I’m, you’re, we’re all Australians, proper? Well, sure, however from state to state and from territory to territory, the variations between us will be stark, profound even. Those quirks have been no extra skillfully and laughably outlined and uncovered in latest occasions than by YouTube sensation Jimmy Rees.
A celebrity to toddlers and their mother and father in his position as ABC youngsters’s tv presenter Jimmy Giggle within the hit however now defunct TV collection Giggle & Hoot, the comic spent a decade with a stuffed owl as a sidekick. But in 2020, he traded Hoot for a cup of Victorian “wanker coffee” on his smash hit “Meanwhile in Australia” pandemic lockdown collection.
“There was no work during lockdown, so I just started mucking around on social media,” says Rees.
The movies, not at all times for the faint-hearted or easily-offended, went viral as he forged a laser eye over the states and territories’ rivalries and alliances.
In parodying states and territories’ stances on such points as border closures, mask-wearing and the convoluted guidelines round every day train and social interplay (“yes, you can book a restaurant for 20 people. No, you can’t have 20 people over to your home for a dinner party”) he revealed a lot about Australia and Australians.
Enter the state characters together with the champagne-swilling Sydneysider; the (ineffectual) microphone-wielding Tasmanian, and the “beers, beers, beers” obsessed Territorian. He’s additionally given us the Brighton Ladies, the Byron Baes and The Guy Who Decides. Following up along with his profitable POV collection on social media, Rees requested Australians what typifies their city.
“People do like to think they live in the best place, and will die on the hill for it,” he says, tapping right into a deep, sardonic vein of regional variations highlighted throughout the pandemic years, from isolationist West Australians to border-shy Queenslanders.
“Yeah, we get loyal or patriotic to our own town, we’re protective of our own area,” he says. “We love our own quirks, telling out-of-towners, ‘You just wouldn’t get it’.”
Rees grew up in Mount Eliza, on the town aspect of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, the place he now lives along with his younger household. “It’s known for having 6000 real estate agents, 28,000 hairdressers and two supermarkets in a tiny village. What’s missing? Maybe a wine bar?”
While he lives in a bayside suburb, his prime vacation choose is one other seashore. “Like everyone else, I go to Noosa on the Sunshine Coast or the Gold Coast for a relaxing holiday, and then run into people from my Melbourne suburb at the bar.”
With somewhat assist from Traveller, we requested Jimmy Rees to supply his take-no-prisoners overview of the states and territories we’re in from a journey perspective, drawn from his experiences on tour and on household holidays, highlighting the distinction between the states, and what he loves about travelling in every of them.
QUEENSLAND
The Langham Gold Coast.
JIMMY SAYS …
Ah, the Gold Coast. The climate, the seashores, the cruisy way of life. Everyone’s received a sports activities automobile, and there is a number of bling. It’s flashy and it is stuffed with cashed-up bogans. (Actually, I do not suppose you really want to say there are bogans in Queensland. It’s like a silent “k”). But Queenslanders are like, ‘yeah, we all know, and it is tremendous. But we’ve the most effective climate, so the place would you relatively be?’ Well, maybe not Brisbane. You fly into it after which realise it actually does not have a seashore and also you ask your self ‘Why did I come to Brisbane? I ought to have simply gone to the Goldie or the Sunshine Coast to be with all the cashed-up bogans’.
TRAVELLER SAYS…
Queensland will get some onerous love, together with from Jimmy, from these south of its borders. But now there’s an opportunity to like a much less visited a part of the Sunshine State with the launch of the primary and solely day journey to the Torres Strait from Cairns (straitexperience.com.au). But can we love the Sunshine Coast (visitsunshinecoast.com) much more? Its dedication to sustainability and conservation has reaped rewards with it being named Australia’s latest UNESCO biosphere. Admire it on excessive by taking one of many new pleasure flights over the area (saltairaviation.com.au). You may also hit the swim-up bar on the new Langham Gold Coast (langhamhotels.com), replete with Michelin-star eating, or take a paddlewheeler down Longreach’s Thomson River on the Thomson Belle or the relocated Pride of the Murray (outbackpioneers.com.au). See queensland.com
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Swim with dolphins at Kangaroo Island. Photo: Kane Overall/SATC
JIMMY SAYS…
Adelaide can flip something right into a pageant. Food and wine. Wine and meals. I’ve stayed in Adelaide for the Fringe Festival, when the town actually comes alive, or supposedly so. Our lodge there had a rooftop bar which closed at 8.30pm. A rooftop bar needs to be open till not less than midnight. What’s the purpose? But you have to go to the Adelaide Hills – it is the most effective wine on the earth – and Adelaide’s seashores simply go on and on to such an extent they don’t seem to be even proportionate to the town. It’s dubbed “the 20-minute city” as a result of you may get anyplace in 20 minutes and it tops the opposite capitals as probably the most habitable metropolis in Australia. Yet it is fairly blissful to be beneath the radar (and tuck its rooftop bars into mattress at 8.30pm).
TRAVELLER SAYS…
Swim with myriad wildlife on the Eyre Peninsula, from sharks to sea lions in Baird Bay (bairdbay.com), and even cuttlefish in Whyalla (whyalladivingservices.com.au) on the prime of the peninsula. Kangaroo Island’s dolphins and seals do not thoughts a paddle with people both (kimarineadventures.com.au), because the island continues its heroic rejuvenation after the catastrophic 2019 fires. Check out the brand new Odd Plate, centered on KI’s stellar produce (theoddplate.com.au). If you’ll be able to’t get to the Barossa quick sufficient, a brand new motorway has shaved half-hour off the time to Australia’s most lauded wine area, now taking simply an hour, the place you’ll be able to test into a brand new tiny home, CABN Elsie (cabn.life) on a working winery. In Jimmy’s beloved Adelaide Hills, Sequoia’s luxurious lodgings on the historic SA landmark Mount Lofty House will get prime marks (sequoialodge.com.au; mtloftyhouse.com.au). See southaustralia.com
TASMANIA
The wukalina Walk. Photo: Rob Burnett
JIMMY SAYS…
Tassie’s stunning, with MONA, random castles in the midst of nowhere and the “Flannelette Curtain”, which separates Hobart from the remainder of the state. Tassie cops flack for its climate however in per week, you’ll be able to have your individual little “Tassie Fest” and see most of it and embrace all of it, whereas in case you go to Queensland for a similar period of time all you may get to see just about is the Gold Coast. Poor Tassie will get left off the map rather a lot so it makes its individuals overprotective of their state. They say to me after I go to, ‘Are you right here for a joke?’ I used to be, truly, as I as soon as had a three-year run as Jimmy Giggle on the annual Agriculture Show in Launceston.
TRAVELLER SAYS…
Tassie cashes in on its deep, wintery weirdness, celebrating pagan rituals, cider and managed bonfires. The focus is on the return of the solar on the upcoming Winter Light Festival at Salamanca Place (sac.org.au) and there is additionally a highlight on the abdomen, as befits Launceston’s standing as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy and the upcoming Tasmanian Whisky Week (taswhiskyweek.com). Walk all of it off on a four-day wukalina Walk (wukalinawalk.com.au), an Indigenous-owned and led journey within the larapuna-Bay of Fires area. Tassie is embracing its darkish skies, with guided stargazing walks on kunanyi-Mount Wellington (walkonkunanyi.com.au) and look ahead to the Aurora Australis at McHenry Distillery’s new observatory on the Tasman Peninsula (mchenrydistillery.com.au). Also try the brand new five-star The Tasman Hotel in Hobart. See (marriott.com).See discovertasmania.com.au
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Perth, an enormous metropolis with small-town vibes. Photo: Tourism Australia
JIMMY SAYS…
Perth could also be a large place now nevertheless it’s nonetheless one of the vital distant cities on the earth, surrounded by completely nothing for hundreds of kilometres. It’s cheaper to go to Bali for the weekend than to go over east. So as an alternative of going to Noosa like us, they go to Bali and run into their very own neighbours there. Although it is fairly massive, like Adelaide, it is nonetheless received these small-town vibes. There are so many fashionable cafes and funky buildings however you can not seem to get a espresso after 2pm and all the outlets shut at 5pm on a Sunday arvo, even the supermarkets.
TRAVELLER SAYS…
Far from closed, Western Australia has put the welcome mat again out. Beyond Perth, be a part of an Indigenous corroboree expertise in Yawuru Country in Broome (broomeaboriginaltours.com.au), or swill wine, sans eco-guilt within the Margaret River, WA’s first eco-certified tourism vacation spot (margaretriver.com). WA’s wondrous wildflowers are simply beginning to bloom, and everybody’s ready for the Ningaloo Eclipse on April 20, 2023 (ningalooeclipse.com). Perth continues to hook up with the remainder of the world, with direct flights to London and Rome (qantas.com), positioning it as the perfect stopover vacation spot for east-coasters who can lastly make good their intention to go to the WA capital. See westernaustralia.com
VICTORIA
Alba Thermal Springs and Spa, Mornington Peninsula.
JIMMY SAYS…
Victoria’s received its wanker espresso and it is pleased with it. Melbourne does not have Sydney’s harbour and the climate’s not nice all 12 months spherical. But the town’s so walkable with these little laneways stuffed with espresso and loopy quantities of graffiti. It has a buzz that is not present in many of the different capitals. Okay, we have got a river that is somewhat bit gross and also you would not swim in it however you’ll be able to nonetheless have a whole pageant centred round it (the opposite states simply do not perceive Moomba). You can stroll to the MCG from the town and catch a tram straight again into it. And which different Australian capital metropolis has a Formula One grand prix circuit proper subsequent to its CBD?
TRAVELLER SAYS…
Beyond Jimmy’s marvellous Melbourne, scrub up with new sizzling springs on the Mornington Peninsula (albathermalsprings.com.au), Metung (metunghotsprings.com) and Phillip Island (phillipislandhotsprings.com), all effervescent up within the subsequent six months. The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape (budjbim.com.au) close to Macarthur in south-west Victoria, is up and operating and scoff Scott Pickett’s stellar meals at Sorrento landmark Continental Hotel, with its new lodging set to open in spring (thecontinentalsorrento.com.au). Back within the metropolis, there’s the brand new Federation Square restaurant Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters bringing the bounty of the state to you (victoriarestaurant.com.au) and The Picasso Century blockbuster exhibition on the National Gallery of Victoria (ngv.vic.gov.au) operating till early October. See visitvictoria.com
NEW SOUTH WALES
Sydney, our most stunning metropolis … and it is aware of it. Photo: iStock
JIMMY SAYS…
Flashy Sydney is aware of it is Australia’s most stunning metropolis. It’s received all the products: the harbour, the Opera House, seashores and surf. But it is so onerous to get to any of them, so why trouble going to Sydney? You go to the Opera House to see a present, spend $40 million on automobile parking and then you definitely go house, as a result of it is too onerous to get anyplace. You suppose, “It’s going to take us an hour to get home, so let’s just go home”. Sure, Newtown’s received all of the eclectic bars, and Surry Hills thinks it is received all the best locations, however Sydneysiders by no means need to cross a bridge to get anyplace.
TRAVELLER SAYS…
Haven’t you heard about Sydney’s new $3 billion-plus tram line, Jimmy? A bunch of latest inns have opened in Sydney not too long ago together with Ace Hotel (acehotel.com), the Aiden Darling Harbour (aidendarlingharbour.com.au) and a W (marriott.com) ready within the wings. But the actual NSW story is within the areas past the town the place Mudgee, Berry and historic little Carcoar within the Central West are the official prime tourism cities this 12 months. The largest openings have additionally been out-of-towners, together with QT Newcastle (qthotels.com), Osborn House in Bundanoon (osbornhouse.com.au), Kyah boutique lodge within the Blue Mountains city of Blackheath (thekyah.com.au) and the brand new luxurious Pods at QPits Milton vineyard (miltonvineyard.com.au) See visitnsw.com
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Kings Canyon. Photo: Shaun Jeffers/Tourism NT
JIMMY SAYS…
Beers! Beers! Beers! Territorians wish to suppose they’re harder than anybody else. To show it, on tremendous sizzling Saturday mornings Darwin individuals all go to Mary’s to eat sizzling laksa (parapvillage.com.au). You’d suppose the most well liked place in Australia would have the most effective seashores the place you’d spend all of your time within the water, cooling down. But, no. There are crocs, large jellyfish, snakes and sharks; something that may eat or kill you is within the water there. They have a contest referred to as the Million Dollar Fish, and everybody goes out to attempt to develop into a millionaire (if they do not find yourself being eaten by a crocodile). I went to work at a parenting child expo there as soon as and the organisers actually gave me their Toyota Landcruiser and mentioned, “just go for it”. We had a jerry can on the again with spare gas and it felt like we have been locals, having to vary T-shirts 50,000 occasions a day, and attempting to not stroll too quick so you do not drown in your individual sweat.
TRAVELLER SAYS…
The NT’s caravan parks and roadhouses have been licked into form in a post-pandemic rejuvenation program together with 40 new powered campsites in Litchfield Tourist Park (litchfieldtouristpark.com.au). Stay on the glowing new Finniss River Lodge (finnissriverlodge.com.au), 90 minutes west of Darwin; glamp at Kings Canyon Resort in Watarrka National Park (kingscanyonresort.com.au) or absorb the newly renovated Glen Helen Resort (discoveryholidayparks.com.au) in Tjoritja, within the West MacDonnell Ranges. Meanwhile, croc wrangler Matt Wright has launched his personal luxe lodging Freshwater Retreat (mattwright.com.au) in Darwin in addition to new day excursions recognizing crocs within the wild and an airboat tour of the town’s harbour and mangroves, The Darwin Festival runs all through August, and the query on everybody’s lips (together with Jimmy’s) is who will win this 12 months’s Golden Bowl on the 2022 Darwin International Laksa Festival in November?(laksafestival.nt.gov.au) See northernterritory.com
ACT
Jamala Wildlife Lodge.
JIMMY SAYS…
Why go to Canberra? It’s a very good query. I believe they hate being blamed for every little thing. When a politician makes an unpopular determination, it is reported as, “Canberra did this, Canberra did that” and everybody in Canberra shouts, “It wasn’t us! Blame the pollies”. But don’t be concerned, when parliament isn’t sitting it simply turns into a traditional, huge roundabout as soon as once more. The hottest place on the earth in the midst of summer season, and probably the most freezing place in winter, Canberra’s tremendous chilly however not chilly sufficient for all of the enjoyable issues like snow play – it is simply freezing sufficient to be annoying. And in summer season, it is not close to the coast, so you have to journey to Batemans Bay to flee the warmth. However, Parliament House, regardless of all that blame it helps heap on Canberrans, is an incredible construction.
TRAVELLER SAYS…
Warm as much as the ACT with a therapeutic massage with lions on the Jamala Wildlife Lodge (jamalawildlifelodge.com.au), the ACT’s quirkiest keep on the wonderful National Zoo & Aquarium (nationalzoo.com.au). Elsewhere, for celebration animals, rooftop bar newcomer Leyla, atop the Burbury Hotel, affords a Gin & Tonic cheesecake to accompany its cocktails (burburyhotel.com.au; leylabar.com.au). Pop in your runners on and work it off within the inner-city streets of Braddon, the place the town’s finest avenue artwork is discovered. New openings on the town embrace Saint Malo (saintmalo.com.au) within the CBD providing Spanish shared plates on the bottom flooring, a brand new stay music venue promising burlesque and stand-up is upstairs, opening mid-August. See visitcanberra.com.au
To catch the remaining gigs on Jimmy Rees’ nationwide tour, go to livenation.com.au See jimmyrees.com.au the place you’ll be able to watch a number of his finest youtube.com movies
JIMMY REES’ FIVE FAVOURITE AUSTRALIAN HOLIDAY SPOTS
MORNINGTON PENINSULA, VICTORIA
Visit Commonfolk for a scrumptious wanker espresso, then get pleasure from all that the Mornington Peninsula has to supply similar to wine, espresso, craft beer, glowing wine, gin, extra craft beer, cellar doorways, extra wine, woodfire pizza with a wine, a glowing on the Peninsula Hot Springs, extra wanker espresso, espresso martinis, an area seltzer, an area bitter beer and fish and chips at Mothers Beach with a beer. See commonfolkcoffee.com.au; visitvictoria.com
TERRIGAL, NSW
At Terrigal, beneath an hour and a half north of Sydney, stroll or dash (in case you dare) up the Skillion lookout, seize a espresso and a scrumptious pastry at Bouffant, then get dinner and a drink at Rhonda’s. Above all, benefit from the stunning seashores of the Central Coast. Bar Botanica in Erina is the right spot to get pleasure from a gin. The individuals of Terrigal wish to consider they’re exempt from the undertones of bogan the Central Coast exudes however, nicely, everybody has somewhat bogan in them. See bouffant.com.au, rhondas.bar, barbotanica.com.au; visitnsw.com
RICHMOND, TASMANIA
Follow the strains of bricks made by convicts at Richmond, about 20 minutes north-east of Hobart. You can see the convict names, which boat they got here on and the crime for which they have been transported to Australia. I noticed a couple of Reeses alongside the stroll, maybe they have been my kin who stole bread and have been despatched away (the Rees household does not steal bread anymore). See tasmania.com
HUMPTY DOO , NORTHERN TERRITORY
Head to the small Territory city of Humpty Doo, which is about half-hour by street south-west of Darwin, to see crocs, buffalos and kangaroos within the wild. then eat them in a burger on the Humpty Doo Hotel or the Roadkill Cafe on the Mindil Markets again in Darwin. See humptydoohotel.com.au; mindil.com.au; northernterritory.com
COOLUM, QUEENSLAND
Hit up the attractive seashore and fall off a surfboard 1,000,000 occasions like me earlier than attempting one thing extra enjoyable, like a success of golf across the Mount Coolum Golf Club. Wait, dangle on, that may be irritating. Ok, in spite of everything that, seize a cocktail and lay by the pool at Element on Coolum Beach (my in-laws used to have an house there, it was pleasant.) elementoncoolumbeach.com.au, visitsunshinecoast.com
Source: traveller.com.au