Get a Life

[Aria]

Melbourne has a kind of specialised 'pub scene', where there's a type of restaurant that serves uptown versions of classic UK and Irish 'pub foods'. Some have branched out into other european 'pub food' sources - the german bierhall is an inspiration too.

In our 'regional' villages, there might be only one building to be the local cafe/restaurant/pub/etc. So in those, the pub food is usually really good. Also usually made to order, and often heavily featuring locally sourced ingredients.
The downside is the minimum 4 hours driving from the nearest other village.

In Canada, and probably the States too, we call the first a gastro-pub. They're really awesome... restaurant quality food and a great beer list. Ah, I love them.

The second sounds like some of the small, one Michelin star restaurants I've heard of in Europe. I'd like to go!

[WishfulSpirit]

Sounds like it's time for "we are sorry we are unable to accomadate your requests and wish you the best in finding food to your liking elsewhere." In other words, manager speak for "piss off."

[Seshat]

The second sounds like some of the small, one Michelin star restaurants I've heard of in Europe. I'd like to go!

Outback Australia has treasures.

Every village in the outback has a reason for existing. Some are mining towns, or opal towns, or have some other specific resource. Some are because it's a particularly good location for a particular type of food.


Now, we have two kinds of regional Australia. One is the well-watered (relatively speaking) zone around the south-east corner, and up the east coast. (There are a couple of other watered patches as well.)
The other is the Outback - capital O. Otherwise known as 'beyond the black stump', or 'back o' Bourke', or a number of other colourful phrases.

Regional Australia but not Outback is good for the casual tourist. Safe, lots of towns kinda close together, plenty of small places to explore that haven't yet been 'discovered', but also plenty of places that do have full tourist facilities.

Outback - is not. Outback will kill you if you're unprepared, most likely of dehydration or heatstroke, possibly of cold-desert-night. But if you're prepared, Outback Australia has wonders you'll never find anywhere else. (And if you file trip intention at the appropriate places and miss a check-in, the police will come looking for you. So you're not going to die of dehydration if you're prepared. )

[Valentinian]

My favourite term for large swathes of the Outback is the GABA - Great Australian Bugger All.

[stitchwitch]

My favourite term for large swathes of the Outback is the GABA - Great Australian Bugger All.

AKA: The Land Of Nope.

[dalesys]

AKA: The Land Of Nope.

The Land Of N'Ope.
You left out the apostrophe...
... or would that be an Abo's trophy?...

[WishfulSpirit]

It never fails to amaze me the stuff people get stuck on. One of my guests was HORRIFIED we put clean pool towels in a laundry hamper (instead of shelves for swimmers to destroy because they want the one at the bottom). Someone else thought we were completely incompetent because we wouldn't give them a corkscrew (didn't have one...We dont have a bar, walk your lazy butt to the liquor store across the street).

[notalwaysright]

It never fails to amaze me the stuff people get stuck on.

Serious. I get people mad because I make them take a number, and they don't want to waste the paper. And I'm like, if you only knew how much we waste here, this tiny scrap of paper would be the least of your concern. Those things really make people mad. The only thing which would make them more angry is if they had to stand in line, har har.

[XCashier]

They don't want to waste that small piece of paper?! Really?!

I get people who don't comprehend how take-a-ticket systems work (I remember seeing the things when I was a small child, how is it that people haven't figured out by now how they work?!). They'll tear the ticket flush with the dispenser so the next ticket won't pop out, or they'll pull out and tear off a whole string of tickets. It's just baffling. They can't comprehend something as simple as taking a ticket, and someone's trusted them to use a sewing machine?!

[WishfulSpirit]

If I remember right, XCashier is in the land of the rain soaked coffee drinkers (birthplace of Green Mermaid). They tend to get the environmental types.

[XCashier]

We've got our share of environmental types here, too, as well as a huge population of retired hippies. But not wanting to waste that small piece of paper? If it means that much to you, keep it and roll your next joint with it!

[Argabarga]

Or come back when there isn't a line and you don't need to utilize little scraps of paper that probably cost less in terms of resources expended to create than your "Save the Panda" bumperstickers.

[notalwaysright]

Arga, our at our store we make every single person take a number, even if they are the only person in the whole store. I know it sounds dumb, but I love consistency. And I don't care if people snark at me about it, it's a good habit for everyone, customers and employees. I will take those sarcastic comments if it means that we are having less number problems, like confusion over who was next.