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Published: March 30th 2005
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Adelaide
A view from the airplane. Whoohoo! ---A definite exclamation of celebration. I finished my last day of official duty social work and I am happy to report that TMC (The Magdalene Centre) is still functional and in one piece! Shortly thereafter (my final hours as duty social worker) we flew to Melbourne for the long Easter weekend. The Green House hostel provided accommodation for our two night stay in the city. It was in a good location but very impersonal and unclean-unlike the world renowned Backpack Oz. I wouldn’t recommend it. Nevertheless, we had a good time touring the city. We found that Melbourne folks are not as friendly as the individuals in Adelaide. This could have something to do with the fact that Melbourne is a much larger city and moves at a quicker pace. Granted, population estimates from 2001 state that the population of Adelaide was 1,072,585 compared to Melbourne at 1,718,650. Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia following behind Sydney. Or perhaps it’s the crazy weather… I remember standing in the center of the city looking up at the clouds: In one direction there were dark clouds about to pour down rain and just opposite I gazed at blue skies.
In
Australia, Good Friday is celebrated much like Christmas in the U.S. -everything is closed!!! This meant a long day of walking around the city exploring landmarks along the Yarra River precinct. Despite the wacky weather we were in luck because The Melbourne International Comedy Festival as in full swing which features over 2,000 performances. Katie, Sabina and I went for a cheaper option and attended Josh Earls “Broke” - a tale of breaking up, breaking down and being broke. Following the performance, the girls went out on the town while Ossian and I caught up on some rest and reading. This meant that we were up early Saturday morning taking advantage of the open shopping centres. We also re-visited a quaint coffee shop for brekky. Just to give you a comparison, Kameron and Ossian agree that Melbourne is similar to San Francisco. I’ve never been so we will have to take their word for it.
Saturday afternoon we departed for the Great Ocean Road via Wayward Bus. In brief, I have never seen so many rocks. By day two I was seriously considering canceling my expedition to Uluru (Ayers Rock). The coast was so beautiful, diverse and a lot to
take in just a few short days. I will spare the full tour itinerary and share a general explanation of what I thought to be the highlights.
The 12 Apostles are clearly spectacular. In all honesty, I took about forty photos of the same thing! Lucky for you, I am only sharing a few.
Loch Ard Gorge was named after the Loch Ard ship wreck in 1878 that killed 52 people. In one of the photos you might notice members from our group venturing into a cave. Kameron, Katie and I considered it but the water was just too cold!
The Grotto and London Bridge are shaped by the Southern ocean and Antarctic winds-only years ago, the London Bridge fell and is no longer connected to the mainland.
Tower Hill is a dormant volcano that houses wildlife such as kangaroos, emus and kolas. We saw all of the above but I think the highlight of our walk was seeing a single koala transfer from one tree to the next. This meant seeing a koala in action and on the ground. That doesn’t happen very often.
Blue Lake located in Mt Gambier fills the crater of a volcano that erupted
some 5000 years ago. Unfortunately, the lake is not for recreational use but holds and supplies 9 million gallons of water to the Mt Gambier region. I wouldn’t mind having a home with a view of Blue Lake-very pristine.
Umpherston Cave is a large sinkhole. The sinkhole would make a great place for reflection and quiet walks (I do believe) but the noisy birds made the twenty minute stop more than enough.
As soon as we drove into South Australia, I could tell an immediate change in weather and that is one reason I find South Australia more pleasant than Victoria (Melbourne’s state). The South End Cununda NP was by far my favorite spot along the journey. The Rainbow Rocks are so diverse and the beaches are so peaceful. Ossian and I soaked up every last drop by exploring every nook and ledge.
Coorong National Park is a long and narrow stretch of white sand dunes, dry salt lakes and lagoons. The Murray River passes through before emptying into the Southern Ocean. The Wilderness lodge offered lunch followed by a bush walk with Gordy that included stories of culture, life experience and tradition. I had my first introduction to bush
Port Fairy YHA
This is the place to stay if you are in the area! medicine.
Finally, you know that you are in Australia when you see orange and black road signs for koalas, kangaroos and wombats. I also noted countless signs along the highway that encouraged safe driving (i.e. “Drowsy Drivers Die, Need a powernap? If you are tired then sleep”).
Word Bank
Arvo-afternoon
Daks/Strides- men’s trousers
Dinkum- the real thing, the truth
Drum-information on the latest news
Buggered-exhausted
Spanner-a tool like a hammer or an idiot
Whanker-an idiot, stupid, someone you don’t have time for
Pie floater-minced peas and tomato in a pie
Tingle-to ring (to call)
Another rhyming phrase: Septic tank means yank (or Yankee).
Here is another common phrase used frequently: “Biggest thing since sliced bread”.
Culture Shock 101
I have made several observations when comparing Australia to America in the work place. Please remember that I have found these cases in my personal experience only and that it may not be true for others.
1. Holiday (or vacation) and sick days are more accessible and available in Australia.
2. The productivity level is the same here but the stress level is less intense.
3. There are so many tea and coffee breaks!
4. Alcohol is
allowed in the workplace (it’s allowed to be purchased, brought inside and distributed).
5. On a social work level, licensing requirements differ in Australia. Also, there is greater focus on social welfare and social change and less work at the individual level. (FYI- in public facilities there are biohazard containers for used needles and agencies distribute clean needles.)
6. Pace of work is slower and the work day ends between 3 and 5 p.m.
7. There is a high value on weekends and leisure time which allows for more quality time with friends and family. I think the philosophy is that lower stress levels prolong life-a leisure ethic versus work ethic.
8. It seems that individuals are more “chatty” during work and that there is time to sit for tea and develop a relationship.
9. The relationship does not seem to be as formal between supervisor and worker.
10. I also find that people dress in clothing that does not appear well off or better than others.
Travel Tip:
Again, let me reinforce that Good Friday is a major holiday in Australia and travel plans should be adjusted accordingly
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anonymous
non-member comment
Work ethic
I totally agree that the work ethic here is at a slower, less tense level than ours. I think the alcohol at work thing is pretty site specific. The licensing thing is very different also. They don't have to have a license to practice, only uni qualifications. When I asked my supervisor what her license title was, she said "MSSW". - Amber