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curious Mez
So, I'm wondering:
For all you overseas folk, when you start planning your Exciting Trips To See Australia, what things do you think of seeing?
(brief digression approaching...)
When I went to Munich, everyone said "Oh, you've got to see [exciting landmark]! It's the best!" ...and they were always talking about
1) Neuschwanstein
2) Ludwig's (other) castles
3) Oktoberfest
4) Dachau
Whereas, when I got there, my favourite bits were
1) the Deutchesmuseum
2) the Residence
3) the English Garden
And, in fact, the vast majority of things I found interesting were barely mentioned in guidebooks at all.
(...back to Australia)
Anyway, it occurs to me that there's a big difference between:
a) What tourists want to see in Australia
b) What I think tourists want to see in Australia
c) What I think tourists should actually see in Australia
My answer to b would be the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Uluru, and possibly surfing.
My answer to c would be much longer and more rambling, but would definitely include an Aussie-animal sanctuary, the Great Ocean Road, Sovereign Hill, and Port Arthur.
But, for a? Not a clue.
So - when you think about the stuff you'd like to do as a tourist in Australia, what's on your list?
For all you overseas folk, when you start planning your Exciting Trips To See Australia, what things do you think of seeing?
(brief digression approaching...)
When I went to Munich, everyone said "Oh, you've got to see [exciting landmark]! It's the best!" ...and they were always talking about
1) Neuschwanstein
2) Ludwig's (other) castles
3) Oktoberfest
4) Dachau
Whereas, when I got there, my favourite bits were
1) the Deutchesmuseum
2) the Residence
3) the English Garden
And, in fact, the vast majority of things I found interesting were barely mentioned in guidebooks at all.
(...back to Australia)
Anyway, it occurs to me that there's a big difference between:
a) What tourists want to see in Australia
b) What I think tourists want to see in Australia
c) What I think tourists should actually see in Australia
My answer to b would be the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Uluru, and possibly surfing.
My answer to c would be much longer and more rambling, but would definitely include an Aussie-animal sanctuary, the Great Ocean Road, Sovereign Hill, and Port Arthur.
But, for a? Not a clue.
So - when you think about the stuff you'd like to do as a tourist in Australia, what's on your list?
no subject
(In justification, my main interest in visiting Forn Parts is out of an interest in their history, and places like Italy and China were higher on my priority list. Though I did make an exception for the US on grounds of a) language b) distance/cost/time.)
Still, if I were planning a trip now then the Sydney Opera House and Bridge would definitely be on the list. Botany Bay. I assume there are museums of (a) Australian colonial history (b) Aboriginal history (c) natural history and wildlife. Uluru if it's still considered a legitimate tourist destination these days. An excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. Somewhere I can see kangaroos in the wild, just to say I've done so.
If I went to München I'd want to visit Neuschwanstein because of memories of playing the Gabriel Knight games back in the day. :)
no subject
*weeps piteously*
I kinda agree, though. If your idea of tourism (like mine) includes lots of old buildings, Australia isn't really that interesting...
I assume there are museums of (a) Australian colonial history (b) Aboriginal history (c) natural history and wildlife.
a) definitely; b) probably; c) probably. I'd certainly recommend Port Arthur and Sovereign Hill for colonial stuff.
As far as kangaroos in the wild goes... pick a caravan park, somewhere in a country town. There will be kangaroos. Almost definitely.
no subject
Heh, yeah. Although some of that is ignorance on my part... I really don't know what there is to see, so I don't know whether I want to see it.
My criteria for travel: (1) GOOD FOOD, (2) old stuff - ruins are A+ but really old intact buildings are okay, too, (3) something really cool you can't find in the US, and/or (4) natural beauty.
I'm sure Australia has some of that (kangaroos, Great Barrier Reef, etc.), but in general, it hasn't intrigued me enough do the research to find out what's there...
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1) Definitely. Melbourne is rather renowned for its cuisine. (Huge Italian/Greek population, mixed with huge Chinese population, mixed with huge Anglo population...)
2) Not much, but we've got a fair few things from a couple of hundred years ago. If you're interested in convict-era stuff, or gold rush stuff, we've got plenty.
3) Kangaroos? Coral reefs? Rainforests? Cute penguins? Huge rocks in the desert? Vegemite?
4) Lots and LOTS. We are, in all modesty, a gorgeous country. We've got spectacular beaches, the outback, beautiful coastal regions, lovely valleys, nice mountains, and fun ski slopes.
Plus, I live here. What could be better? :)
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The main deterrent for me, I think, would be the distance/cost/time thing
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We have great food.
We have gorgeous scenery.
We have interesting old stuff.
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But admittedly, England is short of rainforests, coral reefs, big rocks in the desert, desert, penguins, kangaroos and you. We also have Marmite instead of Vegemite.
no subject