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Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 6 2006, 10:56 PM

Beautiful beach. It was Australia's winter time, but there were surfer's everywhere. The architecture in the area is great. It doesn't look like a dumpy little beach town. I almost thought of Croatia looking at the surrounding buildings and hills.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 6 2006, 11:02 PM

Any pics??

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 6 2006, 11:07 PM

Yes. I have to see where they are. I scanned them, but I have to figure out where they are. How do people post photos here? 1) upload them here, then link them, or 2) link from an outside site, or 3) either?

Posted by: diane26 Mar 6 2006, 11:50 PM

upload them here right in the post with the browse button

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 7 2006, 12:23 AM

Thanks. I just determined that the photos are on a CD and not on my hard drive. I'll post them tomorrow.

Then, once we get Bondiguy online, we'll talk about vegemite and Lamingtons.

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 7 2006, 12:46 AM

so what you're saying is, that even though you're from Washington, you'd rather be in bondi

(i know, it doesn't get more low brow than that )

Posted by: evade20 Mar 7 2006, 03:22 AM

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 7 2006, 03:14 PM

Bondi's nice, but if I were on a Sydney Beach, I'd rather be on:

Cobbler's
Lady Jane
Obelisk

And Bondi knows EXACTLY what I'm talking about.....if he ever reads this thread....

Posted by: natalie Mar 7 2006, 04:48 PM

Trust you to gay it up!

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 7 2006, 04:52 PM

i calls em like I sees em!

Posted by: diane26 Mar 7 2006, 05:53 PM

Issac do I know you outside this board??? If so PM me if not ignore me

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 7 2006, 10:24 PM

Gunnison Beach and Orient Beach are other favorites, but they're not in the Sydney area.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 7 2006, 11:14 PM

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 8 2006, 01:35 AM

Isaac when were u here dude?

Bondi is actually minutes from the CBD of Sydney, and there are not too many beach destinations around the world like that.

It is always thriving with tourists and locals and I will surf there any day of the year as long as the swell is good

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 8 2006, 10:16 PM

Bondi,

I was there in July-August of 2001. I was presenting a paper to an engineering organization that was holding a conference in Melbourne. My wife and I stayed in Sydney for five days first, and then went to Melbourne for five.

I never had an urge to go to Australia. However, after that experience, I would recommend Australia to anybody, especially Americans.

By the way, we hit four beaches in one day. They were - in order - Obelisk, Cobblers, Lady Bay, and Bondi. The only beach we had to wear clothes on was Bondi. You have to take the bad with the good, I guess.

Today, I found my CD of Australia photos, but I think I forgot to put it in my bag on the way back from work. I'll check in a few minutes.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 8 2006, 10:20 PM

I hope you have it

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 8 2006, 10:49 PM

I brought home the CD with Australia video, not the photos. How difficult is it if I do screen caps, to put them up here. Can I post them straight here using the Attachments utility at the bottom of the page?

I've got GREAT stuff. Bondi, the sushi-go-round, flying foxes (the biggest freaking bats you've ever seen), my STUNNING (haha) presentation, and two tasmanian devils fighting at Featherdale Wildlife Refuge.

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 8 2006, 11:03 PM

Experiment. Surfers in the water at Bondi beach. Three of them. Look how close they are together on a breaking wave:

[attachmentid=15329]

From the preview, I don't think this worked...

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 8 2006, 11:09 PM

This is me on the beach.

[attachmentid=15331]

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 8 2006, 11:12 PM

Part of the complex of buildings that form a curve around beach. Unlike most beaches I go to (isolated, nude), this one has great shops that you can walk right up to. We took the Bondi Explorer bus right to Bondi.

[attachmentid=15333]

Bondi houses that ring the whole beach area, in what look almost like terraced hills. Absolutely beautiful. That must be some expensive real estate.

[attachmentid=15332]

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 9 2006, 01:23 AM

You can see my house in that photo! just kidding
That is some prime real estate indeed dude.

Glad u enjoyed ur time here in Sydney. Those beaches u mentioned are nudist no? Although topless is considered acceptable on ANY beach in Sydney and throughout Australia.

That building was the Bondi Pavillion

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 9 2006, 11:28 AM

Wow, they named a pavillion after you!

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 9 2006, 10:22 PM

Flying foxes. I held my hand up near the cage so that you could get an idea how big these freaking bats are. The head of one of these things is as big as my hand -- and I have big hands.

[attachmentid=15364]

Closeup of a flying fox. Check out this thing. It is STRAIGHT from Hell....

[attachmentid=15365]

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 10 2006, 12:39 AM

Haha yeah... I hold alotta sway in this town

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 14 2006, 12:14 AM

Higher-resolution photo:

[attachmentid=15767]

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 14 2006, 12:21 AM

Some chick I met at the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. I wonder what she's up to these day? Probably shagging some bloody Yank somewhere.

[attachmentid=15769]

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 14 2006, 12:30 AM

The view of Darling Harbour from my hotel room in Sydney. This is about half of what you could see from the window. I couldn't get the whole thing with my camera lens.

[attachmentid=15770]

Posted by: diane26 Mar 14 2006, 02:04 AM

I bet she is,


Is that where you all met for real??? I didnt know that.

I think I might have to take a Vacation to Aussie land in the future I never planned on it, to much Discovery Channel has scared me from wanting to go there but after these pics I will have to rethink.

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 14 2006, 06:44 PM

Damn dude you must have ponied up some serious cash for that room!

That is actually cockle bay which forms part of the harbour but only a small part of it

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 14 2006, 10:10 PM

Bondi, the hotel was the Four Points Sydney (Sheraton). It was a great deal because I think they were underbooked at the time. Sometimes it seemed like we were the only non-Japanese there, though.

The complimentary breakfasts were AMAZING. It was an all-you-can-eat buffet every day:

Bacon, Canadian bacon, three kinds of sausage (including veal sausage, which I never had before), pancakes, smoked salmon, a Miso soup bar, unlimited fresh orange, pineapple, and apple juice. The best coffee I ever had at a hotel. Pancakes, scrambled eggs. I even took photos of THAT. I'll post in a minute....

Posted by: diane26 Mar 14 2006, 10:20 PM

Issac I take it you will be picking up the tab in may for dinner eh

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 14 2006, 10:36 PM

As long as I don't have to pick up the tag for flying you guys out to Four Points Sydney....

Posted by: diane26 Mar 14 2006, 10:41 PM

I am gonna search on the cost of an aussie vacation right now. I just have to watch for the snakes and spiders and jellyfish

We will work on you footing the bill for a vaca later.

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 14 2006, 10:48 PM

Australia is a very safe place. Except for inside the Tasmanian Devil cage (at Featherdale Wildlife Refuge). Tasmanian Devils make a really weird high-pitched scream when their pissed off:

[attachmentid=15826]

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 14 2006, 10:53 PM

Ahh yes I know it well!

I have stayed there before once or twice.

You may have seen alot of Asian tourists as they are usually the only ones who can afford to stay at such beautiful hotels! The Yanks and Europenas tend to stay in hostel or lower quality accomodation to save money and stay longer!

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 14 2006, 10:56 PM

Bondi, that place had an incredible buffet dinner. My wife and I cleared out all the sashimi, before going on to the shrimp and crab. The shrimp still had their heads on. That's something I hadn't seen in the States. And the crab clearly was a species I had never seen before. They cut it in half down the middle. It made it very easy to eat.

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 14 2006, 10:57 PM

The myths u hear about Australia with snakes, spiders, crocodiles etc are overblown thanks to Stever Irwin et al.

Fact is most tourist destinations here are big cities. While it may not be big compared to the US almost 5 million ppl love in Sydney alone.

The only place you will find these deadly creatures is in what we call the outback (rural areas) and not many people go there.

I would fathom to think it would be quite expensive due to the distance most of you would have to travel. Thats why people come here and stay for a month or two to make it worthwhile or tag it onto their asian, bali, fiji etc holidays

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 14 2006, 10:59 PM

It was probably a blue swimmer or sand groper crab! Shrimp (prawns) are almost always served with heads on here to keep the freshness and the taste.

It is probably a 4.5 to 5 star hotel so the service, food, room, view would have been magnificent!

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 14 2006, 11:16 PM

I guess that makes sense. They were all over me at the concierge desk. I'm surprised they didn't give me a scalp massage every time I asked for directions.

We were trying to find all the nude beaches but didn't want to come out and ask directly. So, we would ask about places around the beach. And they were like, "Why would you want to go there? There's a much better restaurant/store/part/etc. at" some place about 10 miles away....

Posted by: diane26 Mar 14 2006, 11:45 PM

See most of the stuff I seen was ont he discovery channels top ten deadlies **fill in the blanks** shows that they do and the top two always seem to be in Austrailia they said the brown snake I think it was is commom in populated areas.

That is what scared me but I am thinking it would be worth the trip now.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 14 2006, 11:47 PM

When you are over my way in a few months go eat at the crab pot the heads are on them there to

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 15 2006, 12:14 AM

Correct... the Brown Snake is Australian but it is only found in the outback of rural/ semi rural type areas and its not like they are all over the place so much so you cant see the floor! If you come to any major city the only place you will see these deadly creatures you speak of will be in ZOO's!

Posted by: diane26 Mar 15 2006, 02:03 AM

Ok I feel much better now, they were showing them in communities crawling through garages and stuff I was like forget that.

Seemed the deadliest everything was there:P

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 15 2006, 02:07 AM

haha no doubt we have some deadly shit here but not in the city!

You should be more worried about people like me!

Posted by: diane26 Mar 15 2006, 02:23 AM

I live here do you really think I am worried of you

Allthough that wolf creek movie the dude was pretty wacky

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 15 2006, 02:29 AM

muhahaha *best evil luagh i can do*

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 16 2006, 09:51 PM

It was too cold for us to get into the water (although, it didn't stop us from hanging out naked on the sand). However, if it had been warm, I would have been worried about:

Irukanji (not sure if I have the spelling right)
Sea Wasp/Box Jelly
Stone Fish

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 17 2006, 03:31 AM

I have no idea what the first one is?

Box Jelly fish are only found in deep water so swimming at a beach you'll have no problems. No one has EVER encountered a box jellyfish at a sydney beach!

Stone Fish are tropical I believe so you'd only see them in the Barrier Reef and once again will not harm you unless you piss it off!

Posted by: diane26 Mar 17 2006, 04:17 PM

DAMNIT I had a bunch of questions for you Bondi and now I cant remember any of them

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 17 2006, 06:53 PM

Just relax and it'll come









(get that one Gnappy)

Posted by: diane26 Mar 18 2006, 12:33 AM

Ok i remembered one thing, Is crime high there?? And what sort of natural disasters do your guys get ?

Posted by: diane26 Mar 18 2006, 01:52 AM

ok one more cause I am having trouble finding it online, what is the average price of housing in the sydney area. Like 3 bedroom maybe 4 bedroom home in a good area. I can find plenty of houses online but not the cost and what is the average home loan in Aus. length that is of the loan.

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 19 2006, 12:30 AM

Diane, I don't know what the cost is, but it has to be more reasonable than the U.S. Crime rate seemed very low. We are out at night a lot in Sydney and Melbourne and everything seemed orderly and safe.

By the way, while we were there, Australia was running public service announcments encouraging peopel to move there. I was really surprised about that. I remember reading something about Australia estimating that it needed to increase it's population pretty dramatically to achieve certain things.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 19 2006, 12:48 AM

THanks Issac I was trying to look up realesate online and was having a hard time finding a cost or what is a good affordable area away from the snakes and spiders:P and such.

The wolf Creek movie creeped me out but heck that is childs play to the daily crime we have here. For my profession it would be easy for me to get a visa for the family to move there allthough I am thinking 10 years down the road. Give or take but I am seriously considering it. I want to be able to enjoy life not just be worked to death always trying to stay safe and get by ya know.

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 19 2006, 12:56 AM

Australia is probably the first, second, and third choice for an American to consider moving to if you were going to leave here. Except for what side of the road you drive on, it seemed identical to America to me.

Less tv channels, though. I think there were like 5 in my Sydney hotel room.

Also, it is a freaking 13-hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney. 13 hours!!! So, if you move, you will basically be leaving your friends and family pretty much for good.

That is not a casual flight -- I can tell you that. I watched something like four full-length movies on the trip up. On the positive side, beer and wine were free and unlimited. Being someone who loves free stuff, I drank three glasses of merlot (maybe more - who knows?) and passed clean out. When I woke up again, all the lights in the plane were off. I had to use the bathroom and almost threw up getting out of my seat. I staggered down the aisle into the bathroom, holding onto seats the whole way.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 19 2006, 01:05 AM

Glad I wasnt on that flight.

Friends I can keep in touch via internet we dont see eachother a lot anyway and only family I have is dad and step mom and I would try hard to convince them to come too LOL.

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 19 2006, 01:10 AM

Not to bum you out, but you would really have to think of the logistics of it. By the time you move, your sons could be of the age where they flatly refuse to go. I know people whose kids stayed behind and finished high school with friends rather than move with family. So, this is the kind of thing that you would have to do soon, or would have to make a great "marketing push" to them that being on the other side of the world would be good for them.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 19 2006, 01:19 AM

Actually Issac the kid aspect would be the easiest part. They are very eager to go new places and expiearnce new things us moving to CO they are more excited than us to go and to live where there are beaches they would be in heaven.

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 20 2006, 12:30 AM

In relation to major cities in the USA crime is low. As in every major city around the world we are no utopia but crime levels will almost certainly be lower than anywhere in America.

In the north of the country you may get the occasional hurrciane/cyclone but that is it. In sydney the worst thing you will get from mother nature is sunburn



The closer to the CBD you get the higher the prices are. Median prices I believe are approx $450k to A$500k

Home loans can be taken over any period you choose to pay it off, usually with a maxiumum over 30 years but its a case by case situation.

Isaac yes we only have 5 free to air channels but cable is very common and inexpensive here

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 20 2006, 12:55 AM

I forgot which hotel only seemed to have the 5 free to air channels. I think it was Carlton Crest Melbourne. Four Points Sydney was a better hotel in ever way. Not that Carlton Crest was a dive, though.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 20 2006, 03:18 AM

I think we only have about 5 free local channels as well, Abc, Cbs, Fox, Nbc, and Pbs not sure though,


Thanks for the info I searched on crime stats a lot today and it seems pretty mild comparred to here I read about Anita Cobby though and that was really sad and terrible what happened to her, but crime doesnt seem to be anything comparred to what it is here.

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 20 2006, 12:14 PM

No, I had to google it But after reading the full quote I remember it.



$450-500K for a house?!
No wonder one needs to make at least 65K a year there. I guess some places in Canada are that high, but it varies widely. Where I live, if you spent $450,000 on a house you'd get a probably 3000-4000 square foot brand new house with EVERY amenity you could think of. For $200,000 here you can get a very nice house.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 20 2006, 12:54 PM

Not here.

Shoot in cali for half a mil you can get a box big enough to fit a bed,

Posted by: belicked6924 Mar 20 2006, 08:47 PM

You forgot WB and in most major cities the religous channel (my personal favorite, I watch it anytime I can't find something good on)

Posted by: diane26 Mar 20 2006, 08:52 PM

WB???? Ohhh is that the channel 7th heaven comes on I used to love that show back in the day not sure if that is it though.


Religious channel??

I have always had cable so I am talking about the old school free channels I guess I dont know about new ones

Posted by: belicked6924 Mar 20 2006, 08:59 PM

Yes the religous channel, I believe it's done mostly by Catholics.

Yes, 7th Heaven is on the WB. I think Gilmore Girls too.

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 20 2006, 11:46 PM

Ever since about 1970, the Washington, DC area has had channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13. And that was just VHF. And on UHF, it was 20, 22, 26, 32, 45, and 50. So, when I would read about Britain having like 2 or 3 channels, I wanted to throw up.

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 21 2006, 11:23 AM

I'd like to nail the mum on the Gilmore Girls....hell I'd do the daughter as well, preferably at the same time.

Posted by: belicked6924 Mar 21 2006, 07:47 PM

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 21 2006, 11:57 PM

Even I am not sure who Anita Cobby is???



Ah Ha!!! I finally cought you out with one!

I didnt pay that much but I live in a unit (apartment) so it differs, but yeah, Sydney is an expensive place to live. Qld is a whole lot cheaper, just as nice but not as populated.

jesus u can come here Gnappy but I am moving to Canada! What would an alcohol sales rep get in your parts?

Posted by: diane26 Mar 22 2006, 12:11 AM

Apparently Anita Cobby is one of the most horrific murders that has hapened in Australia she was Mrs. NSW I think it was and was a nurse was murdered by a gang of guys and was so brutilized they even found semen in her slice in her neck.


http://www.thecrimeweb.com/murder_of_anita_cobby.htm

I came across it when I was searching australian crime. Happened in 1996 at the same time we were having the Low Speed OJ Simpson chase.

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 22 2006, 12:18 AM

Without wanting to alarm you in 96 I was 15 and barely gave a fuck about anything!

Posted by: diane26 Mar 22 2006, 12:58 AM

I forgot you are a youngen allthough so am I but even in my teen years big news murders always caught my attention.

I lived in Florida when Ted Bundy was Fired I think I was 10/11 can't remember the year but always been interested in that stuff so of course I read all the well known Australian Murderes

Posted by: belicked6924 Mar 22 2006, 01:12 AM

Hmm in Florida for the Ted Bundy murders, California for OJ, I'm thinking there might be some ties.

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 22 2006, 01:18 PM

dude, the sky is the limit!

Posted by: natalie Mar 22 2006, 04:12 PM

Bondi coming to Canada!?

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 22 2006, 11:33 PM

Wow, if you have to go back 9 years to find a spectacular crime in Australia, then that place has a lot going for it. In Baltimore alone, you would only have to go back about a week to read about a grisly murder.

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 23 2006, 03:24 AM

Yeeha... my bags are packed!



Better put on ur party hats

Posted by: diane26 Mar 23 2006, 04:16 AM

Oj i didnt live in cali but we were staying in a motel during the chase we were driving up from Amarillo Tx to Salem Or for my great granddad's funeral worst road trip of my life. Only calm part was watching the low speed chase in the motel in Sacremento.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 23 2006, 04:18 AM

We just had our first murder this past year not first but first for the 8 years I have lived in this city which isnt very big I often stopped on the store where the owner was murdered the shooter was his best bud who apparently is schizo. So not even a murder from a semi normal person. LOL My town is pretty safe.