U is for unique

car dash with single lane road ahead

Check the navigation screen - this is the Wimmerle Highway in Victoria. It is NOT a divided highway. More a game of chicken and/or careful sharing of the road. I have not looked up the official definition of highway but I will say my mental definition was not a single paved lane, at least not before now. I have gotten a bit more used to the Prince's highway - the main coast road - with its occasional roundabouts and changes in lane dividers but this was a bit beyond my expectations. It was a step up from the prior road which was similar but stayed a single paved lane. On the "highway" the road crests and curves had a lane and a half of pavement, making it easier to avoid oncoming traffic. It was fine once I got used to it; just took a bit and I needed to trust Betty (the truck) to handle one set of tires in gravel and one on pavement.

This post is more of my Oz-specific signs and experiences. The "Ashes" cricket match is on now and is its own long, drawn out experience, but we won't go there. 

However, these things are fair game:

storefront saying Budgy smugglers

Budgy smugglers are those speedos most commonly seen on German tourists. This video explains when speedos become underwear and vice versa:


Town names and road names are often fun to say -many have aboriginal roots. This one shows up in a poem and we had to make sure we passed through:
sign saying tumbarumba

Apparently you can be "Up at Tumba-bloody-rumba shootin' kanga-bloody-roos." We did not. We did pass through a town called "Nhil" and will hit "Hay" on our way out. Many many more out there!

Speaking of poems - we sighted Brumbies as we traveled east.
wild horses in a field
Time to re-read or view "The Man from Snowy River"!
There are "horse crossing" signs for the "highways" (even the bigger ones), as well as koala, wombat and kangaroo crossing signs. The ones that give a distance amuse me. 
kangaroo crossing sign

I missed the photo shot but I did see 3 roos across the street from this sign - they went back into the scrub.

Fire is a reality. The weather apps include fire danger. The warning signs start at "moderate":
fire alert sign

Outside of Sydney, airports have a different approach to security. Water bottles are fine (including ones with water). This one at Moruya offers food to locals and you don't need a boarding pass. You can grab your own suitcase off the mobile cart when you arrive. They do put it on the plane for you, though. 
airport waiting area
We even saw our banker on a flight back from Sydney - small community!
And you can tell snow is not common when your husband has you try to capture it out the moving truck window!
scrub and distant mountains with snow on top

Finally, instead of begging pigeons, they have begging lizards. I finally realized this blue-tongued skink was expecting something. She/he likes blueberries

It is also hard to think of Christmas when it is so warm. We probably won't do much more than family dinner this year as we have lots to purchase for the house anyway. More on Aussie Xmas later! Will leave you with this tree decorated with corellas for now!

tree full of white parrots












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