Aussie Culture

A few comments on Aussie culture!

Utes are the back country vehicle of choice, particularly if they’ve got a snorkel. Any one from a choice of Toyota Hilux/Nissan Navarra/Mitsubishi L200 is good but VW Amaroks are starting to make headway over here. The snorkel is there for going through flooded river crossings which can happen anywhere at any time. After 3 weeks of no rain we had a downpour last night which didn't last long but would have caused a few flashfloods in places. Utes is short for utility vehicles and are used by farmers, good old boys in the bush, ordinary sensible folk who live outside the city centres and tradesmen who weld aluminium dust proof tool sheds to the back of their utes.

Slick and Green

Within the city limits and where the roads are good (i.e. sealed and not dusty tracks) tradesmen use a strange vehicle that would be unrecognisable to Europeans but they are still described as 'utes' - these are saloon cars chopped in half with a pick up bit at the back - Holden, who are the General Motors subsidiary over here seem to have cornered the market  - here's a picture of one n the showroom!

No kangaroos on our veranda!

This is a Queenslander the archetypical style of wooden house found all over the state. There are examples of this style from the mid 19th century and they are still being built today. The key characteristics are the verandah for those hot summer days, the platform raised above the ground which allows cooling air to pass underneath (also provides protection from termites and other pests  and flooding!) Fly screens are mandatory and the big metal roofs catch the rainwater which is often the only supply of drink apart from the local pub (hotel) - I'll discuss pubs and hotels again another time.

Some Queenslanders are very posh and impressive (the Federation Queenslanders) – others are more basic and we’re staying in one at the moment – it’s still just right for the climate because although it’s getting warmer here it’s still nice and cool – and maybe the snakes won’t come climbing up here as much.