Ramblings of a retiree in France
As you might imagine, there were plenty of things in Australia which made me smile. here’s another post from our 2017 #adventuredownunder.
I have yet to finish mining our trip Down Under!
Although we didn’t drive as much this time as on our last trip to Australia, the roadside messages still amused me. Australians think nothing of driving long distances and those roads can be soporific. To keep drivers on their toes, signs wisely exhort you to stop every two hours or to pull over and take a nap if you’re feeling sleepy. But they mix it up all the time and I love their ingenuity.
You’ll see plenty of this sign, white letters underlined on a red background, which surely must strike fear into anyone reading it.
Wrong way, go back!
Here’s just a few of the other ones we’ve seen:
In that last sign it rather assumes that the passengers all have driving licences!
But it’s not just road signs that bring a smile to my face. Traffic lights exhort you to “Give Way to PEDS”, short for pedestrians, not performance enhancing drugs.
Last year I wondered what the hell are or is “Pokies,” they’re everywhere in Australia. I looked them up on Google which provides two explanations. In this case, the signs refer to Poker machines. Of course, I should have guessed with the Aussie love of abbreviating words and then making them end in “ies” such as Barbies, tinnies and so on and so forth. But how was a girl to know? While the signs are everywhere, I’ve yet to see one of the machines. Or maybe I have and assumed it was a cigarette vending machine?
Tattoos are very popular in Australia and there’s plenty of tattoo parlours. So when I kept seeing signs for “Tatts” I assumed it was shorthand for tattoos but no, it’s the name of the Australian Lottery.
Australians also like to display their sense of humour with signs such as these:-
Now you can understand my concern about sharks and why I won’t swim in Australian waters.
The abbreviated language is still causing us trouble ! And by the time you spot the sign Wrong Way Go Back ..it’s just too late π
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Thatβs exactly what we thought
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A fun set – although the driving ones are really serious
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Indeed
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β‘ No doors; or have you just yet to find the pics π€ ? Not quite a door; about 15 years ago I was on guided tour in the WA Regional Country areas heading for the beach and as the mini coach drove past a gate I read the sign which, instead of ‘No Trespassing’, said “Private Land, FUCK OFF!!!” and I laughed all the way to the beach ππ€£π ππππππ
…β‘β‘β‘…
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Doors were yesterday
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lolol Australians seem to be funny… and creative π thanks for sharing and greetings from Portugal, PedroL
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Youβre in Portugal?
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Yep yep yep Sheree π PedroL
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How come? Is it for work?
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ahah I am Portuguese… and now, with the pandemic had to return home… and I think I will stay here a few more months… PedroL
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Okay, makes sense. Take care.
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eheh it does… I wish I could be traveling… regards, PedroL
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π
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Oh wow this post made me laugh, I see those signs every day so never think anything of them π what was the other βgoogleβ explanation for pokies…I had no idea others didnβt know what they are, or Tatts. My fav signs here are the animal ones, with kangaroos, koalas and others β€οΈ great post π
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The other explanation for Pokies was nipples!
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your humor is so nicely felt as you make posts and this was a smile and interesting – esp the signs
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Thank you
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Bloody Good photos . . . though I was shocked to see the dolls…
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Indeed, so was I!
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Indian pizza is my favourite.
My car starts giving me dash board messages to take a rest after a couple of hours driving.
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What car do you have?
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I have a VW Golf. My favourite car despite the emissions fibs!
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Those are great cars.
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Very amusing road signs
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Thanks Tanja
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One from the vaults: Things in Australia that made me smile β Aussie Signs
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These are so hilarious Sheree!
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Thanks
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There is (was?) a Thai Pizza place here in Long Beach, Cal. I heard it’s fantastic but haven’t tried it.
Are Aussie roads long and straight? I know there are miles and miles of relatively sparse visual stimulation. That’s why US roads tend to have wavy patterns… it helps people stay alert.
Thanks for the pics!
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Yes, the highways are long and straight
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Ah, yes. Then I’d already be asleep when passing the signs!
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Oh dear!
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Interesting and funny. Now we know. Thanks for sharing.
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My pleasure
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I love these, thanks for sharing Sheree π
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My pleasure Elaine
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It’s true π€
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hilarous and tricky signs there!
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Indeed
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Lol sherry! Awesome signs! All of them! just so you know my blog went private, would love it if you’d request access and continue to read/comment. http://therapybits.com/ to request access!
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What caught my eye was the sign that readΒ “somewhere bar” I mean really can you imagine trying to give directions, and the cell phone connection is spotty…LOL. I too would never guess that βTattsβ was the name for the Australian Lottery. Now onto the last image my toddler niece has one of those dolls, and loves it cause it is soft, cuddly, and reflects her skin tone. So, I personally can’t call our Australian on that. I am now however, curious now what the rest of the store display looked like, and what the store sold, and how you come to the conclusion they are not PC
Β
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I may have jumped to conclusions on the PC bit and I donβt remember what the shop sold. Too taken aback by the two dolls.
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