in australia

[Rich06FJR1300]

i'm in australia! melbourne area (that's the southeastern side). My father passed away over last weekend so i had to visit.

 

Anyway, i'm learning to drive on the left side of the road. What stress! Plus the driving side is on the right side of the car! So its definitely a twist on the usual routine from going from A to B. So far no incidents but my dad owned this toyota diesel (which his 2nd wife now owns)that i'm driving around in. This is a manual transmission so i'm learning to shift with my left hand LOL....i keep having to remind myself to stay on the left. Then with the shifting, i'm finding i'm putting the stick into the wrong gear...but usually catch it and quickly get it into the proper gear. As they say down here, "no worries". I was thinking of renting a motorcycle (or motorbike as they call it) but with learning curve of driving, don't want to even attempt riding yet. There's a bmw/guzzi dealer in melbourne and was thinking of checking the bikes out though.

[Linz]

So, how do you think we Aussies feel when we visit the USA and have to drive on the right, on the left hand side of the car, changing a stick shift with our right hand?

Don't be such a baby. I've ridden my friends R1100RT to Lake Tahoe and back, 2 -up with my wife from Sacramento and then navigated his Saturn through the back roads to Yosemite, down to the coast at Cayucos and then up Number 1 so San Francisco and all with a non map reading wife as a passenger and no GPS.

 

Hire a car, grit your teeth, close your eyes and drive like the rest of us do down here...

 

Linz

[Wyn]

I don't know what would freak me out more. Riding/driving on the wrong side of the road or watching the product of my daily reading time swirling in the wrong direction!

 

An old riding buddy of mine did the entire perimeter of Aus. one and a half times and a ride to Airs? Rock on his R75/6. He said by the time riding on the wrong side became normal, without a thought, he had to come home and learn to ride the right side again.

 

Rich, go get ya a motorbike, I would think a GS would be best, and go for a ride. It would give you more time to reflect on your dad.

 

The song goes: In the sweet by and by we shall meet on that beautiful shore. Sorry for your loss.

[Carl_B]

Melbourne is a great area. I wish that I had time to rent a motorcycle but ended up with a car for a day. I was the only one of 4 who wanted to drive. After taking off the passenger side mirror and enduring ridicule for turning on the windshield wipers when I want to signal a turn, I quickly became more comfortable. Definitely try - you won't regret it.

 

Carl

[Chugger]

26 hr flight from JFK to Townsville. no sleep

Rent a new mustang (it wasn't called that there but it copied the US version) I know your stress!! Only one mishap

but that was 5.00 AM next morning. Found it easier with a lot of traffic around. After a week I didn't even give it a though.

When I got back to the states it took me about a month to stop using the windshield wipers as turn signals.

All and All we loved it

 

Hope someday to return.

 

Next time I go diving I will were a jelly suit under 3/4 wet suit. I learned how bad Jelly fish can be.

 

Chugger

BLU 1150 RT

[Ken H.]

I've also spent time in Melbourne, love the city.

 

For some reason I seemed to have more trouble walking than driving! For example when meeting someone on the sidewalk remembering which way to step to pass by each other. Or revolving doors that rotate the other direction from in the states. Those things would get me every time. Wham! Much to the valet's amusement.

[Bob Palin]

Riding/driving on the wrong side of the road

It is NOT the wrong side of the road! It's the other side.

[artig]

Some of the bike hire companies here stick a large arrow pointing left on or above the instrument panel. A good reminder to keep left.

 

Another helpful hint. Don't cross the road to refuel. Find a service station on your side of the road. Leaving driveways and intersections, and turning onto a road with no other traffic is the main source of 'wrong-side' crashes.

 

When crossing the road on foot, always look in both directions twice. You'll find that you are expecting the traffic to be coming from the wrong direction.

 

If you do hire a bike there are probably local riders who would be happy to ride with you. Following someone else on a bike is one of the best ways to get some experience at riding on the left.

[BereIsland]

Your right Bob, the wrong side is when your facing oncoming traffic I know

Steve

[Bob Palin]

Your right Bob, the wrong side is when your facing oncoming traffic I know

Steve

Me too, almost.

 

Obviously I learned to drive/ride on the left. Over the years I've begun to get used to being on the wrong side but every now and then I'll go to the wrong door on the car even after 28 years here. A couple of weeks ago I came out of the Capitol Reef restaurant and drove my truck along UT24 on the left side (no booze involved!). There wasn't another car in site and I didn't realize what I was doing until I went to turn into my own street about a quarter mile down. Amazing.

[bvaughan]

Melbourne is a great area. I wish that I had time to rent a motorcycle but ended up with a car for a day.

what's the name of that goofy right turn they do on the main drag in downtown Melbourne where when there's a car turning in the opposite direction you turn behind instead of in front of each other? that was the one aspect of antipodean driving i just couldn't quite get the hang of . . .

[BereIsland]

Your right Bob, the wrong side is when your facing oncoming traffic I know

Steve

Me too, almost.

 

Obviously I learned to drive/ride on the left. Over the years I've begun to get used to being on the wrong side but every now and then I'll go to the wrong door on the car even after 28 years here. A couple of weeks ago I came out of the Capitol Reef restaurant and drove my truck along UT24 on the left side (no booze involved!). There wasn't another car in site and I didn't realize what I was doing until I went to turn into my own street about a quarter mile down. Amazing.

 

Amazing, after 28 years, still it explains why I sometimes still try to put rubbish in my fridge, its where the bin used to be, 10 years ago

Steve

[Rich06FJR1300]

so far so good today...just drove to the local market to pickup some food. So far not so bad...one time i caught the wipers before the signals LOL...but all is ok (no worries mate!) Going to Healseville Sanctuary tomorrow, still undecided to hire a bike or not as the rental car is pretty expensive right now and sort of limited on funds.

[Linz]

If you're going to Healesville, then you're on the edge of the Black Spur, one of Victoria's premier motorcycle riding roads. Not riding it would be akin to being a mile from The Dragon and not riding that...

 

Hire a bike but be careful.

 

Have fun.

 

Linz

[NoHeat]

just drove to the local market to pickup some food. So far not so bad...one time i caught the wipers before the signals LOL

 

Ha! I've done that when I had a rental car in Australia.

 

Just wait till you're back in the states, then you'll be doing it again. DAMHIK

 

My biggest challenge was pulling into the street from a parking lot. That's when I would start out on the wrong side of the road. Luckily my car had plates from Queensland, so that the all the drivers in New South Wales just thought I was a dumb Queenie.

[Rich06FJR1300]

wasn't so bad today. We took the camry (yeah, i bagged the idea of riding a bike) and went up to Healsville to see the sanctuary then drove over to warburton to see this strange house that "bill" made, like a combo tree house with all sorts of designs...hard to describe, have to see i to believe it...takes up a couple of blocks but its off the main dragin in warburton. We had a GPS which helped us a great deal of getting to and back where we came from. Amazing device...not sure if its sold in the states or not but its not made by garmin. Helped me out a great deal with the roundabouts (which there were plenty of).

 

So on to big and better things for tomorrow.

 

Rich

[Python1953]

just drove to the local market to pickup some food. So far not so bad...one time i caught the wipers before the signals LOL

 

Ha! I've done that when I had a rental car in Australia.

 

Just wait till you're back in the states, then you'll be doing it again. DAMHIK

 

My biggest challenge was pulling into the street from a parking lot. That's when I would start out on the wrong side of the road. Luckily my car had plates from Queensland, so that the all the drivers in New South Wales just thought I was a dumb Queenie.

 

The dumb ones are the Victorians - Not the Queenslanders (Banana Benders is the proper term). Queenies are something found in gay bars.

[Bob Palin]

Queenies are something found in gay bars.

Or buses crossing the desert

[Gary in Aus]

It's called a "hook turn" and has to be one of the strangest ways to turn a corner, I think it only applies in some areas of Melbournes CBD.

 

When I have to drive in Melbourne I actually plan to avoid using these corners , doesn't seem to worry those who use it regularly. It takes some getting used to.

[Gary in Aus]

Just got back from life saving conference in Lisbon, Portugal and another in London.

 

Boy are you going to be cold when you go back to the Northern Hemisphere. London for us was just too cold.

 

Not sure how much time you have but you would know by now that while Victoria is our second smallest state {about half the size of California} it is also a second most populated with around 4 million people ,so everything is not too far away.

 

A bit touristy but Sovereign Hill / Ballarat give a good glimpse of our past. Echuca on the Murray is not too far away. If transport is a problem , the trams around Melbourne are some of the best in the world and very economical and it is surprising how far the network spreads.

 

There are organised tours down to Phillip Island ,which include the track as well as visit to the Fairy Penguins. At dusk everyone is seated as the penguins return from hunting for the day and it is a great sight to see them "marching" back up the beach.

 

A drive around to Sorrento and across on the car ferry is also a good day out but you need to try and do the Great Ocean Road around to Port Campbell , amazing scenery.

 

There are companies that hire older cars such as "rent a wreck" ,I have not used them but have heard that they can be very cheap to hire and will do the job needed.

 

Have a good time.

 

 

Queenslanders are known as Banana Benders .

New South Welshmen are known as Cockroaches.

Victorians are known as Mexicans.

West Australians are known as Sand Groppers.

Northern Territory residents are known as Territorians,

Tasmanians are known as related.

And no one can be bothered about South Australians

[JohnBeaven]

Tasmanians are known as related.

 

They also believe that the Canning Stock Route is an annual event....

[Gary in Aus]

"They also believe the Canning Stock Route is an annual event"

 

They actually bring their own.

[Rich06FJR1300]

today i went to wilson's prom, very nice scenerey there. Left at 6:30 am and got back at about 3 pm. Its about 100 or so miles away. I hiked up Mount Orebon (short hike about 3 km to the first point, i think they called it Wilson's saddle or something like that) so that was a good workout...then over to squeaky beach to check that out...took some nice photos and also video. That's about it as we head back to the states tomorrow. Filled up the toyota camry...about 60 aussie dollars (probably be 55 bucks in US)...ouch!

[wolcott]

Richard: Sorry to hear that your dad passed away. Have a good time in Australia. Have you gone to see any zoos with salt-water crocs and other critters? I always wanted to go there. Lots of wildlife and great scenery. Watch out for them dang jellyfish (especially the box jellyfish).

[Gary in Aus]

John ,

 

the Canning Stock Route went through to the keeper ,

 

it's a cultural thing.