https://www.discovertasmania.com.au/ Archives - Jim Murty’s TravelTravelTravel

Go on, go on, go on, Australia celebrates its national day today and all Aussies and Aussiephiles will be raising a drink to Bruces and Sheilas around the world.

Including, we dare say, Mrs Doyle, yeah, that Mrs Doyle from Father Ted.

Mrs Doyle, aka Pauline McLynn, was special guest at an Australian Chamber of Commerce lunch celebration in Dublin way back when.

And regaled us with a speech, laced with the type of language that would have made Father Dougal blush.

With mention of the map of Tassie, or Tasmania, which Aussies and friends of Kangarooland will be more than familiar.

Hawke around the clock

All, of which, in true Ronnie Corbett style, brings us to today’s comfy armchair story which revolves around former Aussie premier Bob Hawke.

Bob, the typical Aussie bloke that he was, found himself interviewed by a British reporter who asked him how he had got on tracing his roots.

Only for womaniser Bob to misunderstand them.

And assume that he was being asked about his past love life and the Sheilas.

To which he batted back the questions by replying that that would be to kiss and tell.

Aussies Overseas

Our pals Down Under are, of course, proud of their often vulgar Aussiespeak which you’ll quickly pick up on.

If you spend any time in Australia, or with Aussies, as I did.

Over a year spanning two Oktoberfests in Munich.

And the time in between when Brownie, Smutley, PC, Roscoe.

And a revolving door of OS Aussies washed up at our digs in Aberdeen in the north-east of Scotland.

So it was in a campsite outside Munich where I was first introduced to the other meaning of roots.

While staying on a repurposed double decker bus, with beds built in upstairs and a kitchen downstairs.

Which TopDeck had taken to Bavaria with detours to Austria.

The roots of the problem

Now what happens on a Topdeck bus stays on a TopDeck bus.

But suffice to say that the current Mrs M need not worry.

Because while any action was going on I was sleeping off my hangover from the Lowenbrau or Hofbrau huises.

I did though return with a deeply inappropriate T-shirt of an Aussie, complete with cork hat, getting rather too close to a koala.

With the caption ‘Show us your roots.’

An Aussie toast

Hair for the beer: And mine’s is all my own

So, g’day to all my Aussie mates, and to you obviously Smutley, Brownie, PC and Roscoe.

And I’ll toast you how you used to toast us back in the day.

Here’s to me and here’s to you, friends we are, and friends we’ll be.

And if by chance we disagree, well Flip You, and here’s to me.

AS salespeople go she must be the most persistent so Mrs Doyle was the perfect choice to be guest speaker at the Irish Australian Chambers of Commerce Australia Day lunch.. yes, Mrs Doyle go on go on go on Australia.

Pauline McLynn, for it is she, will forever be etched in our minds as the batty housekeeper in the priests’ house in the surreal Father Ted.

But she of course was playing a role (and doing it brilliantly) for Down Under.

In real life she is a raconteur par excellence and we’ll let the char out of the teabag here very bawdy.

A guest of Travel Centre at that Aviva Stadium lunch in Dublin we celebrated all the great cities and regions of Oz.

And Pauline made special mention of her map of Tassie (Tasmania)!

For those who haven’t had the pleasure of Australians in their life…

And my Aussie/Kiwi booze bus trip to Munich Beer Festival was revived for a full year.

When Smuttley and Brownie turned up on my doorstep in Aberdeen.

Australia Day

All of which comes to mind as I sit down this evening to enjoy an Australia Day digital celebration.

And particularly a day after an old-fashioned Aussie slides show at the Outlaws where The Scary One lived as a young girl.

TravelEssence, a Dutch-based travel company (and remember that they got there first to Tasmania which they called Van Dieman’s Land) sent us the invitation this time.

They specialise in smaller-type accommodations and our charming host flagged up stays where ‘kangaroos hop into your garden’ and glamping among their offerings.

All of which we want to do and soon.

King of Queensland

The good news is that Queensland has shown the way by opening up to the vaccinated since last week.

So Barrier Reef fans get your snorkels out.

But also check out Northern Queensland’s Tropics in late November.

And fly into Cairns with Singapore Airlines we’re advised.

Take a rental car out to Port Douglas.

And it’s a quieter, more authentic resort than busy Cairns.

There’s a tale too of the oldest tropical rain forest in the world.

Further north in the state where you can dip into the Aboriginal culture too.

For those who like the tweet of a bird rather than a phone then this is the place for you.

In the tree houses they specialise in up there they put out banana skins to draw the birdies in.W

Whitsundays worship

Now Australia is the second biggest island in the world, but it is in fact 8,000 islands.

And in Queensland the Whitsundays are where it’s at.

When we think of Queensland, after the Great Barrier Reef, it’s Brisbane you’ll recognise best and its spectacular zoo.

There’s an old converted church which is the answer to your prayers.

Something for old crocks

Though again our host Lisette seemed keen to take us out of the city to Nusa…

To go whale watching and to The Everglades.

The Aussie Everlades we are assured has no alligators.

Another island to explore is Fraser Island, the home to the dingos.

The town of 1770 is where you’ll get the rundown with Artie into the Bush but also the sea to surf your troubles away.

I hope you are all enjoying (enjoyed) your Australia Day… and I’m still trying to figure out your time zones and changes.

So in the inimitable words of the world’s most famous tealady… Mrs Doyle and go on go on go on Australia