Here is the wattle, the emblem of our land, you can stick it in a bottle, you can hold it in your hand

I got an e-mail from a friend who stayed recently who described the top bit of Australia as being the "real" Australia.

I think I'm insulted! *lol*

Having lived almost all of my life, bar three years, in the lower half of Australia, I've got to say that we do definitely have it better down in Mexico. Better fashion, better food, more cultural events, fewer bogans, more ethnic diversity, fewer pretentious w*nkers (ahh, Sydney people... how I do not miss thee), far better wineries, etc.

Oh alright, so some places up north might have some nice enough beaches, but we've got great beaches down here, too. Especially in South Australia, where some of my favourite swimming places are to be found. Everyone gives South Australia a right bollocking most of the time, and I don't see why, other than for the Elizabeth and Salisbury regions (which should be packed up and sent overseas somewhere... possibly to America, and then they can be inflicted with some of our crass culture instead of it being the other way around).

So, what then is the "real" Australia?

What is it for someone to have an "authentic Australian" experience? And no, I don't mean getting intimate with the wildlife!

There's just such a lot of diversity here that there really can't be said to be one thing that makes up an Australian experience. I mean, I've travelled around a lot through Australia and there's just such a lot of stuff and styles to see that it would literally take a year or two to take it all in.

There isn't one single thing that I could really put down as an experience above all of the others.

Although I guess you could have gotten close if you'd been listening to Slim Dusty while drinking an icy cold beer in a pub in the Simpson Desert wearing an Akubra and stubbies with a Jackie Howard, teamed with Hard Yakka boots, and giving the great Australian salute to shoo the flies away... Or something.