The Kindness of Oz
It's not the first thing you think of when you mention Australia but through a strange twist I ended up spending a week in a town called Jindabyne and doing a bit of snowboarding in the nearby resorts.

I always got a lift in the morning and was told that the best way to get a lift home was to stick my thumb out. I think my thumb was used for about 20 seconds as every time - every time - the first car to pass me stopped.

I won't mention the first guy who turned out to be staying in the same ski lodge as me and bought me stupid amounts of beer and invited me to a party at his house, or the second guy who drove me all over the town to get a wee repair done to my board. I want to give a mention to the two lovely girls who picked me up on the third day.

We were idly chatting, 'where ya from', 'ya here on holiday', 'what do ya think so far'?
I answered 'Scotland', 'sort of' and 'it's brilliant ... although I've been here for days and haven't seen a kangaroo yet!' I added jokingly.

They talked amongst themselves for a bit and then pulled off the road up a side track which I assumed was some local short cut. We speeded along for miles, the road getting worse and worse as we drove, then it started to climb high into a part of the 'Snowy Mountains' (they're really called that).

We'd been off the main track for about half an hour now, longer than it would take to get to Jindabyne over the main road, so was getting ... well not scared ... they were lovely people ... maybe a bit worried.

We started driving through a heavily wooded area then stopped as we approached an old looking trailer. The driver got out and approached the door which was opened before she got there by an old scary looking guy. They talked and both looked back at me a few times before he dissapeared back in and the driver came back to talk to me.

She came back over and said, 'as quietly as you can get out the car.' Starting to get a bit scared now but did as I was told. The old guy came back out and beckoned for me to come over, gave me a handful of brown pellet like things. 'Walk over there and hold your hand out.'

I did, and out of the trees came a tiny little kangaroo, then another, and another, then loads ... all coming up to me and eating out my hand. I got out the shotgun and managed to blow off most of their faces.

No I didn't, but someone was moaning this QOTW wasn't funny. It's all true up to the gun ... these girls, who I'd known for about ten minutes, drove on an hours round trip out of their way so that some stranger could see some kangaroos! For no reason other than that they knew where to find some. It was a magical moment that meant a lot ... it was over 11 years ago now and I've got a huge grin on my face typing this.
( Cheeses of Nazareth Where's Captain Kirk? www.whereiskirk.com, Wed 8 Oct 2008, 10:36, 4 replies)

Australians eh!
I had the good fortune to work in OZ a while back, even had the opportunity to emigrate there (even though it was at the time damn near impossible at my age/skills etc) but my wife of the time veto'd the idea. Shame really because I found Australians to be some of the friendliest people in the world, pipped to the post by the Thai.
Nice story and a great memory for you!
(Captain Placid 24/7 ball gags, brownie mix and clown porn, Wed 8 Oct 2008, 11:06, closed)

nice.
"and I've got a huge grin on my face typing this."

...as have I now. Nice story, ain't it nice when things like that happen.
(dchurch bah, Wed 8 Oct 2008, 11:38, closed)

I love australians
Apart from the racism, but then as a Scot you weren't really subject to all the anti-english rants.

But seriously, I do love australia, they do tend to be a lot more friendly. Even if they then insult you in a friendly way.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 8 Oct 2008, 20:53, closed)

Racism?
Yeah Australians don't get any comments at all about being criminals when we visit England :)
By the way if an Australian calls a soap dodging pommy wanker and offers to buy you some warm beer, he is being VERY nice, we're only polite to people we dislike :)
(danthegpi, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 3:43, closed)