2011 Holden Commodore VE Series II Redline SSV Ute

10 great Australian inventions

There are a number of items that we associate with Australia. The didgeridoo, the boomerang, and Vegemite quickly come to mind as Australian inventions. But Australia has given the world some great inventions and you probably never knew. Here’s a short list of awesome Australian inventions. 1. Ice-making refrigerator Before the invention of the refrigerator, icehouses placed … Read more

Man waving an American flag in a field at sunset. American individualism and Australian mateship.

American individualism and Australian mateship

American individualism and Australian mateship make two similar countries very different. I’ve written before about the little differences between Miami and Melbourne. It’s hard to make generalisations because the United States and Australia are both large countries with different regional cultures, political and social ideologies, and state laws. Life is very different in New York, Georgia, … Read more

Reading Kindle books on an airplane.

Great books for your long flight

The journey from Miami to Melbourne is about 25 hours door to door. That is, getting to and from the airport, going through security and customs, air time, layovers, and so forth. I usually watch movies on flights, but I also like to read. I always carry books with me, either Kindle books or paperbacks. Here are … Read more

Woman with a fire behind her. A promo still from The Wicker Tree.

Review: The Wicker Tree

Robin Hardy returns to the silver screen with neither a remake nor a sequel to his 1973 cult classic The Wicker Man. Intended as a companion piece, The Wicker Tree explores the same themes, but with far less intrigue, shock, horror, or reason. The film opens in Texas where born-again country pop star Beth Boothby and … Read more

Flinders Street Station. Melbourne tourist attractions.

Old Melbourne, new Melbourne

One thing I love about Melbourne is the blend the old and the new, its historical architecture alongside or even inside contemporary structures. Melbourne was founded in 1835, more than 250 years after the first Spanish mission was constructed in Miami. You don’t see many old buildings in Miami. There are some notable exceptions particularly … Read more

The islands of Australia

Did you know that Australia has more than 8,000 islands? Most people probably only think of the main continent and perhaps Tasmania. Some of Australia’s islands are just off the coast, in bays, and have small towns, shipyards, or are wildlife areas. Many are uninhabited. Let’s look at a few islands of Australia. Tasmania is the … Read more