IS MELBOURNE BETTER THAN SYDNEY?

might have to check youtube, see if there's anything

managed to get a few episodes of Mother and Son on DVD, they were released through A&E in the states, love that show, Margaret is the best

Oh Mother and Son was brilliant!
Loved it.

Nice chatting with you, djjd. (She says as she heads off to bed.)

Night night.

good night

It is one of America 's 2 best zoos, the other one being the San Diego Zoo,
which I visited last month in California. That one certainly is very modern
and has more territory. (I needed to rent a little car to get around in there.)
I suspect that the Bronx Zoo has more exhibited animals.
I remember it back in the 1940s; mostly a succession of cages,
like a cellblock in a prison. Now, the philosophy of freedom is much more predominant.





David

Thanks for the welcome, msolga!

I think Melbourne suffers least from the cultural cringe and has a wholesome introspective self-confidence that other Aussies kind of want but disgusts them at the same time - that's why Victorians get labelled "parochial" etc etc.

Sydney has gone all the other way with the cultural cringe - like the nerdy girl who blossomed overnight and was thrust into the limelight, suddenly has all this attention and deep down is still a bit self-doubting.

Anyway, I love all of Australia. We're so lucky to be able to live here.

Agreed. Not a bad little country, at all.

I find it difficult comparing cities I've only visited with the place I've actually lived in for yonks, & know very well. Anyway, I'm probably biased.
Where have you actually lived for most of your time since you've come here?

When I left Melbourne, I flew to Hong Kong.
An Austrailian sat next to me, who was justly proud of his country.
He pointed out to me: the flight to Hong Kong takes 8 hours,
the first 5 of which are spent flying over Austrailia.





David

Yeah it's certainly a long way from A to B, David.

Once, in a fit of madness, I took a bus all the way from Melbourne to Cairns (tropical north of Queensland.) Three whole days, non-stop. I decided to fly home at the end of that holiday.

Wuss!!!!!

Flying home, you mean?

It didn't look nearly that far on the map! But the bus trip there was unbelievable. Fall asleep. Wake up in sugar cane country somewhere. Fall asleep. Hours later still in sugar cane country. Wake up. In the absolute middle of nowhere! Three days of this, non-stop! I think I actually had a nightmare at one stage!

Of course not...it's only a few inches on the map!

I've not been as far north as Cairns (don't DO tropics.)

It's really lovely. And you really slow down. No choice. Some folk, of course "go troppo" once past the tropic of Capricorn. It's quite common, apparently.

Did you even do the trip to Perth, across the Nullabor by car? That's not to be sneezed at, either. Particularly in the bad old days, before they sealed the road & it was just a bumpy track full of pot holes. Mamma mia!

I have to confess I've not been to Perth!!!

I have only been about halfway across the Nullarbor...when I went whale watching.

Glorious coast and fascinating caves.

Oh but this was ages ago ... with my-soon-to be husband. He did most of the driving. I don't think he trusted my driving skills, in those conditions. But it was so slow! All those potholes .. AND there'd been a freak (for that time of year) flood!

Where did you go whale watching, Deb? In SA or WA?

Mainly SA.

There's a great spot near Nullarbor Roadhouse, called Callosity Point.

It's on Aboriginal land, so you need a permit.

There's a break in the cliffs there, so you can scramble down to be really close. They "spy-hop" so they can people watch, too. They are very curious!

I think it's been fenced and there are viewing platforms now...but when I went you could dangle your legs off Australia, a few feet above the whales, and just glory in them.

The Bight is a major Southern Right Whale nursery.

In Aust I've only lived in Melbourne and Brisbane for extended periods and visit Sydney really often - having lots of ties there. I think knowing people in places and your purpose/s in that city also makes a huge difference to impressions. I'm kind of over Melbourne now that I've lived in Brisbane - what a great laid back place to LIVE.

It's been years & years since I last visited Brisbane. And I know it changed a lot since the late 90s. Tell us about what you like so much about living there. I'm interested.

Hi there Msolga,

Brisbane is so pretty - it's cast perpetually (except for the odd day or two out of the year) in this golden light. It feels pretty and fresh with a touch of the cosmopolitan - the city's high rises are all very new. I'm a total ignoramus about architecture but I think they use more sandstone rather than melb's (slightly depressing - others find it classy) bluestone and the look is colonial and period but cheerful.

The people are a good mix - with a lot of interstate and overseas migrants. The mood is relaxed and big town - which I liked since I knew hardly anyone there when I first got there. People are vibrant and friendly.

There's a tropical rainforest right in the CBD - next to QUT and the river. West End is like a mini brunswick - grungy and a little gritty - there's a really cool organic vegan cafe called The Forest - really awesome food. Fortitude Valley has (albeit slightly seedy) good nightlife. The River Cat lets you get around the riverside 'burbs - it was so cool zipping around on those. Have to admit I was underwhelmed by Oxford St (which is a supposed hub of restaurants) though - think that's in Bulimba (inner city). Queens St Mall is the best pedestrian mall on the eastern seaboard. Shopping was adequate but not great. You can still get decent coffee contrary to popular belief - especially in the city.

Yep, had a great time in Brisbane! It's definitely a good place if you manage to live and work in the CBD (as I did) or inner city suburbs.

How about you? What do you love about Melbs and have you lived anywhere else?