Australia feels small for a continent, but vast for a country. It feels more like a collection of city states, each with its own rough backyard. Caught between seemingly unlimited mineral resources and a limited water supply, the cities prosper while the rest of the country is spread very thin. I heard the word remote a lot.

In the cities I have seen a modern, …

… competitive, …

…. multi-ethnic society …

… that enjoys the riches …

… that apparently come when a small population hits on the resources of a whole continent, … even when the continent is somewhat uncooperative.

Others are coming …

… to join, temporarily or permanent, at the table.

The culture …

… seems down-to-earth …

… and sports a tone, that tends to go straight to the point.

I heard people speaking their minds. There seems to be a rough side to this society, a tendency to do what one pleases, and if necessary fight for it. I have seen an abundance of memorials, as if to keep sacrifice and military achievement on everyone’s mind and make the world wars look like a recent event.

Well, I can imagine there has been a lot of suffering around here,  … for various reasons, I guess.

Outside of the big cities …

… things look different.

If you insist on ground travel …

… be prepared …

… and bring a lot of time. Technology is your mate.

I enjoyed my time in the Outback …

… sleeping under the stars, sharing tales from all over the world while burning fire wood …

… to ashes, …

… but in the Outback everyone seems to be a temporary visitor. For millenia there has been a local culture …

… but all I found was folklore for sale.

People around here seem to cherish a good time …

… and stick to their values.

Cheers, Oz.