Q for Those Down Under

[Wotname]

Must be a quiet news day in Thunder Bay .

For this is the type of question we normally defer to the top poster for a erudite answer but in this case, I think it is safe just to take Meyermm's answer (post #2) as gospel.

Still, the OP's question leaves plenty of room for interesting thread drift - as evidenced to date.

[meyermm]

If any of you Northern Hemisphere people really want a laugh just ask the Kiwi's about the Rugby World Cup and there sorry cannot stop laughing to finish????!!!!

[BlueSovereign]

Re-read my post:

NZ had that problem for the past 9 years ... then suddenly "woke up" to reality. Now 'Aunty Helen' is the UN's (and the rest of the world's) problem!

[Knowazark]

Good Lord Cat Man Do!!! Don't scare me like that, fer crissakes!! You really should post a warning about graphic images before you go posting that sort of stuff around where innocent eyes could see it.

*shudder* Gawd, that image brings back horrible, horrible memories.

[Golden Wattle]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Do people in Australia and New Zealand call the rest of the world "up over"?

We call it expensive.

GW

[Pelagic]

Just some observations about OZ after many years cruising down under and hiring crew from there and NZ

They are probably the most “travelled” citizens in the world and are comfortable with North-up presentation

I love Australians and their strong brand of nationalism coupled with the concept of being a good “mate!”

It is a tough, hard country…where its remoteness often brings independent thinking but also punishes its best with the “tall poppy syndrome” mindset.

I prefer Kiwis because they are generally more intellectual, less likely to promote knee jerk reactions and they seem to know their business better, thus becoming successful when they start up in OZ.

I see an interesting parallel in the relationships between the (US and Canada) and Australia with NZ.

My only hope is that they do not become “Americans in Training” and focus on being a good mate instead!


I think I better run for cover now...

[roger.waite]

We dug a HUGE ditch so that we can happily ignore the rest of the world.

This is why when the globe is revolved to put New Zealand in the centre ("putting us where God intended us to be"), we only have to look at ourselves, the Pacific Islands, Antarctica, and less hospitable lands such as Australia.

The good news is that the Kiwis industrious digging has created one of the best cruising grounds in the world. Come and visit us sometime.

[captain58sailin]

Cheers, I can't wait, to come and visit.

[Factor]

I actually think that Gord's countrymen have a really interesting approach to units of measurement. Its a metric country, the speed signs are in Kms etcetc, but you want to buy butter its in Pounds, really weird.

Its about the only fault I can pick with Canada, apart from the fact they are the Kiwis of the northern Hemisphere. - You know the look at me thing that comes from having a big brother nearby.

I lived in Ottawa for about six months a few years ago.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Factor

. Its a metric country, the speed signs are in Kms etcetc, but you want to buy butter its in Pounds, really weird.

What else would you expect from a county that is "Bi"...eh?

[meyermm]

Kiwi's have been called a lot of names but intellectual?

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by meyermm

Kiwi's have been called a lot of names but intellectual?

Yep, I choked a bit with that one but I gotta assume Pel's tongue was firmly planted in his cheek.

[MarkJ]

We are funny lil countries down the bottom of the world... some say NZ is the bottom, other say its just the pimple...

In the 1970's NZ had a funny fat Prime Minister called Langy pronounced Longey and he effectively banned American warships because he didnt like guns... and Australia had a funny little Prime minister called Johnny who listened to the gunfire when 35 people were senselessly slain by guns and banned the bloody things.

In the 1970's we had an anti-nuke rock star who just turned politician as Enviornment Minister - and this week approved a new Uranium mine.

The things we love are...... sheep, Ugg boots, Possums (especially New Zealanders love them!) and butter. Last year NZ toyed with killing Chinese babies with their milk products, but they were only following Australia’s example of killing starving Africans with milk based emergency food supplements. Gave those kids the runs... till they died. So we tried giving water pumps to India so they could get clean water and watched them die when they sucked arsenic from the aquifer.
But at least we try.

We try to be a good neighbour and give surrounding countries lots of money so they can scoff at us and ridicule us and even bomb the crap out of us when we visit them like today in Jakarta.

But when I go overseas everyone is happy that we are from Australia, and everyone wants to either come here for a holiday or move here permanently.

I am happy to be going. Sad that I am going too. I wonder what my little country will be like when I come back?


Mark

[BlueSovereign]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

We are funny lil countries down the bottom of the world... some say NZ is the bottom, other say its just the pimple...
Mark

You left out: "with a black-head, on the ass of the world"

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Factor

... Its (Canada) a metric country, the speed signs are in Kms etcetc, but you want to buy butter its in Pounds, really weird ...

Actually, a so-called “pound” of butter is 454grams, and a “quart” of milk is a litre, in Canada.
However, we’re not completely rational - wire is sold by the metre, whereas the conduit (into which we pull it) is sold by the foot (10' lengths). Lumber is also sold by Imperial measure.