More This and That

OK, here are a a few other things of interest so far:
The huge loud birds that gathered every night in downtown Cairns turned out to be FRUIT BATS.

Sydney subway stations have large screen video W/ audio advertisements as well as signs that change every 30 seconds or so.

The cars here are largely Holdens, followed by Toyotas, Mazdas, and other Japanese & Korean imports. I have seen several Lexus 300s and some fords, but that's it.

The big news here is that at the Melbourne Cup (next Tuesday, more interest than the Kentucky Derby here) a mare has already won 2 times and may run again (and possibly win) for the third year in a row.

The Sydney Opera and Symphony and ballet rotate with Melbourne's concert hall, so it appears that being a musician here is a full time paying profession.

Housing in Sydney is as expensive as New York or London.

Sydney's transportation system is wonderful. Everything runs on time: the buses, the subway, the trams, the monorail, often, and is clean although people are allowed to eat and drink on it. In Washington DC a 13 year old girl was arrested for eating a candy bar on Metro.

Although Queensland (northeastern Australia) has wonderful beaches and the Great Barrier Reef, most Australians I've talked to have never gone there because it's too hot, or too expensive.

I will add to this as I think of more.