Australia in Review

I was in Sydney Australia for nine days in February to accompany my 19-year-old daughter Tess to her new residence at the University of Sydney on a one-year exchange program with UBC.

In Sydney, they name their alleyways just as we do streets. Road signs read, “Give way,” where we would say, “Yield”. Pedestrian walkways are signed with a silhouette of two walking black pants legs from knees down to shoes.

The people there are friendly, unassuming and helpful. They put great store in a sense of humour. It was reassuring to see where Tess is going to live for the next year. She lucked out and got great roommates. Okay, the campus flat was pretty darn dirty, but we got to work and cleaned it up. Who knows how it will look in four months, but at least it looked respectable when I departed.

Can you believe that upon seeing us say a tearful good-bye, the taxi driver (and father of three teenagers) that took me to the airport not only gave me support and encouragement the entire way, but then wrote down his name and telephone number and said, “Don’t worry, she’s not alone, give her my number and if she needs any help, I’ll be there.” Oh my, who does that?!

It was a wonderful time alone with my daughter, exploring stunning ageless architecture on the campus, and getting to know Sydney while helping settle Tess in. Sad also, knowing that this is a new phase in her life, and the one she leaves at home will likely be only a memory in years to come.

I discovered I really like Australians. They are so upbeat and fun. They are also respectful and humble, reminding me of many Canadians I know. I certainly felt comfortable. Enterprise here is alive and strong. I didn’t see any big box stores, and there were dozens upon dozens of small businesses lining miles of roadways. Clothing stores, restaurants, chemists (we call them pharmacies), convenience stores, curios stores, coffee shops, ice cream shops, and on and on. The selection is superb.

Food and gas are expensive, but long distance phoning is not. There aren’t many mini vans; they cost too much to fuel. Instead, there are more gas efficient cars, mainly European and Asian over American makes. Buses are air conditioned, but standing at a bus stop won’t ensure you get a ride. You need to flag the driver to stop. It makes good sense actually, shortens travel time and cuts out many unnecessary stops.

Gloria Jeans is the Aussie equivalent of Starbucks and they are abundant. A short coffee is expensive at $2.80 AUS. Instead of drip coffee, you can order plunger coffee and regulars don’t mind the four-minute wait. I found it worthwhile. A ‘flat white’ by the way means coffee with milk. Tips are not expected here, although in a high-end restaurant if you get good service, leaving a 10% gratuity is considered polite.

The pace is definitely more relaxed and less emphasis is put on urgency and regulations. In fact priorities are somewhat different from ours -- I chuckled to see the university village lawn being mowed and a sign posted saying “lawnmower in action” -- especially when you visit Darling Harbor and the harbor boardwalk is entirely unfenced. One could easily trip and stumble into the ocean anywhere along the blocks of boardwalk. The onus here is more on personal accountability, rather than on deferring responsibility.

Their beaches are grand. The ocean water is clean and temperate, the sand white and soft, and the waves big and adventuresome. It is intriguing to watch surfboarders and body surfers negotiate them. There are inherent dangers, so following posted warnings is wise. The lifeguard announcement that high winds had brought jellyfish into the area and, if anyone was stung, to come to the station for treatment, was enough to deter me from entering the ocean that day.

How quaint the Spanish influence villa homes with their red brickwork, decorative wrought iron railings, tile roofs and walkways. Houses are modest, no multi family box style homes here and, in spite of the heat (and it did get hot -- in the 30’s Celsius), most people made due with fans and open (unscreened) windows and rolled down their car windows. Owing to years of draught conditions, water usage is conservative, toilets have two options, a full or a half flush; you can decide when to use which. City lawn watering emphasizes the practical use of recycled water.

Words to the wise, if you use a power adapter, make sure your appliance has dual voltage, otherwise use an appropriate converter. The meltdown of my curling iron led to a new no-fuss haircut, as it didn’t make sense to replace an appliance I can’t use at home. As I left, I thought, too bad it’s so far away. This would be a wonderful destination to revisit. If you have the opportunity to travel to Australia, I highly recommend doing so. If you have any questions, I’d be happy to entertain them.

Best wishes,

Vicki