How easy is it to write a town off as "uninteresting"?
Warren-Pat_01 said
09:58 PM May 4, 2017
I've been off line for a couple of days due to ISP issues & had a read through some of the posts. In one post I saw a town described as "I didn't want to stay at "abcdef" because it was perceived as "not interesting", or "no help was available", etc.
On first impressions a lot of towns are in that category but if GNs had a look around, they would find all sorts of things that were interesting to see/do. I've lived in the "Big Smoke" (Townsville) for thirty years, moving from Ceduna (SA) where I lived for fifteen years. Prior to that I lived in Darwin & Adelaide. There was always something on, something to do, somewhere to go, etc - boredom was not an issue & yet I remember many tourists saying they had seen the town in two hours! Granted the town has a reduced population now (there were approx 40 Telstra staff there plus a larger number of OTC people - we have all gone now) but there is now a thriving Oyster industry & tourism has expanded.
And just down the road at Minippa & Wudinna were some rock formations that equal Wave Rock in WA. Or there are the other coastal towns of Streaky Bay, Elliston, Venus Bay, etc. Nearing Port Augusta, there is a great conservation park that has some very unique birds in it (for the bird watchers), in town there is the Arid Lands Garden & salt flats on the eastern side of town (other BW hotspots). Then there is the museum with some of Tom Cruze's (the Birdsville Mail man) items, including the restored Badger truck. Our last stay in the "Port" was for three days - two years ago. On that trip, we also spent a couple of weeks catching up with friends at Ceduna.
Many times we drove from Ceduna to Adelaide for family & business reasons & failed to take in what was around in our neck of the woods so since transferring to Townsville, Pat & I have made the effort to see as much as possible of the smaller places along our travels. We did however, take an alternative route to the Eyre Highway (while we were on the West Coast) & that was going through the Gawler Ranges. The trip was a bit slower but was very scenic.
So while the smaller out-of-the-way places might not be as big as the larger cities, please don't write them off. And you may find a helpful mechanic who may be able to (or knows someone who can) fix a caravan.
Warren
meetoo said
11:09 PM May 4, 2017
Yep, too easy Warren. The last few months, I have finished off trying to see every Victorian town west of Melbourne. No matter how small or large. Was a big order, but finally managed it. Yes, some towns are more interesting than others, and everybody sees different things. I saw and learnt so much, and would do it all again in a heartbeat. I had been looking for ages for a particular plumbing fitting that is not made any more. After having given up all hope long ago, I found one, brand new in it's original packaging on the wall in a small shop in an almost nothing town that had a few hardware items on their shelf. Ha, I couldn't believe it. So, you never know what you might find in a small town or area that at first glance might not be too interesting.
Cheers, John
madaboutled said
11:35 PM May 4, 2017
Sometimes its the small out of the way places that are the most interesting. Even strolling through the vehicle grave yards behind some country road houses can be good fun.
Radar said
07:39 AM May 5, 2017
How true is that.
We live in Brisbane originated out of the Central Coast of NSW since 1984 we have been going up and down but never having the time to stop and smell the roses.
On our last trip down we both agreed that we should come back to Armidale in the autumn time to enjoy the autumn colours after a change in plans the other month we spent time in and around the New England. Armidale was very enjoyable in the university city and out in the country side. Rivers, gorges, old towns, mining sites from way back when. Very enjoyable, camping at the showground was up there with the best bit of mown glass I have every rented.
This last couple of months Moonbi Lookout, Beendermere, Uralla, Glen Innes, Deepwater, Torrington to name just a few of the New England towns we visited and stayed at or enjoyed. Autumn tempertures were very low at times overnight but the days were very nice.
Warren Pat how true there is always something to be enjoyed.
sandsmere said
07:46 AM May 5, 2017
madaboutled wrote:
Sometimes its the small out of the way places that are the most interesting. Even strolling through the vehicle grave yards behind some country road houses can be good fun.
Exactly.
Go into the local pub, talk to the people there and you find out all sorts of things.
eg. the cheapest fuel, short cuts to the next town, road conditions, where to get free range eggs, good camp sites, water, fishing spots, weather info etc. .
And probably hear a good joke or three.
Nelly said
08:22 AM May 5, 2017
My motto is 'whatever you see and do is a bonus' - some find things more interesting than other people but that is the way it goes. Just get out there (if you can) and enjoy our wonderful and beautiful country.
RosieW said
10:52 AM May 5, 2017
So true. How many people would just drive through Keith (SA) without thought? It's tiny, and there's not a lot of 'touristy' stuff, but the people are lovely. We broke down there over a long weekend in 2014, and stayed an extra 3 days, because, while we couldn't go anywhere beyond the town (only the 1 vehicle), we liked the way we were treated so much.
Desert Dweller said
11:45 AM May 5, 2017
We spend our time in small out of the way towns, there's nothing in larger towns that interests us. Even at home, we live 60kms south of Melbourne & go into the CBD about twice a year.
moamajohn said
12:11 PM May 5, 2017
Many many years ago my wife and I were touring about and we stopped in a tiny town at an old servo for fuel in our 1934 Nash that I had fully restored.The old chap sitting out the front smoking a pipe sez " would you be needing a distributor for the Nash "? Needless to say my ears ran hot and he took me into this very old shed that his dad used as the mechanics workshop in a bygone era. He grabbed a set of steps and wandered down to the rear wall ,climbed up and grabbed a dust covered box. He pulled out a grease proofed wrapped brand new 1934 dissy ! The box still had Stokoe motors Melb on it . When I finally closed my mouth in surprise I said how much ? he sez what do you reckon ? Well bugger me ,how do you respond to that ? I said I have $ 285 on me now will you take it ? "Sounds fair 'He sez. I was ecstatic as mine had a crack in it that was sealed with nail polish .As I was leaving he said " reckon Dad may have some more stuff for you ,but I need to do some sorting so give me your phone number { pre mobile days then } It was 3 months till I got a call and I went back for some more goodies.So you just never Know what may arise from a visit to a small town .Cheers
macka17 said
01:11 PM May 5, 2017
The most "interesting" places you can go to.
In ANY town.
Is the old HARDWARE stores. Remember them?
I used to drool.
Everytime I walked in the door of one.
The "smells"
oil. old timber. grease. Tools of all descriptions
All the narrow isles, with stacks of little boxes.
ALL holding their own little secrets.
Missus could never drag me out once I crossed the thresholds.
DAMN Bunnings and their mates.
Towns are just storage places with Lemmings scuttling about.
It's the surrounds that make them interesting I reckon.
Tony Bev said
03:57 PM May 6, 2017
We are all different, and those who say that there is nothing to see, in a certain place, sometimes do not know what they are missing
I remember parking up at Deepwater, (I think that was the town), on the New England Highway, in 2014
Walking around the town, I came across the railway station, it was absolutely spic and span, and looked almost brand new, complete with rusty, and overgrown rails
It had apparently been used as a local radio station, in the near past, and obviously refurbished
Not far from this railway station, there was a house for sale It had a box full of brochures, so I took one to have a read
From memory, so do not quote me on this One acre of land, more or less two small houses joined at the corners, made of large mud bricks Designed by an architect, solar power, use one part of the house in summer, use the other half in winter $140,000 or offers
Mike Harding said
07:35 PM May 6, 2017
The trouble is... most Australian towns are uninteresting.
It's not their fault of course; because Australia is such a young country it has not had time to develop a significant history and it is generally history which gives character and interest to a town.
However no one visits Oz for its history rather people come here for the weather, the beaches, the bush, the lifestyle and all those other really good things we residents and explorers know Australia has.
Likewise, no one goes to eg. Italy for its wide open spaces rather they go for its history and, in Italy, even the smallest town has perhaps two thousand years of history which, invariably, does make it interesting.
Bill Bryson has written a couple of good books covering this area which are worth reading.
SouthernComfort said
08:45 AM May 8, 2017
Mike Harding wrote:
The trouble is... most Australian towns are uninteresting.
It's not their fault of course; because Australia is such a young country it has not had time to develop a significant history and it is generally history which gives character and interest to a town.
However no one visits Oz for its history rather people come here for the weather, the beaches, the bush, the lifestyle and all those other really good things we residents and explorers know Australia has.
Likewise, no one goes to eg. Italy for its wide open spaces rather they go for its history and, in Italy, even the smallest town has perhaps two thousand years of history which, invariably, does make it interesting.
Bill Bryson has written a couple of good books covering this area which are worth reading.
The term "interesting" is by definition, subjective. Declaring most towns as uninteresting because they lack ancient history is harsh, it's matter of personal outlook. I agree with most above, take the time to ferret around a place and more often than not it will reveal some surprises (including history, albeit not ancient) and colourful locals! Gotta take the time to look.
I was once standing midway along Westminster bridge in London when an American tourist in a hurry stopped an asked "pardon me, is that the parliament house?" Yes, I said, that's the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. He ticked them off his list muttering "OK, seen both now" "can you direct me to Buckingham Palace please?" within about 20 seconds he'd run off with his little list. I doubt he absorbed anything he was seeing, even in city that oozes ancient history and character. He didn't take the time to look.
Santa said
11:33 AM May 8, 2017
SouthernComfort wrote:
Mike Harding wrote:
The trouble is... most Australian towns are uninteresting.
It's not their fault of course; because Australia is such a young country it has not had time to develop a significant history and it is generally history which gives character and interest to a town.
However no one visits Oz for its history rather people come here for the weather, the beaches, the bush, the lifestyle and all those other really good things we residents and explorers know Australia has.
I disagree, towns are always established for a reason, do a little digging (ask questions) and the history quickly reveals its self, and of course if the towns reason for being disappears there is a fair chance the town will suffer a marked decline, mining towns are a prime example.
I've been off line for a couple of days due to ISP issues & had a read through some of the posts. In one post I saw a town described as "I didn't want to stay at "abcdef" because it was perceived as "not interesting", or "no help was available", etc.
On first impressions a lot of towns are in that category but if GNs had a look around, they would find all sorts of things that were interesting to see/do. I've lived in the "Big Smoke" (Townsville) for thirty years, moving from Ceduna (SA) where I lived for fifteen years. Prior to that I lived in Darwin & Adelaide. There was always something on, something to do, somewhere to go, etc - boredom was not an issue & yet I remember many tourists saying they had seen the town in two hours! Granted the town has a reduced population now (there were approx 40 Telstra staff there plus a larger number of OTC people - we have all gone now) but there is now a thriving Oyster industry & tourism has expanded.
And just down the road at Minippa & Wudinna were some rock formations that equal Wave Rock in WA. Or there are the other coastal towns of Streaky Bay, Elliston, Venus Bay, etc. Nearing Port Augusta, there is a great conservation park that has some very unique birds in it (for the bird watchers), in town there is the Arid Lands Garden & salt flats on the eastern side of town (other BW hotspots). Then there is the museum with some of Tom Cruze's (the Birdsville Mail man) items, including the restored Badger truck. Our last stay in the "Port" was for three days - two years ago. On that trip, we also spent a couple of weeks catching up with friends at Ceduna.
Many times we drove from Ceduna to Adelaide for family & business reasons & failed to take in what was around in our neck of the woods so since transferring to Townsville, Pat & I have made the effort to see as much as possible of the smaller places along our travels. We did however, take an alternative route to the Eyre Highway (while we were on the West Coast) & that was going through the Gawler Ranges. The trip was a bit slower but was very scenic.
So while the smaller out-of-the-way places might not be as big as the larger cities, please don't write them off. And you may find a helpful mechanic who may be able to (or knows someone who can) fix a caravan.
Warren
Yep, too easy Warren. The last few months, I have finished off trying to see every Victorian town west of Melbourne. No matter how small or large. Was a big order, but finally managed it. Yes, some towns are more interesting than others, and everybody sees different things. I saw and learnt so much, and would do it all again in a heartbeat. I had been looking for ages for a particular plumbing fitting that is not made any more. After having given up all hope long ago, I found one, brand new in it's original packaging on the wall in a small shop in an almost nothing town that had a few hardware items on their shelf. Ha, I couldn't believe it. So, you never know what you might find in a small town or area that at first glance might not be too interesting.
Cheers, John
Sometimes its the small out of the way places that are the most interesting. Even strolling through the vehicle grave yards behind some country road houses can be good fun.
How true is that.
We live in Brisbane originated out of the Central Coast of NSW since 1984 we have been going up and down but never having the time to stop and smell the roses.
On our last trip down we both agreed that we should come back to Armidale in the autumn time to enjoy the autumn colours after a change in plans the other month we spent time in and around the New England. Armidale was very enjoyable in the university city and out in the country side. Rivers, gorges, old towns, mining sites from way back when. Very enjoyable, camping at the showground was up there with the best bit of mown glass I have every rented.
This last couple of months Moonbi Lookout, Beendermere, Uralla, Glen Innes, Deepwater, Torrington to name just a few of the New England towns we visited and stayed at or enjoyed. Autumn tempertures were very low at times overnight but the days were very nice.
Warren Pat how true there is always something to be enjoyed.
Exactly.
Go into the local pub, talk to the people there and you find out all sorts of things.
eg. the cheapest fuel, short cuts to the next town, road conditions, where to get free range eggs, good camp sites, water, fishing spots, weather info etc. .
And probably hear a good joke or three.
My motto is 'whatever you see and do is a bonus' - some find things more interesting than other people but that is the way it goes. Just get out there (if you can) and enjoy our wonderful and beautiful country.
In ANY town.
Is the old HARDWARE stores. Remember them?
I used to drool.
Everytime I walked in the door of one.
The "smells"
oil. old timber. grease. Tools of all descriptions
All the narrow isles, with stacks of little boxes.
ALL holding their own little secrets.
Missus could never drag me out once I crossed the thresholds.
DAMN Bunnings and their mates.
Towns are just storage places with Lemmings scuttling about.
It's the surrounds that make them interesting I reckon.
We are all different, and those who say that there is nothing to see, in a certain place, sometimes do not know what they are missing
I remember parking up at Deepwater, (I think that was the town), on the New England Highway, in 2014
Walking around the town, I came across the railway station, it was absolutely spic and span, and looked almost brand new, complete with rusty, and overgrown rails
It had apparently been used as a local radio station, in the near past, and obviously refurbished
Not far from this railway station, there was a house for sale
It had a box full of brochures, so I took one to have a read
From memory, so do not quote me on this
One acre of land, more or less two small houses joined at the corners, made of large mud bricks
Designed by an architect, solar power, use one part of the house in summer, use the other half in winter
$140,000 or offers
The trouble is... most Australian towns are uninteresting.
It's not their fault of course; because Australia is such a young country it has not had time to develop a significant history and it is generally history which gives character and interest to a town.
However no one visits Oz for its history rather people come here for the weather, the beaches, the bush, the lifestyle and all those other really good things we residents and explorers know Australia has.
Likewise, no one goes to eg. Italy for its wide open spaces rather they go for its history and, in Italy, even the smallest town has perhaps two thousand years of history which, invariably, does make it interesting.
Bill Bryson has written a couple of good books covering this area which are worth reading.
The term "interesting" is by definition, subjective. Declaring most towns as uninteresting because they lack ancient history is harsh, it's matter of personal outlook. I agree with most above, take the time to ferret around a place and more often than not it will reveal some surprises (including history, albeit not ancient) and colourful locals! Gotta take the time to look.
I was once standing midway along Westminster bridge in London when an American tourist in a hurry stopped an asked "pardon me, is that the parliament house?" Yes, I said, that's the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. He ticked them off his list muttering "OK, seen both now" "can you direct me to Buckingham Palace please?" within about 20 seconds he'd run off with his little list. I doubt he absorbed anything he was seeing, even in city that oozes ancient history and character. He didn't take the time to look.
I disagree, towns are always established for a reason, do a little digging (ask questions) and the history quickly reveals its self, and of course if the towns reason for being disappears there is a fair chance the town will suffer a marked decline, mining towns are a prime example.
See my post this morning re Moonta SA http://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t63531924/historic-cornish-mining-sites-at-burra-and-moonta-added-to-n/ prime example of a once thriving town well past its hay day, the history may only go back a little over 100 years, nonetheless things have changed dramatically in that period, evidence of what happened back then and how people lived is well preserved.
Cemeteries are also a great indicator of local history.
Seek and ye shall find.
Towns are not uninteresting, the fact is most people simply fail to do any research, in other words they look but don't see.