How well do you know Australia?January 30, 2017

It has nothing to do with what is happening at Melbourne Park, where the veterans are teaching a thing or two to the upstarts. (The Williams sisters will meet in the women's finals, their first since 2009. Roger Federer is the oldest player to advance to the men's finals of a major tournament since Ken Rosewall.) This post shouldn't be confused with Bali, which is the favourite holiday destination of Aussies. In case you miss the fireworks, then January 26 is National Day. But there's more to the observation of this special occasion.

How well do you know Australia? Here are some trivia:

James Cook was the first European to land in Austalia. NOT. Those who answer Cook couldn't be blamed at all, as he paved way for Great Britain's colonisation of Australia. It happened that Dutch navigators established their (faraway) settlement in modern-day Indonesia way before Cook chartered the hostile water. Willem Janszoon, who served in the Netherlands East Indies, made a voyage on 1605-06. He happened to see the (vast) Australian coast during his journey. It would be pointless to argue if he happened to anchor on it (and set foot on Oz). It was the Age of Exploration.

Nourlangie Rock isn't Uluru. There's an Aboriginal rock art site located southeast of Darwin. It wouldn't be so far away from Uluru, but Kakadu National Park should not be confused with what was formerly known as Ayer's Rock. A panorama of the wetlands could be seen from the summit, so hiking would be worth it. And there's no doubt about the popularity of this national wonder. There's no point in adding one more feature, as it might be better to buy plane tickets and go there.

There's a thing called Museum of Australian Democracy. The Eureka flag could be seen, which was the most-prized item from the Eureka Rebellion. This marked the battle between the colonial forces (in Oz) and the British settlers. It had something to do with the Gold Rush, which may seem ironic at first. This was also the primary motivation of European navigators.

You haven't set foot in South Australia if you haven't seen the following. Twenty Third Street, Red Hen, KIS. The last one had nothing to do with rock music, but there's more to South Australia than Adelaide. If you have doubts about it, then it will be better to plan your trip. You won't regret it.

Compass Airlines tried to stir up patriotic feelings, but good intention won't be enough. "Stretch your wings, Australia" was the company slogan of Compass Airlines, which had its fits of success. Low-cost airlines have its share of shortcoming and pressing issues, which could have ruined the future of this budget airlines. It was rather complicated. It would be pointless to think of a TV series, as the history of United Airlines was a huge hit. (It had its brief moment of renewed popularity, which any foreign student could live with it.)

You need a good night's sleep. Good luck!

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