Erik Skye Travel Blog

14 Jan 2012

For the map, click here: Google Maps – Wizard of Oz

Car’s trip odometer: 6,650 clicks (km)

As I walked in, I heard a woman's voice and looked up to a large TV screen to see a man talking out of sync.  Then I realized she was from a different program playing on the loudspeaker system.  'Yes, great analogy,' I thought.  This is all like a bad lip-sync job in the wrong gender.  I was in Hahndorf – a German theme town hailed as the oldest in Australia (circa 1839) with streets lined by ivy-endowed buildings of old-style European stone masonry sporting mock thatched hip roves (actually of brown corrugated metal). I kept looking at other pedestrians wondering if they were Germans. I finally asked a bartender if she felt more like she was in Australia or Germany, and she replied (in Australian English) ‘people expect me to be German, but there aren’t any Germans here anymore. I told another bar tender that I was being thrown for a loop being in a German town in Australia, and after a short confused-looking pause, he beamed ‘cool spot, huh!’ (again, in Australian English). To make matters worse, there is a Hahndorf Chinese restaurant, a Hahndorf Pizzeria, and lots of Asian tourist milling about. I was confused and bewildered, but it could have been that I was just too tired to accept the contradictions.  I did like the beer though.

Tipping in Australia:  There's always been some confusion here (on my part in Oz and on Australian's part when in the USA).  Declan (Georgia's brother from Day 18) cleared it up (he's been a waiter in both countries).  You tip in the USA because servers get paid minimum wage (i.e. $6/hr), and you don't tip in Australia because they're fully paid for the same job (i.e. $25/hr).  Remember, Australian and US dollars are fairly equal right now, so that is a direct comparison.  Hope that helps!

I called it a day in Millicent and noticed another guy in a little hatchback setting up.  I wondered.  The next morning I drove past and saw him sleeping in it.  I laughed at the thought of someone doing what I've been doing.  Apparently, I get by with less sleep than him though. 

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