Australias worst town

You hope no body replys to his entry but you have gone and replied 3 times!!

Ill second The Boss on this thread, Katherine is the worst place on earth, following not far behind would have to be turkey creek

I cannot see any problem either,each to their own,some towns around Australia
do need to clean up their act if they want to benifit from tourism.A bit of pride goes a long way.

Some yrs ago Macca on Sunday did a show from Hermannsburg and extolled how nice the place was , when we got there in 08 we did the same as you , drove a circuit and left , rubbish everywhere ,was a toilet bowl sitting in the middle of the road ,seemed as if every house was a car wreckers ,, 2nd place would beYuendumu ,mounds of green cans [VB] and mountains of red cans [midstrength] just on the town limits , drove in as far as the police station and turned around , seemed as if a riot was in progress ,whoping and hollering and jumping up and down on vehicles , found out futher up the track / road[Tanami] that it was "royalty " day.

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Sorry but in my opinion if you just drive in and drive out you can hardly make an informed judgement. The nature and character of a place is often more than just skin deep a bit like judging a person who is unshaven and in old cloths how do you really know what he is like unless you take the time to talk to him and discuss with him his views on life etc... Hermannsberg does have a lot to offer, the locals produce great art work and the old mission building is a must see for starters. In many of our towns, Australia wide, if we land in the least attractive area first we shouldn't form the opinion that that necessarily reflects what else underlies the town take some time to look arround and gain an understanding otf the place.

Hermannsburg can't be too bad, I believe we have an EO family living there.

Ditto Sydney ;-))

I'll put a vote on both Melbourne and Sydney as well.

Brisbane is a nice place, pity about the inhabitants.

Hi Robin,
I had a look at where you are from before posting. Any where up here at Summer is crap at times with out Air Cond your experience must have been horrible. I'm currently in Yeppoon and i can tell you as a Banana Bender I cant live with out the Air. We had 90-100% humidity most of Feb. Don't let your experience stop you from coming again just make sure you have air cond a pool & sea breeze.
Cheers
Sharon

Yeppoon is my Favourite part of QLD sofar bring on winter.

Tim

You forgot to mention the fresh crayfish. They are just so awful they defy description (nothing like the little expensive ones you can buy elsewhere).

Bob

PSSST! some of us have been there. Not only that we can spot a liar a mile off!

And That Marine Museum, bl@@dy awful, spent 4 hours there its that crook!
Didn't try the crayfish. Will have to go back and try it seeing as how you two can't be trusted to tell the truth.
Regards, Bruce.

i could not agree more - i was born there - i joined the navy to get out of warrnambool nearly 40 years ago -i havent been near the place for 30 - have no intention of going back either....

nice gravedigging......

Andrew

Hi Petengail,
I was there in 06 and was impressed with the town, probably from a tourists point of view as that was what I was then, a rubber-necker so to speak. I'll go back, if only to try the crays. But I was impressed also with the Maritime Museum.
I am sure I'll see plenty I missed the first time around. I was impressed with Victoria generally and am looking forward to spending a lot more time travelling there in retirement which is just around the corner.
Cheers, Bruce.

when you were at the maritime museum did you see an old codger at a blacksmiths forge? if you did he was my uncle brian.. he ran the forge for years and retired about a year or so back... all my family were butchers and blacksmiths/farriers in the warrnambool area... cheers

oh yeah those crays. my family owned a butcher's shop in the main street. they used to give the sheeps heads to the fishermen and every friday half a spud bag full of crays would turn up. they would be cooked in the wood fired boiler out the back of the shop. i was so sick of them that i used to grab the biggest one, crack the tail out and use it for bait off the hopkins river bridge over the weekend. i couldn't look at a cray for about 15 years. however i admit that now i would kill for one. cheers pete...

The blacksmiths shop wasn't operating at the time I was there. I was reared in Sydney and moved out when I was 40. I now live near Port Macquarie and I think Sydney is the worst place on earth but from a tourists point of view I guess it would be fantastic. Same in your case with Warnambool no doubt. When you have lived a long time in any one place you tend to dwell on the negatives, that's natural. In 08 we did the Great Ocean Rd from Woolongong to Warnambool.
In 09 we came the other way from Victor Harbor to Mt Gambier. Thoroughly enjoyed both trips but will have to go back and do the bit between Mt Gambier and Warnambool.
Cheers, Bruce.

sorry about all the replies, my computer said it didn't go through so i kept trying and now i don't know how to get rid of them. chris.

Ya'll never know what ya missed....shoulda stopped to smell the roses LOL LOL.
Nothing wrong with Wilcannia. Mate of mine was the local cop there some years ago and loved the place.

I'm with you Fred G, the caravan park (places - I put a few photos up) was neat and tidy with good shower, etc, facilities. We were there last July and the manager was a really nice bloke.

I don't leave my vehicle unlocked anywhere, toilet facilities vary from place to place and I have seen some shocking examples in some of the larger towns. The myths and truths are somewhat enhanced as they travel down the line and I although I would not leave my wife alone there for long periods of time, we have bought stuff from the store on Pension Day without any issues.

If you go looking for trouble you will find it, good communication skills and a bit of tact go a fair way towards ensuring a trouble free visit.

As for the topic of Worst Town we have certainly been through some rough places but people live there and there are some lovely people in remote places, we haven't got a worst town.

Regards
Paul & Fiona

I second Wilcannia, or WILDcannia as the locals call it.

Was quite frightening to drive thru, we drove around a bit but I didnt want to stop

Agreed! and I dont even drink! LOL.

Sometimes you have to look a tad deeper - some places might not look the best but its the community spirit that counts.

That's exactly right....and you can't get the feel of a community by driving through it with tunnel vision or by listening to heresay.

Ian + Sue ,yes sometimes you do need to look a tad deeper , but when the community spirit is fired buy nothing else than cans of VB , despair and boredom what is the solution ? Making communities "dry" only shifts the problem from one area to another , have a look at the influx to the Isa and surrounds.

Alloy c/t I know exactly what you mean - being a Pilbara-ite myself. I know its hard but I have to keep telling myself not to tar everyone with the same brush. A few can make a lot of mess while the majority try hard to live peacefully, ok perhaps its the other way around but I do like to try to see the best in people or the world wouldnt be worth living in.

Fred,

Who was your mate in the Cops at Wilcannia?

When I lived in Broken Hill my next door neighbor was Seargent there a few years back.

Could we have a common friend?

Duncs

MM sent Duncs.

Cheers Fred.

Yep, I second that.

3rd.... Cant wait to get out again....

Steve

Barnesy, thing I learnt about Melbourne was that if you don't like the weather.......just wait 15 minutes :-)))))))

Barnesy

'too many people, those wierd box turns. It takes bloody hours to get around and you can't even find a car park.'

You've obviously never been to Sydney. At least in Melbourne you can get around.

Bob

I suppose when I was in Sydney I didn't have a car, I caught the train in from the mountains.
I didn't mind Sydney, at least there was the bridge and harbour to look at. What's Melbourne got? A polluted, dirty, smelly old river.
That's just me, many people obviously love Melbourne (including some of my own relatives) for their own reasons.

Just interested thats all. I have lived in the Kimberley my whole life, so the grog problem doesnt phase me really. I hardly even notice it. I would gather every town in Australia would be safe 99% of the time during the day.

Speaking of Halls Creek, the amount of sex attacks and indecent dealings with children over recent years is enough to make me believe that not all members of the community should be allowed to breathe. The sad thing is, that the trouble all comes from out of town, not the locals. Halls Creek also holds the title of, '' Most dogs to maul one man''. Once knew a man who we called ''30 dogs'', because he had been mauled by that many in Halls Creek all at the same time. If he wasnt as drunk as he was, he wouldnt have survived.

True story

'A polluted, dirty, smelly old river.'

And the harbours not?

The Boss
I worked in the hospital in Hall's and ran the ambulance. I would get called out to some horrible crimes in the ambulance. I am not proud to say I looked after Hall's Creeks first murder victim from picking him up in the ambulance to sending him out with the RFDS.

I wouldn't mind going back to see what effect (if any) the grog restrictions have had.

When there was big debate about bringing in grog restrictions the owner of almost everything in town (who faught vehemently against them) was in the hospital receiving treatment. It was amusing to have hospital staff wearing t-shirts saying "get rid of the grog" caring for him! He ate his words while he was in hospital!

The only effect it has done is stuff a lot of buisiness in halls creek and sent all the drunken idiots to the surrounding towns, so now we have to put up with it and no doubt before long we also will have restrictions. Halls Creek is a bit of a ghost town at the moment apparently.

Bob,
Back to Melbourne and the dirty smelly polluted river. Obviously you know little about Melbourne a vibrant city with a river that simply flows upside down.

Tukka where do you live?
I've heard that only a few dozen of the hardest drinkers left Hall's, and yes these went to other towns, mainly Kununurra and Broome.
I've also heard that violent & non-violent crime is down about 50%, school attendance is up and so is performance because the children are getting sleep at night now.
Business at the local supermarket is booming. I assume the other non-licensed businesses are also booming.
There are long term problems that simply changing alcohol laws won't fix.

Up the Pies!

Yeah, right on Jim

And the other 12.4 million are either too young/old to care or were on holidays when the survey was taken...........lol


'CARN THE EAGLES

PS I hate the Dockers almost as much



(;-))

ob

Yes but thats just the footy team Jim.

"PS I hate the Dockers almost as much "

Why????? Because the Eagles can't beat them hehehe (well in the last couple of years anyway)

Trouble with Canberra it gets infested with politicians.

Yeah, Politicians. Elected by electorates all over Australia. They come here from far and wide a ruin a perfectly good town.

A large part of the problem is the fact that 'permits' are required to visit these places , not everyone has the intention of being a sly grog runner or of being a 'missionary',, the reason that we have these "3rd world communities" is because we as a nation still treat our indiginous population as children who must be locked away for their own good .

Bob,
If you think Hermansburg is a bit of a shock, have a look at Finke or Doomadgee
They both appear as per your description.
But I was just passing through & have not stayed a night, as you said a longer stay might change opinions. But the first impression often has us moving on.

PMK

"rubbish and wrecked cars everywhere, packs of mangy dogs, lots of scruffy black people hanging around looking like they're up to no good. Kids, playing in the dirt and wrecked cars, with snot pouring from their noses, eyes and ears. Smashed up houses with no windows, smashed fibro panels, pools of raw sewage. Sniffers and drunks staggering around. Women screaming at each other."
Bob, you wouldn't like Redfern then LOL LOL.

Fred.

PMK

Been there. Been to most aboriginal communities in the NT and top of SA.

Alloy

totally agree. The permit system keeps these communities out of the public eye which would be outraged if it could see it. Its easier to get a visa to visit Iraq than a permit to visit the APY lands.

Fred

There's less heroin in the bush. But point taken.

Bob

" third world communities " Alloy c/t ????

Third world communities are vastly different from our "culture within a culture"

Third world communities dont have vast amounts of public monies showered on them constantly.

Whilst aid groups may use donation money to provide blankets, water and food basics whenever possible ..... Thats vastly different compared to rebuilding the same house four times a year because the tenants are excused from liability ... as occurs here.

Hopefully at some point in time ... Australias multiple culture & social issues will be resolved ... but not while handouts are seen the quick fix.

Oztroopy ,if u have a look it was not I who first called these communities 3rd world ., [ its actually a bit of an insult to the real 3rd world].. After 200+ yrs we still have as a nation a "them and us" mentality and while we still have a system that in effect causes segregation [permits, handouts,ect treating a section of the AUSTRALIAN population differently to the rest] nothing will change.

Could it be that it also has something to do with attitudes towards these people and their communities?

John T
If it walks like a duck, looks like a duck and quacks like a duck.... Stop trying to make out that any comment which is not positive about any particular group is racist.

i had a message saying email address banned , so I tried twice after to post this note and now i have 3 posts

Noted the same message Skippy - but I only posted once and it got thru.

Me three, I thought the stasi had finally got on to me too.

Me four, i thiought what have i done wrong now?

hi
had the same thing happen and then it came to me!!!!!
if you;ve got 3 posts it must be a fence

so i tried to run some wire but could'nt find any holes in the posts ?????
lol
cheers

Fab

Don't blame the town where you live, blame the lifestyle you have adopted.

I've never lived in Adelaide, but have visited maybe about 20 times.

Its a beautiful place. I love the sandstone houses. The marina at Glenelg is a great place for a drink and a feed between plane flights.

My only criticism is that some conceited person called 'Polites' seems to own half of it (why plaster your name over everything just because you own it?).

No matter where you live you can't beat the euphoria of heading out of town knowing you are free for a week or two. The heavy feeling on return is the knowledge you'll be in harness for another six months before you get another break.

Bob

Bob...all said tongue in cheek of course. I love Adelaide. As far as big cities go, Adelaide suits me fine.

Having been born and bred in Whyalla, I certainly appreciate all Adelaide has to offer. The beaches, the hills, the wine regions, the River Murray etc and still with reasonable traffic flow, albeit the crazy drivers.

I guess my somber mood comes from the association I have of my home town with an imminent return to work until my next holiday. :(

Fab,
as far as major cities go Adelaide is second to Perth. It's more affordable to live in than Perth but that doesn't quite make it to first place.
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane don't have a scratch on Adelaide.
I start planning my next trip within days of returning to my home town, not weeks!

Hi Fab, when traveling from Mildura toward Adelaide we were overtaken by another car and caravan and as we noticed their call sign on the back of the van we called them up as they were well in front of us and still on the wrong side of the road, so I said, "Come on Garry bring it in mate there's plenty of room" and the wife replied "Thanks for that". Then I said " Where are we off to" and she said "Home" and I said "hey that's a four letter word" and she replied "Yeah nearly as bad as the other one" She sounded really down so it must be something about Adelaide. LOL !!

hi
if you see a town or locallity where the cans are piled high and scattered

well it means they are enjoying the taxmans dollar more than we are

but if your out there and actually able to see all this as you tour around
well stop your whingen cause

you must be doing ok as well
yeh go on----- at least i worked for mine!!!!!!!

now dont start 'cause im not going to read your comments ha! ha! ha ! god it's tough living in aus lol
cheers

Wingers (sic) play outside centres ... but whingers just compalin all day long.

Jack

hi jack
your spelling is no better than mine re-( compalin all day long)
lol
or is it afumblin of the keys ?????? cheers -no offence

Well spotted Mazcan ... can't blame that one on a Sarah Palin fetish either : )
Just blame my keyboard, which can't spell.

No offence taken.

Jack

Bucky,

IMHO, Courtesy is something everone is entitled to

Respect is something everyone earns

ob

You are correct, my friend

Went to the Gold Coast once. Got off the plane, and was convinced it had landed in Tokyo by mistake :-)))

Daza, having a home on the Gold Coast (like you), gives me a right to comment - though our home is currently rented out while we check out the rest of the country.
Interesting place, the Gold Coast. Parts would be on many short lists for a 'worst' award. But parts could also be on a 'best' list. I won't enter a debate on which is which. But the diversity at least makes it an interesting place

Norm C

Hey I lived there Doug. Rosser Street right behind Lamanna Fresh and only a stones throw from Franco Cozzo. Very bohemian. No room for a shed, a 4x4 and a quad though LOL.

Cheers Mick

Image Could Not Be Found

My kids lived off Sydney Road Brunswick...on Victoria Street..also just a stones throw from Franco Cozzo..(the furniture in that window still has not changed since the first visit we made there). They loved and still do, love Sydney Road and Brunswick..me too.

Lamanna Fresh .. does its back door open out to a car park and is Spotlight just a few shops away? If so my kids flat was very close to where you lived Mick.

Nathan worked at Cafe Bellino just across the road from their flat and then at another place called Tre...just a bit further away.

Sydney Road is fabulous..great atmosphere. I was there for six weeks while my Dad was in hospital and I grew to love that area. Not once did I feel afraid to walk around even at night when I'd come home after visiting hours.

Strange isn't it .. how different places are seen in so many different ways.

As to the topic "worst town in Australia" I think the same thing applies. We all see things differently and my home town may be your worst place.

There isn't anywhere that I could say was "worst" or anywhere that I would want to.

Viv

HaHaHa beauty, at least someone has got a sense of humour.

I wasnt meaning to condemn the places i listed, simply stating my opinion and the reason i didnt like the place.
Funny how people can take it the wrong way but.

Last time I went to Wiluna I was shown more gold nuggets that I have ever seen before out the back of a bar. Had a BBQ met a few locals. Was shown by a different person his gold and how he melts his gold down and met and talked to the Shire President..

I have fond memories of Wiluna.

What do ya mean?

Maybe i should say i have spent the entire time i have been alive in the Kimberley, apart from the annual holiday. And if the heat dont drive me away, i reckon i will spend the rest of my time here.

Charlie, I recon you get the best view of Sydney at Hornsby ---- In your rear vision mirror. Hornsby is just on the northern outskirts of Sydney.

I have been saying that for 20 years now. never gets old!
Cheers Bruce.

Cheers mate, i didnt really mean it in a bad way. Im glad it hasnt taken a turn for the worst and turned into an aggresive debate.

Surely people have some dislikes about things, or why would there be preferences over fridges, tyres, etc. If you havent spent the time with each brand/make then how can you know whats best for you or wether you like it or not. Just a thought.

hi briann 532

well said you nailed it
cheers and enjoy this great land called aus

hi briann 532

well said you nailed it
cheers and enjoy this great land called aus

Newcastle...they need to rip up the rail line that separates the 'town' from the harbour foreshore. Irt would make the world of difference and the 'town' would flourish.....

Agree Davoe,

Not being a touristy type I generally steer clear of these kinds of places, however, took my mum and dad there a couple of years ago.

We stayed for a week and after doing all the tourist stuff, I walked away with a maxed out credit card and the feeling I'd seen nothing special that most other towns cant offer.

In fact I'd go as far to suggest organised crime forget about extortion, drugs and prostitution.......get into the tourist industry.....lol.


Cheers......Lionel.

Ya just gotta love Oodnadatta , the first thing you see is the humongous sign . TYRES over the pink , the handout of tyre care/pressures ,[aso available on the net] , cynical ? you bet !

I can see your point.

However it is the seeming reluctance to try to better themselves which is dissapointing.

There is no excuse for just chucking the rubbish out the door or or leaving their cans lying everywhere.

We spoke to a council worker in Katherine whos job it was to go around every day cleaning up the cans and rubbish left behind by the drinkers.

He said the attitude is "its white mans rubbish" so why should they pick it up.

In Fitzroy crossing several were sitting on the grass eating takeaways.

They just got up and walked away from thre containers etc when there was a rubbish bin about 10m away.

They get bonding money for their dogs ( which you and I cant) and by the look of the dogs not much of it gets spent on dog food.

Because the government throws endless amounts of money to keep what they destroy replaced, it will never change till they get some sense of pride and appreciate what they have been given and look after it.

It is like being a spoilt kid and knowing if they smash everything "Daddy"will buy them a new one.

Just annoys me to think a lot of not necessarily well off people are helping pay for all this unnecessary waste.

As for Hermansberg. Has the poster that said it cant be too bad ever been there.

The poster who described some communities got it dead right.

Landy and Graham

You both basically said the same thing.

" as the will to change needs to come, in part, from within, albeit this is a complex issue that has no easy answers. "

&

" However it is the seeming reluctance to try to better themselves which is dissapointing. "

And it is probably the most important consideration to take into account - IMHO.



Personally ... I dont think wholesale change will come for a long time .... and certainly not while the handout system restricts their .... and I use this term deliberately ... and with care ... "evolution"

Bettering themselves ... means a complete change of lifestyle to the one they were living pre-colonisation ... and in lots of cases ... today ....

It also means ... To OUR standards ... and are ALL our standards REALLY that good ????

As one ol fella in the next town over remarked to me one day .... "we have only been white for 200yrs" .... was very astute I thought ... and helps explain why "middens" are no longer piles of seashells ... but car bodies and other modern day waste.

BTW ... before I get decried as as a rascist by the delicates in the country .... and burnt at the stake ..... again ... Think about the term "evolution" .and compare .....

A prehistoric, hunter gather, family tribal, society ... dragged kicking and screaming into the 18th century .... and ....

Galileo in 1610 ... being dragged, kicking and screaming from his telescope ... and plonked in front of YOUR computer and told to send an e-mail .... poor sod wouldnt even know how to turn the power point on.

Theres a big difference between a society being given "technology" and a society growing up with it over the course of time. e.g.

Being given a house ... compared to stepping out from under a not particularly useful, rock over hang ... and learning how to build a structure and improving the building style over generations ... and appreciating its benefits.

.... and Grahams comment about a "spoilt kid" covers it pretty well.

Its a shame we couldnt have a thread on the issue that wouldnt deteriorate into racial slander and cockeyed dogooder retaliation .... as there might be some an interesting thoughts on the subect.

OzTroopy

I’d be privileged to catch up with you one of these days and we can try and solve all the problems and ills of the world. Whilst we may take a different route to get to our destination, we both seem to be heading in the same general direction most of the time. Although, you do get off-track (slightly) every so often.... ;)

Graham

Yes, there are many examples of happenings that are not acceptable to most in this day and age, and you have cited a couple, but unfortunately these are just by-products of a much greater systemic problem that is a long way from being resolved.

Cheers, The Landy….

G'Day Landy ... Thanks for the invite ... altho I can hear the brewery company CEOs rubbing their hands together over the long term profits from such a meeting ...

Maybe one day out on the track eh ??? ...

I am deeply offended however ... that you should dare suggest I ever be "slightly" off-track.

I much prefer to think of it as "exploring" ...... Even if I do "take the long way round" ...

OzTroopy

plenty of Aboriginals would be offended at your assertion they have any problems with the technology or they might have any problems keeping a clean and tidy house and cared for kids because that was given to them rather than growing up with it
Aboriginals learn modern ways including technology and computer use etc just fine if their upbringing gives them 1/2 a chance

I partly blame the role models pushed upon them
- always a footy player/ What about the other 99% who arnt good enough or even inclined to play footy much less be a West Coast Eagle

much better role models would be the ordinary folk men and women who attended school right up till yr 12 and went on to uni or trade and raised kids more intrested in learning and sports practice than comitting crimes

get outmore ....

Be aware, I am NOT referring to individuals ... I am referring to the development status, in time ... of aust. aboriginals as a whole .... compared with the other VARIED levels of development of societies, from other parts of the world.

I think those you mention would actually understand what Im saying ... as they have undertaken the lifestyle change.

and I USE a computer ... but I dont understand it ... where as I use and UNDERSTAND, "the wheel" because its been part of MY culture/society for centuries ....

.... and Italy in 1610 wasnt solely populated by a race of Galileo's either ... There would have been quite a few ... predominantly occupied in those days ... with getting purple feet rather than mapping the stars.


No society is "better" than another ... just different ... and understanding/speaking about the differences ... is NOT rascism ... unless the comments are twisted by a "rascist" person.

Hope that puts it all in perspective a bit more.

Every day is a beautiful day.