"Being in Australia in Oceania " a Australia and Oceania Travel Page by unravelau

Home and heart.

Many people on this site have travelled more widely within those countries that I have visited and indeed to far more countries. At times I don't even feel like I am an expert on Australia either, but I definitely have more knowledge of here than of anywhere else.
So, what is living in Australia really like? It still feels fairly free, although different Governments exert different pressures. I guess that is the same anywhere you go though. The air can be fresh and clean still, but becoming less so in the cities mainly due to motor vehicle and industry pollution. We really only have moderate measures in place to protect our environment , being so far away from 'the rest of the world' let's us think that maybe what we do here only effects us. Fresh drinking water is a scarce commodity here. I believe that we are among the least watered continents, despite being surrounded by water. I often think that disposing of 'the old water tank' was perhaps a big mistake. I was even surprised to learn over the weekend that 'we' even limit farming properties in the number and size of dams that they can have?

UPDATE: 24/6/08 (One day past my six year membership here and we are again experiencing change in the land of Oz) I am pleased to report that people of Australia are now being actively encouraged to purchase subsidized water tanks to help ease our water shortage problems. I am sure that more innovative ideas will surface as the race to sustain our land and population becomes the priority of our government. Thank goodness.

UPDATE: Listening to a farmer talking at a seminar on our lack of water a day or so ago (3/3/07), I was reminded of how our behaviour has an impact on our precious water. He made reference to the fact that before the river reaches the sea, farmers and other inland livers, seek to conserve the water by various means. When it gets down to the sea and city, we let it flow away.....it doesn't dilute the salt of the ocean.

UPDATE: 24/6/08 Last weekend an announcement was made about the status of the Murray River.....it was declared to be dead!!!! C'mon Aussie c'mon, c'mon...let's get together and breathe new life in.

We welcome visitors, in fact we pay quite a lot of attention to tourism, and treat it as a growth industry. We have lots to see of a natural nature.......just about anywhere here, i.e. no matter where you go you will find something of interest and more often than not more than one thing. We also encourage 'play' with resorts and theme parks in abundance.

Australia - Is where I was born and choose to live.

Fiji - Is a country with plenty of charm. I visited it once long ago and plan to revisit again one day.

Kiribati - A place for me to explore

Marshall Islands - Another that I would like to visit one day

Micronesia - Another treat in store

Nauru - I would love to visit here too

New Zealand - is on my list for another visit in the near future

Palau - One day I will also visit here.

Papua New Guinea - And here

Samoa - Here

Solomon Islands - and here too.

Tonga - I had a brief look here many years ago too....am due for an update

Tuvalu - I must visit here too.

Vanuatu - A second visit would be good here too.

UPDATE:

WONDERFUL INFORMATION just to hand....well a couple of days ago I was impressed to learn of this. The Australian Government has produced a National Public Toilet Map website......www.toiletmap.gov.au Quoting from the information leaflet.....'this helpful site shows the location of over 15000 toilet facilities across Australia.....' It goes on to say that the toilet locations can also be accessed from your mobile phone for the cost of a standard call. AND the toilet map also offers trip-planning functions, downloading of GPS coordinates and large maps with a zoom function. Well it looks as though you will never be short of a loo when you are here.....wish Italy had the same.

Australia is unique in many ways. Not only is it the largest island, (and the smallest continent) but it also has many animals and plants native to it alone.

The banksia is one of Australia's native plants, as is the waratah.

New Zealand boasts the Kiwi as one native animal. this country's treasure, from this beautiful part of the world.

The Kookaburra
All photographs in this album are taken by me Unravelau (aka Carole R) unless otherwise stated. Please browse, read and enjoy my pages but please do not take my photos away without permission. Thank you so much for your visit.