I copied this ‘test’ from Lea over at Little Drummer Boys, who found it over at My Aussie Antics. It was originally written to celebrate the Aussie-ness of people for Australia Day but I can’t possibly wait until January to post it, instead I will do it now and maybe if you are really lucky and I am still lazy I will re-post it then.
So, as Dee from DownUnder says, ‘I have devised this little list of 60 things of Aussieness, (all by myself too – how clever am I?) While by no means exhaustive, I think it lists quite a few things that show how much of an Aussie you are, or can be. For those who are not Aussies, it might give you a bit of an idea of some of our Aussie experiences. It shows a bit of the quirkier side of life as an Aussie. Take the test, take it to your blog if you like, just link back. I experienced about 45, give or take a few. My answers are in itallics. Its just a bit of fun, I know I have probably left many other Aussie experiences out, no offence intended!’
If you have done it all… well.. Onya mate! You’re a Legend.’
Well for me, the answers are in italics and I think I am a true blue Aussie!
1. Been dive bombed by a magpie? Not recently but did watch with both fear and hysterics as the kids were bombed a year or 2 ago!
2. Have seen a crocodile? Yep, but only in the zoo however we did have a stuffed baby crocodile that lived on the parcel shelf in the car we had when I was a kid! I never did find out why.
3. Have seen a snake in the wild? Many. I remember picking up a baby snake when I was on school camp and taking it back to the camp wanting to keep it as a pet forever and ever. Luckily mother snake didn’t come to visit!
4. Been bitten by a snake or other aussie wildlife? When I was about 5 I was helping to look for my little brother’s bottle that he had hidden and a black spider jumped out of a drawer, landed on my foot and bit me. All I remember doing is screaming and then running through the house before a mad dash to the hospital.
5. Patted a koala? Yep, friends/acquaintances/other local people had them on their property and helped nurse an injured one back to health.
6. Seen a kangaroo in the wild? Yep, they were everywhere in the area I grew up – the local pests.
7. Climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge? Would love to, is it your shout?
8. Climbed the Story Bridge in Brisbane? Again, would love to just don’t have the $$$ for a holiday.
9. Visited the Sydney Opera House? Yep, I am sure if I looked hard enough I would have photographic proof…
10. Swum at the beach? Of course. Beaches are more fun to relax at than swim.
11. Had fish and chips on the beach? Yum, I love fish and chips on the beach, if I didn’t already have plans for tonight that would have been fun. Perhaps a picnic at the beach on Sunday?
12. Been stung by a jellyfish? No, but I probably deserve to be stung when I throw them at people. I don’t know which ones sting.
13. Had sunburn that peeled. My summer routine – burn, peel, freckle and repeat all summer long.
14. Camped under the stars? In the backyard as kids, then on actual camping trips with friends now as family ‘holidays’
15. Visited Uluru? No, it IS on the to do list.
16. Driven the Great Ocean Road in Victoria? Yep, the first time was as a part of a defensive driving course I was doing – not much room for error. Much more pleasant when driven in a more relaxed manner.
17. Seen the penguins on Phillip Island Victoria? The penguin parade is fun, must go back there soon.
18. Had an outdoor BBQ with Friends? Most weekends!
19. Played backyard/beach Cricket? Still do only the backyard now is the park over the road. The rules were ‘6 and out’, auto wicket keeper and 1 hand 1 bounce!
20. Watched a real cricket match live? Yep and that is a day that I will never get back. Cricket is fun to play and good to read through!
21. Betted on the Melbourne Cup? Yep, I won this year, hooray for me!
22. Attended the Melbourne Cup Live from Flemington? Yes but I don’t know if it counts – I was working!
23. Attended a live Aussie Rules or rugby football game? I go along to a couple of AFL matches a year.
24. Ridden a Melbourne Tram? For the best part of 6 years that was how I got to and from work daily.
25. Snow Skied in the “high country” of NSW/Vic? I don’t think what I did could actually be called skiing, but I tried.
26. Visited the Great Barrier Reef? My school trip to QLD in 1988 didn’t include the reef, will have to get there eventually.
27. Been to Kakadu? I had transferred schools before the Kakadu trip was on offer. Another one for the to-do list.
28. Crossed the Nullabour by road? I would love to, or cross by train. Again, maybe one day…
29. Gone down the Murray River on a paddle steamer? A few times. Again I know I have photographic proof somewhere. I even have a certificate for helping to steer the paddle steamer.
30. Survived a cyclone? No cyclones for me.
31. Survived a bushfire? Again that is a no, luckily. I grew up in an area that was often surrounded by bushfire but luckily the town was safe. I did work at the bush fires earlier this year and hope I never see such devastation again.
32. Experienced a big flood? Yep. Some areas of our tiny town would flood almost every year, that area included the local sports grounds. Every time a goal was kicked someone would have to row out to get the ball back. One year a friend and I tried to ride through the floods further along the creek, the road disappeared, we were stuck in the floods and half the town was out looking for us, including the police.
33. Know who the Wiggles are? OF course, the kids weren’t huge fans but how can you not know the Wiggles?
34. Know who Humphrey the Bear is? It kind of bugged me that he couldn’t talk but I still watched.
35. Watched Play School as a kid or mum of a kid? Both, I loved the creations that they made as a kid. I still love it, now I love seeing what actors are on Play School.
36. Watched Skippy the Bush Kangaroo? I wanted to have my very own Skippy and save the world too.
37. Own an Australia Flag? Yep, it usually ends up draped over the balcony on Australia Day, the rest of the year it substitutes as a super hero cape.
38. Know the words to Advance Australia Fair. Of course, the second verse too!
39. Eat Vegemite? Naturally. When in the US with the kids we had a jar in the nappy bag to ensure that the kids would eat something.
40. Drink Milo? Milo is a food all of its own, in fact it could be a food substitute. I love Milo but I don’t buy it as I eat it by the tin full. Hopefully Santa will bring me a giant tin again this year.
41. Know what lamingtons are? I even know how to make them. If you make extra dipping chocolate sauce stuff and freeze it, it tastes delicious, better than the lamingtons themselves.
42. Know what Pavlova is? Dessert Christmas night at mum and dads, YUM.
43. Know what Tim Tams are? They are delicious apparatus for drinking hot chocolate or port! mmmm, want tim tams.
44.Eaten a meat pie? What is a day at the footy without a meat pie?
45. Gave or received a “dead arm”? I had forgotten all about dead arms. I hope my kids don’t find out about them.
46. Have owned an Akubra hat? I had a hand-me-down akubra as a kid.
47. Own/owned an Australia Cattle dog? Sorry, no working dogs for me.
48. Been to a B& S ball – or know what one is? B&S balls were great. Where else can you wear a little black dress and a pair of work boots to stomp through mud to get to the bar. Recovery day on the banks of the lake relaxing in the sun was delightful.
49. Drive a ute? I have driven one, I did my first ever burn out in a ute learning how to drive.
50. Say G’day? Pretty sure I do, just not all the time.
51. Can cook damper? My brother and I used to get up early of a morning, make damper and cook it in the coals in the coonara – delicious! Mum and dad only just found out, 25 years later.
52. Can make billy tea? Can make it, not sure I like it, haven’t had any since I developed a tolerance of tea of any sort.
53. Supported a sausage sizzle? At least once every couple of months.
54. Own John Williamson CD/Music. I used to have a copy many moons ago, not any longer.
55. Owned backyard chooks or know what chooks are? Have never owned any chooks but I love going to collect the eggs.
56. Call the toilet “the dunny”? That is what it is.
57 . Wear thongs (on your feet…)? About to kick of the sneakers and put mine back on.
58. Support Aussie music? Yep. I love live music. Off to see Hoodoo Gurus at a winery soon, yay!
59. Enjoy a beer? The only time I have enjoyed beer is after a game of netball, and that was twice, at least a dozen years ago.
60.Swallowed a fly. Unfortunately yes. I almost swallowed another one on my way home from work today.
60 questions and I answered yes to more than 50 of them, I guess I AM an Aussie. I would be interested in knowing how non-Aussies answer the questions!
How Aussie are you?
