Random Impressions

A few early impressions of the country:

1. They are very strict on the road rules. Speed cameras, mobile speed cameras in unmarked vehicles, red light cameras and strict drink driving laws are just the start. Victoria especially is full of warning signs about speed, getting enough rest etc, etc, etc ad nauseum.

2. There is an amazing profusion of bird life. From the bright and exotic (lorikeets, cockatoos, rosellas, parrots, gallah), the typically Australian (kookaburra) and the very large (pelicans) to smaller songbirds and seabirds there are seemingly birds everywhere.

3. We have seen most of the well known marsupials in the wild without looking too hard: kangaroos, koalas, wombats, wallabies and platypus... plus a couple of emu. The huge bats are pretty impressive too. Only one snake (roadkill) and a few biggish spiders among the "nasties" this country is famous for.

4. The east coast between Sydney and Brisbane is much less developed than I had imagined. While some stretches of the Gold Coast feature a succession of condos and towering hotels and the coastal burbs of Brisbane could pass for the US, there are also large areas of forest, National Park and wetlands.