For Europeans travelling Australia

Hi Val,

I had the vice-versa the first time I visited Tasmania. Unfolded the road map which was about the same physical size as a map of WA, Had a look where the next town was without regard to the scale as marked and settled back for a 2 or 3 hour drive. Got a pleasant surprise when we reached there in about 20 minutes.
Many years ago I was involved with the delivery of a couple of pieces of US made mining equipment. This particular company had their South East Asia head office in Singapore. One of their reps came out to assist with the handover and training. This guy had never been to Australia before and the distances and open spaces without towns or people in the Pilbara really messed with his mind. His eyes really opened wide when this "big hairy Australian" came hopping out of the bush straight into the side of the hire car, bounce off, and hopped back into the bush. A short "comfort" stop was in order after that.

Cheers
Pop

G'day Val and John

And there's still enough room left for Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran AND a few more !


Ten years ago I was in the UK staying in the south of England and my sister happened to be in York for a week so I decided to drive up north to visit her. When my Pommie mates foung out I was going to drive the 300 miles (500 k's) in one day they all thought I was nuts ! With a few comfort stops it was a leisurely 8 hour drive using the motorways - they said they would motel it overnight somewhere !
Not sure they would believe me if I told them I drove the 3000 k's from Darwin to Adelaide in 2 1/2 days last year !


All the best


Gazz

Val,
just had a look and it seems our house is in the middle of Belarus.

No wonder no one understands me.

RA.

But that map only has 2/3 of Europe - it does not have Norway, Sweden, Finland, Urkraine, countries like Latvia etc and of course European Russia

Continental Europe is larger than Australia.

By all means compare the size of any particular country with Aust but when you use the term Europe you are talking continents and we are smaller.

Garry

Maybe not geopolitically correct, but like the above image does help to explain why visitors to Australia have such difficulty in comprehending the vast distances in this country.

No correspondence will be entered into!

Cheers

John

It appears to use a Mercator projection, so there will be some inconsistencies.

A few years ago, my mother in laws’ best school friend came out from Hungary and she was wanted to see the Great Ocean Road; we told her we’d be in at 7 am the next Saturday to pick her up.

Morning tea at Torquay, lunch at Apollo Bay, Afternoon Tea around Port Campbell, dinner at Warrnambool, and then home. A constant but easily doable drive with 2 drivers.

She asked how far it would be. I said maybe Budapest to the German border.

We went to see the Penguin Parade instead!

I sometimes think the O/S travelers get caught out by the 'loose' use of the term Highway in Australia......

I wouldn't describe the Anne Beadell, Connie Sue, Gary, Sandover, or Buchanan as autobahns ...........

Haaa yeh, looks like I will be in for the vice versa in July when go to Germany .
Drive on the other side of the road too, but I had some practice with that 1998 and 2000 in USA.


.

Back in the mid 80’s I worked at a Mazda dealership in Sydney and one of the guys we had working with us was a mechanic from the assembly plant in Japan - out here getting some work experience.

He come up to me one Friday afternoon and said that he was riding his bike (250cc chook chaser) to Perth. I told him that he couldn’t go to Perth because he had to be back at work on Monday.

His reply was: ‘That okay boss – I go Perth tomorrow and come back next day’

He had absolutely no idea of the vast distances of Australian travel and right up to the day he left to fly back home, he was adamant that he could have ridden across to Perth and back in 2 days.

Europe is 10,938,000 sq km. Australia is 7,692,024 sq km. However we are all one country and even our states are large by world standards.

Di

Geez John and Val........
Youve really stirred the pot this time!
Apparently a group of Aboriginals have got hold of that map and are now laying claim to half of Europe!! LOL

I remember being in England in 1976 as an 11yo and we did a day trip to Windsor Castle with rellies which was about 1hr's drive away. I was astounded when we had to stop on the side of the road for a "break and a cuppa"........and I could see the castle in the distance!!

This was mind blowing for a child who was used to driving from Carnarvon to Perth only stopping for petrol on the way. (and bad luck if you didn't have a toilet break at the petrol station!)

Yes, we are big country but after a recent trip 14,000K trip thru 4 Canadian Provinces/ Territories along with Alaska. Where you can get some big distances between drinks in that neck of the woods. You start to realise wer'e not that big.

Met a few people from Europe on the road, a few are freaked out (usually British) by the distances but most seems to handle it in there stride. Having said that most of the Europeans you meet on the road seem to have done there research.

Yeh but it still does not show the differences in distances.

John A Grotes, the Lands End...is the epic end to end trip in the UK...a trip people do by a number of means, walk, cycle, drive...and they spend months planning it and often weeks doing.....

Thats all fine and beaut....the MRS has walked it....the longest leg between B&Bs is about 35Km.

as the crow flies about the same distance as Brisbane to Townsville.

My nephew used to knock off work work early friday arvo in T'ville to visit his girlfriend in Brisbane over a long week end.

cheers