Australia - Australian Essentials and Information about Aussie Things

Australia the gift shop is located in Australia the country, not a long way south of where Australia, the movie, was filmed. That is to say, our base is in Australia and our online store is on a server located in Australia. In fact, I am an Australian presenting you with this written gift from our business premises in Yandina on the Sunshine Coast, about an hour’s drive north of Brisbane in Queensland, aka Australia’s Sunshine State.

After a German exchange student had spent six months in Australia, I asked him what he first thought of when he thought of Australia. He replied, “Beaches, barbecues and Aborigines.” After you tell locals overseas that you are an Australian, it is very common to hear them say something like, “G’day mate”, “maaate” or “Ahh … kangaroo”, with the latter word taking on any one of a number of variations in pronunciation. When Australia is mentioned, many foreigners initially think of the iconic Red Rock Downunder ( Uluru ), cuddling a koala, the Outback, the Sydney Opera House or the Great Barrier Reef. Small town Anzac war memorials facing the east, the Kimberleys and Kakadu National Park also feature highly in these associations.

The Aboriginal boomerang and Aboriginal art are certainly powerful and unique expressions of the spirit of Australia. These Australian gifts to the world wash over minds across the globe, just as the waves of the blue Pacific Ocean wash up onto Bondi Beach or the willy willies swirl across the Outback.

The Ghan is held up in the Red Centre by Men At Work who have long departed The Pub With No Beer in a fried-out kombi.