Aussie, Aussie, Aussie...Ya, ya, ya

My Australian experience had not been an easy one. I visited all its states except for Tasmania which was on fire. When I flew over the continent from Perth to Sydney, most of the land appeared to be burnt orange in colour with some green on the two coasts. The majority of the continent is indeed uninhabitable. The term "outback" covers vast land that is not the coastal region.  

Like Canada, it is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. It is also diverse in cultures. If Canada can be described as an autumn country, Australia is mostly a summer country. It has a lot more young people than Canada, and yet it is aggressively trying to attract young labourers from all over the world to work on its farms and mines by granting working tourist visas. As the Bible says, "The harvest is great but the labourers are few."

If I were to pick a favourite Australian city, it is a toss between Brisbane and Perth. Both cities have a river running through them, moderate climate, a deep harbour and beautiful sand beaches. Their transportation systems are well organized, much better than that of Vancouver. There are a lot more bikes on the road yet very few dedicated bike lanes and hence less traffic congestion. Their city planners have made provisions for population growth and urban expansion years ahead and it is evident in the infrastructure.

Most of the famous Australian landmarks are overrated especially the natural ones such as the Great Barrier Reef and Ayers Rock. As a Canadian visitor, I was comparing our nature to theirs. Ours are much better preserved and less crowded.  I do however have a particular fondness for the man-made landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and the planned city of Canberra. In terms of wildlife, I did not have any close encounter with the kangaroos, koalas, emus, wallabies, etc. One thing that is abundant everywhere in Australia is flies. I swear I must have swallowed hundreds while visiting various national parks.

Even though Australia is an English-speaking country, Australian English is hard to understand. As with other young countries in the world, Australia is in the process of carving out a national identity that its people would be proud to call their own. It seems to me that Australians are more sports-oriented. Not many Australians know all the verses to their national anthem; cheers on Australia Day (January 26th) "Aussie Aussie Aussie/Oi Oi Oi/Ya Ya Ya" were heard loud and clear everywhere. 

A country that had tested me with its vast, burnt distances, its impenetrable slang, and its relentless flies had somehow won me over anyway. Like its people, Australia doesn't try too hard to impress you — it just is what it is, loud and sun-baked and unapologetically itself.