David's Blog

After the usual security of scanning the carry-ons and going thru the metal detectors, Brisbane airport had another check right before entering the gate. They were patting people down.
Me: Do I need to empty my pockets?
Security Guy: No, I'll let you know if I feel what I'm looking for.
Me: I don't have any drugs.
Security Guy: You can take all the drugs you want, mate. I'm not a customs agent. That's not what I'm looking for.

I still have no idea what they were looking for. What else is there to check?
But it was definitely refreshing to hear from a uniformed agent right before boarding a plane that I could take all the drugs I want....Is that so? hmm. I'll be right back.

Labels: airports, australia

Posted by David at 12:15 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Every country seems to have a different set of rules regarding tipping. Australia's is the simplest. No tipping. From a consumer's standpoint it may sound like a better deal, but in reality there's no difference. The sum is still the same. If there's no tipping, then the service is built into the price. It doesn't matter to me either way as long as I know what the custom is.
The pro-tipping argument says you get better service when the service provider's compensation is based on your satisfaction. But I have 3 counter arguments:
1. Service wasn't any worse in Australia.
2. Every other industry in the world is able to hire people that are polite and helpful in spite of not receiving tips.
3. The expectation of a tip negates a reward for good service. That is, mediocre service will still get a tip that's not much lower than great service. Only a figure skating judge is going to keep track of the two tenths deductions.

My claim so far is that tipping is a wash. It affects neither the level of service, nor the total price. But there are additional advantages to a no tipping culture, mainly that it's a simpler transaction. This is the price. You pay it. The receiver doesn't judge whether the customer is generous or cheap. The payer doesn't sweat the math figuring out how much to add or how much of the change to leave. Australians are very quick to give exact change. If the drink was 5 dollars, and I pay with a 10, I get a 5 back, not five 1's. The same goes for taxi drivers. If it adds up to 9.80, before I can say keep the change, there's a 20 cent piece in my hand.

Labels: australia

Posted by David at 11:48 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Travelling in Australia offers some unique opportunities. People don't just go for a short visit, they go for months or even a year at a time, young Europeans especially. It's a geographically large country with a lot of things to see and a lot of ground to cover. It's easy to get around by plane, train, and bus, there's a great network of hostels, and it's very safe, even for women travelling on their own. But the main factor enabling long trips is the ease with which foreigners can find temporary work legally. Australia is short on labor and has no neighboring countries to fill the void. If you want to pick fruit, be their guest. The government operates a website, Harvest Trail, helping people find farming and agriculture jobs throughout the country.
The flip side to this is that produce is very expensive. German kids aren't going to pick strawberries for nothing, you know.
Restaurants, hotels, and other seasonal employers are also very willing to hire foreigners on a short term basis. I don't think any other country (that's worth spending time in) offers such an ideal arrangement.

Labels: australia

Posted by David at 11:07 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

What I enjoy about travelling is being outside and seeing new places. Assuming the weather is good and there's something to look at, it's a shame to eat indoors. Some cities have a total lack of nice outdoor seating...I'm not talking about a private patio in the back. I mean, right on the street where people are walking by or where there's a nice view. The US is especially bad when it comes to outdoor drinking. I take every opportunity abroad to have a beer outside on a sunny day. Restaurants and bars in Australia use the outside space well. And if they can't setup tables outside, they'll just remove a wall so it feels outside. A completely open storefront. No door. Just wall to wall open to the street.
Brisbane especially has some nice outdoor eateries along the Queen Street pedestrian mall. They're not on one side of the street or another. They're right in the middle of it, like an island, where you can sit and look at everything.

Labels: australia, brisbane, food

Posted by David at 3:47 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

What makes a city look nice? First on my list is water and bridges. A river is the most preferable but a harbor or group of islands will do. Second is parks and open space. Brisbane does both of those well plus they've added random artwork throughout the city in noticable places like high trafficed sidewalks. They're easy to recognize and add some character to an otherwise uneventful street.
Examples include:
This colorful geometric sculpture

Metal kangaroos, one of which is on a bench. The question becomes... Is this sculpture just taking up bench space? Or is the bench part of the piece?

Walkway enclosure

Lifesize statues of people in the street

Big metal spheres

Labels: australia, brisbane

Posted by David at 2:22 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

This is a nice view from my hotel room, huh? I'd agree if not for the fact that this picture was taken at 5 AM. Why was I up so early? Because the sun's completely up by 5 AM! Queensland does not participate in daylight savings time, and this is proof they should. No one needs this much light at 5 AM. Trade it for an hour of sun at the end of the day, when people can actually enjoy it!

Labels: australia, brisbane

Posted by David at 2:07 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

We've all seen pictures of kangaroos, but what I never knew until I saw them in person was how low their testacles hang, especially considering that they're hopping all the time. It's the kind of thing that isn't obvious right away. First you admire how cute they are how funny they look when they hop. Then you notice they have very hand-like paws with five fingers. After taking several pictures, you do a double take, but since you're no anatomy expert you just point and start asking everyone around you, "dude, are those his testacles?" Once it's confirmed, then you start telling everyone "dude, check out those testacles". Then you take a few more pictures, knowing it's going to the best blog post of your trip.

Labels: australia

Posted by David at 2:05 AM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Every city around the world has some slight variation with its public transport ticketing. Do you buy a ticket on the bus? Or before you get on? Or either? Is it a ticket or a pass? Does the fare depend on where you're going? Does the driver check, or do you just need to have the ticket. I usually like to get a day or multi day unlimited pass so I it doesn't cost any extra to get really lost. It's more convenient to use metros and buses as often as you need even to go one stop. Quite often a day pass is about the cost of a round trip. It's really the best deal especially when buses and metros are the same system.
Brisbane and Newcastle are generous to offer free buses in the city center. Newcastle has one main street and the buses are free as long as your getting on and off within the free bus zone. Brisbane has one line that just circles the center in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. It runs on weekdays and is free, so go for a loop.
Aside from free, the best transport deal I found was that a one day pass in Brisbane is AU$1.80 (US$1.20) for students... which is why you should always carry around your non-expiring student ID. Discounts for seniors and students are called "concessions" which to me means the food you buy at a sporting event. A quick visit to wiki proves it's the same word. The hot dog vendor concedes profits to the stadium owner just as the bus system concedes part of the fare. More Australian lingo will follow.

Labels: australia, brisbane, transport

Posted by David at 1:32 AM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Brisbane is one of the only Australian cities that's not right on the coast. But not wanting to be without a beach, they made one. You can swim in the water or lie in the sand not far from the city center. The far side has a paved walkway where you can sit and dangle your feet in the water. There's a big river on the other side which I assume is the water source for this "lake".

This is the first sign I've seen which in addition to banning diving also specifically forbids cannonballs. (2nd row left)

Labels: australia, brisbane, signs

Posted by David at 11:45 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Aussies often take after the British and Americans. But when it comes to public restrooms, I found more similarities with Asia. Where else do you find what I call the urinal trough? 90% of bathrooms even at restaurants and hotel lobbies had this type of facility instead of individual urinals. Nothing wrong with it. It functions the same and fewer drains to maintain.

Labels: australia

Posted by David at 11:34 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

The edge of this cliff is a bit unstable, so you are well advised to avoid certain activities there such as the triangle pose, jumping jacks, and the YMCA dance. Also watch out for disproportionately short trees.

Labels: australia, signs

Posted by David at 11:19 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Every now and then you find yourself not busy with a beer, a camera, and a nice view. Which leads to only one thing. Starting in Dubai, I'm in the habit of taking a picture of an alcoholic beverage overlooking a view. That's about as artsy as I can get. At first I thought of it as a still life with a nice background. But the drink has a more active role. It's not that I'm observing the drink and the view. It’s about the drink’s view. I'm merely capturing the moment.

Here’s Byron Bay. The restaraunt is called Balcony. It's mostly outdoor seating on a very large balcony overlooking the main intersection of Byron Bay. No street lights here. This roundabout is as busy as it gets. You can't stare at the cars too long... it'll make you dizzy. I watched a few big rig barely make it thru a 270 degree turn. The food was really good but took forever. With a view like this, why rush?


Here's Brisbane. On the South Bank near Street's Beach. Outdoor seating along a public walkway gives you plenty to look at. This is a scooner of beer. Not to be confused with someone from Oklahoma. It's their version of a pint, only it's slightly larger than a pint, but it's not a standard unit of measure. The volume of a scooner can vary depending where in Australia you are. I'm told they get smaller the more north you go.


Another from Brisbane. The West End neighborhood. The area reminded me a lot of LA around Venice or Santa Monica. I guess this isn't much of a view. Let's call it an urban landscape. At a Chinese restaurant, gotta have a TsingTao.

Labels: australia, brisbane, food

Posted by David at 12:29 AM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

You can usually spot tourists because they have shirts with catchy phrases; the kind that souvenir stores sell. The one I see in every city is "Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go to (insert city name here)". Brisbane surprised me because there's not many tourists, but there were still a lot of shirts to read... as if it were fashionable. A few that I remember are "No money, no car, no chance", "I wanna text you up", and best of all "If found, please return to pub". While I don't condone wearing a sentence, I laughed at that one.

Labels: australia, brisbane

Posted by David at 11:35 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

This picture is not special. Every restaurant states prominently that they are licensed. Why? As opposed to an unlicensed restaurant? Can we just make the assumption that all restaurants are licensed and if any exist without a license, there is a government agency shutting them down? My doctor is licensed... I hope. There is no sign outside his office or the hospital stating so, but I have a reasonable expectation that unlicensed doctors don’t stay in business very long.

Labels: australia, brisbane, food

Posted by David at 11:31 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Take a look at the price tags on this supermarket shelf. They're digital! Not a cheap investment given how many items they sell, but I see two big advantages. One is that prices can be changed without any manual labor. The other is that it reduces errors. The price at checkout and the price on the shelf will always match up because they're reading off the same computer. I don't know if this would catch on in the US. Markets love tagging their shelves full of discounts and specials. These little displays don't grab anyone's attention.

Labels: australia

Posted by David at 11:13 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

I don’t know if this is everywhere in Australia, but every hotel I stayed at (they all had refrigerators) came with a container of milk…one of those single serving cartons, as if it were one of the expected hotel amenities like soap and shampoo.
Milk seems odd. What am I supposed to do with it? Can I exchange it for soy milk? Is it for adding to coffee? Is it to warm up and drink so I have a good night’s sleep? Maybe it's a welcoming symbol?
At one hotel it was given to me upon check in.
Here’s your key. Here’s your milk.
Um, yeah, just the key will be fine. Weird Australians.

Labels: australia, food, hotel

Posted by David at 11:00 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Food in America usually has it's own characters like Tony the Tiger and Toucan Sam. The marketing team for Kellogg's Australia thought muesli bars would sell better if they teamed up with the Simpsons. Maybe one of Rupert Murdoch's offspring works there. Each of the Simpson's has its own flavor. Homer's Choc Chip. Bart is Choc Malt. Choc is the proper abbreviation of chocolate. Any word longer than one syllable is highly frowned upon. What's malt?
I'm used to granola bars. But you won't see the word "granola" anywhere. Australians take after their european heritage. It's all about muesli. At least Bart's not promoting Butterfinger.

Labels: australia, food

Posted by David at 2:06 AM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

All the sidewalks in commercial areas in Sydney have overhangs. It's not just some buildings. It's all of them. Not sure if this is part of the building code, but it's like this everywhere. Brisbane too.
It's great in the rain, you can walk everywhere and stay dry. But seeing how little it rains, I'm inclined to think it's more about blocking the sun.

Labels: australia, sydney

Posted by David at 2:00 AM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Sydney now joins Beverly Hills as the only cities I know of with diagonal crosswalks. It may seem inconvenient to drivers that they have all have to wait, but it works very well for moving people around. Downtown Sydney has a lot of pedestrians and foot traffic. It would pile up too much without this free flow. Beverly Hills could probably make do without it.

Labels: australia, sydney

Posted by David at 1:54 AM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

It dawned on me. I never saw a wheelchair at the beach being pushed along the sand. Must be some kind of “all terrain" or "off road" wheelchair or with thick tires like a mountain bike.

Labels: australia

Posted by David at 1:45 AM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

I made some improvement at looking the right way before crossing the street, but one thing that keeps messing up about the right hand drive is where the passenger seat is. Even though it’s closest to the curb, I keep going around the taxi to get in only to be reminded that’s the driver side. Taxi drivers must be used to Americans doing that. One of them offered to open a beer and let me drive.
While we’re on the topic of taxis, why is there a $1.30 surcharge for calling a taxi? If you see one on the street or waiting, that fee doesn’t apply. If anything, it should be the other way around. Taxis waste a lot of time being idle waiting for a fare. There should be a surcharge because they had to wait. When you call them, it saves them the trouble of sitting around somewhere, so don’t charge extra!
On the whole, Australian taxis are great. They come quickly and it’s not expensive. There’s one nationwide taxi number that directs your call based on where you are, even from cell phones. That’s super convenient. And the drivers know where they’re going (except one Indian guy. It was his first day on the job. Me: Hi, I’m going to the Sheraton. Him: Ok. How do I get there?)

Labels: australia, transport

Posted by David at 1:42 AM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

You think you'd find a linen store in the US with this name?

Labels: australia

Posted by David at 1:41 AM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

It’s always the lower and mid range hotels that offer free breakfast and/or free wifi. Pay more for a fancy hotel and those things cost extra. Why? Because of the law of diminishing services.
The lowest cost of all, hostels, will pick you up from the bus stop. Pay more for a hotel and you have to take a taxi. Now, I know you’re thinking, the person who stays at a five star hotel probably won’t be arriving by bus. And the hotel is a lot nicer. But what about a 1 star? Chances are you’re coming by bus and it’s not that nice. So pick me up!

Labels: australia, hotel

Posted by David at 1:40 AM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Here's a nice billboard for Pure Blonde beer, one of the many fine alcoholic beverages produced in Australia... unlike Fosters, which lacking interest from the locals, was designated for export only. Fosters, Australian for "shit we'll let Americans drink".

Labels: ads, australia, brisbane

Posted by David at 10:00 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

I once saw reversible seats on a Hong Kong ferry, but they were dinky wooden benches with the backrest tilting one way or the other. These seats on a Sydney train looked like sturdy permanent seats until I saw someone push the yellow handle and voila! Like a magic trick it was facing the other way. A clever design with a rotating back and armrest. The two advantages to this are 1. a group of 4 people can sit facing each other anywhere in the train, and 2. everyone can sit facing forward instead of the common half forward / half backward arrangement. Very clever.

Labels: australia, sydney, transport

Posted by David at 9:16 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

I saw this more than once in public bathrooms in Australia.
An anonymous syringe drop off box. Always a great thing to look at while washing your hands. Illegal drugs in Australia? Naw, couldn't be. This just must be a convenient place for hospitals to dispose of their syringes. But why such a small box?

Labels: australia, sydney

Posted by David at 4:39 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

I apologize for the flash. Took this from a bus and couldn't redo it. It's your typical "Post no bills" sign, but this time it's "Bill Posters will be prosecuted".
The average person wouldn't think twice about it, but some clever guy with a thick pen asks "Who the f is Bill Posters?" At least there's a public warning that he'll be prosecuted. I guess it's the facebook generation in us that makes us feel compelled to leave comments everywhere. Maybe future signs should read, "Post no bills nor comments"

Labels: australia, sydney

Posted by David at 4:13 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

This is either Australian humor which I don't understand, or this is silliest marketing slogan ever. "The 14 day rail pass. Like a 7 day rail pass but lasts twice as long." Obviously, the 7 day pass has existed a while and now they are introducing the 14 day pass, but why make such an obvious statement. How about "14 day rail passes now available. Costs twice as much as a 7 day pass, but you buy it half as often" If this were to catch on, there'd be no end. "2 liter coke bottles. like a 1 liter coke bottle, but contains twice as much"

Labels: ads, australia, sydney

Posted by David at 3:43 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

I've blogged about long escalators before. Here's a really short one. Was this neccessary? Heaven forbid anyone use the staircase on the right. Escalators in Australia, like the streets, are right hand drive. There's no steering wheel to make it obvious, but if you walk into the down escalator on your way up enough times, you start thinking maybe something's different.

Labels: australia, escalators, sydney

Posted by David at 3:19 PM | Share this post on:   facebook   del.icio.us   digg   StumbleUpon     | Permalink | Comments | links to this post