September

September 2011
Is it getting too expensive to go back to Australia?
From the President
Noticed the weather lately? Well you will be pleased to
know that I’m not going to talk about it because there
are other references to our strange summer elsewhere.
One thing that has struck me over the summer is the
news about the rising cost of living back home. It has
cropped up in a number of media outlets, many of them
reporting in July that it is now cheaper to live in
London, Vienna, Rome, Berlin, Hong Kong and Beijing
than most Australian capitals.
That is a surprising statement, but according to the
Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide Cost of Living
Survey, Sydney is now the sixth priciest city in the
world, up from 32nd place two years ago, while
Melbourne jumped from 38th to seventh. Perth and
Brisbane, meanwhile, are ranked 13th and 14th - almost
25 per cent dearer than New York City. The strength of
Australia's dollar was partly to blame for skyrocketing
living costs, although the dollar has slipped back since
the survey was taken.
The survey also found Australian cities were among the
most expensive for business trips. In Melbourne,
accommodation, meals, taxis, drinks and a newspaper
now cost the average business traveller $US760
($A712.75) a day, with Sydney close behind at $US627
($A588).
That’s the official side. I’m sure we can all give
personal examples of how things have changed in such a
short time. I can. On my last visit home in January I
actually stood in a wine shop gasping at the prices of
wine when the manager came over and asked, not if he
could help me but if I was OK. I said I was looking at
bottles of wine that I could buy in an average
supermarket in Vienna for less than half the prices
listed.
I went out to dinner with my daughter and husband to an
average Italian restaurant where we each had a serve of
pasta and a couple of glasses of ordinary wine. The bill
was easily over $100. A cousin of mine and his wife
from Adelaide spent a week with us here in Vienna in
Page 1
late August. Suzanne and I took them to the lovely
restaurant The Strand on the Alte Donau on a beautiful
warm night where we had the speciality, ribs, and
salads, fish plus drinks. The bill was just under €60. My
cousin thought that was the cost for two, not four.
An Adelaide journalist friend of mine wrote a column in
an Adelaide paper where he called for the government to
do more to attract tourists from overseas.....to build
things, create new attractions and so on. I couldn’t resist
adding my two bobs worth at the bottom of his column.
Rex, I said, it’s not the attractions that are stopping the
tourists, it’s the rising costs. If I was a European why
would I pay €1600 for each member of the family to fly
to Adelaide, spend $120-$160 a night for a three to four
star hotel, $100 for a meal, and costly fares for domestic
air travel and/or car rental when I can take my family to
an all-inclusive resort in Turkey for a week, including
airfares, transfers, all we can eat and drink, plus water
sports and entertainment for €1050 each, as we just did?
Another survey that was published in August showed
that the rising cost of living has also impacted on
Australians who want to travel with a third admitting
they cannot afford to go on a holiday. A survey by travel
website Expedia.com.au found that around 33 per cent
of Australians will forgo a holiday this year because of
their current personal financial situation.
Tasmanians faired the worst, with the figure jumping to
60 per cent among those living in the state's
metropolitan areas. A large portion of regional South
Australians and West Australians said they also couldn't
afford to travel, at 50 and 41 per cent respectively.
But returning to the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey,
which cities are more expensive than Sydney? First is
Tokyo (again) followed by Oslo, Osaka Kobe, Paris and
Zurich. After Sydney and Melbourne come Frankfurt,
Geneva and Singapore.
And the cheapest cities? At the bottom of the survey, the
ten cheapest cities have a strong presence in the Indian
subcontinent. Karachi in Pakistan is the cheapest
location surveyed and it is joined in the bottom ten by
Dhaka (Bangladesh) and the Indian cities of Mumbai
and New Delhi. Others are Manila, Panama City,
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011
Algiers, Jeddah, Tehran and Tunis.
And so while we read that the cost of many food items,
water and electricity is on the rise in Vienna, it seems
the financial incentive to return home has diminished
somewhat. But then again, there is that looming winter!
Editor’s note.
If you have a different point of view or want to pass on
your experiences, I am happy to publish them.
*****************************************
A step back in time on the
slow track to Grünburg:
Eden says this is a real old coke bottle
– an OzCon outing
Waiting for a nice day in early August was a bit
like waiting for it to snow on an Adelaide beach. It
just ain’t going to happen.
But not all OzCon adventures are stopped by
weather and the ride on a steam train – known as
the Steyrtalbahn -- from Steyr in Upper Austria to
the small town of Grünburg in the Steyr Valley
proceeded as planned on Sunday 7 August.
Some could not come at the last moment, and not
because of the weather, and so there were nine of
us. As it turned out this was a good number because
it allowed us to sit together on the crowded trains to
Steyr and back, and to sufficiently spread out and
claim our own ‘nichtraucher’ carriage on the steam
train. After a quick and smooth ride on a fast train
to St Valentin and not-so-fast but comfortable ride
to Steyr, it was a big step back in time when we
boarded
the
steam train.
But first there
was a walk from
the
Bahnhof
through
the
almost deserted
town and up a
hill in light rain
to the lair of our
little
‘puffing
billy’ into which we settled for the jerky, slow and
sometimes smokey ride up the Steyr Valley along
the pretty Steyr River to Grünburg. Once there I
noticed a roadsign that pointed down to Steyr. The
distance was 17 km and it had taken us one hour to
reach Grünburg. We joked about how many days it
would take to reach Vienna.
Page 2
Our non-smoking carriage
But the rain had stopped and the views along the
river and through the woods and lush farmland
were pleasant enough.
Once in Grünburg we found the venue of a two-day
local festival that was drawing to a close. Using our
train tickets we were all entitled to one free drink
while the band played
on and one or two
couples attempted to
dance. It was real rural
Austria.
Hello George
The ride back to Steyr
seemed to take a lot
longer even though it
was downhill. But it
wasn’t; we were just
feeling the effects of the
walking, the drinking and the shaking and after a
rest in Steyr’s marktplatz with an icecream it was
back to the present, if not the future, and comfort
for the fast rides back to Vienna, arriving after 9
pm.
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011
The Austrian summer
The village of Steinbach across the river
Michael and Rachael display a touch of patriotism
It was an awful July, the wettest in 11 years. And as
August drew to a close meteorologists claimed they
could already say with certainty that the current month
would go down as one of the hottest since weather
records started to be taken in 1767.
This is how the
Austrian magazine
News viewed the
Austrian summer
in its early August
issue. The sign
below the
lifeguard says
“Please don’t pee
in the pool” and
the kiosk sells the
winter favourite
glüh-wine and
parkas.
Summer camping on the islands
off Germany
By Gabrielle Costigan
Georg and I decided we wanted to do a bit of adventure
camping so we headed north to the Island of Rügen in
eastern German on the Baltic Sea. And the weather was
very tragic. Of the 14 days away in early August we
probably had two days of sunshine.
It was a good thing that we travelled by car and packed
half our house ranging from bathers, to hiking gear, to
tenting and winter woollies.
It was a long but enjoyable day and our thanks to
Eden Sarelius for organizing it. -- Brett
History footnote: Steyr in Upper Austria is Austria's
12th largest town. Adolf Hitler spent time in his teens
there and it has long been the home of arms and military
vehicle manufacture as a result of which it was heavily
bombed in WW11. US and Red Army forces met at a
bridge in Steyr in May 1945 and the US forces occupied
the town until 1955 when Austria declared its neutrality.
The Australian Army is equipped with the Steyr rifle. A
former colleague of mine from the Defence Department
tells me “the standard personal weapon of the Australian
Defence Force is an Australianised version of the Steyr
AUG 5.56mm assault rifle - but our version is made at
Lithgow under licence to Steyr. We call it the F88.” -Brett
Page 3
Rügen started gaining population during the Stone Age
and the name originates from its later inhabitants, an
east Germanic tribe called the Rugians.
From 1648 the island was - with exceptions - ruled by
Sweden. After being under French occupation from
1807 through 1813, Rügen was then traded from
Sweden to Denmark and eventually given to Prussia in
1815.
According to legend, kings were not simply elected but
had to show their 'manliness'. Only the bravest men
would approach the 118m high chalk cliff from the
seaside. Needless to say, it was a very dangerous dare as
the chalk could be awfully smooth and slippery.
Whoever reached the top of the cliff would be crowned
as the king.
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011
We made it on top of the cliff and the impression was a
very serene island
with pristine air.
Gabrielle enjoys
summer on
Norderney
As a comparison,
we then drove to
the East Frisian
Islands off the North Sea coast of Germany in Lower
Saxony to an island called Norderney. It is known as the
"Queen of the East Frisian Islands" as it was Germany's
first North Sea resort. Founded in 1797 by Friedrich
Wilhelm II of Prussia, it became the most famous
bathing destinations in its time. Other famous people
that have made this island their summer residence
include Crown Prince Georg V of Hanover, Chancellor
Otto von Bismarck and the composer Robert Schumann.
much in Dubai that can not be done indoors anyway.
Everyday ended with a swim in the roof top open air
pool. The boys enjoyed swimming “on top of the
world”.
We stayed in the Financial District, which is only a few
minutes drive from the Dubai Mall. That was the thing
that struck me first about Dubai – everyone drives and
even in the cooler sessions, I guess not many people
walk. There is incredible road infrastructure (and a new
city train network), but in many places pavements didn’t
correspondent to roads. Even if it had been cooler I
don’t think we could have walked the 1 -1.5km to the
Dubai Mall as it didn’t seem possible.
For our children, nearly three and nearly five, Dubai had
many great indoor play areas and activities which were
well staffed and beautifully air-conditioned. There is
the Aquarium and Underwater Zoo in the Dubai Mall, as
well as the large fish tank in the mall entrance area. Our
hotel had a good pool. I didn’t take on the water parks,
purely because with small boys there needs to be an
adult per child. Next time (I can see Richard rolling his
eyes) we will stay longer and enjoy the water parks too.
I went ice skating in the Dubai Mall. Despite growing
up ice skating all and every winter, I had not skated
since I was 13. I was a little rusty but didn’t embarrass
myself, and chose a quiet morning so as not to get
knocked over by the young speedsters. Richard had
hoped to ski in the Mall of Emirates. However, due to
work his only free day was a weekend day, along with
the rest of Dubai and the ski slope was packed.
Georg and Gabrielle soak up the atmosphere
This island has wind gusts that can throw you off your
bike. The weather on the island was very windy and the
rains would descend quickly, drenching us before
disappearing just as quickly.
My personal highlight was the restaurant called "Die
Weisse Düne" which served the most fantastic soups,
salads and shrimps!
If you do not like the cold
there is always Dubai
By Nicola Maurd
We recently spent a week in Dubai. Why do you go to
Dubai in the height of summer, you ask? For two
reasons: 1) Richard, my husband, was working there;
and 2) Apparently the weather was dreadful here in
Vienna!
While Richard worked, my children and I had a great
time, enjoying the sights and shopping. At 45+ degrees
heat, most of our activities were indoors, but there is not
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Richard and I have unintentionally conquered many of
the world’s highest buildings as well as lowest buildings
(the Manapouri Power Station). So, we added the Burj
Khalifa to our list. We booked online and for the first
session of the morning so we didn’t have to queue and
were lucky to have a beautifully clear morning as the
previous days had been dusty. The boys thought being
“on top of the world” was brilliant, and then realised
that our hotel and pool was actually just a dwarf in
comparison to the Burj Khalifa and not quite on top of
the world as they had thought.
I thought the building was incredible and does exactly
what the chief architect says: “it literally appears to rise
out of the earth”. As with most of Dubai no expense has
been sparred and to stay in the Burj Khalifa Richard
may have to actually own an oil field and not just work
for an oil company.
After visiting Shanghai several years ago, I remember
saying that if something didn’t exist in Shanghai, then
the Chinese just build it. However, I think the use of
this expression is more applicable to Dubai. From what
we saw of Dubai, it is tall, shiny and constantly growing
and evidence of a global recession was not obvious to
the tourist eye.
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011
Good coffee was once a
problem at Magic Life resorts,
but no longer
The
cafes
have
been
established by
arrangement
with Vienna’s
Julius Meinl.
Magic Life all-inclusive resorts cater for German
speakers, largely from Austria and Germany with
charter flights from many cities to airports close to a
resort in Egypt, Spain, Tunisia, Greece or Turkey.
Therefore, the resorts have a distinctive German touch,
be it the language, with food or drinks, and even
entertainment. For example, the screening of movies on
the beach at the Magic Life Waterworld resort near
Antalya shows English movies dubbed in German with
English sub titles. The live night-time entertainment is
all in German.
Of course, if you
are not a coffee
drinker there are all
sorts
of
other
drinks, including
red and white wine
on tap.
So, as you can imagine, coffee is all-important. It is
available everywhere across the resort almost 24 hours a
day. You can get a caffe latte, cappuccino, melange, or
espresso from a
self-serve machine.
But not all guests
are happy with the
machine
coffee.
When at Magic
Life at Bodrum,
also in Turkey, last
year there was a
Cafe Wien where
the coffee was
freshly ground. This summer Magic Life introduced a
Cafe Sissi at all of its resorts to meet this specialised
demand.
But if you are content with machine coffee you can
always get one at the pool bar, or something a little
stronger. Cheers -- Brett
Cafe Sissi at Waterworld is air conditioned (it got up to
40 degrees outside) or you can sit on the outdoor terrace
after dinner in the slightly cooler evening. On offer are
14 coffees and a range of cakes, strudels and tortes, all
for the asking.
Hope you didn’t forget
Page 5
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011
Krapfen not the best of names,
but very tasty
Tom Murphy came to Vienna on a secondment for
a year to work with the IAEA. He is heading back
home in early September to take back his job in
Brisbane. During his stay Tom and his wife Chris
got to travel around a bit, but spent the majority of
their time in Vienna. Here are Tom’s parting
thoughts.
The people: They are direct, want to get to the point but
generally have a big heart and are generous. I think the
economy of language can give the impression of
gruffness sometimes. For example, walk into a suburban
pub in Oz and you will be greeted with something like:
“G’day/Hi/Hello, how’s it going? and if you don’t
respond reasonably quickly the follow up is: “What can
I get you? ” By contrast walk up to the bar at the local
Gasthaus here in Vienna and you are greeted with:
“Bitte?” or “Grüss Gott” then silence until you say
something. If you don’t say something fairly quickly
chances are the person on the other side of the counter
will wander off. But if you ask, and as in my case in
poorly pronounced German or in English, they will look
after you.
Dogs: In the main the
ones I encountered on
the UBahn system and
in the Gasthauses were
well behaved. It is
good to see dogs and
their owners out and
about together. I could
only imagine what
would happen if taking
dogs
on
public
transport got the OK in Brisbane. They would be in
there marking their territory on the council buses,
sniffing where they shouldn’t be and perhaps giving a
few nips as well.
You can swim in the recreational arms of the river:
Try that in Brisbane or Melbourne and you can almost
guarantee to come away with an ear infection and
possibly swallow some solids you would rather not
think about.
The Wienerwald: It is on the edge of town and you
can pretty much step into vineyards or a forest to
wander in. If you are interested in going with people
who know the place very well, are sociable, like to mix
walking with a visit to a Gasthaus, speak English a bit
too good, and have hikes going most weekends then
look at joining the Vienna International Centre Hiking
Club http://vic-hikingclub.com
Page 6
The Kunsthistorisches Museum: To get an
unsophisticated person like me interested in art to the
extent I went back several time, the place has to be
something special. And it is. When you take in the
range of art in one place, how it is laid out and
explained, the grandeur of the building, the relaxed
atmosphere (you can take photos pretty much anywhere)
it has to be the best places of its type in the world.
Small wineries: There must be 100s of them around
this part of Austria. With their heurigen outlets you
can’t beat the atmosphere of one of the mom and pop
run places.
The change of seasons: We came in summer and to see
the change through to the colours of autumn then the
blanket of white when the first of the heavy snow falls
came through December was a pleasure.
The locals never miss a chance to get out and about:
The sun comes out , there is a puff of warm air and the
locals are over the Alt Donau in the paddle boats,
sunning themselves or having a swim. A blast of cold
and a snow fall in early December and there they are on
the cross country skis earnestly sliding up and down the
Prater. Then there all the myriad of festivals which are
marked by particular combinations of food and
beverage, eg, the festival of St Martin.....two weeks in
November eating goose and red cabbage.
The food: I was especially taken by the apple and
horseradish sauce (never seen it before) that goes with
Tafelspitz. And there is also the Krapfen (not the best of
names) but essentially a doughnut without the hole in
the middle. Very tasty.
Public transport: There is plenty of it, it is on time, it is
clean and it is safe. Light years ahead of what Brisbane
has to offer.
Something I found odd: The golf driving range inside
the harness racing track near the Prater. With its ornate
1920s grandstands , the race stewards’ tower (come golf
shop) which looks like an 18th century light house,
jockeys training horses in multi coloured livery around
the perimeter of the track, and the golfers in their regalia
in the middle of the track. Being there and hitting balls
was like something out of the Twilight Zone.
Finally, a big thanks to Brett and all others who are
involved in organising Ozcon and Ozcon events. Every
time we went to an event we had a great time. – Tom
Murphy
*****************************************
Subject: Children Writing About The Ocean
Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just
like Emily Richardson. She's not my friend any
more. (Kylie, age 6)
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011
Events
Lunch Out returns
Please join us on Friday 16 September at 1.00pm for
Lunch Out. We will return to the convivial Glacis Beisl,
and have our fingers crossed for nice weather so we can
sit outside. Breitegasse 4, Museumsplatz 1, 1070
(Either follow the steps up past the MUMOK building
or follow the street which leads off Mariahilferstrasse at
the Leiner Shop corner.) http://www.glacisbeisl.at/
This will be followed by an optional visit to the freshly
renovated MUMOK to view the first exhibition
presented by the new director Karola Kraus. "Museum
of Wishes" showcases a selection of works from the
museum's 9,000 piece collection. Pieces by Alberto
Giacometti, Rene Magritte, Henri Matisse and Pablo
Picasso will be included. If you ever walked around the
top floor of the building you will have an idea of the
quality of the works they hold. It will be very
interesting to see what comes out of storage.
RSVP to [email protected]. Looking
forward to catching up with you all!
September Bar Night
We will return to the 1516 Brewing Company for our
bar night on Friday 23 September. It is just across the
road from Flanagans in Schwarzenbergerstr in the 1st
District. It is necessary to book a table and so it will
help Brett if you tell him you plan to attend. From
18:00.
A train to Krems for lunch and
wine tasting
Please note a change of date for our visit to Krems
– from Saturday 24 September to Saturday 1
October. And the good news is that your Board has
agreed to OzCon paying for everyone’s return train
fare.
We will catch a train (or you can drive) to Krems from
where we walk to the lovely Alte Post restaurant (since
1500) in the main street for a leisurely lunch, hopefully
under the umbrellas in the courtyard www.altepostkrems.at
After lunch we walk to the nearby seventh generation
Salomon family winery where we will taste some
Austrian whites and Australian reds. Our host will be Dr
Bert Salomon who in 1995 founded the Salomon Estate
at Finniss River, about 20 km southeast of McLaren
Page 7
Vale in South Australia. www.salmononwines.com
Dr Salomon has very kindly on a number of occasions
donated a selection of his Aussie red wines for sale at
the OzCon stand at the UN charity bazaar. The wines
can be bought at selected wine outlets in Vienna.
We will meet at McDonalds McCafe at Franz Josef
Bahnhof until 10:35 and depart by train at 10:51. There
are returns trains from Krems at 16:03 (arriving Vienna
17:04) and 17:03 (arriving 18:04).
The best ticket is an "Einfach Raus" ticket that allows
five persons irrespective of age to travel on one ticket
for €28. Names are required and so those travelling
need to be at the ticket office for purchase.
Our organiser Gabrielle needs to have the names of
definite starters by Monday 26 September.
Australian Chamber Orchestra
to perform in Vienna
The Australian Chamber Orchestra will perform at the
Musikverein on Wednesday 30 November and OzCon
Secretary Sharon Tiainen has offered to purchase tickets
for anyone who would like to accompany her and
husband Chris.
“Chris and I saw the ACO perform in Slovenia last year
and will be purchasing tickets for ourselves and a
visiting friend,” Sharon said. “If you are keen to join us
please get back to me on [email protected]
so I can get an initial idea of numbers. Tickets don’t go
on sale until 30 September but in the meantime I will
find out ticket prices and see if there is a group discount
on offer. At this stage it does not need to be a firm yes;
we can get to that once I have firm ticket prices.”
Sharon is also willing to organise a pre-concert meal if
people are interested.
Vienna Philharmonic in Australia
Finally, for our Australian readers – all three of them –
do you know that the Vienna Philharmonic returns to
Australia from 29 September to 7 October following the
orchestra’s first Australian concerts at the Sydney Opera
House in 2006?
Undoubtedly one of the finest orchestras in the world,
there will be concerts at the Perth Concert Hall 29 and
30 September, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre
in Brisbane 2 and 3 October and at the Sydney Opera
House 5 to 7 October.
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011
Go Aussies, go in the
northern summer
the time trial of his life on the last day.
On 25 July he led a triumphal procession into Paris
unchallenged, as is the tradition, by other riders.
What a great summer for Australian sportsmen.
Last month Casey Stoner easily won the Czech Republic
MotorGP to increase his lead in the world
champsionship. He beat Italian Andrea Dovizioso by a
whopping 6.5 seconds at the Brno circuit where he also
won in 2007.
He now leads
Spaniard Lorenzo,
who came fourth,
by 32 points with
218 points.
It was a great day in
the sun watching the
event. A group of us
who drove up from
Vienna were
actually saying (not
loudly) ‘boring’ as
Casey increasingly
dominated the race
soon after the start.
Photo: Reuters
Our group included OzCon members Colin Higgins,
Lyndy and Greg Smart and son Lawson.
We didn’t see many Aussies in the crowd of 150,000 or
so, although there were some flags about the track. So
after the race we bravely struttered around the circuit
with flags tied to our backs.
Cadel Evans toasts with BMC team manager John
Lelangue. Photo: AFP
His achievement - after twice finishing second in the
3430-kilometre race, on one occasion by an agonising
23 seconds, - prompted applause, admiration and lively
debate on whether it was the greatest individual feat by
an Australian sportsman.
Bar night in July
In July we were honored by the presence of former
OzCon Vice President Robert Clark.
Robert and his Austrian wife Ingrid were spending some
weeks in Vienna doing up an apartment they own.
Robert, who is officially retired but keeps being
swamped with relief teaching in Perth hinted that a
move back to Vienna just might be on the cards in the
future.
Aussies on the hill
In July it was the turn of Australia’s Cadel Evans to
wave the flag by becoming the first Australian to win
the Tour de France in its 108-year history after riding
Page 8
Frank, Sharon and Colin
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011
Robert at right
Bar night in August
At last. An evening at Flanagans outdoors. As the night
wore on there were lightning flashes in the distance, but
nothing happened to force us inside.
Rami, Jen and Pam
This month’s OzCon flashback
Two
things
to
mention. It was the
last appearance by
Tom Murphy who is
about to return to
Brisbane and to a new
job after his contract
here expired.
Tom and Patricia
His wife Chris, has already returned. And so we
farewelled Tom and convinced him that he should put
down a few of his impressions of life in Vienna. He did
(see page 6).
Secondly, there was a renuion for old friends from
Adelaide. Brett’s cousin Guy Bayly and wife Angie
were in Vienna for some days and so were able to catch
up with an old friend, our own Rob Reed. Guy, Rob and
Angie were teachers in Brunei together for two years.
The last time they were together was in Adelaide in
January. Brett was invited to go sailing on Guy and
Angie’s yacht and while waiting at the gate to the
marina he was surprised to see Rob appear. There was a
photo in the February newsletter of Brett and Rob
arguing over who was steering the yacht.
Demmers TeaHaus March 2009
Climbing the hills in the heat
can be better than the gym
It’s always nice to have visitors, especially in the
summer when the weather is nice. And so it was when
my cousin and his wife from Adelaide arrived. The next
night we went to Flanagans (see opposite).
I had planned three days of walking and climbing
outside Vienna and was so pleased that the weather had
turned nice.
First stop was Mt Rax south of Vienna….up in the cable
car and then the walk across the top and up to the peak.
We were among the early ones, but the temperature
quickly rose and if it hadn’t been for a breeze if would
have been uncomfortable.
Guy, Angie, Rob and Brett
Page 9
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011
Vienna’s tallest building rising
from the river bank
Is she doing the Sound of Music bit or is she trying to
jump off Mt Rax?
The next day it was up to Hardegg where the Thaya
River forms the boundary between Austria and the
Czech Republic. Friends Oskar and Helga who spend
the summer there walked with us through the woods on
the CZ side to a lookout over Hardegg and the castle
which dates back to the 1100s.
Have you noticed the first of these two towers (the one
on the left) rising from the ground of DonauCity in front
of the Vienna International Centre? It has taken just a
few months to be well on its way to 220 metres which
will make it the tallest building in Vienna.
RETARDED GRANDPARENTS
(reported by a teacher in New South Wales)
After Christmas, a teacher asked her young pupils how
they spent their holiday away from school. One child
wrote the following:
We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma
and Grandpa.
Angie and Guy take a break above Hardegg
It was hotter and humid and the climb, while through the
woods, was a sticky affair. But a schnitzel and cool
drink back on the Austrian side made it worthwhile.
They used to live in a big brick house but Grandpa got
retarded and they moved to Batemans Bay where
everyone lives in nice little houses, and so they don't
have to mow the grass anymore!
They ride around on their bicycles and scooters and
wear name tags because they don't know who they are
anymore.
They go to a building called a wreck centre, but they
must have got it fixed because it is all okay now. They
do exercises there, but they don't do them very well.
There is a swimming pool too, but they all jump up and
down in it with hats on. At their gate, there is a doll
house with a little old man sitting in it. He watches all
day so nobody can escape. Sometimes they sneak out,
and go cruising in their golf carts!
Third day and it was Dürnstein and up to the castle that
once imprisoned Richard the Lionheart. AND it was the
hottest day of summer so far. Phew. I didn’t have time
for gym, but then again I didn’t need it. - Brett
Page 10
Nobody there cooks, they just eat out. And, they eat the
same thing every night --- early birds.
Some of the people can't get out past the man in the doll
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011
house. The ones who do get out, bring food back to the
wrecked centre for pot luck.
My Grandma says that Grandpa worked all his life to
earn his retardment and says I should work hard so I can
be retarded someday too.
When I earn my retardment, I want to be the man in the
doll house. Then I will let people out, so they can visit
their grandchildren.
*****************************************
Australian Wines
Many expats do their best to support the
Australian wine industry by purchasing Australian
wines while living overseas. If you are after
information about Australian wines, their styles,
regions, etc, then have a look at the Wine
Australia website. This site will arm you with
enough information to wow your non-Australian
guests with your extensive knowledge at your
next dinner party or barbeque!
www.wineaustralia.com.au
 Extract from The Southern Cross Group’s occasional newsletter No. 5 of 2011 *****************************************
Aussie News Briefs
1 Sept. - JULIA Gillard has accused the Chief Justice
of the High Court of inconsistency in his judgments
and blamed the court for a "missed opportunity" in
tackling people-smuggling. The Prime Minister said
yesterday's High Court ruling rejecting the Malaysian
Solution had placed in doubt all offshore asylum-seeker
processing. She said the ruling turned “on its head”
previous understanding of the law and went on to lash
the court and Chief Justice Robert French himself.
(Australian)
25 August - JULIA Gillard has gone on the offensive
in a fight for her government's survival, as senior
Labor figures admit the Craig Thomson scandal is
spiralling out of control. With the fallout for the
government escalating by the day, Labor insiders said
they were unable to effectively manage the issue and
were at the mercy of unfolding events. Mr Thomson, the
Member for Dobell and former HSU secretary, is
accused of using his union credit card to make personal
withdrawals and purchases worth more than $100,000,
and to procure the services of prostitutes. (Australian)
17 August - QANTAS boss Alan Joyce says the
airline faces ruin unless it creates ventures overseas,
while Australian unions have stepped up calls for the
government to stop Qantas jobs going offshore. Union
leaders descended on Canberra on Wednesday
demanding action to stem job losses from a five-year
Qantas plan to create a premium service in Asia and
other restructuring announced on Tuesday. Qantas said
Page 11
the plan would affect 1000 jobs, but unions say it could
lead to thousands of local jobs being axed as the airline
phases out older planes and focuses on growth overseas.
(AAP)
16 August - A MAJORITY of Australians believe
asylum seekers arriving by boat should be allowed to
land in Australia and have their refugee claims
assessed here, according to an opinion poll
commissioned by The Age. In a rebuff to the policies of
both Labor and the Coalition, only 28 per cent of poll
respondents said people arriving by boat should be sent
to another country to be processed, while 53 per cent
favoured assessing them in Australia. Fifteen per cent
said they should be sent back to sea. (Age)
11 August - THE Gillard Government looks set to reestablish an asylum seeker detention centre on
Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, as a boat carrying
102 asylum seekers arrives at Christmas Island. In a
statement tonight, Ms Gillard said the "Australian
Government thanks Prime Minister O’Neill and his
newly formed Cabinet for giving prompt consideration
to the proposal for an assessment centre on Manus
Island and providing its approval for the proposal to
proceed". (Herald Sun)
9 August - MORE than eight years after Australian
special forces infiltrated the deserts of western Iraq
at the start of what was to prove a brutal, bitter and
divisive conflict, the very last diggers have withdrawn.
That occurred on August 6 with the departure of 17
Aussie troops responsible for providing security at the
Australian embassy in Baghdad. The final group,
equipped with armoured Land Cruisers, have now
handed over to contracted civilian security guards and
headed home. (AAP)
4 August - A high-speed rail link connecting
Australia's east coast is "worth it", despite a hefty
price tag of up to $100 billion, the federal government
says. A 300-page feasibility study report was released
on Thursday, exploring options to connect Brisbane,
Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.
Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese admitted
Australia's relatively small population meant the price
tag - of between $61 billion and $108 billion - could be
hard to justify. (AAP)
2 August - LABOR powerbrokers expect Premier
Mike Rann to be gone from office soon after
December 6, the day he becomes the party's longestserving leader. They are convinced he will go quietly
without any need for a partyroom ballot. "It has been
sorted out, don't worry," a senior party source told The
Advertiser yesterday. The comments were supported by
premier-in-waiting Jay Weatherill, who made it clear to
reporters camped outside his house yesterday morning
that a leadership challenge was no longer an issue.
(Advertiser)
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011
Classifieds
For sale
Halloween masks €4 ea.
Outdoor garden furniture that has been replaced and must go. Oval plastic top and metal legs table 140 x 90 cm. €10. 6 plastic and metal frame chairs €5 each. Or make an offer. The things kids grow out of and take up space so if a new home is not found they will be thrown out. Girl’s
TAIFUN Junior bike €35.
Alpen
Gaudi sled €20
2 lava lamps €5 each
Contact Brett Bayly 06991 264.5813 [email protected] Embassy Vacancy
Hamax sled €12
The Immigration Section at the Australian Embassy is currently looking for an "Assistant Manager". For further details, please refer to the position description on the Embassy website at:
http://www.austria.embassy.gov.au
Babysitter Wanted
Canadian skates
as new size 6R €12
Hamak disk sled 65 cm €4
Page 12
My wife and I are looking for a female babysitter
(English native speaker) that sees our 20 month-old son
in our house in Klosterneuburg twice a week (3 to 4
hours/day). Our neighbours are also looking for a
babysitter, so there is flexibility to increase hours if
desired.
We are looking for a loving, caring, reliable and
communicative person that loves to proactively spend
time and play with small children in a joyful
atmosphere.
Car is not required (we can be reached by bus/train)
although helpful. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Andreas Aigner
0664 / 82 772 79
Türkenschanzgasse 89, 3400 Klosterneuburg
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011
Unless otherwise specified, all telephone
numbers are in Vienna
Australian Connection (OzCon)
Website: www.ozcon.at
Email: [email protected]
President: Brett Bayly
Mobile: 06991 264 5813
[email protected]
Vice President: Gabrielle Costigan
Mobile: 0664 61 22522
[email protected]
Secretary: Sharon Tiainen
Mobile: 0650 7104 667
[email protected]
Treasurer and Membership Coordinator
Susanna Martin-Murtinger
Home: 944 0353
[email protected]
Assistant Secretary: Eden Sarelius
Mobile: 06503441322
[email protected]
Assistant Treasurer: Rob Reed
Mobile: 06764870036
[email protected]
Bank Account Details:
Susanna Martin-Murtinger
OZCON Account
Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederosterreich – Wien
BLZ 32000
Kontonummer (Account Number): 12.097.176
Membership Fee: €20
Useful Websites:
www.australiawine.com.au
www.wien.info/en/music-stage-shows/operaoperetta/open-air-opera
www.awavienna.com/publications/living-invienna.html
www.language-learning-advisor.com/learninggerman.html
www.aussiehouseswap.com.au
www.wien.gv.at
www.nucolorvue.com.au
www.australien-lifestyle.de
www.australien-info.de
www.virtualvienna.net
www.ninemsn.com.au
www.kids-days.com/Wien/index_wien.html
www.expat-consulting.com
www.homesick.com.au
www.viennababiesclub.com
www.abc.net.au/vod/news/
www.australianaonline.com.au
www.news.com.au
www.expatriates.com
www.australia.gov.au
www.amadeus.net/home/dialing_codes/en/top.htm
www.austrain.vc
www.vienna-expats.at
www.aussiehouseswap.com.au
Austrian media in English:
Austrian Times, daily English news
www.austriantimes.at
The Vienna Review, monthly produced by Webster
University www.viennareview.net
Ether magazine, monthly www.ethermagazine.at
Worldwide media guide www.mondotimes.com
Guided Walks
Australian Embassy
Mattiellistrasse 2-4, 1040 Vienna
Tel: 506740
www.australian-embassy.at
Other Associations
Austrian-Australian Society (OAG)
Hubert Heine, General Secretary
Tel: 0676 5003058; 9847328
[email protected]
www.australia-austria.at
Page 13
Places of Human Rights, Shadow of the Past
Schonberg and Freud
Roman Findings in Carnuntum and the National
Park
More information visit: www.viennawalks.at
The Old City of Vienna
The Third Man
More information visit: www.wienguide.at
The Australian Connection (OzCon) – September 2011