OT: Travel

[Bullwinkle58]

This might be old, might have been posted here. But I thought it was funny, especially given how many Europeans we have.

[geofflambert]

Thanks moose [:D]

[JeffroK]

True story.
Back in the 80's i was heading back to Perth after visiting home in Melbourne.
While at a Caravan Park in Pt Augusta I got approached by a European couple looking for a ride to Perth (Car had West Oz plates)

First day was Pt Augusta - Eucla (almost 1000km), second day Eucla - Perth. On the second day we didnt leave Western Australia covering around 1400km.

They told of the ability to travel through France, Belgium, Germany, Nederlands and Luxembourg in a 1 or 2 hour drive.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

True story.
Back in the 80's i was heading back to Perth after visiting home in Melbourne.
While at a Caravan Park in Pt Augusta I got approached by a European couple looking for a ride to Perth (Car had West Oz plates)

First day was Pt Augusta - Eucla (almost 1000km), second day Eucla - Perth. On the second day we didnt leave Western Australia covering around 1400km.

They told of the ability to travel through France, Belgium, Germany, Nederlands and Luxembourg in a 1 or 2 hour drive.

When I was much, much younger I managed to make it by train from Cairns south with stops to Brisbane and Sydney, then the Gold Coast, across to Adelaide, then the Nulaboor to Perth by way of various bases on the AE map. I spent four days each in Cairns and Sydney, one in Brisbane, a few on the Gold Coast, an overnight in Adelaide in a casino, and a week in Perth. But the trip was six weeks!

People here ask me what Australia is like when I mention I've been there. I say to picture the US. They nod. I say, now picture it empty.

It's a pretty amazing place.

[wdolson]

I haven't been to England, but according to a friend who is a car nut who lives there a more accurate thing would be: I've been driving for 6 hours and I'm 30 miles from home.

Bill

[AW1Steve]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

I haven't been to England, but according to a friend who is a car nut who lives there a more accurate thing would be: I've been driving for 6 hours and I'm 30 miles from home.

Bill

I've driven a few English cars like that! [:D]

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: JeffK

True story.
Back in the 80's i was heading back to Perth after visiting home in Melbourne.
While at a Caravan Park in Pt Augusta I got approached by a European couple looking for a ride to Perth (Car had West Oz plates)

First day was Pt Augusta - Eucla (almost 1000km), second day Eucla - Perth. On the second day we didnt leave Western Australia covering around 1400km.

They told of the ability to travel through France, Belgium, Germany, Nederlands and Luxembourg in a 1 or 2 hour drive.

When I was much, much younger I managed to make it by train from Cairns south with stops to Brisbane and Sydney, then the Gold Coast, across to Adelaide, then the Nulaboor to Perth by way of various bases on the AE map. I spent four days each in Cairns and Sydney, one in Brisbane, a few on the Gold Coast, an overnight in Adelaide in a casino, and a week in Perth. But the trip was six weeks!

People here ask me what Australia is like when I mention I've been there. I say to picture the US. They nod. I say, now picture it empty.

It's a pretty amazing place.

The Moose

In a previous job we would get visitors from HO in Lenexa, KS.

Often they would ask for directions for the weekend, can we fit in Great Ocean Rd (easy), The Grampians (not too hard) and Ayers Rock (a 3 day drive away), reaction to our comments would be "Australia isnt that big!!"

We put together a map, Kansas City was approx Alice Springs, Sydney the equivalent of WashingtonDC, Brisbane - New York and Melbourne - Miami.

Started to get more realistic questions after that.

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

When I was much, much younger I managed to make it by train from Cairns south with stops to Brisbane and Sydney, then the Gold Coast, across to Adelaide, then the Nulaboor to Perth by way of various bases on the AE map. I spent four days each in Cairns and Sydney, one in Brisbane, a few on the Gold Coast, an overnight in Adelaide in a casino, and a week in Perth. But the trip was six weeks!

People here ask me what Australia is like when I mention I've been there. I say to picture the US. They nod. I say, now picture it empty.

It's a pretty amazing place.

Pretty easy to do if you've ever traveled in North Dakota (before the oil boom).

Bill

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

I haven't been to England, but according to a friend who is a car nut who lives there a more accurate thing would be: I've been driving for 6 hours and I'm 30 miles from home.

Bill

warspite1

Now that is funny [:)]

Yes, driving in the UK can be a very frustrating experience. Driving in London can be .....challenging, and not good for the blood pressure! The same when there is any sort of 'event' on e.g. the British Grand Prix or when driving down to Cornwall in the summer [:@]

I never cease to be amazed when I come into and out of Disney - thousands upon thousands of people, all in cars - and yet when you try and enter or exit, there are no jams, when you hit the freeway, there are no jams. Incredible. Driving in Florida is good [:)]

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

I haven't been to England, but according to a friend who is a car nut who lives there a more accurate thing would be: I've been driving for 6 hours and I'm 30 miles from home.

Bill

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Now that is funny [:)]

Yes, driving in the UK can be a very frustrating experience. Driving in London can be .....challenging, and not good for the blood pressure! The same when there is any sort of 'event' on e.g. the British Grand Prix or when driving down to Cornwall in the summer [:@]

I never cease to be amazed when I come into and out of Disney - thousands upon thousands of people, all in cars - and yet when you try and enter or exit, there are no jams, when you hit the freeway, there are no jams. Incredible. Driving in Florida is good [:)]

The same friend lived here for a while and he said the local highway out to our small town which we consider a minor highway would be considered a major highway in England. He was very impressed with the US interstate system. He drove from here to Los Angeles to meet a friend from online and he noted that the trip was longer than driving from the southern coast of England to the northern tip of Scotland and it took him a day and a half.

The highways can congested in large cities, especially at peak commute times, but overall the US highway system is pretty good. It's rare you can't do 70 mph or more between cities on the interstates.

We moved to Portland in part because of the Seattle traffic. The people who designed the freeway system in Seattle must have been high.

Bill

[Chijohnaok2]

Florida does have a decent highway system.

Yes, in an urban area you will encounter traffic during peak morning and evening rush hour, but overall the system is pretty good.
I make a monthly trip from Tampa to the far west end of the Florida Panhandle. A 430 mile trip will take me on average 6 1/2 to 7 hours. This includes 1 stop to refill the gas tank and several additional stops along the way for a bio break or to just stretch my legs. (My best time ever for the trip was 5 1/2 hours).

[geofflambert]

Eisenhower saw the Autobahn and knew we had to get some of that. Before that driving could an adventure in the US, especially out west.

[JeffroK]

Driving is supposed to be an adventure, not a boring trudge up a concrete/bitumen drain.

A huge part of the fun of driving around Australia begins when you leave the divided highways and head through the small, semi-deserted country towns. I try to assure enough time to see things, stop in a small town for lunch or a break instead of having barely enough time to make it, getting old and senile!!

[Justus2]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

When I was much, much younger I managed to make it by train from Cairns south with stops to Brisbane and Sydney, then the Gold Coast, across to Adelaide, then the Nulaboor to Perth by way of various bases on the AE map. I spent four days each in Cairns and Sydney, one in Brisbane, a few on the Gold Coast, an overnight in Adelaide in a casino, and a week in Perth. But the trip was six weeks!

People here ask me what Australia is like when I mention I've been there. I say to picture the US. They nod. I say, now picture it empty.

It's a pretty amazing place.

Pretty easy to do if you've ever traveled in North Dakota (before the oil boom).

Bill

Or West Texas/New Mexico. Years ago I was at Ft. Bliss, TX, and one of my friends (from Arkansas) saw that U of Arkansas was playing Texas Tech. We decided to do a road trip, after all we were in El Paso, TT is in Lubbock, how far can it be? 7 hours of nothing but desert, potash mines, and a sign reminding us we were re-entering Texas and Central time zone, we forgot about that and almost missed kickoff.

[geofflambert]

Well, here in Missouri we have lead mines. This is without a doubt the origin of our extraordinary intelligence.

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: Justus2

Or West Texas/New Mexico. Years ago I was at Ft. Bliss, TX, and one of my friends (from Arkansas) saw that U of Arkansas was playing Texas Tech. We decided to do a road trip, after all we were in El Paso, TT is in Lubbock, how far can it be? 7 hours of nothing but desert, potash mines, and a sign reminding us we were re-entering Texas and Central time zone, we forgot about that and almost missed kickoff.

My SO drove around North America in a VW bus for six months after graduating from college. She said driving across Texas was tedious and took forever.

Bill

[Numdydar]

Try doing that twice [:)]

[Erkki]

On a train right now, the screen says 140 km/h. 13 hours from now I'll still be in Finland, just 2/3 of the length of the country or so more to the South. [;)]

I guess I should have driven instead, I know this would only take about 10 hours.

[sventhebold]

Here in western MN and ND proper its so flat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How flat is it???????????????
Your dog can run away from home and 3 days later you can still see him!!!!!!!!!!
[:D][:D][:D][:D]

[geofflambert]

Not if I catch him.