I have been to Australia before but prior to this visit I have lived in America for nearly two years which has given me a slightly different perspective on my trip. Australia is much more British in nature than I realized...
- They use a lot of coins rather than banknotes (we do this in Britain too and think nothing of it but, when you're used to Dollar bills, carrying around large quantities of wagGon-wheel-sized pieces of gold bullion gets a little tiresome)
- Eating out or even buying coffee forces you to ponder your financial buoyancy and makes you consider whether or not you ought to sell a kidney in order to enjoy a tasty treat (much like eating out in Britian). It's still worth noting that I have visited every coffee shop in this beach town and am recognized by the proprietors of at least 2 of them from my frequent visits.
- They drive on the left (as they should)
- They serve "chips" instead of "fries" and to enjoy them with a condiment such as tomato ketchup you will need to reach for more gold bullion
- A soda is not refillable and ice is rationed in a way similar to eggs during World War 2 (Britain also has a habit of serving soft drinks in small glasses with a single ice cube but Australia has a hot climate so much less of an excuse)
- The ocean is warm
- The beach is clean
- The roads are NOT packed bumper to bumper with cars desperately trying to find a route to work that avoids "the trouble spot around the M25"
Overall this has been an awesome trip and there's still a few days to go...perhaps I'll head out to buy another coffee.
