For those that fear coming to Australia!

[monkeysarefun]

7 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Don't know if Flavio posts on this thread, b

 

 

I'd say he'd be busy celebrating  Eurovision at the moment.

 

Edited May 12 by monkeysarefun

[kevinlms]

23 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Someone paying AU$50 for a tin of beetroot would need their head examined.

 

Blame "free-market" capitalism.

 

I'm not sure what the effective alternative is.

 

It's pretty stunning how many brands are owned by Kraft-Heinz. You may not recognize them, but it's a good chunk of the supermarket in the US.

 

A local one is "Ore-Ida". They started on the Oregon-Idaho border and sell oven chips (mostly).

 

 

Not just Kraft-Heinz. Even a lot of frozen potato comes from Belgium! Why Belgium, that's not supposed to be a low labour cost place of doing business.

 

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/296348/potato-utopia-steakhouse-fries

[Ozexpatriate]

1 minute ago, kevinlms said:

Even a lot of frozen potato comes from Belgium! Why Belgium

They invented them - frites! Try them with mayonnaise and truffle oil (and Belgian beer*, maybe some mussels steamed in beer - Moules et frites). Yum.

 

* I'm partial to Dubbel Brun ales. (I just finished a US craft beer in the Tripel style after dinner.)

[kevinlms]

5 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

When is sliced beetroot coming back?!

 

The only word I can find from the vampiric US company that bought Golden Circle , closed down the factory here and moved production to NZ was way back in March saying that it'd be back really soon and nothing since. 

 

Woolies own brand is available but that is a product of China and I refuse to buy foreign beetroot especially if imported by the supermarket that spruiks its support for Australian farmers.

 

I can sometimes get 3 threes which at least is Australian grown and canned but the supply is variable.

 

Its lockdown toilet paper all over again!

 

Next week, apparently.


https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/96235/golden-circle-canned-vegetables-baby-beetroot-cans

[monkeysarefun]

Actually, there's always been a small supply of Golden Circle baby beetroots in my local, its the sliced version that is an issue. I guess that the whole baby beets are less in demand compared to the sliced version so the reserve  of them is holding out?

Edited May 12 by monkeysarefun

[PhilJ W]

8 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

They invented them - frites! Try them with mayonnaise and truffle oil (and Belgian beer*, maybe some mussels steamed in beer - Moules et frites). Yum.

 

* I'm partial to Dubbel Brun ales. (I just finished a US craft beer in the Tripel style after dinner.)

My favourite Belgian brew is Chimay Blonde. But be warned Trappist beers are strong.

[kevinlms]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

Actually, there's always been a small supply of Golden Circle baby beetroots in my local, its the sliced version that is an issue. I guess that the whole baby beets are less in demand compared to the sliced version so the reserve  of them is holding out?

Prefer the baby ones myself, these been little sign of them lately. I wonder how long this batch from Kiwiland will last?

[PhilJ W]

[kevinlms]

Not everything is evil in Australia!

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-17/fungi-sniffing-dog-save-species-from-extinction/103858084

[monkeysarefun]

 Darling Harbour was a major  Sydney  goods shunting yard up until the early 1980's. Youtube dropped this into my home page,  some  interesting work practices probably handed down from the 19th century....

 

 

[Sidecar Racer]

Even the birds are evil . click the watch on youtube .

 

 

Edited May 19 by Sidecar Racer

[kevinlms]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-28/passenger-allegedly-runs-naked-on-virgin-plane-perth-melbourne/103901778

[Sidecar Racer]

45 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-28/passenger-allegedly-runs-naked-on-virgin-plane-perth-melbourne/103901778

 

 I wonder if they would have done the same if it was a naked female causing no trouble .    🤔

[PatB]

1 hour ago, kevinlms said:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-28/passenger-allegedly-runs-naked-on-virgin-plane-perth-melbourne/103901778

Damn. I spent 18 months back and forth every 2 or 3 weeks on Virgin flights, and the most exciting thing I can remember happening was my reading lamp burning out 10 minutes after takeoff.

[JZ]

Yesterday booked myself flights and accommodation in Sydney. Still so many things I want to see in and around the city. Top of that list, is the Observatory. Didn't have time on my first visit and closed on my next. The Tramway Museum is something else I didn't get time to see. Zig Zag Railway is another thing I want to do. I suspect my eldest granddaughter will want me to visit Taronga Zoo again for some picture of their Red Pandas.  On my last visit, I stayed at the Criterion in the CBD. It has recently been taken over by another Hotel group and the prices they want now were shocking. The prices last time were similar to Megaboom in York St, which themselves were similar to my 2018 trip. This year, they are 2½ time what they were compared to Megaboom. Megaboom has the added advantage of being a newer building with lifts for my aging limbs. The amenities are similar, with the added bonus of Megaboom's single rooms being away from the road and noise. This time, I will be sticking to public transport and making full use of my Opal card. Open to suggestions on what may be worth visiting within the range of said Opal. I have a list of pubs that still need to be visited😉. Not spent any time at all in North Sydney. Is there anything there worth a visit?

[monkeysarefun]

7 hours ago, JZ said:

Yesterday booked myself flights and accommodation in Sydney. Still so many things I want to see in and around the city. Top of that list, is the Observatory. Didn't have time on my first visit and closed on my next. The Tramway Museum is something else I didn't get time to see. Zig Zag Railway is another thing I want to do. I suspect my eldest granddaughter will want me to visit Taronga Zoo again for some picture of their Red Pandas.  On my last visit, I stayed at the Criterion in the CBD. It has recently been taken over by another Hotel group and the prices they want now were shocking. The prices last time were similar to Megaboom in York St, which themselves were similar to my 2018 trip. This year, they are 2½ time what they were compared to Megaboom. Megaboom has the added advantage of being a newer building with lifts for my aging limbs. The amenities are similar, with the added bonus of Megaboom's single rooms being away from the road and noise. This time, I will be sticking to public transport and making full use of my Opal card. Open to suggestions on what may be worth visiting within the range of said Opal. I have a list of pubs that still need to be visited😉. Not spent any time at all in North Sydney. Is there anything there worth a visit?

 

 

The Opal card will get you from Dungog in the North, to Bomaderry in the south (400km range) and out to Lithgow west of the Blue Mountains (thats another 160km or so) and down to Goulburn in the southwest (another 200km)  so you should find something in that area.

 

Fares are  capped at about $17.00 (£8.50 or so) per day so you can go crazy for not much money. It also covers the ferries and buses, which come under the same cap. On the weekends the cap is £4.00 equivalent which menas you can spend all day on the ferries, or go on a 3 hour train trip and back for that price. Public transport here is really starting to get its act together. 

 

As for North Sydney, the lack of a harbour crossing kept development limited other than along the shore line until the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in the 1930's, so much of it is residential or commercial. That said, if you haven't been to Manly its worth taking a ferry over to  there, its a cheap harbour cruise and the views on the harbour are stunning.  Manly beach is popular so avoid the weekend if you hate crowds. There's some pubs on the Corso that are a nice place to hang out. 

 

If you are into bush-walking there are several tracks along the north shore that are accessible from the various ferry wharves. Much of the shoreline is pretty much  untouched since settlement  , complete with Goannas, Wallabies, parrots and so on, so its easy to forget you are about 5km from the centre of Sydney until you turn a corner and the Opera House comes into view!

 

There are several old military ruins on Middle Head and North Head, from both the mid-1800's when for some reason the Russians were seen as a threat, and later WW2 versions, when the Japanese actually were.

 

If you are into history the old Quarantine Station on North Head is worth a visit, they have ghost tours in the evening if that's your thing. Best way to get there is either a bus from Manly, or take the ferry from Circular Quay that goes to the Quarantine Station wharf. 

 

There are  several  breweries around The Rocks that are pretty good, my pick would be Kicks Brewery, especially a beer called Tunnel Vision, it'd be on my top 5 beer list..

 

Further afield other places that are an Opal trip away would be Newcastle to the North, it has a bit of convict history and so on, and from there you could get the train to Singleton or Maitland for the Hunter Valley, if winery tours are your thing. The train trip alone is worth the trip for the scenery, the line winds up the Hawkesbury river and hugs the edge of the water in some places before it gets to Woy Woy. (famous here for being where Spike Milligan came to spend much time due to his parents moving there after the war).

 

Southwest, get the train to Thirlmere and the Sydney Rail transport Museum or whatever its current name is. Has a great exhibition space and is worth the trip. 

 

Going south the train line is again very scenic once it leaves the southern suburbs, and places like Kiama,  Gerringong and Berry are a good day trip if you like scenery and beaches.

[DavidB-AU]

8 hours ago, PatB said:

Damn. I spent 18 months back and forth every 2 or 3 weeks on Virgin flights, and the most exciting thing I can remember happening was my reading lamp burning out 10 minutes after takeoff.

 

The most exciting thing I can remember happing when flying Virgin is the captain turned out to be a distant cousin I hadn't seen for about 20 years.

[St Enodoc]

8 hours ago, JZ said:

Yesterday booked myself flights and accommodation in Sydney. Still so many things I want to see in and around the city. Top of that list, is the Observatory. Didn't have time on my first visit and closed on my next. The Tramway Museum is something else I didn't get time to see. Zig Zag Railway is another thing I want to do. I suspect my eldest granddaughter will want me to visit Taronga Zoo again for some picture of their Red Pandas.  On my last visit, I stayed at the Criterion in the CBD. It has recently been taken over by another Hotel group and the prices they want now were shocking. The prices last time were similar to Megaboom in York St, which themselves were similar to my 2018 trip. This year, they are 2½ time what they were compared to Megaboom. Megaboom has the added advantage of being a newer building with lifts for my aging limbs. The amenities are similar, with the added bonus of Megaboom's single rooms being away from the road and noise. This time, I will be sticking to public transport and making full use of my Opal card. Open to suggestions on what may be worth visiting within the range of said Opal. I have a list of pubs that still need to be visited😉. Not spent any time at all in North Sydney. Is there anything there worth a visit?

The Observatory is an easy walk from Wynyard station. After your visit you can quench your thirst in one of the many "oldest pubs in Sydney". The Lord Nelson is closest and IMHO the best.

 

The Tramway Museum is next to Loftus station and operates on Wednesdays and Sundays (possibly more often during school holidays).

 

Book ahead for Zig-Zag. It runs on alternate Sundays and is very popular. Bottom Points station is next to Zig-Zag station on the Lithgow line.

[DavidB-AU]

8 hours ago, JZ said:

Zig Zag Railway is another thing I want to do.

 

This time, I will be sticking to public transport and making full use of my Opal card. 

 

Just be aware of upcoming trackwork on the Blue Mountains line and on days with replacement buses there is no alternative service to Zig Zag (Bottom Points) and no public transport to Clarence.

 

The Sydney Metro, L2/L3 light rail lines and the Newcastle light rail have all opened since 2018. The new Parramatta light rail is currently testing and is planned to open in "mid 2024".

 

There has been a lot more main line steam this year so lots of options if you can fit it in. https://www.thnsw.com.au/events

 

Here is a list of upcoming model railway exhibitions and club open days: https://www.australianmodelrailwaymagazine.com.au/diary.php

 

On the beer list, if you get to Newcastle and travel on the light rail to the terminus at Newcastle Beach, I recommend a visit to the Grain Store.

[JZ]

15 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

The Observatory is an easy walk from Wynyard station. After your visit you can quench your thirst in one of the many "oldest pubs in Sydney". The Lord Nelson is closest and IMHO the best.

 

The Tramway Museum is next to Loftus station and operates on Wednesdays and Sundays (possibly more often during school holidays).

 

Book ahead for Zig-Zag. It runs on alternate Sundays and is very popular. Bottom Points station is next to Zig-Zag station on the Lithgow line.

Did the Lord Nelson in 2022. Great beer, but only time for one.

[ikks]

On 12/05/2024 at 10:54, monkeysarefun said:

 

Theres no shortage of raw beetroot, so I guess I could always  pull out the Margaret Fulton and find out how to pickle my own! 

It's dead easy, I often do it.....tastes better too!

Mike

Edited Wednesday at 15:39 by ikks

[J. S. Bach]

If what you call beetroot is what we call beets, my mother would buy the whole vegetable with the tops still attached. She would then lop off the tops and cook them just like spinach. Ah, ambrosia!

[Sidecar Racer]

3 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

If what you call beetroot is what we call beets, my mother would buy the whole vegetable with the tops still attached. She would then lop off the tops and cook them just like spinach. Ah, ambrosia!

 

 Google says yes .    👍