10 Things about Australia and New Zealand

I've noticed that there is more attention paid to countries like Australia and New Zealand these days.  I've never been to either country.  I know they are very south and very west of where I currently am in the United States.   What I'm saying could be very inaccurate since I don't know much more than my steriotyped views of both countries.  Ok, lets get this over with.

 - AU is big.  NZ is small - Everything is relative sure.  If you are talking a about LIVABLE space, maybe they are closer to the same size, but as far as basic square miles The Aussies have it.    In fact, Australia is considered the largest Island in the world.

 - AU tries to kill you  NZ likes you to live -  Australia has this thing called the OUTBACK.  Its an actual place and your life expectancy drops dramatically when you go into it.  That doesn't mean you'll die immediately, but it does mean you should probably be mindful.  New Zealand certainly has wild areas, but they appear to be fairly welcoming for the most part.  The volcanic region to the north being most like Australia's outback, but not really even close.

- AU doesn't like nukes  NZ hates them - Pretty much speaks for itself.  New Zealand will have no,that is NO form of nuclear.  Weapons or energy, their answer is noooooo.  Australia has 30 % of the worlds Uranium.  That's quite a bit.  As yet they still don't have any nuclear power but they are still debating it.  As far as weapons of the nuclear persuasion Australia will likely allow a US nuclear submarine pick up some Vegemite, but Australians don't want any of their own (nuclear weapons, not Vegemite, they like that)

- AU Strange dangerous animals everywhere you turn  NZ sheep - There are over 120 marsupial species in Australia.  120.  Before I started this list I knew of about 3 and could name two:  Kangaroo, and the Koala.  Of course they also have the Platypus, the worlds only venomous mammal.  They also have loads of snakes and spiders that will curdle your blood while you stand.  On top of that they have Kane Toads and any number of other strange animals that help/plague Australia.  Australia has so many strange animals that it makes you wonder how serious they are about that nuclear thing.  While I'm sure that New Zealand has other animals, like the Kiwi bird, what they are known for is sheep.  Sheeeeeep. For quite some time, it was said that New Zealand had more sheep than people.  Not sure if that's true now, but it's still a lot of sheep.  New Zealand is trying to get rid of all the non native predator mammals.  Apparently they aren't very New Zealand-y.
 

- AU Mad Max and Crocodile Dundee.  NZ  Lord of the rings.- Australia has a rich film history that includes Mad max and Mick Dundee.  New Zealand has Lord of the rings.  Trilogy or Hobbit flavor.  Strictly Ballroom is a fantastic movie about ballroom dancing in Australia.  If you haven't seen it, you should.  New Zealand has Whale Rider that's a coming of age story about a girl in native New Zealand society.  You can go visit the hobbit town.  It's a thing.  I don't think you can visit Mel Gibson in Australia but I'm pretty sure crocodiles are available for a consultation.

- AU Kangaroo  NZ Kiwi bird - Both Countries appear to have a distinctive animal that represents them.  The Kangaroo is found In Australia only in several varieties and is the largest marsupial available.  The Kiwi bird can only be found in New Zealand and is related to the ostrich but is much smaller.

 - AU Loves Australian Rules Football.  New Zealand loves Netball - Australian rules football is pretty different when compared to American football.  In fact, the only thing they have in common is the fact that the word football is in the name.  Pretty rough and tumble but that's about it.  Netball is basketball without a backboard and the Women's game is MUCH more popular than the men's game. If you get a chance to watch it, the first thing you will say is 'How come nobody is jumping?'  I'm not really sure.

 - AU likes steaks so much, they made restaurants in America.  Nz Also has Outback Steak houses - Obviously I don't know a lot about either of these places since Outback steakhouses originated in Florida.  I'm kind of surprised that they exist in either country, but especially in Australia.  Kind of like seeing a Taco bell in Mexico I imagine.







 - AU started out with British Prisoners as a penal colony.  NZ started out as a new destination spot. -  Loads of trading happened in New Zealand Loads of prisoners were sent to Australia.  Likely because of the poison animals previously mentioned.  Both countries of course had inhabitants prior to the British crown deciding to show up with various diseases, but the countries as we know them are thanks to the Brit's interest.


- NZ appears to believe in magic.  AU doesn't; draw your own conclusions. - New Zealand has a Wizard.  Known as the Wizard of Christchurch, he does a daily rant in the public square.  He looks like Gandalf on a ladder (yeah, he gets on a ladder).  Australia doesn't have that.  Come to think of it, I don't know any place that has that.








If you have intimate knowledge of Australia or New Zealand, and know that this is all crap for one reason or another.  Thanks for reading this all the way to the end.   I really wrote this because I feel like New Zealand and Australia are synonymous.  You know, like the United States and Canada.  Come back in a couple of weeks and it will be about something else that I know just as much about possibly more.