26
January 1788 was the date on which the First Fleet, under Captain Arthur
Phillip arrived at Sydney Cove and set up the Colony of New South Wales. We rang in Australia Day at my old local
watering hole in Newport Beach... The Newport Arms. The fashion we have picked up on in
Australia, are tiny dresses for the twenty something women at the bar, and long
Australian Flag capes adorned by all in the crowd. We caught fireworks at midnight and then finally
caught a cab after waiting 2 hours. In
the Northern Beaches they run a special bus from the “Arms” that takes all the
drunk patrons and dumps them off at Mona Vale bus depot, along the main road. What they fail to do is have busses running
to anywhere else, so there we were the late 30’s and 40 somethings hanging out
with all the kids feasting on meat pies and trying to hitch a ride home. We did finally make it back by 3 am.
The
day here is commemorated at the beaches by thong throwing contests... no, not
the underwear type thongs we think of in the US... flip flops! That, along with much beer drinking, it’s a
nation wide party to celebrate being Australian, and a good reason for a day
off work.
