Aussie, Aussie, Aussie... Travelling within Australia

I first heard it when it was a fresh chant at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, the now famous Australian sporting chant! Not quite the NZ "Haka", but it sure is fun to be a part of it when it gets going ... "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi! Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi! Aussie! Oi! Aussie! Oi! Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!" Fair to say, it's not hard to learn!

Why do we settle anywhere? Why this place, or that? We generally all leave our childhood homes and set up house somewhere else, but why?

Travelling opened me up to so many places where I found myself saying, “ohhhhhh, I could live here!” And yet, I could never find a valid reason as to why I would settle there. I had a whole world to choose from but the choice seemed to require a reason that I didn’t possess at the time. Past generations of mine had been given a one-way ticket from Ireland to Australia onboard a convict ship, in a time of diaspora, cheap labour and colonial movement. With chains attached, I can’t say that they chose it … but maybe, they subconsciously did. They ended up prospering from the move and all these years later, I certainly have. Two of my children made the choice to study at universities in Australia, did extremely well there and afterwards, continue to do so. Although they arrived without chains, they too have prospered from the move. And again, I certainly have. Generations apart, my family have prospered from moving to Australia. So, I ask myself, what is so special about it?

Australia! Ozzie! ‘Straya! However I say it, it brings a smile to my face. A land of such vast beauty and prosperity, from the oldest civilisation in our current understanding of human history, to the share scale of this country as one of the world’s biggest, to the diverse landscapes from golden beached coastlines to red sand deserts, cities and towns dotted in between, sporting arenas, shopping, theatres and galleries, vineyards and theme parks, the Great Barrier Reef, Blue Mountains and Uluru and, of course, the people and the animals, what isn’t there to love? Good on ya, mate!

From the moment I first stepped foot upon the shores of my big-brother-neighbour-from-Down Under many years ago, I have loved Australia. Over the years I have travelled the east coast from North Queensland to Tasmania, across to South Australia, marvelling at its magnificence and beauty. On an educational trip when I worked in travel in the '80s, I fell in love with Melbourne, as if I had come home. Little did I realise it at the time, part of me had. Now, my heart is there permanently. With my children settled in Melbourne, I have the reason.

Some highlights of trips to Australia:

• Drive the Great Ocean Road, Victoria

• Snorkel or dive the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland .. and for something different, try a river snorkel in Port Douglas

• Watch some sport! Lacrosse, Aussie Rules, tennis, cricket, league or football? MCG, AAMI Park or Rod Laver in Melbourne or one of the many sporting stadiums across Australia

• Rock climb .. inside or out

• Play some golf on one of the many world class golf courses

• Enjoy the many beaches. Learn to surf

• Sail across the Tasman to NZ from Hobart

• Walk, bike or hike .. anywhere

• Wine taste, visit Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula. Have a soak in the Hot Springs afterwards!

• Ride the Puffing Billy Railway or just enjoy the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria, the Blue Mountains in New South Wales or the Glasshouse Mountains in Queensland

• Have an Australian beer at a pub with the locals, maybe a meat pie or Oz Pizza

• Visit the gardens or nature reserves and explore the unique Australian fauna, birds and wildlife

• Day trip across to K'Gari (Fraser Island), Queensland

• Stay at the Grampian National Park, Victoria

• Visit the gold mining area of Ballarat, Victoria

• Surf at Bondi Beach, climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, look through the Art Gallery or visit the Opera House in Sydney .. or board a cruise ship heading to a number of destinations in the Pacific

• Visit Philip Island, watch the little Blue Penguins return to the beach at dusk

• Wander through the Queen Vic Markets in Melbourne or the Eumundi Markets on the Sunshine Coast

• Grab a coffee and lunch, maybe a scallop pie or have a bbq with family or friends

• Enjoy a meal at one of the many restaurants and taste from one of the many varieties of cuisine from around the world

• Go to the theatre or spend the day shopping

• Explore the street art

• See a Dingo, Wombat, Kangaroo, Kookaburra or Koala

Australia! What else can I say but, Oi, Oi, Oi …...!