Australia Trip

[Moby Vic]

Hello all,

I apologize in advance for this long, rambling post! I signed on here the other day because I figured it would be a good source of information for several things. Obviously I'm interested in Australian Fords. I'm really only familiar with the Falcon, but that should be enough!

I'm pondering my first-ever trip to Australia later this year. I'd like to attend the Bathurst 1000, since it's the 50th anniversary, the rules change next year, and I figure I could see some Falcons in action.

I don't know much about Australia. In the '80s I got the first two Men at Work albums on vinyl. I got Midnight Oil on cassette. I then made the mistake of seeing Young Einstein.

And then for 20 years or so, not much about Australia, aside from a classic episode of The Simpsons.

Then I learned about the Falcons. I got a diecast of a Phase III XY GTHO. It's a very odd-looking car to American eyes. We tend to use two-door coupes for performance, not four-door sedans. And the Falcon was on the way out here by the time the 351 Cleveland arrived. So I got very interested in the Falcons.

In 2010 I visited Ireland, and after that I read up on the history of Ireland. Of course in reading about that I learned about the connection to Australia (initially through the song "The Fields of Athenry"). And I got to thinking that Australia would be an interesting place to visit.

Then I found a copy of The Proposition on DVD. What an amazing film! It's like a spaghetti western, but obviously not. Since then I've become a huge fan of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. A friend of mine turned me on to the Saints as well.

I also got Walkabout on DVD. I had read the book in junior high, but had never seen the movie.

I'm currently reading a book called The Songlines, which was written by an English travel author. It is listed as a work of fiction, but it is clearly based on actual experiences of his. I've also got a book about the history of Australia that I hope to read next. I found it in a used bookstore. It's actually not very easy to find books about Australia in the US.

So now you know what little I know about your country, as filtered and distorted as that may be. I'm researching coming to visit for 3-4 weeks around the Bathurst race, and trying to figure out an itinerary.

I'm interested in Fords, obviously, but also other old Australian muscle such as Monaros, Toranas, and Chargers. I'm also interested in history, music (indigenous, rock, punk rock, jazz, pretty much anything), and aviation.

My rough plan is to visit Sydney, Bathurst, Melbourne (and the Ford museum in Geelong), and to see some of the Outback.

I now invite you all to suggest places to visit, things to see, or explain why I'm crazy or foolish.

This should be educational!

[landau460]

Where to start! Of course there is so much to see and where is the best and with so little time.

For the outback you could go see Uluru/Ayers rock which would be my suggestion. But if that is a bit far maybe the mad max museum at silverton near broken hill! You might know that movie if you didnt know the movie was called The Road Warrior over your way. Still a fare hike though. Which could be done from bathurst!

The places you have suggested are great ones to start with The biggest two cities and The Bathurst 1000 the greatest race on earth!

There are those other little places like Brisbane and Adelaide and Perth i guess need to be mentioned LOL Adelaide with its vinyards being at the top of those last mentioned which is close enough from Melbourne relatively speaking.
O and then there is Tasmania which needs a mention.
It all depends on how busy you want to be for the time you are here and your other interests i guess.

[Moby Vic]

Thanks for the input!

Oh yeah, I know Mad Max--I just forgot to mention it! (The first was the best. All three were over here, but the second and third were the bigger hits, and on original release here they dubbed American accents over Mad Max) I drive a supercharged V8 Interceptor.

Ayers Rock definitely looks like a long way from everything on the map.

[sgt_doofey]

Watch Pricilla - Queen of the Desert for some Aussie culture

Just remember, Australia is a massive country and it'll take you a while to drive to different places.
I'm from Adelaide and the only motoring thing we have here is the National Motor Museum at Birdwood in the Adelaide Hills.

[smoo]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

Watch Pricilla - Queen of the Desert for some Aussie culture

It would be rude to forget Bad Boy Bubby as well.

[Moby Vic]

Oh, I've got the soundtrack for Stone, which apparently is a biker flick that pre-dates Mad Max. I think I'll pass on Priscilla.

I'm aware of the distance between things and wondering about the best way to travel.

I don't figure I can sign up for any standard tour that includes the Bathurst 1000. So I'm thinking maybe I should take several day tours.

To get to Bathurst from, say, Sydney, will I need to rent a car? Or is there a train that will conveniently take me there? Or will I have to harness two kangaroos to a wagon?

[AC]

You can do quite a bit in Sydney, Climb the Harbour Bridge, Do Darling Harbour, the Opera House, Take a ferry to the Zoo(which has another associated Zoo near Bathurst at Dubbo, much bigger), or just catch a ferry for the sake of getting on a ferry to see the city from the water. Anyone going to Bathurst, has to go through the Blue Mountains, lots of nice places to stay and things to see. I maybe a little bias
Looking at the first post, you seem like you want to head south out of Bathurst, so you could either head back to Sydney see more stuff there, or go out west a little more and see the countryside, maybe go south towards Temora to where the Aviation Museum is, which is pretty good, even better when they have a show on. Then head over to the nations capital Canberra, plenty to see and do there too. Out of Canberra you could go coastal, lots of nice little coastal stops along the way, or otherwise go south out of Canberra and head straight for Melbourne down the Hume HWY.
Being that I know little of the Southern States, I'll hand that over to one of our Southerners.


Something you may not be familiar with TV wise... Russell Coight.
Dundee had nothing on this guy, Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwfdYnSj5Vg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUwA_daP0-o
There's plenty more on youtube if you want a laugh.

[Moby Vic]

I guess I need to figure out if I want to be in Melbourne or Sydney first (but I'm guessing there are more flights to Sydney).

Is it fairly warm in October? Is there a significant difference in temperature between Melbourne and Sydney?

Are there any big car shows that time of year? We have monthly cruise-ins here (people just hang out in a parking lot).

Do I need a visa to visit Australia? A tourism website said I do, but an American coworker said I don't (but she visited about a decade ago).

[AC]

You can get cheap flights between the two if you need to, but the really cheap flights are carry on only, so you'd have to extra pay for luggage that isnt carry on.

October here is Spring time, so its generally colder nights, nice days.
But the weather here lately has been pretty hard to predict.

Car Shows, check this out: http://www.pinky.com.au/
Pinky generally has anything and everything car show on his website.

Visa, I'm pretty sure you can come here for 3 months without one, just as we can do the same to go to the USA. But if you intend to work, then you'll need a Work Visa. But that's something you may want to look into a bit more as I'm not 100% on the details.

[Moby Vic]

Work? Bah! I'm coming for vacation.

[snowcone]

Toranafest in Newcastle on 3rd weekend in September
This is a couple of weeks before Bathurst.
Newcastle is a 2 hour drive north of Sydney
Biggest turnout of Toranas in the country (even so it is only a couple of hundred or so as they are mostly gone to the parking lot in the sky)

[ebxr8240]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

Work? Bah! I'm coming for vacation.

Aha we've news for you .. Lol...

[1971]

have a night out like NRL player Joel Monaghan,its an aussie thing.

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by 1971

have a night out like NRL player Joel Monaghan,its an aussie thing.

Bark !!

[Fantome]

Sydney to Bathurst by train is easy. Countrylink operate the Central West XPT departing Sydney around 7 am daily. Another option is to take City Rail electric train to Lithgow then Countrylink coach to Bathurst several services a day, recommend you book in advance though.

www.countrylink.info

Countrylink also operate to Broken Hill either direct on Silver City Exploder oops, I mean Explorer every Monday or once again the Central West XPT to Dubbo then Countrylink Coach to BH daily. You will find plenty of day tours to Silverton from Broken Hill (only 25kms away).

I retired from Countrylink in December so you won't get me up front!!

[z80]

Since I am in your home at the moment here are some thoughts....

You will definitely not need a visa, and we will NOT fingerprint you at the airport like you do to us.

You do not need to tip every time you buy anything.

The prices displayed are the actual prices you pay for advertised goods and services.

Cars and car hire here will seem obscenely high as is the price of fuel.

It's a big place, don't expect to see the barrier reef, ayers rock and Sydney in one trip...unless you like a lot of travel time.

Weather?
In October expect Sydney to be like Orlando in January.
Expect melbourne to be completely unpredictable.

Don't even think of driving from one end to the other...too far for a holiday visit.

The Ford Discovery centre may be a touch disappointing in scale, say like comparing a 7 Eleven to a Walmart store.

If you plan to drive here, bring a lot of cash, we have a surprise for you in terms of speed enforcement on the roads.
It has become a national sport by state governments to install as many speed cameras as possible....especially in Victoria.

But having said all that...you may not want to go back home after coming to Australia and seeing how good we have it...

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by z80

It's a big place, don't expect to see the barrier reef, ayers rock and Sydney in one trip...unless you like a lot of travel time.

Don't even think of driving from one end to the other...too far for a holiday visit.

The Ford Discovery centre may be a touch disappointing in scale, say like comparing a 7 Eleven to a Walmart store.

If you plan to drive here, bring a lot of cash, we have a surprise for you in terms of speed enforcement on the roads.
It has become a national sport by state governments to install as many speed cameras as possible....especially in Victoria.

But having said all that...you may not want to go back home after coming to Australia and seeing how good we have it...

Yeah, I'm somewhat aware of the scale. That's why I'm thinking Sydney, Melbourne, Bathurst, and some kind of glimpse at the Outback. The Great Ocean Drive (Road?) has been recommended to me as well.

I looked at the Discovery Centre site, so I got the impression it's not that big. But if I go there I can tell Ford fans in the US I was there. (If any of you ever make it to Dearborn, Michigan, do NOT miss the Henry Ford Museum. I also recommend the Rouge factory tour. That's where they build the F Series now.)

As a tourist, if I'm driving, I'll stick to the speed limit. It'll be disorienting enough driving on the opposite side of the road.

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

Aha we've news for you .. Lol...

You're gonna put me to work if I visit?

Originally Posted by Fantome

Sydney to Bathurst by train is easy. Countrylink operate the Central West XPT departing Sydney around 7 am daily. Another option is to take City Rail electric train to Lithgow then Countrylink coach to Bathurst several services a day, recommend you book in advance though.

www.countrylink.info

Countrylink also operate to Broken Hill either direct on Silver City Exploder oops, I mean Explorer every Monday or once again the Central West XPT to Dubbo then Countrylink Coach to BH daily. You will find plenty of day tours to Silverton from Broken Hill (only 25kms away).

I retired from Countrylink in December so you won't get me up front!!

Now this is the kind of stuff I'd never find just googling. Thanks!

[glavas]

what ever you think you no about this great country from what you have seen on tv, trust me when i say you have not got a clue. things to do.


buy a gt-e(fg)

listen to inxs dont change

Bathurst

australian war museum

drive a v8 ute

Do not say "sir"

try to pick up a meter maid

go to darwin and run a muck

watch st george win 11 grand finals in a row

[Moby Vic]

Oh, I know that I know nothing.

And I've had Shabooh Shoobah on cassette since the '80s!

[Neale]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

Oh, I've got the soundtrack for Stone, which apparently is a biker flick that pre-dates Mad Max. I think I'll pass on Priscilla.

I'm aware of the distance between things and wondering about the best way to travel.

I don't figure I can sign up for any standard tour that includes the Bathurst 1000. So I'm thinking maybe I should take several day tours.

To get to Bathurst from, say, Sydney, will I need to rent a car? Or is there a train that will conveniently take me there? Or will I have to harness two kangaroos to a wagon?

I recommend driving, you can see alot more, you can also see the blue mountains on the way out there & maybe head out to Temora for an airshow or look around (its just ashame they have a show on the same saturday that the race is on).

If thats to hard to get to the RAAF museum at Point Cook is also a good one http://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/

You also said that you are into history & liked the movie The Proposition. Bathurst was a bit like the Australian version of the wild west. With heaps of bushrangers, going after the gold that was & still is mined in the surrounding towns. Here is a link with a bit of info about them http://abercrombiecaves.com/bushrang.pdf

Also a link for some info about the town Bathurst
http://www.bathurst-nsw.com/History.html

If your into bushrangers be sure to check out Ned Kelly's suit of armor in the Library in State Library in Melbourne (http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/explore/fa...ly-fact-sheet), bonus is its free to have a look at it.

For more info about ned check out this page http://www.ironoutlaw.com/

[Neale]

Oh and be sure to look out for drop bears

[Neale]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

I guess I need to figure out if I want to be in Melbourne or Sydney first (but I'm guessing there are more flights to Sydney).

Is it fairly warm in October? Is there a significant difference in temperature between Melbourne and Sydney?

Are there any big car shows that time of year? We have monthly cruise-ins here (people just hang out in a parking lot).

Do I need a visa to visit Australia? A tourism website said I do, but an American coworker said I don't (but she visited about a decade ago).

As far as weather goes its fairly unpredictable in Bathurst in October, its usually fairly mild but ive been there & you can have ice on the ground in the morning & then be boiling hot (eg 30 degrees C or 90 degrees F) in the arfternoon. Melbourne is also known for having four seasons in one day

[Moby Vic]

Good tips. Keep 'em coming!

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by Neale

Oh and be sure to look out for drop bears

What's that? And why shouldn't I say sir?

[glavas]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

What's that? And why shouldn't I say sir?

cause its really annoying when you americans say sir all the time. leave that for the army,

just say champ,mate,cobber,digger,chief,sport,bloke,buddy or even friend.

[dylby1]

The only thing I an really say, is that there is a bloody good reason alot of Aussies travel australia for holidays.

Because it's beautiful, and it's huge. Screw going to Europe when I can travel my own country, I don't need a passport every time I cross a border, an I know everybody can understand my language and accent haha

And I can do it all in my own car.

Another thing, don't believe a single word you hear on the news (probably not much different over there)
Especially "a current affair", "today tonight" or any morning shows

I could probably say more but it's bedtime, I've got a 6 hour drive ahead of me in 7 hours.

Best of luck and I hope you enjoy your trip here, good choice on choosing a) ford over Holden, and b) choosing to attend our great race. You have amazing taste

[glavas]

and drive a e1-3 maloo down the m1 from brissy to gold coast with some aussie crawl boys light up cracking!!! that will put some hair on ya chest

[Uncle Niceguy]

hehe if u want any sort of predictable weather head to either brisbane, cairns, darwin (to an extent) or perth cos ur garuanteed a nice warm day if its the west side its dry heat (saves you sweating ur *** off) if its east side its nice and humid and if its north ( cairns and darwin) its like a nice warm shower when there is a rainy day or storm. and to the south well i can't really comment but that's where you go for the big cities and its generally unpredictable. so thats weather covered for ya.

cheers
Mr. Niceguy

[Uncle Niceguy]

Originally Posted by glavas

and drive a e1-3 maloo down the m1 from brissy to gold coast with some aussie crawl boys light up cracking!!! that will put some hair on ya chest

hehe and don't forget black betty lol

[Neale]

Originally Posted by Moby Vic

What's that? And why shouldn't I say sir?

The Drop Bear, Thylarctos plummetus, is a large, arboreal, predatory marsupial related to the Koala.


Here are some tips that can help avoid getting attacked

Drop bears are smarter than you think, and display some interesting characteristics. One thing for sure is that there are things you can do to avoid the threat of drop bears when visiting Australia. Here are our ten most recommended tips:

•1. Avoid drop bear prone areas - Check the danger areas and avoid walking under tall trees
•2. Try to avoid speaking in languages apart from English - A drop bear can detect foreign languages and will target the origin of such sounds
•3. Use the Aussie Lingo - Words like sheila and crikey will fool your average drop bear
•4. Smear vegemite on your armpits - We think this one is a bit of a myth, however many swear by it, so if you want to make sure you don't get flattened by a hairy meat sack, then you may want to go to such extremes
•5. Hop on one leg - This is an interesting one. We thing that the drop bear will mistake you for a Kangaroo and leave you alone if they hear hopping. It is not fool proof but a good one to excersize, especially if you hear the rustling of potential drop bear activity
•6. Keep Moving - when you move around it is very hard for a bear to follow you up in the trees. If you stay in one place say for a picnic, the drop bear has the chance to edge forward towards you location
•7. Wear a broad brimmed hat - Wearing a large hat increases the viewable area of your body to a drop bear looking down from above. We have found that large hats tend to scare off some of the less agressive drop bears.
•8. Sing a song - (preferably Australian - see number 2 and 3) Drop bears are known to be very musical creatures and appreciate a good song.
•9. Don't declare liberal political views out loud - Drop bears are highly left wing politically and don't like hearing the other side of the story
•10. Don't act scared - Seriously, drop bears can smell fear a mile off. Be cautious but confident walking around the Australian bush. Don't let them see the terror in your eyes.

for more info check out these sites
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Drop-Bear
http://www.dropbearaware.com/