Dusty Plains

Probably millions of years actually, but who knows. The Eucalyptus forests are generally resilient even when the forest is burned from the forest floor right up to the top of the very tall trees. They re-bound, mostly. Some pundits suggest that the Eucalypts will likely grow taller in order to avoid the greater incidence of forest fires in the last 50 years or so.

Aside from the general theme and tenure of the discussion I think you have a problem. For the most part your posts had earlier been argumentative, playing the person and not the ball. Now your posts are just downright rude and bordering on aggression. I may be wrong. Perhaps you simply cannot abide a view of the world other than yours. The worst thing you can do in polite conversation is to throw only those facts which vaguely support your argument. Please do not throw rocks at us. We have a view of things also. Its called a discussion.

In reflection also, its confirmed that the initial foray by the Australian Government in procuring Pfizer stocks caused general unnecessary hullabaloo and brouhaha. There were many here on PIO for instance, along with the general population, who accused the government of being too slow and incompetent in getting Pfizer vaccination stocks to Australians. They are right to assume as much, yet interestingly, those people are probably still living. It is now known that Australia deliberately withheld the importation of Pfizer. There is no doubt about that. Australia had put in a pre-purchase agreement with Pfizer around about the time that countries such as Canada had also made a pre-purchase agreement in August and Australia followed two weeks later, but now known for a very good reason. Why? Because we wanted to see if this new Pfizer vaccine would actually work and provide effective evidence in relieving the on-going persistence of a single (closed-border) strategy. Think about it. Here we were, unvaccinated, with very small death rate from Covid-19. We were In lockdown locally in many areas, and on a state-by-state basis, so nationally and internationally therefore. Orders for Pfizer stocks were to be delivered during November worldwide and so right in the front door of the Northern Hemisphere flu season Australia was given a front row seat to monitor the effectiveness, or otherwise, of a pan-vaccine within the northern hemisphere flu season. As soon as Canada had put its order in for Pfizer, strategically ahead of Canada's flu season, then Australia simply employed Canada as a test case in anticipation of Australian strategies, going out of its southern hemisphere flu season, should a pan-vaccine be effective, or on the other hand should Australia maintain the closed-border strategy. And why wouldn't it (Australia), Though there are far more people in Canada than Australia, yet for the purpose of logistics in disseminating vaccine stocks, both countries have similar averages of population per square kilometre (3.3 people per square Km in Australia and 3.9 people per square Km in Canada) Both have population blobs though. Australia's major population is found in the masses in the east of the country and Canada's major population is in the south. Both countries have resident indigenous populations (possibly a key factor for Australia looking at Canada) many of which reside in islands away from the mainland. Both Canada and Australia have highway networks, rail networks and air freight networks as well as sea freight to island dwellers. The health care systems in both countries are the Medicare system where most health care can be accessed for free. In the end, and a year or two on, countries such as New Zealand, well under ordered Pfizer back then and NZ is now completely closed. Australia monitored all of these key factors during the northern hemisphere in Canada. I am pretty happy that my government did what it thought was best given the circumstances as they prevailed at the time, even though it was always going to be unpopular.

Canadians and Australians have a unique relationship. That is, we are not the USA and at the same time, we are not British. Canada and Australia share diplomatic services world-wide. For instance, if you are in a country that has no diplomatic Canadian office, such as South East Asia for instance, then the local Australian diplomatic service will provide you with a new Canadian passport and the like if necessary. Equally, the Canadian Diplomatic Service will also assist Australians world wide. This has been a "CAN-AUS" arrangement for years My advice is that you will fit in, given that Canadians and Australians are not just trying to prove a point, given that we have no "point" to prove, do we?. Also, Australia has more skiable snow fields than Europe, so bring your skis. We love Canadians because they have no baggage, political, social, or otherwise, so come on over' Now, "Spiders" as you have suggested. I live in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, and the possibly of encountering one of the worlds most dangerous spiders is found in the greater Sydney Area, yet particularly in the Blue Mountains. I have lived in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, for forty years and we have spotted only two spiders in that time. Welcome "Big Guy". Oh, and please excuse the odd Brit on here with the usual negative diatribe.

Thanks once again for a negative review and actually a very poor knowledge of living in Australia. Perhaps you would be happier elsewhere and yes I know why. Give it a rest please. Its not North Korea after all.

Here is your chance. Just let it flow.

Be happy (I am) that the English language, world-wide, has many grammatical variations, including vast variations on the predominant vowel bank: "AEIOU". Check out the New Zealand News hour and vowels galore that just do not work for Australians. Is that a "pig, or a peg?" I am stuffed if I can translate it. Yet these nuances are what make the English language word wide. When I went to school, if you were using two adjectives to describe a noun then you have to hyphenate the two, or more hyphens more according to the adjectives. So in the case of a blond haired suspect at a bank robbery in Bondi then that person is a blonde-haired suspect. Syllable breaks are even more common. UK: YOG-URT Australia: Yoe-Gurt. UK: Caff ( usually a tea room or coffee house) Australia: Caffay, given that the word "café" is pronounced given the agrave accent on the "e" UK: Garage: "Garridge" ( where you park your your car under shelter) Australia: Gararrge: UK: Homage: "O'marge" Australia: "HOMidge" and so it goes on.

Lets see how that particular equation works out in court.

Well done Bobj. You're a legend.

Actually we have not had a decent prime minister since John Howard who was way better than Keating. Lets see, we have had Gillard, Rudd, Abbot and Turnbull since John Howard and they all make the same mistake. They assume that they are the leaders of the country, the doers, the change merchants, the heroes, the father and the mother figures, and some may say, the notion of royalty and even the emperor, particularly for Labor voters. They assume that they are worldly but they are not. Australians, on the other hand are well worldly thank you very much. Australia was built by and nourished by ordinary Australians having a go, fighting the bushfires, and floods, as well as setting up companies and franchises and the like across the continent, Tilling the land and employing other Australians, and being monumentally charitable to other Australians at the same time. So why would we be hurling garlands of flowers at those suits in Canberra. I think that Scott Morrison is the near perfect Prime Minister. Why? because he is not seen much. Perfect. He knows how Australia evolves and he knows not to interfere necessarily in those Australians who are making the nation as it is now and in the future. Scott Morrison has been criticised by the usual lefty suspects, but I think he has got it right. He is the father figure and he never wants to be the Emperor or the royalty and he knows that. He is clearly a facilitator and a benefactor for the nation. When the Queen passes I would suggest that those of us in Australia have already worked it out that some historic remote "figurehead" is going to have a say in Australia's future. We need to have faith in only two futures, namely, cosy imperialism across the other side of the world, or faith in ourselves.

If I were the "gatekeeper", we would not be having this discussion.

Well I hope she is OK. What booster did she have?

I just cannot wait.

Moving on, and looking forward to the next great national day, namely ANZAC Day 2022 in our village here in the Blue Mountains of NSW. Its huge.

Who?