Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with australia

What are some fun things to do in Melbourne, Australia?

EatMyHat — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:52:47 -0800

What are the most fun things to do in Melbourne on holiday? I've got 4 days as a solo female traveller in my 30s. I'm not into footy but open to shopping, good places to eat (cheaply), cultural things and tourist attractions. Inspire me!

Is Australia just the West Island?

superfish — Fri, 03 May 2013 03:20:01 -0800

Quick question for folks who've lived in both Australia and NZ: what cultural and language differences did you notice?

Help me find a similar beer in Sydney

vidur — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:46:18 -0800

I visited New Zealand recently (thanks AskMe for all the help with the itinerary), and happened to try a beer there - Mac's Great White Cloudy Wheat Beer. It seems that it is only available in New Zealand. Is there anything else that might replicate the taste? I am not a beer person, so I am not sure exactly what to look for or even how to describe what exactly I liked. Most beers do not agree with me but this one did, so I am keen on finding something similar.

Here is the link to the beer company's webpage (can't link directly to the beer because it hits an age verification) with a better description. The text says:

Great White is the Mac's version of a classic Belgian Witbier, with a smorgasbord of flavours too well-stocked to enumerate here. Like the great Belgian Witbiers on which it's based, Mac's Great White is a cloudy cornucopia of flavour. Indeed, it's amazing what the addition of a few wheat malts can do. What do you fancy? Bubblegum, banana and Turkish delight? Check. Rhubarb and custard to follow? Certainly. Raspberry, aniseed, citrus and coriander on the way down? Enjoy.

I want to go hiking in Cradle Mountain over Easter. Tips?

Xany — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 05:39:28 -0800

I want to go hiking in Cradle Mountain (Tasmania, Australia) over the Easter long weekend. Problem: I do not know anything at all about Cradle Mountain. Help me, hive mind? I have Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off and I want to do some hiking. I'm thinking Cradle Mountain in Tasmania because I've heard it's pretty - and, well, I've never been and I live in Melbourne so it seems as good an idea as any. It will be me and a friend, we're reasonably fit and have a small amount of hiking stuff (boots, jackets, sleeping bags - but no tents) so hell, why not.

However! I do not know anything about it. I was thinking maybe flying into Launceston and ... that's all I got. How do we get to Cradle Mountain (short of renting a car - unless that's the best option)? Where should we stay? What trails are doable for not-very-experienced hikers in reasonable physical condition? Are there any tours or things that leave Friday (or Saturday) and return Monday? (All the ones Google throws up so far leave Sunday and return Tuesday - which is not doable because work.)

Any tips, info, etc appreciated!

What say the font of aussie mefi knowledge?

MT — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:00:38 -0800

I have been asked to submit my CV/resume to an Australian based management consulting firm to potentially do some project based work with them. What is the acceptable length, format and font to use for a CV/resumes in this industry?

Please recommend interesting/funny/awesome TV series to a bored shut-in

abbagoochie — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:19:15 -0800

I've finished watching all my favourite things and am televisually lost while I wait for Breaking Bad and Boardwalk Empire to start again. Can you suggest English/American/Australian etc series (will also accept interesting BBC documentaries) that are actually watchable? I am kind of half heartedly watching Archer at the mo, and just winced through the pilot episode of How I Met Your Mother. I tried the pilot of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia but the intro sequence seemed too close to bad improv. Help me root out the stuff worth eyeball time! As a guide, things I like/d (apart from the aforementioned BB and BE):

- Pulling (UK)
- Catterick (UK)
- Human Remains/Nighty Night/the pilot of Lizzie and Sarah (UK)
- Twin Peaks
- Downton Abbey
- Girls
- Dexter
- Wilfred
- Eastbound and Down
- Futurama

I know there must be a ton of stuff I'm missing. Please help me to make it through this awful stomach bug that won't seem to go away!

Aussie Mefites, your advice is sought

Catseye — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:47:53 -0800

My brother just moved from the UK to Perth, WA, and I'm planning to buy him a birthday present in the form of a voucher for something he can do out there. What would you recommend? Brother likes film, coffee shops with wi-fi, outdoorsy things, and Australian sunny weather and beaches. He's based pretty centrally at the moment although looking for something more permanent, so ideally whatever I got him would be something he can use in multiple locations or something he can get to fairly easily (he'll have a car).

Ideas I've had so far: vouchers for a coffee shop chain, vouchers for surfing lessons, boat trip or more active sightseeing trip of some sort. Are there any specific companies for those, or any other ideas, that you'd recommend?

Does Perth have a Compton?

johnpowell — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 01:17:22 -0800

Are there any bad parts of Australia that compare with the bad parts of the United States? Is the scary places there like my library in Eugene with killer spiders?

Name that film! Post-apocalyptic 80s Sydney

goo — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 19:30:26 -0800

I am seeking the name of a film, set in post-apocalyptic Sydney (Australia). I could have sworn it had Cassandra Harris in it, but IMDB disagrees. It was filmed and was set in in the early- to mid-80s, and had a bunch of people running around trying to escape the nuclear fallout that hit the Opera House and ended up in the northern beaches. The film wasn't necessarily good, but it resonated. Can you name the film? Thanks!

Can you recommend a meal delivery service in Australia?

Jubey — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:02:22 -0800

In a few month's time, I will be recovering from a c-section whilst wrangling a newborn and a toddler. We don't have family here in Sydney so Mr Jubey and I will be coping alone. I'll be freezing meals in advance to help there but our freezer is only small so I'm looking for a meal delivery service for 4 weeks or so til I recover. Endless takeaway doesn't appeal, nor is it healthy long term. I know of Lite & Easy but that's geared towards weight loss and while (hopefully) breast feeding I will need more calories. Can you recommend a good meal delivery service? No special dietary requirements.

Can you help me, I'm loved up over someone Down Under?

Callicvol — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 04:47:15 -0800

How to bring a Melbourne woman a little romance from half a world away? I live in the UK, my SO lives in Melbourne. Unfortunately we won't be together again until July. Suggestions for something I can do from ten thousand miles away to bring a little romance into her life come February 14th? Any Melbourne shops, businesses, experiences, clever ideas that might be a little bit special and arrangeable from here? Many thanks.

Returning to work after maternity leave when my boss doesn't want me to.

Wantok — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:03:29 -0800

Returning to work after maternity leave when my boss doesn't want me to. After working full time for the same small professional firm for nearly three years, I recently had a baby and took maternity leave. I told my boss early in my pregnancy that I intended to take six months leave and he seemed a bit shocked, asking who was going to care for my baby (um, there's this thing called daycare) but I didn't think about it too much while he is an older gentleman with a traditional and sexist perspective, we've always had a very good and close working relationship. I ended up being hospitalised at 28 weeks until the birth and therefore left work with no notice but while there, I reaffirmed in writing that I intended to be back at work six months after the baby was born. I heard from coworkers that to replace me he had hired two women - one working three days a week, the other three and a half. It's now January and I have daycare arranged for March, so I went into work last week to talk to my boss about coming back and to give him a start date. My intention is to return for three days initially and then move back into full time within two months and while he accepted that (legally, he has to) he again seemed shocked that I would put my daughter into childcare and insinuated that having a job was really just a hobby for me. He complained about there not being enough room in the office for everyone and the troubles he would have fitting me in and finding me a desk. The impression I got was that I would be splitting my time between sitting next to the photocopier in a hallway and sharing a desk in the admin pool. Before I left I had my own office next to his.

I didn't really say much during the meeting but I left angry and stressed about returning to work, whereas previously I had been looking forward to it. I am very, very good at my job and their reluctance to give it back to me and instead sideline me into a minor admin role stings. He has never had a staff member go on maternity leave before and obviously believed that I would change my mind, hiring permanent staff to replace me. So my question is, am I entitled, as I believe, to return to a identical position and office to which I left and how do I approach this without creating more drama and bad feelings? I am terrible at confrontation and speaking up for myself in the work place and would really appreciate help with a plan of attack and confirming my rights. I am in Melbourne, Australia.

Great, casual restaurants in Melbourne?

meerkatty — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:43:25 -0800

Fabulous, hidden gem restaurants in Melbourne? I'm about to get on a plane and fly to the other end of the globe to go to the Australian Open. I've been to Melbourne before but wished I had eaten a bit better. For this trip, can you recommend some restaurants that are central? (I don't mind a small streetcar ride, but am staying at the Langham.)

Fabulous brasserie? Great dim sum? Cozy and casual? Wonderful seafood? Your hidden gem? All very much appreciated!

Educate me on these crime statistics

vidur — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:36:45 -0800

The Wikipedia page on statistics about rape shows a very high crime rate for countries like UK, US and Australia in stark contrast to, say, India. The gap can't be explained simply by under-reporting, as that exists in all these countries (even assuming different rates of under-reporting). Is it because these countries have different definitions of rape? Or something else? I want to understand this because in my personal experience, India is far less safe for women than, say, UK and Australia (haven't been to the US yet), but these numbers are so far from what I would have expected that I am having a hard time explaining them to myself. The whole thing has been prompted by the recent high-profile cases of rape in India, and the ensuing discussions about them in my social circle.

Camping in Tasmania

panaceanot — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:57:52 -0800

Can you recommend a good camping site in Tasmania, possibly in the east? Somewhere with a fair bit of space rather than a caravan park.

What bugs are these on my raspberries and how do I get rid of them?

lollusc — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:04:16 -0800

These little moth-like things are ALL OVER my raspberry plants. I am in Canberra, Australia. They just arrived, so I don't know what damage they are going to do (yet). How screwed am I and how do I get rid of them? There are also these tiny little things, and one or two of the beetles in this picture. I don't even know what any of them are, so I can't google for solutions.

For what it's worth, there are holes in all the raspberry leaves, but I think that was snails and slugs, which I now have under control. And they are still producing raspberries prolifically anyway.

Sydney to LA/Chicago with a layover in... China or Korea?

jrobin276 — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 17:52:56 -0800

Why do all (or at least, the vast majority) of flights between Sydney and the U.S. this July/August have layovers in China or Korea? How can I best go about finding a budget ticket that takes a more direct route? I'm an American living in Sydney, and I need to go home for a wedding and grad school orientation in Chicago - roughly July 10-Aug 10. I've been booking my own flights for 10+ years, and have never had any problem getting reasonable deals/schedules through Kayak (or STA or whatever was being used/popular at the time).

Now, most trans-Pacific flights do have layovers, and I'm cool with that. I like a good leg stretch 10 hours into a 15 hour flight... but usually the layovers are - you know, like - on the way. The vast, vast, majority of the flights I'm turning up, all over the web, are on Chinese or Korean airlines and have layovers in Beijing or Seoul. This doubles the length of my flight... not just travel time, but the time I spend on an airplane...which sucks.

Question is two-fold:
I've never encountered this before, and I've done this flight a number of times. What is going on?

Ideally I would like the cheapest ticket I can find (seems like around $2k right now) from Sydney to Chicago, with layovers that make sense (New Zealand, Fiji, LA). Where should I look or who should I contact to do this?

I can handle critters, but not crawling up my legs while I'm doing the dishes.

malibustacey9999 — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 02:21:16 -0800

Any Aussie ant experts around? I'm tired of having sugar ants crawl up my legs while I wash up after dinner. Due to an over-zealous daughter overloading the dishwasher causing it to tip over and bugger the door, I'm now washing up dishes by hand. No problem, except I've just abandoned the kitchen again because I got tired of swatting sugar ants off my legs as I wash decades-old crockery.

They're not in the kitchen at any other time of the day/night. It's about now, 9pm-ish, that they seem to swarm. IME, ants seek water inside if you're undergoing a drought... we got 63 mills on Christmas Day alone, and my lawn is still slightly damp. They're not seeking water. They're seeking my flesh!

I've used Ant-rid in the past, but not with sugar ants. I really don't want to kill them if I can avoid it. But how can I stop them invading my kitchen after dinner?

Yes, I've dealt with redbacks and cockroaches and huntsmen and brown snakes... but none of them tried to crawl up my legs while I was washing up.

Campervan Cool on the Cheap

Kerasia — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 15:23:16 -0800

Show me pictures and tell me things about really cool DIY camper van fit-outs. What does your dream hippy travel van look like? Thinking of converting our Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter - a high-top, long wheel base, turbo diesel van with two passenger doors, slide-back slide door and two rear doors. The interior load dimensions are 4300mm long, 1800mm wide, 1900mm high. It has windows in the rear doors but not in the sides. It is walk through from the two seats in the cab section to the van.

We have tools, skills and materials to do a cabinetry fit out ourselves but am in need of a ideas about clever storage and utility needs/design, energy efficiency, light control etc. We want to make it a clever, stylish but simple traveller on wheels for a couple in the late 20s visiting Australia from overseas for a year.

What are the must haves? What are the useless things in many camper vans? What is unusual but brilliant once you have it? Our budget for inclusions is about $500 in scrounge dollars ($1500 in new dollars). Bonus if the fit out is easy to remove and reinstall.

Traveling way Down Under

islander — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 13:05:32 -0800

Travel tips for Tasmania? This coming February I'm traveling from Canada to Australia to visit an old friend who lives in Melbourne.
We're planning to spend a week or so on a road trip around Tasmania. My friend has been to Tasmania before so will generally know her way around. So far, we've decided to fly to Hobart and pick up a rental car at the airport rather than take the ferry.
Any suggestions as to places to see, stay and eat would be greatly appreciated.
As for us, we're well into middle age (if not on the brink of geezerhood) but still able to get around and always on the lookout for a bargain.
Cottages or such with separate bedrooms would be of particular interest (we both snore like banshees).

Backpacking for not quite grey nomad

b33j — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 14:43:42 -0800

Backpacking in Australia with $20k in savings. Suppose I throw caution to the wind and runaway from everything, what do I, a relatively inexperienced traveller need to know? I'm Australian so no language / cultural difficulties, 45, female with no ties. What do I need to know/own in order to be itinerant for a year?
What should I pack? How do I save photos if I don't take a laptop with? What should I be aware of? Anything you can think of (eg do a barriers course before leaving, always carry a baseball bat, never sleep in a garbage bin, whatever).

Bonus points for international backpacking tips.

Please help me find a thrash version of Six White Boomers.

h00py — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:57:19 -0800

Can you help me find a thrash/garage version of Six White Boomers? Ages ago I heard a thrash version of 'Six White Boomers' probably on 4ZZZ, an alternative community radio station in Brisbane, Australia and I've been trying to find it again ever since.

It would have been the mid-80's to early 90's when I heard it and The Dickies version of The Banana Splits theme is very similar to the sound I'm thinking of.

I found a live cover on YouTube a couple of years ago but my searching skills continue to suck and I can't even find that anymore.

All help gratefully received!

Ev'rything free in America

mochapickle — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 06:53:56 -0800

Some friends who supported Romney are so displeased with the election results that they are now threatening to move to Canada or Australia for the next four years. Okay. Would their experiences living as American citizens in those countries in reality align more closely with their conservative ideals? How 'bout if they became citizens? What's the best response to these people? Specifically, they are fiscally conservative, socially conservative Christians with kids. One partner has major health issues. Pro-NRA.

What's vegetarian Australian cuisine?

Silentgoldfish — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 09:39:02 -0800

I'm staying with a family in Kenya who have requested we make them an Australian meal one night. Problem is, what's an Australian meal? There's more restrictions inside that further complicate our choice of food. Further complicating things is there's no oven so it's stovetop cooking only. Also, my friend is vegetarian so no meat. Fortunately she's the easy going kind so if it's something where I can make the meat part separate she'll be cool with that. Lastly, going by the meals they've made, and East African food in general, anything too spicy won't go over well!

At this stage we're thinking of pulling the multicultural card and making a stir-fry but I'm hoping there's a better option!

The House of Possums

vidur — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 19:10:57 -0800

Please identify this tree (3 photo imgur album) growing in my backyard in Sydney, Australia. Some of this tree's branches are now almost touching the roof of my house, and this tree seems to host a wild orgy of possums every night. I was wondering if I can get it trimmed. But before that, I wanted to check that it is not a protected species or on some other kind of list.