MISCELLANEOUS - BUT INTERESTING INFORMATION

OR IS IT USELESS BITS OF TRIVIA?

This blog segment has no central theme other than random observations that we have found interesting. We hope that you enjoy these useless bits of trivia.

What time is it in Kadina? What time is it in Edmonton?

• To determine the time in Kadina, South Australia, you need a watch which has both the hour and minute hands. Look at the watch. For example in Edmonton, the time on your watch says that it is Thursday, 12:55 PM (i.e. the minute hand is on the eleven and the hour hand is on the one). Simply turn the watch upside down. The minute hand is now in the five position and the hour hand is in the seven position. The time in Kadina is Friday morning at 7:25 AM. Yes it was an Engineer who told us about this one. How do those guys figure out stuff like this?

Photo above shows the time in Edmonton as Thursday Afternoon 12:55 PM. Photo below shows time in Kadina as Friday Morning 7:25 AM

Water flows counterclockwise down the drain in the Southern Hemisphere

• Moving objects such as water flowing down a drain veers to the right (clockwise) in the northern hemisphere and to the left (counterclockwise) in the southern hemisphere. This is due to a phenomenon known as the Coriolis Effect. The Coriolis Effect is the apparent deflection of a moving object when it is viewed from a rotating reference point such as the earth. However, there is a word of caution. One may not always observe this phenomenon when looking for it in a small sink or toilet. The Coriolis Effect is generally too weak to affect small bodies of water; consequently one can observe both clockwise and couterclockwise flowing drains in both hemispheres. For small flowing basins, the direction that the water drains is usually determined by a number of factors such as the shape of the basin, whether the drain is offset, and most importantly, the way the water was moving when it commenced draining from the basin.
  

Australian Coat of Arms

• Two animals are present on the Australian Coat of Arms: the Kangaroo and the Emu. Strangely these animals have one thing in common which is why they are on the coat of arms. Both of these animals cannot walk backwards. Hence the reason for their presence on the coat of arms because one of Australia’s maxims is to always move forward, - never go back.
  

Coins of Australia

• Australia has coins in the following denominations: five cents, ten cents, twenty cents, fifty cents, one dollar and two dollars. Unlike Canada, they do not use any colloquial jargon such as a “loonie” or “twoonie” to describe any of their coins. When we have asked to borrow a nickel, or dime they have no idea that we are respectively referring to a five cent and ten cent piece.
  


• We also find it interesting, since they have no one cent coin, that prices in the store are still marked to the cent. For example if the price of a product is marked $7.97 cents, the charge at the till is rounded off to the nearest 5 cents. In this example, the fee paid at the till would be $7.95.

Adelaide’s Rapid Transit – the “O-Bahn”

• As part of it’s public transit system, Adelaide has the “O-Bahn”. The O-Bahn is a guided busway system that uses elements of both a bus and rail transit system. The O-Bahn transit concept is similar to the CN vehicles that we see in Canada that are able to drive on both road and rail. The O-Bahn buses travel on roads along residential designated bus routes picking up passengers. The bus then transfers seamlessly onto a guided track system made of cement with a high rim from which special wheels attached to the bus guide the vehicle downtown at speeds up to 100 km/hr. While on the tracks, the driver is not responsible for steering the vehicle. Once downtown, the bus transfers effortlessly back onto the roadways to off load passengers. The system was designed by Daimler-Benz from Germany and hence the origin of the name.
  
  • The O-Bahn appears to be a smart innovative mode of transportation. Buses are able to travel in residential areas and then transfer onto a track system that enables the vehicle to avoid traffic congestion while travelling to and from the downtown core. Passengers have the luxury of not having to disembark and embark and wait at transfer stations while traveling to and from work.
  
  
  
  

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Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla)

• Throughout our travels in Australia we have enjoyed the massive presence of the Moreton Bay Fig. This tree is similar and equivalent to our grand old maple and oak trees; only larger.

• Moreton Bay Figs have been planted in Botanical Gardens, city parks, school yards and virtually every other area where people will tend to congregate. One tree can provide shade for well over a hundred people. While watching a seven hour cricket match between Australia and the West Indies, we were most appreciative to be able to sit in the shade of a number of Moreton Bay Figs while the daily temperature peaked at plus 44oC.
  
  Above photos shows Moreton Bay Fig in Sydney Botanical Gardens. Bottom photos shows one tree providing shade to over 75 people at the South Australia Teacher Exchange Picnic
  
  
  

Cricket Game

• A couple of weeks ago, Rick had the pleasure of attending a cricket match in Adelaide. Australia was playing the West Indies. The match lasted seven hours, with tickets costing $25.00. It was excellent dollar value for a day’s enjoyment of sport. The game and experience is very similar to going to a baseball game. You sit in the stands, watch people, drink beverages and eat food from one of the many concession booths. The athleticism of the players was obvious as they competed for seven hours in the hot scorching afternoon and early evening heat. Even for spectators, the heat of the day was very draining.
  
  • The Oval Cricket park was beautiful. There was a very intimate feeling while we sat in lawn chairs on the crest of a hill watching the game under the shade of some very large Moreton Bay Figs. The scoreboard is believed to be one of the last actually working manual scoreboards. Apparently the people of Adelaide have resisted all attempts to replace the scoreboard with a modern electronic kind. It seemed to us that the presence of the old scoreboard added to the intimacy of the park and folklore of legendary cricketers having played in a bygone era.

Manual Score Board and fans at game time.

Boys enjoying the shade of the Moreton Bay Figs before the start of the contest. We had to get there early to get a good spot and stake out our turf.

Game at dusk - about 5 hours into the contest

Stobie Poles

• A “Stobie Pole” is the name given to the utility poles that dot the South Australian landscape. It is a pole made of two steel “I beam-like” joists held together by tie bolts and a slab of concrete in the middle. They are quite ingenious as they are made from easy to obtain materials since much of South Australia is void of any tall timbers that are suitable to use as telephone or power poles. Their steel and concrete frame make them resistant to hazards such as wild fire. We cannot understand why this design has not caught on in other arid areas.
  
  
  Stobie poles appear to be unique to South Australia - yet don't know why as the concept appears sound for areas lacking in timber resources

Shark Nets

• You will recall from the last blog entry titled “Kadina and the Yorke Peninsula” that there are many jetties up and down the peninsula. It is not uncommon to see shark nets associated with these jetties so that people can swim in comfort without the worry of a shark attack. If we are not swimming inside the shark net, we have made it a point to ensure that when we swim there are people further out in the ocean. Our Australian friends have jokingly said that sharks can sense fear, and will by pass an Aussie completely in order to stalk it’s cowardly and lily-livered foreign prey.

Netting provides a needed feeling of comfort so as to enjoy one's swim

Kadina and The Yorke Peninsula - Our Australian Home for One Year!

As you no doubt are aware by now, our teacher exchange home for 2010 is Kadina, South Australia. Kadina is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning “Lizard Plain”; however we have yet to see a lizard in Kadina. We are either not looking in the right spots or else the lizards have disappeared as the area has become more populated and habitats have changed as a result.

Kadina is a town of approximately 4,000 people situated at the north end of the Yorke Peninsula approximately 1½ hour drive northwest from Adelaide. It is the largest town on the Peninsula and serves as the retail and local government hub for the west side of the Peninsula.

Observations about the Town of Kadina and the Yorke Peninsula are highlighted below through a number of photographs and miscellaneous comments.

The Town of Kadina and the Copper Triangle

• Kadina as well as most communities on the peninsula have numerous examples of buildings constructed at the turn of the century. The architecture of these buildings is typical of the era and times. For example, the buildings are made of stone or brick and are only a maximum of three to four floors in height. The buildings have amazing ornamental highlights, facades and verandas. Kadina’s Town Hall Clock Tower and its central park area remind us very much of the “Back to the Future” movie. The only exception being that Kadina’s clock keeps excellent time.

Clock Tower of Kadina's Town Hall Building

Kadina's Royal Exchange Hotel

Main Street Kadina

• Kadina can boast of having the oldest continuous operating General Motors outlet in Australia. In fact, the proprietor thinks it may be the oldest GM dealership in the world. Rosewarnes started business in 1882 selling and manufacturing horse-drawn wagons and has not relocated its business from the original site. By 1902 the company was selling Oldsmobiles and has never looked back. It is our understanding that both the fifth and sixth generation of the family are presently working at the dealership.
  
  
  

Rosewarne's - Established 1882

Kadina is one of three towns that make up the “Copper Triangle”, with the other two towns being Wallaroo and Moonta. At the turn of the century, these three communities were bustling with approximately 20,000 people supporting copper mining and smelting. Today remnants of the mining activities can be seen on the landscape.

Wallaroo Mines - Old Pump House

• Walleroo which is located 8 km from Kadina is home to the “North Beach”, one of the most beautiful beaches on the peninsula and perhaps all of South Australia. Walks along the beach at sunset; as well as wading in cooling waters when temperatures are in the 30’s or 40’s has a way of calming one’s inner soul and re-igniting feelings of passion with those you love. Fishermen cast their lines off the jetty in hopes of catching garfish or other local treats. Anticipation is seen on the faces of both young and old as they raise their nets in hopes of catching Blue Crabs. We frequently pinch ourselves to remind us of how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to witness and experience such a wonderful setting.

• We sometimes wonder if people living in Kadina know how lucky they are to be living in such an incredible place? They live in a beautiful peaceful town where they can walk the streets at night without fear and gaze upon a starlit sky. They are only minutes away, without the bother of any traffic irritations, to all the day to day living amenities that are needed to sustain their being. Should they wish to immerse themselves in a foreign environment, they are only a two hour drive away from an international airport that will jet them away to anywhere they may want to go. The world famous Clare and Barossa wine valleys are only a Sunday’s drive away. In addition, Adelaide is a cosmopolitan city with a lively sport and arts community and a bevy of activities that could keep one busy for a life time.
  

The Yorke Peninsula

• The Yorke Peninsula offers more than 600 km of coastal shoreline. Like Italy, the Peninsula is frequently described as being “boot shaped”, with its toe punting into Spencer Gulf and its heel in Gulf St. Vincent. It has been stated that it is the “Leg” upon which South Australia stands. The peninsula is approximately 260 km (160 miles) long and 40 km (25 miles) wide. One of the things we find amazing is that we have not seen any evidence of a river or creek on the peninsula. This phenomenon only goes to illustrate the importance of water in the region and how the residents have adapted accordingly (see earlier Blog – Water and the Desert).
  
  
• The Peninsula is noted for its agricultural industry. It has been interesting to discover that the peninsula has no rail line. As a result, cereal crops such as wheat and barley are shipped out from a number of ports. Historically, ketches, schooners and later steamships were used to collect the crops in bags from jetties or piers that were constructed at nearly every ocean-side port on the boot. Many of these ports have since become obsolete as roads improved, freight-handling systems shifted from bags to bulk, and grain carrying ships became larger. Today, grain is only shipped from three ports: (i) Wallaroo located on the north-west side of the peninsula, (ii) Ardrossan at the top of the Gulf of St. Vincent and (iii) Port Giles near the south-eastern tip of the boot. There are many similarities between western Canadian farming practices and those on the Yorke Peninsula. For example, we have been told that on the Peninsula, no-till drilling is strongly encouraged to retain soil moisture. Similarly a crop rotation of wheat, barley, lentils or wheat, wheat, lentils is practiced. The lentils are nitrogen fixers, thus adding needed fertilizer into the soil. Barley is used to abate wheat pathogens.
  
  
• One thing that we have noted that is different in agricultural practices is the absence of grain storage bins on the Peninsula. In our travels throughout the peninsula, there are very few farms with storage bins. This may be due to the different grain handling facilities located at the ports. Because of the dry climate, most of the grain is stored outside in contained areas and covered with tarps. Moisture or mould to reduce the quality of the grain is not an issue here due to the absence of rain and the high ambient temperatures in the summer. Hence, the reason for outside storage. By fall/winter the stored grain has been shipped from the terminals. This may also explain the absence of storage bins on the landscape.

Walleroo Jetty and Grain Loading Terminal

Outside Grain Storage Areas

• Once the crop has been harvested, sheep are typically released into the fields. You never hear a farmer call his field a “field”. It is referred to as a “Paddock”. However, they do refer to agricultural fairs as “Field Days” and not “Paddock Days”. The sheep are released to graze on the stubble as well as residual seed not picked up by combines in the paddock. We have been told that during years of good yields, there is an abundance of grain (either at the terminals or in the paddocks) which results in an infestation of mice which leads to an increase in the snake population. It appears as if snake population fluctuations are no different to the classical Canadian study that observed that the increase or decrease in Lynx populations was directly proportional to rabbit populations.

Sheep grazing on stubble

• The demise of grain handling at many of the small ports along the Yorke Peninsula has inadvertently resulted in the creation of an excellent recreational sports fishery for the area. The abandoned jetties are now a main feature in many of the coastal towns and have become popular holiday spots which are ideal for shore-based anglers and crabbers. The Yorke Peninsula has become one of the top fishing destinations for South Australia.
  


• Innes National Park, covers 9,100 hectares along the south-western tip of the Peninsula. It is known as one of the Yorke Peninsula’s gems. It has secluded sandy beaches, a rugged and rocky coastline and spectacular vistas. Some think the vistas equal those of Australia’s Great Ocean Road. Along we have not visited the Great Ocean Road yet, we have concluded that its scenery must be equivalent to the Banff – Jasper Highway; with the difference being one showcases ocean vistas whereas the other mountains. The Park is a mecca for scuba divers, surfers, fishermen and hikers. We were fortunate enough to see emu’s and shingle-back lizards. The shingle-back is distinctive member of the lizard family known as “skinks.” When confronted by a predator, they confuse their attacker by bending their body into a semi-circle because the head looks very similar to the tail. Their thick tough skin provides protection against predators and keeps moisture loss to a minimum.
  
  

Father Emu and his young
Shingle-Back Lizard - Member of the Skink Family

Gas - Petrol Prices:

• January 1, 2010: Singapore – S$1.71/lire (Singapore $ is worth approximately $0.75 Canadian)
  
• January 7, 2010: Sydney – AUS$ 1.31 (Australian $ is worth approximately $0.98 Canadian)
  
• January 15, 2010: Kadina – AUS$ 1.24 (Australian $ is worth approximately $0.98 Canadian)
  
• February 1, 2010: Kadina – AUS$ 1.23
  
• January 31, 2010: Gas Prices in Comox B.C. - $1.02 Cdn
  
• February 1, 2010: Gas Prices in Edmonton Ab. - $0.89 Cdn

DRIVING ON "THE OTHER SIDE"

Driving in Australia is similar to driving in Britain and unlike driving in Canada. In Canada, we drive on the right hand side, whereas in Australia and Britain, they drive on the “left” or “wrong side”. Of course, we think it is the wrong side, because we drive on the “right side.” Who is to say which side is correct? Are you confused yet? Because that is what driving has been like for us during this first month – confusion and chaos!

Everything with respect to driving in Australia is the opposite. You drive on the opposite side of the road. The steering wheel is on the opposite side of the car. The windshield wipers are on the opposite side of the steering column. The signal light indicator is on the opposite side of the steering column. The head light indicator is on the opposite side of the driver’s panel. The cruise control switch is on the opposite side of the driver’s panel. Have we mentioned “opposite” enough? The only thing that is the same about driving is the brake and gas pedals. The brake pedal is on the left and the gas pedal is on the right. Why didn’t the car manufacturers make those opposite as well? It just adds to the madness!

We both have our own little idiosyncrasies with respect to driving. Rick is constantly walking to the other side of the car. If he is driving he is getting in on the passenger’s side and if he is a passenger, he is opening the car door on the driver’s side. Gail is constantly making a left or right turn signal with her windshield wipers. She is getting quite good at it; however, it looks a little odd turning the windshield wipers on while driving in a traffic circle (or "Round About" as it is known in Australia) in plus 30 degree blue sky temperatures. We like to think that people assume that we know what we are doing and that we are only washing the windows. Both of these habits are becoming quite irksome as we think that we have mastered driving on the “other side”. When company is traveling with us, they find it particularly entertaining. Yes, from time to time we have had very brave and adventurous Australians traveling with us in the car.

We had given ourselves until the end of January to get our driving protocols right or maybe now that we are in the Land of Down Under, we should say “get our driving protocols left”. Unfortunately we have missed this timeline and have now moved it back to the end of February. Our excuse is that Gail walks to school and Rick rides the bike for groceries, so we are not in the car that much. Do we sound frightened of driving or just saving gas?

Rick on his way to get Groceries

We have made a pact between ourselves with respect to our driving. We have both agreed that “back seat driving” is allowed and is encouraged during this time of transition. For example, the passenger is encouraged to tell the driver to:

• Quit hogging the extreme left edge of the road and move the car more into oncoming traffic near the center of the road.



• Make a “tight turn” when turning left and a “wide turn” when turning right.


• Look “Right, Left, Right” when proceeding through an unmarked intersection rather than looking “Left, Right, Left”.


• Watch out for that "Crest" in the road. At the summit of some steep hills, the car crests thereby causing a blind spot for the driver until the car descends downwards.

Watch Out for the Crest!

Just when we think we are getting better, something happens that gets us flustered and on goes the windshield wipers AGAIN. We have been advised by returning exchange teachers that once we return to Canada, we will have to go through the entire driving experience again only in reverse because we will have become accustom to driving on the left side. No doubt it will seem strange to drive on the “wrong side” when we return to Canada. And who said that humans are creatures of habit?

Since we are on the topic of driving, it seems appropriate to provide the latest update on the cost of Gas, or as they say in Australia, "Petrol":

Gas - Petrol Prices:

• January 1, 2010: Singapore – S$1.71/lire (Singapore $ is worth approximately $0.75 Canadian)


• January 7, 2010: Sydney – AUS$ 1.31 (Australian $ is worth approximately $0.98 Canadian)


• January 15, 2010: Kadina – AUS$ 1.24 (Australian $ is worth approximately $0.98 Canadian)


• February 1, 2010: Kadina – AUS$ 1.23

For comparative purposes and for those Aussies who are reading this blog

• January 31, 2010: Gas Prices in Comox B.C. - $1.02 Cdn

For those Canadians living in Edmonton – let us know what you are paying since gas in Alberta is always cheaper than gas in B.C. Also if any of you are interested in other price comparisons, start sending us prices for food and clothing items that may be of interest to you and we will let you know the equivalent product’s price in Kadina. For instance, are you interested in the price of a dozen eggs, or 2 litres of milk? Conversely, our Australian readers may be interested in Canadian prices. As an illustration, there is a huge gap between cosmetic and health care prices. It may shock you to know that we just paid $6.00 for 120 mL of Mcleans toothpaste. We are still getting over that one!

One last thing…..like in Canada we are constantly putting our groceries into the trunk so that the food will stay cool. In Australia, we still haven’t adapted to putting our groceries in the back seat rather than the trunk. In the back seat, the groceries will keep cooler longer since the car’s air conditioning unit is always on. In the trunk, the food starts to pre-cook before we get home. The Australians are no strangers to the heat and are quite ingenious as they have mastered use of the “Eskie”. An “Eskie” is an insulated collapsible portable cooler used for storing your perishables from the grocery store. However, we have frequently seen it filled with cold beer on the beach. Australians seem to have adapted quite nicely to beating the heat.

Gail putting a dozen eggs in an "Eskie"

As you can see, we are starting to get the hang of living in Australia, but we are not quite there…so “G’Day Mate” until we re-connect “On our next blog – EH!”