Your help would be appreciated. I'm planning an RPG campaign, and the whole thing takes place down under. I have the excellent American's Guide to Australia and DK Eyewitness Australia Travel Guide, but there are a few questions I have for Australians.
1. What stores do you have? To be specific, I'd like to know what grocery stores/supermarkets, chain restaurants, gas stations, hardware stores, and such you all shop at, and what your opinions on different companies are.
2. What product brands are popular? What are your opinions on different brand names?
3. Could I get a layman's description of gun laws, how easy it is to get a gun, how many people have guns, and an overview of gun politics? I respectfully request that this question does not turn into a debate on these laws.
4. What animals do you commonly see? For example, I know kangaroos are common in Australia, but how often do you actually see them?
5. What foods are uniquely Australian? What do Australians in general often eat and drink? What brands of alcohol are popular?
6. What is your opinion of the Australian military? Police forces? Government?
7. What do you watch on TV?
8. What are your opinions on some other nations? I'm especially interested in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, and New Zealand.
9. Can you describe Australia's relationship with New Zealand in layman's terms, or is it as complicated as I've sometimes heard?
10. How many Australians are anti-immigrant? How vocal are they?
11. What public transportation do you have? How often do you use it?
12. What is the weather usually like where you live? How is it in other areas of the country?
13. How much do you know about aboriginal peoples? How often do they appear in media?
14. What sorts of clothing do you usually wear?
15. Do you often go into the Outback? Do many Australians?
16. What model cars are popular?
Thanks for the information. It will be very useful.
Thanks.
I thought of a couple more questions.
17. About how much crime do you have, and what sorts of crime is it?
18. What music is popular? What musicians are from Australia?
ok, here goes:
1. coles and woolworths are the two supermarket chains that dominate the market with a whopping 70% share of the groceries. their other outlets are target and big W respectively. IGA is a smaller chain, but still relatively common.
2. woolworths home brand and premium brands are generally cheaper than the name brands, so they're fairly popular. coles equivelent is select. other than that there's Dick Smith (wide umbrella brand that encompases everything from peanut paste to electrical goods, high patriotism is selling point) and most international brands. you'll need to be a bit more specific if you want anything in particular.
3. owning guns requires a licence/police clearence (i believe. don't own one myself). rare in cities and towns (only members of shooters clubs) but comparitively common on rural farms, where they're used to shoot feral pigs ect. hard to get licence, many smaller towns don't even have a gun shop. to the best of my knowledge you cannot get automatic weapons in mainland australia (though my knowledge isn't very good on this subject).
4. cats and dogs. roo's are almost never seen in towns, and in citys you have to go to the zoo. same deal for emu's. rabbits are a pest in some areas, but where i live they're far from common. again, you'll see them if you go rural. up north there's cane toads, which are an absolute pest, and crocs (if you're walking along a beach in the northern territory you have a kid or dog with you. crocs will go for the smallest one first). urban settings will have pink and grey galahs (old men), but many of our iconic animals are endangered and therefore rare.
5. well, we buy a lot of vegimite, but that's cos we use it as drop-bear repellent (joke!). in seriousness i can't answer this, as i've never really been off shore.
6.the government in australia is a joke, no matter who's in. at the moment we've got our first woman prime minister, but it should be telling that the last election had both sides lose. (a couple of independents sided with labor, which gave them a minority government). police are generally well thought of, as is the armed forces. as a rule of thumb australians are fairly laid back about this sort of thing.
7. i don't. however, there are paid tv channels (foxtel) and we recently got digital TV. local stations in my area are: ABC, ABC2, ABC3, ABC news 24, SBS, SBS2, WIN, GWN, TEN, ONE, and so on. abc has a lot of old british content, along with some australian originals (gruen transfer, anything by the chaser, ect)
8. for the purpose of steriotyping:
the united states (Yanks): obese, undereducated, overviolent, gunloving, crazy lawsuits, 'but don't hold that against them'.
great brittan: (Poms): overcomplicated, formal, impractical, pale, funny taste in beer.
Ireland: Who? (minimal public conciousness over here in the sticks. not sure about the rest of the country. and yes, i know who the irish are.)
new zealand (kiwis): 'funny bunch o' sheep-herders', 'damn good mates, but can't play rugby.'
9. they're kind of mini australia. a bit rural, but the only time we come to blows with our neiboughs across the channel is when they're beating us at rugby (quite common really)
10. i'd like to say vocal minority, but can't really be accurate.
11. busses trains planes and in places trams. fairly good and reliable network, well used.
12.hot and dry in summer, cold and wet in winter. snow rare over here, but more common down tazmania.
13. fairly common fixture about the place, but unfortunately it's rare to see them in 'upper class' neighbourhoods. other than an occasional dispute about sacred lands they're fairly quiet in the media.
14. anything and everything.
15. there's entire towns out there, but if we're honest it's hot, flies, and nothing but nothing as far as the eye can see, with bushes in it. not the kind of place i like to hang out.
16. ford and holden. schoolrun suvs are unfortunately popular, but station wagons and small cars are equally common. utes are comparitively rare in the citys, though hardly invisible. few sports cars on the road, and big american pickups are almost unheard of.
if i can clarify anything, let me know
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3. I'm no expert either, but FuelDrop has mostly covered it. Australian police and some security guards carry guns, which you wouldn't typically see in, for example, New Zealand or Britain. You need a lawful reason to get a license to own or carry a gun. Self-defence is not a lawful reason regardless of how bad your neighbourhood is - just the opposite: it would be considered possession with intent. If you're a member of a shooting club, you can own an appropriate type of gun and use it (preferably keep it) at the club's range. If you're a farmer, you can own rifles and shotguns to shoot animals. There are also collectors' licences.
4. Kangaroos are reasonably common in rural areas and even city fringes where you'll see small grey ones, not big reds, grazing in grassy areas (places like airports and suburban business parks) in the early morning and evening. Wombats, similarly - I actually saw a (pet) wombat walking around the office the other day. Lots of birds, of course, notably cockatoos, lorikeets, magpies and towards the north, kookaburras. Native hawks look pretty much like hawks anywhere. Central Sydney and some other places have large populations of fruit bats. You won't see koalas unless you go far out of town looking for them. Saltwater crocodiles in the north are numerous, but only away from settlements.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
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FuelDrop was pretty spot on. I'll give my own thoughts coming from a non-capital city (although as far as it goes we're actually bigger than a couple of them). Some things will differ slightly here from say Sydney (even though here in Newcastle it's our closest major city), but there will also be slight differences from state to state (for instance Woolworths is called Safeway in Victoria).
1. What stores do you have? To be specific, I'd like to know what grocery stores/supermarkets, chain restaurants, gas stations, hardware stores, and such you all shop at, and what your opinions on different companies are.
Grocery Stores: Woolworths is Australia's largest chain, altohugh Coles isn't far behind. IGA is a whole heap of independently owned supermarkets who basically banded together under one name to thry to fight the big boys. Aldi (a German company) is also gaining a lot of popularity for its cheap but quality items.
As far as department stores go, we have Big W (Woolworths), Target and K-Mart (Coles). David Jones and Myer are upmarkety department stores whose prices are generally much higher for similar (if not the same) products as the lesser ones (such as toys, books & CD/DVDs), although they do keep more high end stuff in other areas such as fashion and make-up.
Restaurants: McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Subway. Mostly American chains hold power here. Your Hungry Jacks is called Burger King out here but it is nowhere near as popular as Maccas. A few Australian ones are Eagle Boys (Pizza) and Henny Penny (Chicken, although it is very region specific).
Petrol Stations: Caltex, Shell, BP, Mobil (although most if not all Mobils in our area have now been converted to 7-11's). They also do deals with Supermarkets for cheap fuel discounts (Woolworths with Caltex and Coles with Shell) eg. Spend $30 at the Supermarket and get 2c/litre off your petrol.
Harware Stores: Bunnings is probably the biggest (owned by Coles) and then Mitre 10.
2. What product brands are popular? What are your opinions on different brand names?
There is a lot of diversity here and many names spread over differnet product categories. To list it would take me a very long time, sorry. :(
3. Could I get a layman's description of gun laws, how easy it is to get a gun, how many people have guns, and an overview of gun politics? I respectfully request that this question does not turn into a debate on these laws.
Police and Private Security have access to firearms, although automatic weaponry is pretty much exclusive to the military and crack police units.
You need a licence to own a gun (and you need a good reason for it) and they can only be used under cetain conditions eg. gun ranges or farms for wildlife control.
4. What animals do you commonly see? For example, I know kangaroos are common in Australia, but how often do you actually see them?
Domestic animals are the most common. Native wildlife is rare in cities other than on the ourskirts or suburbs with large sections of bushland within them. You do see a fair number of native birds though (Cockatoos being quite a common sight feeding on the side of the road).
Kangaroos (at least the big red ones you associate with a the image of a Kangaroo) are mainly confined to the non-coastal reagions of Australia.
5. What foods are uniquely Australian? What do Australians in general often eat and drink? What brands of alcohol are popular?
Food & Drink: Vegemite is obviously our most Iconic food and we do eat a fair bit of it. Tim Tams are probably our next most poular food that is uniquly ours. Other than that, a great deal of our food is just specific Australian brands of regular foods (Fountain Tomato Sauce, Smiths Chips, etc...) As far as drinks go, ther is nothing particularly Australian (although we do drink a lot more Ginger Beer than I have seen being consumed overseas). Brands like Coke and Pepsi and their various sub-brands) pretty much rule here. We did have Schweppes as our own (and it's still popular) but is is now owned by Pepsi, so it blankets under that brand.
Alcohol: We have a lot of Beer brands available, although the one you most associate with us (Fosters) isn't really well like here. Tooheys and Victoria Bitter are the most popular in this area (although I know South Austraia and Western Australia have their own brands), but VB obviously outsells Tooheys in Victoria. The Queensland brand of XXXX is also common here but is much more heavily drunk in Queensland (obviously).
Crown Lager and James Boags are popular high end beers here as well.
Bundaberg Rum is our most well known spirit. Most others are only minor brands and pale in comparison to the big ones (Jim Beam, Smirnoff, etc...)
6. What is your opinion of the Australian military? Police forces? Government?
No real opinion as such. They do their jobs well and have no more scandals (and in most cases less) than other countries. Of course in saying that, Government still act like the childish playgrounders that they do in other countries...
7. What do you watch on TV?
Mostly American shows, although there are a few good Aussie shows that have a large following (large by our standards, not yours... if a show rates between 1 and 2 millon viewers here it is a hit, if it got that many viewers in the US it would be cancelled in a heartbeat!).
Underbelly is the standout from the last 5 years, although a number of others are very popular too (Spicks & Speck, Offspring, the Chasers to name a few)
8. What are your opinions on some other nations? I'm especially interested in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, and New Zealand.
Generally speaking, opinions are good for all of them, although as in any culture you have your naysayers and haters. As a very multi-cultural society, there are racial issues and although they can get way out of hand, they are generally few and far between.
9. Can you describe Australia's relationship with New Zealand in layman's terms, or is it as complicated as I've sometimes heard?
It's a sort of love/hate relationship. As far as geeral relations go, there are no problems except some friendly ribbing and competition. If you look at sport on the other hand...
10. How many Australians are anti-immigrant? How vocal are they?
Generally they are in the minority but as with all minorities they are usually the most vocal...
11. What public transportation do you have? How often do you use it?
Buses, Trains and in some areas Ferries.
I never use it anymore (although I used to a lot when I was younger).
Buses are generally on time but fluctualte in their popularity at times.
Trains are often late and have been plagued by dramas over the last 10 years. That being said, a lot of people use them because of commutes to and from work (there are a fair number of people who live in Newcastle but work in Sydney as pay is higher in Sydney, but cost of living is lower in Newcastle).
There a re no issues with Ferries as far as I am aware.
12. What is the weather usually like where you live? How is it in other areas of the country?
Hot in Summer, cold in winter (although no snow).
As you go north, temperatures rise (like in Queensland, where a cold winters day is a moderately warm day here).
As you go south, temperatures drop (5 hours south of us are mountains and Australia's ski fields). Victoria is known for its wetter conditions, although I think that a lot of that is just myth and they're probably only slightly wetter than anywhere else).
13. How much do you know about aboriginal peoples? How often do they appear in media?
No more or less than the average person.
Occasionally, but not too often.
14. What sorts of clothing do you usually wear?
Shorts and T-Shirts in summer.
Jeans/Long Pants and T-Shirts with Jackets in winter.
15. Do you often go into the Outback? Do many Australians?
No. I live on the coast, so that's a loooong trip for me.
I don't think there a re large numbers of Australinas who do, although it is certainly a stop over for anyone doing a 'round Australia Tour.
16. What model cars are popular?
Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon rule the roost here.
There are a lot of common models getting around the streets here though, but smaller 4x4s are quite popular. Utes are also popular, alshough more so in the country as farm vehicles and in the mining sector.
17. About how much crime do you have, and what sorts of crime is it?
Crime is alvays present, although nowhere near the levels of countries like the US.
There is a lot of small stuff (B&E, Assault, etc...) Not a lot of armed robbery though.
Gang related incidents are commonish (Bikies, Drug Rings, Organised Crime, etc...)
Murder is actually not too bad here, altohugh of course it is present, it is more non-lethal violence that holds sway.
Drugs are also a big part of the underworld scene.
18. What music is popular? What musicians are from Australia?
Similar tastes to other western countries.
Some notable (for sheer popularity or for other reasons such as cult status or quirkiness) Australian bands and artists over the last 20 years have been:
AC/DC
INXS
Crowded House
Hunters & Collectors
Hoodoo Gurus
John Farnham
Cold Chisel
Powderfinger
Midnight Oil
John Butler Trio
Eskimo Joe
Pete Murray
Sneaky Sound System
Kate Miller-Heidke
and so many many more that I'm forgetting right now! :)
Phew! That took me an hour and a half to compile... way longer than I was expecting, but happy to help. :D
Ohh can't let this one pass
new zealand (kiwis): 'funny bunch o' sheep-herders', 'damn good mates, but can't play rugby.'
Who just won the rugby world cup??
But I'll agree with the rest :^)Back on topic, from a non Australian but from across the ditch, Australia is big, I mean really really big.
Its a 5-6 hour flight from Sydney to Perth, similar to from LA to New York.
It is, or seems to be, fairly cultural homogeneous but the territory varies hugely. From the Great Central Desert to Rain Forests to wheat farms to opal mines in the middle of no where.
And I mean no where, think North Dakota, but even more isolated.
All of which will, of course, influence the local culture.
Cheers
Thanks, guys. All of this will be really useful.
Addendum questions, if I may.
Myths and tall tales. Most of us know about the Rainbow serpent, Yowie and the drop bear but what other critters or legends in the area are there?
Thanks. An answer to that would be incredibly useful, considering what I intend to do with this information (do you guys enjoy World of Darkness)?
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Addendum questions, if I may.
Myths and tall tales. Most of us know about the Rainbow serpent, Yowie and the drop bear but what other critters or legends in the area are there?
Lasseter's Reef: Harold Bell Lasseter claimed that in 1897, as a young man, he rode on horse from Queensland to the West Australian goldfields, during which he stumbled across a huge gold reef somewhere near the border between the Northern Territory and Western Australia. He also claimed that subsequent to this discovery he got into difficulties and was fortuitously rescued by a passing Afghan camel driver who took him to the camp of a surveyor named Harding. Harding and Lasseter were said to have later returned to the reef in the attempt to fix its location, but failed.
In later years Lasseter organised several expeditions to find it, eventually he went mad and a search party found his dessicated body in the dessert after he wandered off.
I always thought that it was a country full of outlaw bikers ruled by a large charismatic masked man who directs his followers in an ongoing campaign of terrorizing remote desert oil refineries. Like in that documentary, The Road Warrior...
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And in Australia...the movie is called "Mad Max" :)
PS, I read through the slang dictionary, and although I am Australian, I didn't know some of the terms....I would use them very sparingly, a lot of them would be quite jarring and a lot are very regional (I noticed that there were a lot from a Queensland perspective).
Good stuff
When you want to get your mind around Australia think of it this way.
Take continental United States... turn 70% of it into desert.
Empty it of its entire population except for the city of New York (roughly 20 million I am guessing).
Take that 20 million spread it down the east coast dab some over in San Diego, put a few in New Orleans and some in Chicago.
Thats it - not many of us but we make a big impact for our size.
If you wanted to you could stand every Australian one mile from another Australian and still have room to spare.
Everything is faraway - Australians travel a lot, We are as my favourite Prime Minister once said "at the arse end of the World".
I would add: Franklins for groceries,
O'Porto for fast food.
2. What product brands are...
Bonds is a favourite clothing brand
Beer ads and my favourite beer ad.
Holden is seen as Australian - even though it is owned by General Motors.
Holden Ad from the 1970s because it is funny.
Top Gear UK explain the Ute, a cultural icon
What is your opinion of the Australian military? Police forces? Government?
There is a lot of Mythology about the Australian soldier... They proudly call them selves Diggers they do not refer to themselves as grunts (good way to get your face punched in). They are considered highly professional, exceedingly tough and aggressive.
There is a myth I so want to be true - Australian soldiers do not salute English (note not British) officers unless they earn it. Its not true unfortunately.
Conflicts Australia was engaged in and Movies, wiki entries or songs you need to watch.
Boer War -
Breaker Morant
1st World War -
Gallipoli
The Lighthorsemen
ANZACs (mini Series)
2nd World War -
War Stories: Rats of Tobruk
Kokoda
Prisoners of the Sun
Korean War
Military history of Australia during the Korean War
I am skipping Malaya and Indonesia...
Vietnam
Military history of Australia during the Vietnam War
Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq
What is your opinion of the Police forces?
No different to any other democracy, you have mostly good cops and a few bad ones.
What is your opinion of the Australian Government?
Australia is a Democracy (Constitutional Monarchy) The Queen is a figurehead represented by the Governor General.
The Prime Minister is the Head of Government and the party with the most seats in Parliament hold government. Currently the Left Leaning Labor Party is government with the support of some independents and the Greens.
Our equivalent of the Republicans are called the Liberal party (they want the liberalisation of trade and freedom from government interference). It makes me lol when I hear US citizens having ago at liberals.
We have a lot to be proud of with our Democracy we took the best bits of the US and British Constitutions and made it ours. We were the second country in the world to give women the vote, we introduced the secret ballot.
18. What music is popular? What musicians are from Australia?
You must speak to the Mothman his knowledge of Australian music is encyclopaedic.
And in Australia...the movie is called "Mad Max" :)
PS, I read through the slang dictionary, and although I am Australian, I didn't know some of the terms....I would use them very sparingly, a lot of them would be quite jarring and a lot are very regional (I noticed that there were a lot from a Queensland perspective).
Queensland is like the south - the Northern Territory the Deep South.
Whew, that's a pretty exhaustive list. I'll take a crack at it though, so long as you satisfy my curiosity.
What's your plan for this campaign? I'll go ahead and assume its a modern setting. I'm pretty curious what kind of story you'll be telling. (If you aren't ready/don't want to share, no worries.)
Harware Stores: Bunnings is probably the biggest (owned by Coles) and then Mitre 10.
Huh.
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18. What music is popular? What musicians are from Australia?
You must speak to the Mothman his knowledge of Australian music is encyclopaedic.
I wouldn’t say that by any means, but I do like Australian music.
We actually listen to a lot of American music here. If you look at the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) singles chart top 20 songs at any given time, chances are it will be made up of 10 – 12 songs by US artists, 1 – 3 songs by UK and/or Canadian artists and the rest will be made up of Australian artists. There’s a bit of a stereotype that rock music is by far the most popular genre here, but I’d say as a whole we’re probably as eclectic in our musical tastes as you are in the US.
The ARIA awards were held last night (honouring Australian music), the winners would presumably be the most popular Australian artists this year. They were:
Boy and Bear (indie folk – took out several awards this year)
Gotye (indie pop – took out several awards this year)
Kimbra (alt pop with soul influence. Kimbra is actually a New Zealander, but like all Kiwi non-sporting success stories we like to claim her as our own)
Art vs Science (electro / alternative)
The Audreys (blues and roots)
The Wiggles (children’s music)
Kasey Chambers (country)
Cut Copy (dance)
Front End Loader (rock)
The Living End (rock with punk edge – took out several awards this year)
Drapht (hip hop)
Altiyan Childs (no idea, I think he is an Idol or X Factor winner)
Guy Sebastian (RnB / pop)
Elixir – Jazz
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (Aboriginal music)
AC/DC (old school rock)
Birds of Tokyo (alt rock)
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And in Australia...the movie is called "Mad Max" :)
PS, I read through the slang dictionary, and although I am Australian, I didn't know some of the terms....I would use them very sparingly, a lot of them would be quite jarring and a lot are very regional (I noticed that there were a lot from a Queensland perspective).
I have heard most of them, but a lot of them probably either only get used in more rural areas or are very old fashioned – I’ve heard my parents or grandparents use them, but they probably wouldn’t get used by anyone under 50. Some I have never heard of. And you’re right Sanwah, the list does seem kind of Queensland-centric.
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Addendum questions, if I may.
Myths and tall tales. Most of us know about the Rainbow serpent, Yowie and the drop bear but what other critters or legends in the area are there?
The Bunyip is a well known Australian monster, derived from Aboriginal stories.
The Min Min Lights
A sort of Australian UFO or Will’O’Wisp. These are mysterious lights that are often reported as being seen floating in the sky at night in the Outback, particularly in northern NSW and Queensland. Sometimes they are circular in shape, sometimes cigar shaped, sometimes fuzzy, sometimes very clear. Most confirmed sightings have them as being quite distant, but there are stories of them being seen up close, and people have reported being followed or chased by the lights. Urban legend has it that if the Min Min lights catch you, you will not be seen again.
These lights have been reported throughout Australia’s ‘settled’ history and similar phenomena occur in some Aboriginal stories. They’re generally assumed by the sceptical to be some sort of mirage or optical illusion.
Boy and Bear (indie folk – took out several awards this year)
Yeah, I just discovered them on the radio this morning. Good stuff.
Also this city boy hadn't heard of the Min Min Lights before. Very cool.
1)I dont know how you go on. Gloria Jeans is a Starbucks-esque chain that really took off here. I've caught stores in the southern counties of Ireland so I know it's begun to spread abroad...
2)Arnotts make the best biscuits. Kraft Peanut butter beats all over contenders.
3)I'd steer clear of the gun laws debate. It's usually pretty heated on these boards. That said, it does tend to colour us doe-eyed young peoples opinions of Americans a whole lot. (Though I know this is different in say, Darwin, as I believe The 8th Dwarf here could tell ya)
4)Mynah birds in the city. They're a pest, displacing a whole lot of native birds. Generally ugly and loud and obnoxious, but having spend yesterday arvo hunting pidgeons out of dear ol' Mum's dance studio (balanced on the rafters with a spear of electrical conduit and a torch trying to spook the bastards... yeah, they're definately not as bad.
Apart from that, Goanna's (monitor lizards), grey roos and a whole lot of possums (think Raccoons) down the coast, and koalas up the coast from Sydney. (They spent the trip s&$&ting on our tent and making noises in the dead of night that made me reevaluate the existance of dropbears...) Also Wombats are awesome. Those things can tip a truck.
Generally, anything you find in the ocean is terrifying. Particularly blue ringed octopi, who paralyze you and cut off your breathing.
5) I can't believe nobody has mentioned chicken salt. Also it's not exactly commonplace, but crocodile is really tasty. (I hear Roo isnt half bad either but I found it a little tough)
6)I'm a sucker for a good media piece on the diggers. What can I say? I'm a sentamentalist. I'd considered joining the army (despite most folks I know being vehemently against the idea) but didnt take the initiative to apply for the scholarships. You get a ripper of a deal though.
7)Nothing. I havent watched TV in a good long time, if you dont count the ocassional Whose Line on the cable.
8)The brits? Overly formal? You havent met any of the eastenders I work with. America seems to get a lot of bad press, especially with my generation. The crime rates, firearms and some sensationalised nonsense about how ignorant you all are. Nobodys going to judge anyone on an individual basis (or indeed, judge America so harshly. We arent so quick to forget WWII) but its not uncommon to see people uneasy with te American juggernaught.
... skipping ahead...
15) I've been trying to tag along with a group of uni friends (geologists) out to Uluru in the NT. I want to see more of Australia before I consider staying overseas for any length of time. The fact of the matter though is things look unlikely until I can drive. The laws on us poor learners are so stupidly restrictive (130 hours with a licsenced driver, then a curfew that's about to be instated so we can't drive past ~11pm) that I've got no reason to get behind the wheel, and without paying for a fortune in lessojns nobody to teach me. I'm happy with our public transport well enough to not get behind a wheel for a couple of years but I can only put this off so long.
... anyway, I seem to be rambling now and these posts seem long enough already. I'll leave you to it, but be sure to share the juicy details of your campaign!
Edit: Have you considered looking at a historical australia as a starting point? I've yet to have a chance to study the history very thoroughly (there's a very juicy course starting march if I can scrape a pass for this semester. ^_^) but our reputation as an island of cutthroats (which we seem to jokingly embrace msot of the time) is not entirely undeserved. Also Rum served as the currency in Sydney town for a brief period, and the Royal Hospital and then-Parliament house were funded purely on the Rum trade. (Fun fact!) Some of the other posters could probably tell you more than I. I havent studied it since primary school...
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Hey Twigs in case you didn't know--- North American Opossum Very similar critter to the Australian Possums.
Hey Twigs in case you didn't know--- North American Opossum Very similar critter to the Australian Possums.
Hey go figure. I get caught up so much in what we DON'T have. (Bears, wolves, squirrels etc) that I don't give North America much credit. :P
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Heya Twigs I am not from Darwin - I was born in the Gong and I grew up around Byron Bay, New England and the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales and I live in Sydney.
I hope you haven't got me confused with Yellow Dingo... I maybe a little crazy but Ding has more than a few Roos loose in his top paddock.
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Hey Twigs in case you didn't know--- North American Opossum Very similar critter to the Australian Possums.
Possums are much better looking than Opossums.... Opossums have a head like a half sucked mango seed and are uglier than a hat full of a-holes.
Possums are much better looking than Opossums.... Opossums have a head like a half sucked mango seed and are uglier than a hat full of a-holes.
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Hey Twigs in case you didn't know--- North American Opossum Very similar critter to the Australian Possums.Possums are much better looking than Opossums.... Opossums have a head like a half sucked mango seed and are uglier than a hat full of a-holes.
You forgot that they are mean as hell and taste like s*~*.
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You forgot that they are mean as hell and taste like s~~$.Hey Twigs in case you didn't know--- North American Opossum Very similar critter to the Australian Possums.Possums are much better looking than Opossums.... Opossums have a head like a half sucked mango seed and are uglier than a hat full of a-holes.
Could be worse. Nutria.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
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Australia also has one of the largest collections of deadly creatures on the planet.
Snakes: you have to get to number 5 on the World's Deadliest list before you leave Australia. Plus we have a good many Sea Snakes as well.
Spiders: Funnel Web, Red Back. In days gone some of the deadliest in the world (but thankfully fewer deaths these days thanks to anti-venom and increased knowledge). The White Tail (injects flesh eating venom) is also another nasty one.
Sharks: The Great White is a common sight off many of our coastlines and we are home to an amazing plethora of species, many of which (while not decesarrily deadly) live in heavily populated areas like the Port Jackson and Wobbegong.
Other Marine Life: Blue Ringed Octopus. Box Jellyfish. Stone Fish. And the list goes on...
Crocodiles: We gots both Freshwater and Saltwater varieties here. Take your pick (just don't pick the Saltwater as those fnckers are mean...)
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Addendum questions, if I may.
Myths and tall tales. Most of us know about the Rainbow serpent, Yowie and the drop bear but what other critters or legends in the area are there?
Just remembered about this one last night, had to look up some of the details.
The Glowing Cross of Lismore
In 1907 William Steenson, a railway worker, was killed trying to stop a runaway train carriage, and was buried in the cemetery in Lismore (a town in northern NSW).
In 1978 word began to circulate around the town (later picked up by local and national newspapers) about a mysterious glowing light or fiery cross seen in the old (now disused) North Lismore Cemetery. The source of the glow was found to be the granite, cross-shaped headstone of Steenson’s grave. The glow was quite visible at night (and apparently also persisted during the day, though harder to see). It attracted a lot of attention, pilgrims, religious folks, faith healers etc. Apparently tests were done (not sure what type) and no source or reason for the glow was discovered. By some reports Steenson’s family had begun noticing the glow from about ten years after his death but had not wanted to attract any attention to the grave.
Interest eventually died down, but there was a renewed flurry of interest in the (still glowing) cross in the mid eighties when the story was again picked up by local and national press. In 1986, at the height of the renewed interest the glowing cross was removed, taken by persons unknown (as far as I know it has not been solved as to who took the cross).
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Australia also has one of the largest collections of deadly creatures on the planet.
Snakes: you have to get to number 5 on the World's Deadliest list before you leave Australia. Plus we have a good many Sea Snakes as well.
We've a snake called the death adder.
It comes in at number 7 on the list.
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Some personal anecdotes on Australian wildlife.
I live not that far from the city, in Sydney (in what is considered an ‘inner suburb’, ie, densely populated and close to the city) and yet we still get a fair amount of iconic Australian wildlife, mainly in the form of birds and spiders. Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, Galahs, Rainbow Lorikeets, White Ibises, Magpies and Crows are all common sights in my neighbourhood. Kookaburras are less common, but we do sometimes see and hear them around. Fruit bats (flying foxes) are in the street almost every night. Huntsman spiders (big, hairy and scary looking, but fairly harmless) are common and we sometimes get Redback Spiders.
Growing up I lived further out in the suburbs, our house backed onto a creek. We got most of the same wildlife that we do now near the city, with the addition of White Tailed spiders (I once woke up with one crawling on my chest), Red Bellied Black Snakes (one killed our cat, and once when I was a kid I trod on one) and occasionally Brown Snakes (Eastern Brown, second most deadly venomous snake in the world).
My grandfather, who lived nearby, used to keep all sorts of weird pets, including a Diamond Python, a Carpet Snake and two freshwater crocodiles.
Australia also has one of the largest collections of deadly creatures on the planet.
Snakes: you have to get to number 5 on the World's Deadliest list before you leave Australia. Plus we have a good many Sea Snakes as well.
We've a snake called the death adder.
It comes in at number 7 on the list.
I stepped on one, they are short and thick and look like a large stick. They like to sun themselves in the sand dunes.
Few mates and I were making our way through the scrub and dunes down to our favourite beach, when I put my foot down on something that moved. I looked down screamed like a school girl at a Bieber concert an threw myself backwards. I was lucky that it wasn't feeling aggressive and it slithered off into the scrub. My mates just about wet themselves laughing.
What's deadly AND aggressive?
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What's deadly AND aggressive?
The Sydney Funnel Web Spider – arguably the most dangerous spider in the world, and very aggressive if threatened. We never got Funnel Webs at home, but we used to get them at my parent’s holiday home just up the coast – whenever we went there, one of the first things my dad would do when we went there growing up was go around the property looking for all the Funnel Web holes and Bull Ant nests, and stick a stick in the ground nearby, so we’d know to keep away from them.
Eastern Brown snakes are not aggressive as such, but their reflex is to bite when threatened.
Not that I’ve ever seen one outside of a zoo or wildlife park, but Saltwater Crocodiles frequently attack humans dumb enough to walk or swim into their territory (personally I think I’d rather take my chances with a spider or snake bite than have a 6 metre crocodile pissed off with me).
What's deadly AND aggressive?
Funnelweb spiders will chase you.
Bull ants aren't deadly but my god do they hurt when they sting you or bite you with their massive pincers (or both if you are unlucky). They won't stop comming at you lucky it's only in 10s rather than hundreds or thousands.
Brown snakes and taipans are aggressive, so are crocs.
The thing that scares me most is the Irukandji jellyfish, happily them, the box jellyfish and the portuguese manowar live far to the north.
Australia has less deadly creatures the further south you go.
What's deadly AND aggressive?The Sydney Funnel Web Spider – arguably the most dangerous spider in the world, and very aggressive if threatened. We never got Funnel Webs at home, but we used to get them at my parent’s holiday home just up the coast – whenever we went there, one of the first things my dad would do when we went there growing up was go around the property looking for all the Funnel Web holes and Bull Ant nests, and stick a stick in the ground nearby, so we’d know to keep away from them.
When I lived in Ballina before every party or BBQ we used to hose off and then spray our out door furniture with insecticide - for some reason Redbacks loved nesting in our outdoor furniture. Nothing brings a party to an end like guests being hospitalised because of a spider bite.
Edit - if it was a good party, it wouldn't end.... The Ambulance drivers would be handed a carton of beer for latter and asked to keep a good eye on the victim.
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Your help would be appreciated. I'm planning an RPG campaign, and the whole thing takes place down under. I have the excellent American's Guide to Australia and DK Eyewitness Australia Travel Guide, but there are a few questions I have for Australians.
1. What stores do you have? To be specific, I'd like to know what grocery stores/supermarkets, chain restaurants, gas stations, hardware stores, and such you all shop at, and what your opinions on different companies are.
2. What product brands are popular? What are your opinions on different brand names?
3. Could I get a layman's description of gun laws, how easy it is to get a gun, how many people have guns, and an overview of gun politics? I respectfully request that this question does not turn into a debate on these laws.
4. What animals do you commonly see? For example, I know kangaroos are common in Australia, but how often do you actually see them?
5. What foods are uniquely Australian? What do Australians in general often eat and drink? What brands of alcohol are popular?
6. What is your opinion of the Australian military? Police forces? Government?
7. What do you watch on TV?
8. What are your opinions on some other nations? I'm especially interested in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, and New Zealand.
9. Can you describe Australia's relationship with New Zealand in layman's terms, or is it as complicated as I've sometimes heard?
10. How many Australians are anti-immigrant? How vocal are they?
11. What public transportation do you have? How often do you use it?
12. What is the weather usually like where you live? How is it in other areas of the country?
13. How much do you know about aboriginal peoples? How often do they appear in media?
14. What sorts of clothing do you usually wear?
15. Do you often go into the Outback? Do many Australians?
16. What model cars are popular?
17. About how much crime do you have, and what sorts of crime is it?
18. What music is popular? What musicians are from Australia?
Thanks for the information. It will be very useful.
Looking to defect or infiltrate?
1. Coles New World, Woolworths, Big W, K-mart, - depends on the price they charge for food and goods. Bunnings is more popular than Mitre 10.
2. Coke tastes better than Pepsi, Dominoes is better than Pizza hut, KFC is 50-50. You can get lots of takeaway shops (Chinese, Thai, Korean, Arabic). Kraft, Pauls...what ever.
3. Only Cops and Criminal have guns - the rest are 'pest control tools' - used by farmers. The majority are disarmed that the regime can maintain power without dodging bullets while they dispossess us of our equal share. Many have been trained to make our own weapons along with torture methodology and urban warfare tactics...we knew the day would come when the USA would invade by stealth.
4. Animals are everywhere...Mega-fauna are known to drag off unconscious drunks and stray children and eat them.
5. Unique Aussie foods - the stuff you caught/killed/fished yourself (anything else comes in a packet labeled 'from local and other sources') . Dominos pizza on tuesdays, fish and chips, KFC, Home cooking (pasta, salads, halva,...) Vodka is popular with young girls looking to drown in their own vomit and get pregnant to unknown males. Cask wine is popular with homeless. Beer is popular with governments who don't want angry sober people rioting in the streets.
6. The government is in violation of Section 4 and Section 1 of Commonwealth law that requires the state to seek the direct and regular approval of every citizen through consensus least they be deemed to be resisting arrest under charge of Treason - which carries a death penalty.
7. Currently being brainwashed by Greys Anatomy at 1 AM and two hours of southpark.
8. The United States of America is the only Non Commonwealth Nation on that list - why the USA is even on that list is questionable - its that nation looking to associate with all us other english speaking states without having to be a member or be subject to the rules.
9. There is this military force called the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Core) that is pretty self explanatory...though Canadians and other Commonwealth Nationalities are liked.
10. Pretty much every elected politician is opposed to the migration of a billion people to Australia so I can have a billion population city in the middle. How vocal? They are in control of the Government at all levels.
11. Bus service, Trains in the south and east but not here, and intermittent Qantas flights in between strikes. If you have a 4 wheel drive you can leave town.
12. That's classified...if I tell you its nice you'll probably move here in your hundreds. I'll just tell you that if you flip the continental USA upside down we have matching climates.
13. My family married into many Aboriginal Families over the century so I'm related to pretty much every indigenous clan in Northern Australia - despite their own bigotry toward each other. Like the insufferable prats we call politicians...frequently.
14. Levi jeans, RM Williams for the Boots and Dry as a bone raincoat and Acrubra hat are popular along with a pair of stubbies to serve as undies - only weirdos and swim champions wear speedos.
15. Only when I'm hunting Backpackers...Only the Back Packers looking to die at the hands of Serial Killers venture that far into the Deep red soiled land.
16. Toyota Land cruiser (fits the dogs or shopping). White Painted cars are usually government vehicles.
17. Most crime is Alcohol Fueled...according to the government who refuse to ban the sale of alcohol. Child Abductions and Killings happen here and there. Most deaths are drink Driving.
18. Most music from around the world is popular. Country-Western is about the only popular US Music. Kenny Rodgers and Dolly Parton. I enjoy SBS POP ASIA on sunday mornings though I prefer Japanese Heavy metal bands to Korean Boy bands.
Most US citizens migrating to Australia prefer to settle based on the environmental circumstances they were used to. We had s@~% loads of Texans and Floridans settling in the NT and Northern Queensland. Other peoples (Arabs and Israelies) who lived in deserts all their life avoid it like the plague preferring the 'sissy' climates.
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Lived in Australia all my life, and the spiders, wasps and the occasional shark warning at the beach is the deadliest I've had to deal with. Western Suburbs of Sydney, and we see the odd kangaroo, possum or flying fox. Regular foxes as well if you're looking around at night. We have a lot of non-native fauna that have found niches they aren't likely to get unstuck from: Bullfrogs, foxes, rabbits and some breeds of fish, imported to deal with "pests" or for sport hunting. These critters tend to displace local wildlife.
Woolworths, Coles and Aldis are pretty popular for groceries where I live.
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1. What stores do you have? To be specific, I'd like to know what grocery stores/supermarkets, chain restaurants, gas stations, hardware stores, and such you all shop at, and what your opinions on different companies are.
For one, we have petrol stations as we refer to 'gas' as 'petrol'. Big-W is kind of based along the same lines as Wal-Mart, but much smaller in scale. Woolworths tried to entice Wal-Mart out to Australia and the deal fell through. Big-W is also similar to Target, another franchise that roughly covers the same market.
Woolworths and Coles have also moved into owning petrol stations as well. These are usually a combination of convenience store as well as selling petrol.
Donut King, Gloria Jeans, Michel's Patisserie, Muffin Break and Starbucks are chain coffee stores focusing on varying themes. Starbucks has pretty much disappeared over the last few years. The coffee culture is a big thing in Sydney and we have loads of cafes that commonly cater for meals as well.
We have chains of clothing stores such as Cue and Just Jeans. Also, big department store chains such as David Jones and Meyer.
2. What product brands are popular? What are your opinions on different brand names?
Coles and Woolworths produce generic brands. Most people see these generic brands as inferior to brand names, though in reality there is little difference for most items. Brand names are still more popular. A quick visit to www.woolworths.com.au will give you an idea of what products you can buy in Australia.
3. Could I get a layman's description of gun laws, how easy it is to get a gun, how many people have guns, and an overview of gun politics? I respectfully request that this question does not turn into a debate on these laws.
This has pretty much been answered above.
To give you an idea, the first time I held a gun - it was a rifle - was with my uncle on his land on the outskirts of Sydney. The second time was in cadets. Most people I know have only ever seen a gun in the possession of a police officer and never even touched one. I would never see a need to own a gun or ever want too.
4. What animals do you commonly see? For example, I know kangaroos are common in Australia, but how often do you actually see them?
Possums, mentioned above, can be seen at times around the suburbs of Sydney. Lots of birds ranging from pigeons to the native kookaburra can be commonly seen. It is not unheard of to have koalas around some areas of the city.
Kangaroos are a pest, but you would never see them in Sydney. Well, may be on the outer edges. I have only seen them out in the bush or in a zoo. However, we do eat them and you can easily buy kangaroo meat.
Domestic animals are common - dogs and cats - and many people keep some form of reptile or small furry animal - like guinea pigs and rabbits. Sydney has lots of green areas and is bordered by national parks. There are plenty of places to see animals. It is not unusual to have a big old blue tongue lizard hanging around your backyard as well!
If you live in Sydney, then you get used to cockroaches fast. The place is infested with them.
5. What foods are uniquely Australian? What do Australians in general often eat and drink? What brands of alcohol are popular?
Well, we could start an Australia v New Zealand debate and discuss pavlova. There are loads of beer brands: Carlton, Cascade, Coopers, Hahn, Reschs, Tooheys and Victoria Bitter (VB) to name a few.
6. What is your opinion of the Australian military? Police forces? Government?
Pretty much what the 8th Dwarf said.
7. What do you watch on TV?
Who has time for television? I usually end up seeing most of my favourite shows on DVD. I could whinge about The 8th Dwarf dragging his feet with True Blood... :D I try to catch the news on ABC and SBS. The 7:30 Report (current affairs) and Q&A (a live forum show).
8. What are your opinions on some other nations? I'm especially interested in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand.
The New Zealand accent drives me insane and I wish it was not so. Outside that, all the nations there are pretty sweet. I am of German-Irish descent, but grew up with my Irish side in Sydney. The Irish are good people, with loads of hang-ups and problems just like the rest of us.
9. Can you describe Australia's relationship with New Zealand in layman's terms, or is it as complicated as I've sometimes heard?
Not really complicated. There is a friendly rivalry between us, especially when it comes to any sport or who can drink the most number beers in some ridiculously short amount of time. Basically, if the Kiwis acknowledge how much better we actually are then them, we'd have no problems.
10. How many Australians are anti-immigrant? How vocal are they?
Australians kind of dislike groups, but can pretty fine when it comes to individuals. There is always someone complaining about immigrants, but they have been so vital to our nation's growth that we're pretty sweet with them. Illegal immigrants and asylum seekers tend to be big news.
11. What public transportation do you have? How often do you use it?
Garbage public transport. The usual buses and trains. Taxis. Trams and light rail are not unheard of in the cities.
12. What is the weather usually like where you live? How is it in other areas of the country?
The weather at the moment is a bit all over the place. It is usually getting on the warmer side this time of year. We tend to have summer and winter, with spring and autumn being a hiccup in between them.
13. How much do you know about aboriginal peoples? How often do they appear in media?
Aboriginal Studies is a course that can be offered in high school. In New South Wales, there is compulsory topics in Geography and History that cover Aborigines and Aboriginal history.
Aborigines are not always portrayed in a positive light in the media. There are issues, but these are often either blow out all proportion or understated.
14. What sorts of clothing do you usually wear?
I try to keep my wardrobe down to t-shirt, shorts and thongs (footwear, not the underwear type). I used to wear baseball caps all the time.
For work it is either a suit or jeans and a shirt. Polo shirts are the bomb and I hate, HATE anyone who disagrees! :D
15. Do you often go into the Outback? Do many Australians?
I could count the times I've gone to the outback on one hand. Exactly 5 times in 36 years! The coast is where the action is baby, give me the surf any day!
16. What model cars are popular?
Anything Japanese! Ford and Holden are common. Hyundai and Kia. Lots of Malaysian and Chinese stuff moving in now. Also the usual high performance vehicle for wankers such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes.
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Heya Twigs I am not from Darwin - I was born in the Gong and I grew up around Byron Bay, New England and the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales and I live in Sydney.
I hope you haven't got me confused with Yellow Dingo... I maybe a little crazy but Ding has more than a few Roos loose in his top paddock.
Woah. There you go. I must have. Must've got a bit muddled since last time we came together like this.
Lived in Australia.
You too? Sweet as. Lots of my favourite names in this thread. We just need to abduct Evil Lincoln and we're golden. :P
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Heya Twigs I am not from Darwin - I was born in the Gong and I grew up around Byron Bay, New England and the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales and I live in Sydney.
I hope you haven't got me confused with Yellow Dingo... I maybe a little crazy but Ding has more than a few Roos loose in his top paddock.
Woah. There you go. I must have. Must've got a bit muddled since last time we came together like this.
Lived in Australia.You too? Sweet as. Lots of my favourite names in this thread. We just need to abduct Evil Lincoln and we're golden. :P
Awww, I'm a favorite name!
Australian Horror movies that are ok... Well no... very bad mostly.
Black Water
Body Melt - Trailer (1993) ***NSFW***
"The Cars That Ate Paris" trailer (1974)
Damned by Dawn - OFFICIAL TRAILER
House Boat Horror - the whole movie is so bad its bad - Its all on Youtube.
Howling III: The Marsupials (1987) Trailer
I will add more later.
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I am also from Sydney, born and raised. Grew up on the Northern Beaches and lived there until I went to the University of New England in Armidale, before attending the University of Sydney for more post-graduate studies. I currently live in the Hills District, but miss my old stomping grounds of the Inner West like crazy.
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Kimbra (alt pop with soul influence. Kimbra is actually a New Zealander, but like all Kiwi non-sporting success stories we like to claim her as our own).I want to have Kimbra's babies. Except for the damn accent...
If anyone's going to have Kimbra's babies it's me!
Hang on, something's not right there ...
Her accent is not too bad, very mild for a kiwi, I think she has lived over here for a while.