Looking Mighty Fine for Two Hundred And Twenty

Australia turns 220 years old today! And what a better way to celebrate it than to hit publish on my 300th post :P

Although, strangely, the 26th January 1788 was not the date on which Australia was discovered by the outside world. The Dutch first clapped eyes on Aussie shores way back in 1603, but it was the British who claimed the eastern half of the country in 1770. I know, the math doesn't add up there, either. Australia Day is celebrated on the anniversary of the first European settlement of Australia, spearheaded by Capt James Cook. This landing in New South Wales was initially made up of really, really naughty Englishmen who happened to get themselves caught doing a whole manner of crimes back in the King's country and found themselves shackled to the next boat out to the colony. Criminals were shipped out to various places around the country until convict transportation ended in 1868 (a necessary side-post: Indigenous Australians have been calling our country home for more than forty THOUSAND years...we just tacked ourselves onto the end of it :P)

I might pause here to explain that my state, South Australia, was first settled in 1836 - the first free settlement (non-convict) in the country. Most South Australians proclaim this with a certain degree of pride. No riff-raff here, you see! LOL. We were also the first Australian state to grant suffrage for women.

And so, for my 300th post and in honour of Australia Day, I thought I'd take you on a little tour of my city and South Australia's capital, Adelaide.

For most of you, the first place you'll see when you arrive is the airport.


Go on, have a coffee. It's a long way from...well, from most places in the world. We'll wait. Slurp.

After you've checked into your hotel, you'll want to go visit the strange brass pigs in the CBD.


And marvel at our giant-sized Chinese medicine balls:


And visit a pirate-ship (it's a restaurant - you'll be hungry):


And then, if you're still hungry, much down on this:

If you happen to call in at Christmastime, you'll want to go here to see this guy:


Or here, to see these:


And then, when you're good and tired, you can spend your last night catching a sunset here:

And then of course, before you leave, you have to come over to my place for some of this, LOL:



Happy Australia Day Bloggityville!

Cheers,
Lizzie