perhaps SupperClub); I'm going there for a conference in January, plus an extra week.

Ewen

Re: Australia

[edm]

Melbourne is indeed very nice, and I'd highly recommend it. I've been there 3 times (plus random "pass through the airport" trips) and enjoyed it each time.

"Hot hot hot" for Sydney in January sounds good to me, at least with cooler places (eg, indoors) for the occassional change. I've even done Melbourne in a (February) heat wave when they were rationing air conditioning (due to power shortages) and didn't find that too bad, so I expect to cope okay with Sydney. (Somewhere about 5-6 years ago my internal "desirable temperature" meter seemed to get reset about 5 degrees hotter than Wellington's average temperature cycle.)

And yes knowing people in Canberra does help. Although I've known people there each time I went, and other than the trip in April it was a case of "nice to see you, why do you live here again?" rather than liking the city. (They live there because they're attending ANU, which they're doing because it gave them a scholarship. I can't argue with that logic.)

Ewen

[bowdlerizer]

You do need to see melbourne and surrounding countryside before you make up your mind about Straya (that's how you say Australia in Australia, just ask a newsreader). It's a lovely town to visit and live and driving about Victoria is very pretty.

[notnotabouthim]

I agree. Sydney is ok to visit - in the same way that Auckland is ok to visit, but everyone I know who's lived there has wound up with a minimum 45 minute commute - unless they've lived in a tiny central city apt, of course.. but typically it's an hour and a half - just bad layout of the suburbs, etc.. something you don't see when visiting, but which would definitely impinge on enjoyment.

The weather's great though :)

[rivet]

That's kind of what I heard from people in Canberra who had lived in Sydney. That's exactly the lifestyle issues I was trying to get away from by leaving SF.

[rivet]

Melbourne is still on the list. I can't knock off a whole continent with such a small sample :)

[rivet]

That is a very compelling theory :)

[kimeros]

I enjoyed hanging out it Sydney.

I hated Canberra.

I loved Melbourne :-)

[rivet]

I'm still keen to give Melbourne some time. In large part because you're so enthusiastic about it :)

[kimeros]

When you do go please make sure to let me know so I can tell you cool places to visit and especially recommends lots of awesome veggie places to eat. Mmmmmmmmm.