Tag Archives: Australia

The Wiggles: Wiggly Safari (2002)

This DVD presentation is nostalgic on two levels – first, it features Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, now passed away. It also features Greg Page, the yellow Wiggle, now in retirement. The Wiggles are off on an adventure in the Big Red Car – they’re going to Australia Zoo to see the animals. Who better to be their guides than Steve Irwin, his wife Terri, and their daughter Bindi? The Irwins are introduced into the show with a new song by the Wiggles called “The Crocodile Hunter.” Steve takes the Wiggles on a tour of the zoo, and shows them … Continue reading →

Return to Snowy River (1988)

In the 1988 sequel to “The Man from Snowy River,” we find that Jim Craig has been gone a long time. Feeling that he had to prove himself and come up with a means of making money so he could support Jessica, he didn’t come back until he had collected a herd of good horses. He has that herd now, and he’s brought them back to his cabin at Snowy River. But he has to go and find out if Jessica still wants him. When he arrives at the Harrison’s ranch, he finds a riding exhibition and horse race taking … Continue reading →

The Man from Snowy River (1982)

With a gorgeous soundtrack and breathtaking cinematography, it’s no wonder that “The Man from Snowy River” is one of the most famous movies ever to come out of Australia. Twenty-five years later, the film is still touching audiences world-wide, and I was one of them last night, for probably the third time. Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson) and his father are cutting logs when a herd of wild horses, known as the brumbies, comes dashing across their land. Bess, their stock mare, takes off with them, and the gelding holding back the logs jerks away, causing the logs to fall and … Continue reading →

Wombat Goes Walkabout – Michael Morpurgo

This richly illustrated picture book called my name as soon as I saw it on the shelf. It must have had something to do with the extremely cute wombat face on the cover. Wombat loves to dig really deep holes, climb inside, and think. On this particular day, he did just that, and started having thoughts. He wondered – why is the sky blue? Why wasn’t he a kangaroo? When he was done with his pondering, he came out of his hole to discover that his mother was nowhere to be seen. He introduced himself to a kookaburra, and then … Continue reading →

Australian Ghost Ship is a Mystery

Last Wednesday, Australian rescuers spotted a 36-foot catamaran adrift about 80 nautical miles off the coast of Townsville, which is on the northeast coast of the country. But unlike other rescued boats, this one was a bit odd. Rescuers found no sign of the three-man crew on the catamaran, but they did find other odd evidences of life. The engine was running, the table was set as if someone were ready to eat, there was a laptop computer that was turned on, and all the boat’s electronics such as global positioning satellite (GPS) and radio were working. The rescuers do … Continue reading →

The History of the Australian Cattle Dog

It is known by many names –Australian Heeler, Hall’s Heelers, and Queensland Heeler– and there is some dispute about which breeds were ultimately responsible for its development. The only thing where there’s no room for debate is about where it originated: Australia. Origins The Australian Cattle Dog is a newer breed of dog. They are the result of early Australian settlers needing dogs to help them tend their livestock. The dogs they brought with them from the British Isles, Smithfields, weren’t suited to Australia’s terrain, nor were their dispositions entirely suited to herding (they bit too hard and made too … Continue reading →

On Koalas, Dogs, and Writing: An Interview with Author Lee Barwood

I’ve interviewed a couple of authors now. Besides the fact that many base animal characters on their own pets, or that animals influence their writing as a career choice in some way, they all have something else in common too: a deep sense of reverence, tenderness, and love for their pets that only an animal can elicit. Lee Barwood is no exception. And perhaps she sums it up best in her answer to my question about whether animals factor into her fiction writing. “I think we’ve gotten too far removed from animals in modern life,” she says. “and if we … Continue reading →

Australian Timeshares

More and more, people are looking into timeshares as a way of being able to travel without paying the high cost of hotels. With a timeshare program, you would be sharing an apartment, condominium, or home with other people, all buying into the same place. Between you and the other “owners” or “leasers”, you have a home away from home. I know that sometimes, I do not like feeling like staying in a hotel and with a timeshare, you have all the conveniences of home because it is your home. In addition to buying or leasing a timeshare in the … Continue reading →

Family Violence. An Australian Aboriginal Perspective.

Violence has become entrenched into our societies. Many individuals hold non-violence as a personal value and strive to end it. Despite laws that protect against assault, domestic and family violence (including incest, rape and sexual assault) continues to be a shameful mark on our progressive and contemporary ways of life. Reasons to explain domestic violence have long been pondered over and everyday community members question why women would stay in such dreadful situations. History and culture may go a long way to explain entrenched violence but too often, we each react from our own view of the world, rather than … Continue reading →

Coober Pedy – Australia’s Gem

Did you ever look at a piece of opal jewelry and admire its beauty? Did you know, the chances are good that that opal gem came from Coober Pedy, a southern Australian town known as the “Opal Capital of the World.” If you are a fan of the reality show “The Amazing Race,” you may remember seeing Coober Pedy in the second season. Opal was first discovered in Coober Pedy, population 3,500, in 1915. The name of the town comes from the Aboriginal term “kupa piti” which means “white man in a hole.” Why would the town have such a … Continue reading →