I was curious about the similarities between Aussie and American culture, but frankly, I don’t think I spent enough time in civilization to have a qualified opinion about what those might be. I do know, though, that people here end their sentences with “no worries.” Every sentence. All the time. But you’ll get used to that.

While I stayed in Sydney and Brisbane for a few days, it was mainly the Queensland peninsula with Cairns, Port Douglas, Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef (Mackay) and the Blue Mountain national park, near Sydney in New South Wales, that pulled me in — see separate post. Below is a series of random snaps, in no particular order.

Sydney

I have no idea what this is about….

Left, German Schnitzel Haus promoter. Far right, also here.

Arrgh, it had to sneak in somewhere, didn’t it….

A couple of neighborhoods on the walk to Bondi beach (lower right).

Brisbane

The Australian “bottle tree” (Boab tree) is related to the Madagascan/African species. Some suggest Boabs are survivors from the time Africa and Australia were one continent, the ancient Gondwana, 65 million years ago. This specimen found downtown, Brisbane.

Detours — Queensland Outback

A few photos from the Queensland outback.

Right, a giant termite mound.

They’re waiting here, too….

My trip ended in Sydney, a large and by most appearances, livable city. I wish I had more time in Australia, specifically to see the Red Centre, Northern Territories, and Tasmania. I did not experience any aboriginal culture, but as I mentioned in my New Zealand post, you’ll need much more time to go beyond the tourist presentations.