Norm Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Hi allJust back from our holiday to Oz, which included a 5,000km road trip from Sydney up to Brisbane (and the Australian Zoo) along the coastline with overnight stops in Port Macquarie and MacLean and back via Armidale and Tamworth, a good few days in Sydney doing the normal touristy things - Blue Mountain, Sydney Opera House, the NYE Fireworks, etc and then a trip down south along the coast to Melbourne via Moruya and Lakes Entrance (through the bushfires) and then back up to Sydney via Wodonga and Canberra.My take on some of the towns and cities (with no intention to offend anyone)...Sydney - "Cape Town" - Will always be my favourite, but "expensive" is an understatement... I just can't come to terms with paying over R5million for a prefab house.Brisbane - "Durban" - I felt very underdressed with my 1 tattoo, 2litre car and short-back-n-sides haircut.Melbourne - "Johannesburg" - I hope Melbournites know what a stunningly beautiful architectural marvel they live in. Pity it so typically a city with the noise and smell of one.Canberra - "Pretoria / Stellenbosh" - Loved it (and why does anyone I say that to tell me I'm old?). Nice balance between small city and big dorpie.To everyone living along the NSW coastline... You don't know how lucky you are - 100km inland and North and South are suffering with the drought - heart-breaking stuff. To any of you living in those areas - you have all my prayers for some much needed rain.To the country as a whole... Thank you for making us feel so welcome and for making it so easy to tour your beautiful country. You are all so very lucky to be living where you do.And, finally, to all the chocaholics... Don't worry - I did leave some Tim-Tams on the shelves.Norm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Heha! Melbourne is a good place to be! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixi Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 NormTHnx for your input. Can you please tell me more about Armidale and Tamworth regarding the weather. Was it warmer or coolller or same as at the coast - more or less in line with them? And can you compare it to any SA dorpies or is it not possible? Thnx Pix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm Posted January 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Can you please tell me more about Armidale and Tamworth regarding the weather. Was it warmer or coolller or same as at the coastHi PixTamworth is really hot and dusty at the moment - was over 40 when we were there. Not sure how it compares to the coast under normal conditions. If you love country and western music, it's the place to be. I'd guess something between Springbok and Phalaborwa.Armidale is a typical varsity-dorpie, beautiful but also a bit dry and hot at the moment (but supposedly cooler normally than the coast). Probably similar to Belfast in Mpumalanga.Both big enough to have a MacDonalds... Norm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixi Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Thnx Norm - seems the heat and drought is a problem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 Elsabie, along the south east and all the way up the eastern side of Australia is a range of low mountains called the Great Dividing Range. Both Armidale and Tamworth are situated in the hills of the Great Dividing Range. In New South Wales, this region to the north west of Sydney reminded the early settlers of England and they planted a number of English trees and flowers in their townships and gardens of their homes. Today the region is called "New England" by Australians. The Great Dividing Range was significant in Australia's early colonial history in that it formed an impenetrable barrier for settlement into the interior of Australia for the first fifty years or so, from the time Australia saw its first settlement of convicts and free settlers from Britain in 1788. It is a bit like the barrier that the Voortrekkers encountered on crossing the Drakensbergen on their trek into the interior of Africa in 1836. To the east of the Great Dividing Range the rivers flow eastward to the coast . . . only a short distance. To the west, all the rivers flow westward into the Murray and Darling rivers to become one of the world's long great river systems, like the Nile, Mississippi, etc. The waters eventually end up in the ocean in South Australia. The South Pacific Ocean flows down Australia's eastern seaboard all the way from the islands near the equator, bringing a warm, moisture laden ocean current with it and this produces all the rainfall that keeps the eastern side of Australia green and lush all year round, just about. You'll find the New England region of New South Wales hilly and pretty green in comparison to the west of the region where not so much rainfall occurs. To the west of the Great Dividing Range, the rainfall is patchy and not so reliable and often drought conditions occur. This is more "Outback" in its climate. If Armidale and Tamworth seem dry, then you can bet with less rainfall to the west, that the Outback of "New South" will be like a dustbowl . . . . a drought time. Normally, Tamworth and Armidale are green almost all year round and cooler than Sydney with their altitude playing an influence on their climate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixi Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 Bob , thnx for your lengthy reply - that phrase of cooler due to altitude is what I like! Tamworth is not really a option, but Armidale surely is. And can I tap your brain more? Lismore, which is about 60 km from the coast and near rainforests, I see they call it tropical New South wales - growing bananas and stuff, can you make a quest on their weather? Thnx for all you do for this forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Had to look on the route planning map of Australia to find out whereabouts Lismore was in New South.Not having lived in New South and being only familiar with South Australia and Tasmania for places, I am a novice about New South Wales compared to the locals.However, Lismore is only a handful of miles from Murwillumbah, which I visited a few weeks ago when on holiday on the Gold Coast. Lismore would be sub-tropical like Murwillumbah and south east Queensland. You could shove a banana tree in your back yard and watch the thing grow to give you bananas. Avocados would be the same. The whole of north east New south and south eastern Queensland east of the Great Dividing Range would be green and lush all year, fairly humid in summer-time and warm in winter-time.You'd be able to get your daks on for a swim all year round, especially if you don't mind the water temp being only 20 degrees in winter, with summer ocean temps being 24 to 25 degrees. . . . . any warmer and the stingers (Box Jellyfish or Portugues Man of War jellyfish) infest the waters and you can't swim for fear of being stung.Lismore is a great spot.Go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixi Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Thnx again Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANDYL Posted May 15, 2007 Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 Hi PixTamworth is really hot and dusty at the moment - was over 40 when we were there. Not sure how it compares to the coast under normal conditions. If you love country and western music, it's the place to be. I'd guess something between Springbok and Phalaborwa.Armidale is a typical varsity-dorpie, beautiful but also a bit dry and hot at the moment (but supposedly cooler normally than the coast). Probably similar to Belfast in Mpumalanga.Both big enough to have a MacDonalds... NormHi Norm, did you not stop at Wagga Wagga ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm Posted May 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 Hi Norm, did you not stop at Wagga Wagga ?Nope... Missed it by 40km. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted May 15, 2007 Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 Mandy, are you off to Wagga now?I thought you were heading for Whyalla (in South Australia). . . . or is that place being given a wide berth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANDYL Posted May 16, 2007 Report Share Posted May 16, 2007 Hi Bob ! You've got a good memory. I wanted to ask you if you do a lot of travelling in Oz because your knowledge about the place is amazing !!! The guys from One Steel Whyalla were in SA and my husband had interviews with them. In the meantime we sent his CV all over and a company Cardiff Beef, Wagga Wagga showed interest and had telephonic interviews with him. They then invited him over and he is leaving on Sunday for a week with them. So if all goes well it would appear that our first stop will be Wagga Wagga. I was happy about the comments that you made. The Internet does not show too much about the suburbs and the shops. At least if it does not work out in Wagga and we do want to leave we are more central and not "where the outback meets the sea" !! Anything you know about Wagga please share, Regards Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AussieBruce Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Hi Mandy,We live in ALbury, about 80 km south of Wagga. I know a couple of peole who have lived there.What type of info are you after? I could try and source it for you from the locals.Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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