Young Writers Society

For a novel I am kind of considering writing, I have this spoiled American guy/girl twin combo. They've been to Paris, Tokyo, Rome, NY (they live in LA). They're 19. They've never heard of Australia before except for ...

See, I don't know how much America knows of Aus. I am hoping to be surprised but in order to model these 2 kids who then have to visit their estranged brother who lives in Aus, I need your opinions. Honest opinions.

As in:
- What is one event in the past 5 years that Australia has come up? Preferably one you kind of remember?
- What is your opinion on Aus? Boring, strange, tiny, big, country hicks speaking strange slang wearing wide brimmed hats wrestling crocs for a living?
And your general opinion on Australia. How do you know about Down Under? How do you feel about it?

Anything you can do to help would be appreciated

I shall do my best. But, really, I know nothing about Australia.
1. Events? um, weren't there Olympics in Sydney once? Although not in the past five years. I'm pretty sure your prime minister/president/whatever has glasses though. /random
2. I always thought of Australia as England's cooler, hipper, younger sibling. Like, Britain is the kind of nerdy, awkward-but-lovable older sibling. xD Also, a lot of Americans (including myself) know and love Steve Irwin. Just putting that out there. He was Australian, right?
3. I know...nothing. I feel...nothing. Except it would be a cool place to visit sometime.
Hope this helped, even a little bit! Sounds like an interesting novel.

Ok, ok, ok. I live in Australia so here are some events.

First the olympc game were in Sydney in 2000, and I know that's 9 year's ago but it was still pretty big.

Second almost all Australians are interested in Australian rules football, or AFL. The AFL is probebly the biggest sporting event in Australia.

Also the commonwealth games were in Melbourne in 2006, and USA isen't part of it.

We don't eactly have that many man-made attractions, and most people visiting Australia will either go to Queensland, or to Urlaroo (Air's rock).

And for those of you who don't know, 80% of Australias population lives in massive citys, where I can assure you there isen't crocs or kangaroos. 99.99% of people arn't Steve Irwin clones, and even in suburbs we don't have kangaroos hopping over the fence or ecidnas in every bush (Although I did actually find one in a bush in our front yard once)

Of course if you go into the outback, people are scarce and wilflife in abundent.

But write something about AFL, it's almost a religion here.

Psh, its a religion to those in Melbourne, no one else.

AFL sucks.

NRL for the win!

And that, Jiggy, is why you must come from the east. You wouldn't be caught dead saying that where I live. The bogans would kill you...

Niccy>> I guess the movies Australia and Crocodile Dundee etc would have an influence on your characters. Perhaps they think we're all jack/jillarooing crocodile-attacking alcoholics?

I appreciate your little argument over AFL but you are ALL FROM AUSTRALIA! lol How does that help me??? It doesn't!!! Ooh yes AFL sucks. Dont kick a ball, ride a horse!

Oh thanks guys-not-from-Australia!
That helped me! Anybody else?

What! *gasps in shock*. AFL rules, and jigg the only reason you don't like it is because you probebly don't have any good teams near you, or maybe you support WC or something.

Oi! I think I might just hijack the thread for a sec.

WCE are like... friggin awesomeness since they rid themselves of Ben Cousins!

Now they rule!

Back to topic - anybody else have anything on Aus?

I'm American, and not too great at geography... I think of kangaroo, deserts, that big rock thing that's like a mesa, but bigger where tourists watch the sunset, people have cool accents, wallabies, lots of open back country..? I am not very good at geography, so you're getting what you want. The big white thing...the...big white building in Sydney, a continent and a country. That's about all.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.
--Voxina

*off topic*

GO CROWS!!!!

Not that I really care about sport (not even footy/AFL).

*flees*

1) wasn't Lord of the Rings filmed in Australia? or was that New Zealand?
If not LOTR, then I recall the olympics being in Aus YEAAARRRSSS ago.
oh! and we talked about it in my environmental studies class. something about switching from Beef to Kangaroo, because of methane emissions.
2)Australia seems SUPER cool. I've had a lot of friends that've been there. i'm super jealous of them.
3) see above? Iono. I wanna meet a kangaroo. or see one.
most of what i've heard about australia comes from friends or pop culture.

- What is one event in the past 5 years that Australia has come up? Preferably one you kind of remember?

What I think of right off the bat is the crocodile hunter dying cause he was from Australia and was buried there and has an awesome zoo there and stuff.

- What is your opinion on Aus? Boring, strange, tiny, big, country hicks speaking strange slang wearing wide brimmed hats wrestling crocs for a living?

I think of Sydney as being really big and cool and interesting and other than that I just kind of see it as a barren wasteland full of a gazillion creatures that can kill you

And your general opinion on Australia. How do you know about Down Under? How do you feel about it?

I would never go there because they have like, over half of the most poisonous spiders and snakes in the world and that freaks me out.

Well okay when I think of Australia these are the things that pop up in my mind:

-Boomerangs
-Kangaroos
-Outback Steakhouse
-"Put another shrimp on the barbie!"
-The accent of course
-New Zealand (I know it sounds weird, but I have met people from New Zealand and their accent is very similar)
-Warm weather
-Austria (lol inside joke)

Most Americans know the stereotype of an Australian as a beach-going surfer who always says "sheila" and "mate." Many Americans don't even know about Aboriginese.
Oh, and crocodile wrestling. To Americans Steve Irwin was practically the spokesperson of Australia.