Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Australia in film

The Strip, 2007, TV series, Set against the backdrop of Queensland's picturesque Gold Coast, this short-lived Australian cop series centers on the homicide investigations headed up by Detective Jack Cross (Aaron Jeffrey) and his partner, Detective Frances "Frankie" Tully (Vanessa Gray).  

Broken Hill, 2009, Filmed in South Australia, New South Whales, Broken Hill, and Sydney, Teenage Tommy McAlpine (Luke Arnold) spends his life helping run his family's sheep station in the Australian outback and playing soccer to make his father (Timothy Hutton) happy. But his real dream is to make it big in the music world. When he runs afoul of the law, he finds a silver lining in a community service sentence. In time, Tommy is transforming a group of inmates into a world-class choir. Alexa Vega co-stars in this family-friendly drama. 

Crocodile Dundee, 1986, is a Paul Hogan outback adventure.  It's a wonderful comedy with a great cast and it's set in the Northern Territory.





Babe, 1995, stars one of Australia's top comedian 
actors – Magda Szubanski. It's a family comedy 
with delicious scenery, as it's set in the southern 
highlands of New South Wales.




The Man from Snowy River, 1982, is a romantic drama and the movie was made from the Banjo Patterson poem of 
the same name. The scenery and the soundtrack are outstanding.  It was set in central Victoria.





Australia, 2008, Stars Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman; filmed in New South Whales, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.  In the days leading up to World War II, Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) inherits a sprawling cattle ranch in northern Australia and reluctantly joins her rough-riding farmhand (Hugh Jackman) as he drives a herd of cattle across the outback. After an epic journey, they witness the Japanese bombing of Darwin, which heralds Australia's entry into the war. 



Discovery Atlas: Australia Revealed, 2007, Russell Crowe narrates while Australians share historical and cultural stories, cameras capture timeless endurance in this bold land of survival like never before.


Here are other films I haven't watched yet, but look interesting: 
All the Rivers Run, 1983 (mini series). Set in the port of Echuca in Victoria, this is a romantic story starring the hunky John English and also Sigrid Thornton. It gives you a great glimpse of the riverboat life from the 1890s.
The Castle, 1997, is a brilliant family comedy movie set in Melbourne, Victoria. It's about a typical Aussie "battler" family who almost lose their family home to the government. A top notch movie.
The Dish, 2000, is by the same clever people who made The Castle (see recommendation above). It's a wonderful dramatic comedy about man's first step on the moon and is set in the radio telescope town of Parkes in New South Wales.
Mad Max, 1979, starring Mel Gibson, was set in and around Melbourne in Victoria.
Sirens, 1994, is a romantic movie about my favorite Australian artist – Norman Lindsay. The music is haunting and the setting, the Blue Mountains of New South Wales is divine.
Australia, Land Beyond Time, 2004 , Documentary, Travel down under to explore the island continent of Australia, a unique place containing territories of rugged and remarkable beauty -- from red desert sand dunes to glistening tropical rain forests teeming with life. Along the way, you'll learn how Australia has evolved both historically and ecologically by examining the strange and interesting creatures that can only found in this still-wild corner of the world.
Discovering Australia, 2001, Travel Guide, Begin your trip down under in Sydney, with its famous Harbor Bridge and Opera House. Join in the raucous nightlife of King's Cross, then head to the Blue Mountains, home of the spectacular Wentworth Falls. Then go to the Outback, where monolithic Ayers Rock is painted blood-red in the heart of Aborigine country


Here is where I found most of my information:
http://www.slowtrav.com/australia/recommended_movies.htm
http://movies.netflix.com/WiSearch?oq=australia&ac_posn=-1&ac_rec=false&ac_count=-1&ac_match=false&v1=australia&search_submit=
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455824/locations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_set_in_Australia

Still Searching for a ticket

Christmas has come and gone, and now it's getting close to my last day in the states for awhile.   I am scheduled to leave January 14th.  Now all I need to do is find a plane ticket, pack for half of a year, and move out of my current residence.  Oh, and my friend, Meagan, is getting married January 7th, and I am the maid of honor.  A lot to do before I leave.
Pray that I find a ticket for a "cheap" price.  My granny, mom and cousin, Wayne, are all going with me for a 14 day cruise along the New Zealand coast.  The only problem is, I haven't bought my flight yet.  They have purchased their tickets but mine is double the cost... $1600 is actually a GOOD rate for a round trip flight from Austin to Sydney.  The same ticket for me to return in August is $3100 +.  Not exactly what I had in mind.... 
But, I'll continue looking everyday at prices and until then hope for the best.  Besides, what's a trip across the world without a few bumps along the way to make things interesting?  
I am excited about all the people I will meet and get to know in Australia and New Zealand.  I have a friend, Su, who lives in North Bondi in Sydney and she said she would show me around.  I also have a friend, Richard, in New Zealand who is going to meet up with us while on our cruise.  He's going to give us a local's tour as well.  Our dear friend, Mr. Thomas, is from Australia and he has family in Melbourne and Brisbane.  I plan to visit them and get the real Australian experience.  I am so excited to learn more about Australia and broaden my horizons.  
I'll keep you posted in regards to the ticket!  I hope you all had a wonderful christmas! G'day.  

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

When one door closes, another opens

I love adventures. So, after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin as a certified elementary teacher, I decided to embark on one.  Teaching in Austin was a closed door for me, so I started checking out my other options.  I looked into teaching abroad on military bases.  But applicants need at least 2 years expereince, or they need to be married to an officer on base.  Then I looked into teaching at Missionary schools.  But they wanted me to raise all of my salary.  That didn't sound enjoyable.  Then I looked into substitute teaching in another country.  I applied to teach in New South Whales, Australia.  I only had a few more documents to send over when I discovered a site called greataupair.com.  (An Au Pair is a live in nanny.)  This site connects nannies with families all over the world.  My aunts' friend's daughter did this and loved it, so I thought I'd give it a try.  I made an account and started searching for families.  To my surprise, several families were interested in me.  Now all I had to do was choose the family.  Then, the perfect family found me.  They have 2 children, ages 9 and 12.  They live in Sydney, Australia.  They are a wonderful, kind family.  After a skype interview, we sealed the deal. 
So, after many closed doors, I found my adventure.  Off to Australia for 6 months!
I leave in January and I'll get back in August.