Guest The Pom Queen Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 We have often seen posts from members or heard family say "oh it's only up the road". I don't think a lot of people realise the size of Australia. For example, today I have driven 9 hours South and I'm still not half way to my destination, which is my hospital where my Brisbane surgeon is. Back in the UK that would be like driving to London and back in a day from Manchester and by the time I have completed my journey that would be London and back twice just to get to the major hospital. When my MIL comes over, she hates being in a car and won't go anywhere that is over 20 minutes away, as you can imagine for a lot of us it doesn't even get us to the end of the street. She will have a real shock when she comes to visit at our new property. I have attached some maps of how large Australia actually is. Usually on the East coast it's easier to fly up and down but I needed my car down in Brisbane so this was the best way. @Bobj I really wanted to call in and say hi, but I had to keep going otherwise I would never have got to my overnight stop (South of Rocky) and I have to be in hospital for my next op on Wednesday. Both Nat and I have said we will come and see you soon, even if we have to fly in to Mackay.:wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallyman Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Remember working with a chap who had moved to Sydney to get work when I first moved here, we were talking about where I had come from and I asked him where home was oh about 8hrs drive north and I thought wow it's some country and then he added that's to the turn off the road then another 3 hrs to the home stead , made me realise how big it really is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Remember working with a chap who had moved to Sydney to get work when I first moved here, we were talking about where I had come from and I asked him where home was oh about 8hrs drive north and I thought wow it's some country and then he added that's to the turn off the road then another 3 hrs to the home stead , made me realise how big it really is. To be honest I think you come to accept it. We wouldn't think twice of going on a 4 hour trip on a day out. I suppose we don't have the same traffic as the UK though, you could spend 4 hours stuck in the M62 lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melbpom Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Unfortunately no sign of high speed rail travel to help cover the distances involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRJones Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Wow those maps really put it into perspective. The times that I've flown to Australia, I've always been amazed at how once over WA, it still takes 5hrs or so to get to QLD! When I went from Brisbane to Agnes Waters (same state!) it was still a 6h+ drive, couldn't believe it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Good one PQ! My mates here cannot understand that I would go to Manchester (from Cambridge) for afternoon tea or here to Farnham for lunch. It's one thing I do appreciate having developed in Australia - the art of the long distance day trip - Canberra to Ballarat was a definite overnighter though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetBlast Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 you could spend 4 hours stuck in the M62 lol I was stuck on the M62 for 6 hours about a year ago. New I should have taken the train! The distances are huge. On a smaller scale, Brisbane is a big city. For example you can take a 40 min drive from the CBD to the north side. In the UK, for example Manchester if you get off from the center and drive for 40 minutes you will be out of the Manchester area and have driven through other towns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 My 'holidays' start in the middle of September and it will take 4 days to get there, down the Duncan Road, far western Northern Territory. Then another day to get to the Keep River, NT. and 5 days to get back to downtown Ball Bay...About 7,000 kms. And...Camping Bobj style:laugh: @The Pom Queen, you will be most welcome, any time.:yes: Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallyman Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 I brought my 2 daughters (7 & 11) over in 2004 and we hired a camper van and drove from Cairns to Sydney over 15 days, at the time they could not understand why it was going to take so long, a couple of times I had "Are we there yet" probably the best 15 days of education they recived, we still talk about the trip today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 if you think Australia is big look at Russia.:elvis: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 or Brazil.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Australia appears bigger due to little being between destination. I'm not personally a fan of great distance travel by car, but have particular localities that I enjoy travelling in Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 The funny thing is that in spite of Australia's huge differences, I found that I was less used to travelling than the English. Sydney is the opposite of the rest of the country in that people don't travel - when I lived in Oatley, I had friends on the North Shore who wouldn't visit because it was "too far". So when I got to Southampton and found that people thought it was reasonable to drive over to Portsmouth for a one-hour dance class, I was surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the bottler Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Good Luck with your operation Kate ... x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 [ATTACH=CONFIG]33892[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]33893[/ATTACH] Nice maps but what would really help people understand Australia's geography would be if they turned the map of Australia upside down and line up the lines of latitude (so 38 degrees North and 38 degrees South were in the same place). Not many people are able to grasp that most of Australia would be in Africa and London would be far to the North of Tasmania. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 I'm convinced distance puts a downer on social interaction in Australia. Even between suburbs in the same city. The driving involved. The inability to consume alcohol and drive these days (decades back few bothered, but the road toll was horrendous) While long distance may be 'interesting' to some from foreign shores on holiday. It can get a little tiresome when a continuous thing to navigate on each holiday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Anything within 4 hours drive is 'local' to me. You just get used to it. We are off camping up to Echuca in a few months and I think of that as a local drive. If we drive to Adelaide or Sydney though- that is interstate. We are driving to WA soon, that is a bit further, takes a few days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 I'm convinced distance puts a downer on social interaction in Australia. Even between suburbs in the same city. The driving involved. The inability to consume alcohol and drive these days (decades back few bothered, but the road toll was horrendous) While long distance may be 'interesting' to some from foreign shores on holiday. It can get a little tiresome when a continuous thing to navigate on each holiday. Have been driving from NSW and Qld to the Darwin and Kimberlies for better than 30 years...This year is the first time I am not really relishing the drive; perhaps reason being at age 75...? Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Have been driving from NSW and Qld to the Darwin and Kimberlies for better than 30 years...This year is the first time I am not really relishing the drive; perhaps reason being at age 75...? Cheers, Bobj. it keeps you young bobj, keep doing it you old codger.:cute: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 I love doing Road trips over here, very few traffic jams to become stuck in and such a massive variety of scenery to see as you drive. Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Have been driving from NSW and Qld to the Darwin and Kimberlies for better than 30 years...This year is the first time I am not really relishing the drive; perhaps reason being at age 75...? Cheers, Bobj. Probably do it with your eyes closed after so many times. Over familiarity perhaps? Personally I find a lot of long distance tedious, more so than some other large countries , but regions within Australia enjoy like FNQ and Kimberley. 75? Need new adventures mate. Why not motor bike it or cycle even for something different. I hear British West Midlands, as some wag on here likes to call it, aren't half bad this time of year either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 One thing I do not find is a massive variety of scenery unless covering great distances. A lot of road trips of duration can be tedious to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 One thing I do not find is a massive variety of scenery unless covering great distances. A lot of road trips of duration can be tedious to say the least. Not here Flag. Lovely scenery which changes from rolling farm land to mountains and forests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 One thing I do not find is a massive variety of scenery unless covering great distances. A lot of road trips of duration can be tedious to say the least. That must because of where you live, here you can see long sandy beaches, rain forests, built up cities with hustle and bustle or green open pasture fields and dirt roads all within a one hour drive, i find the variety gets better the more miles you cover. Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Not here Flag. Lovely scenery which changes from rolling farm land to mountains and forests. Tasmania, being small in area in hardly indicative of Mainland Australia. NZ is often spoken about likewise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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