What Happened to the ‘Lovable Aussie’ Traveler?
Travel Blog • Michael Yessis • 05.14.07 | 9:30 AM ET
Ben Groundwater says being an Australian abroad used to be “awesome.” “You’d find yourself the token conversation piece at get-togethers, where you could persuade people that you wrestled kangaroos for a living,” he writes on The Backpacker, a Sydney Morning Herald blog. “Doors magically opened, hassles were incredibly smoothed over, with the help of an Australian accent. But it’s all gone wrong…” In short, Groundwater says, Australian travelers are now often greeted with disdain. Among the possible reasons: Overexposure, “blokes on buck’s weekends,” politics and jealousy. He concludes: “The bottom line, however, is that anyone who’s travelled knows there are a lot of Australians out there acting like dickheads, and it’s giving the rest of us a bad name.” As you might expect, the post has stimulated some heated—and interesting—conversation.
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Michael Yessis is the cofounder and coeditor-in-chief of World Hum.
TambourineMan 05.14.07 | 3:24 PM ET
I blame this all on Russell Crowe.
Michael Yessis 05.14.07 | 3:30 PM ET
What about Mel?
TambourineMan 05.14.07 | 4:42 PM ET
Mel, too.
What traveling Aussies need now is the return of lovable Paul Hogan. Crocodile Dundee IV “Not Jafa” would do wonders for their image.
Martha Coursey 08.19.07 | 7:50 PM ET
What happened to the show where ya’ll would drop this man off at an unknown destination with no money or luggage for a week-end? I can’t remember his name. It came on on Monday nites. He was so funny. I loved that show. Thanks for an answer.