After that I started my trip all around Australia. It first of all needs to be emphasised that the monumental emptiness of Australia is not easy to convey. It is the most thinly populated country in the world, with 6 people per square mile (compare UK: 632; US:76; Macau: 69000). Furthermore, most Australians live in the bigger cities along the coast, therefore leaving most of the country uninhabited. When you drive through Australia you will have miles and miles of nothing on both sides if you drive to Alice Springs, have miles of nothing on your right if you drive from Perth up north and miles of nothing on your right if you drive south from Cairns…… It is empty! But what a varied landscape! The landscape changes every 5 minutes and every state is completely different from the one you just passed through. Although the country is so empty, it does have a plentitude of “interestin” names. I did some research and came to the following conclusions: Most city names begin with the letter B, followed by the letter C and M. Western Australia appears to be the state where city names make least sense of all Australian states, with names such as Mingenew, Wongoondy, Goomalling, Paraburdoo, etc. But I am not picking on the Western Australians. I think this part of the country is highly underappreciated. On the one hand, this is to my luck because there are fewer tourists around. On the other hand, it is a shame because this is really an amazing part of the country which is well worth a visit or two ;) Other odd names include: Poowong, Wee Waa, Burrumbuttock, Suggan Buggan, Boomahnoomoonah, Waaia, Mullumbimby, Ewlyamartup, Yiggalung and Tittybong. Anyways, enough with the city names :)
Australia is probably also the only country in the world that is so vast and empty that a band of amateur enthusiasts, called Aum Shinrikyo, could conceivably set off the world’s first non-governmental atomic bom bon its mainland and it would take almost 4 years for anybody to notice it! It has now also become the NUMBER ONE country in overweight people, thereby beating the Americans! I always thought – how prejudiced am I? – that Australians were amongst the fittest of the fittest and were all tanned and trained. Nope, they have overweight problems, and quite considerable ones while at it!

The first big city we came across on our trip was Melbourne. Although to me this city has nothing on Sydney, it is definitely a nice city with lots to offer. Moreover, it has the world’s most insane right turns. If you are driving in central Melbourne and you wish to make a right hand turn, you have to pull over to the kerb – i.e. as far as possible from where you want tob e – and sit there for as long as it takes and ten make your turn from there in a frantic moment just before the lights change. Don’t think they are just crazy in Melbourne. It does happen for a reason, namely the lovely trams that pass in the middle of the street.