Amanda Hocking

Amanda's Blog Post

In a Land Down Under

March 14th, 2011 by
This post currently has 106 comments

My Australia obsession is at an all-time high this week, and I’m seriously considering a visit. It’s just a very expensive, very long flight, and I’m not a huge fan of flying. If Australia were like an hour away, I’d probably live there already.

Here’s fun fact (although I’m not entirely convinced of the factual nature of this fact): When I was a small child, I really wanted to move to Australia. My parents told me that before they knew they each other, they had both separately made plans to move to Australia, but at the last minute, these plans changed. (I don’t know if they were really “plans” so much as “briefly wanting to,” but this is the story as I remember them telling me.)

Anyway, I became convinced that in a parallel universe, my parents had moved to Australia, met each other, and still conceived me. So in another universe, I’m Australian. And thus began my unnatural feeling of kinship to a country that is very, very far away.

Everything in Austrailia is just awesome. Every creature there sounds like Eric named them. (Wallaby? Koala? Didgeridoo? Okay, so the last one is an instrument, but still) And they all have bizarre super powers. Platypi lactate and have venom.

Then there’s the luscious Sydney Opera House. Toilets flush in a different way. Heath Ledger is buried there somewhere, or his ashes are spread out in Perth or something. And there’s the coral reef.

And everyone has fancy Australian accents. New Zealand is semi-nearby, and Peter Jackson has repeatedly shown me how gorgeous it is there. Isn’t Flight of the Concords filmed somewhere there? And I’ve seen Muriel’s Wedding and A Cry in the Dark like twenty times, so I’m all caught up on Australian culture. (It’s all ABBA and dingos, right?)

So yes, Australia is crazy awesome. And if I went this summer, it would be winter there. (But I don’t know what that means in terms of weather). BUT its still crazy expensive, and the flight is so long I could be incepted seven times over. (If you haven’t seen the hit film Inception, that reference I just made was really funny). 

So people of Australia, and the general Oceanic community – what do you think? Is Australia really awesome enough to risk crashing into that weird island from Lost on the incredibly long flight over? And what are the chances of me running into Daniel Johns on the street? And do you guys really have gold eagles the size of city blocks like in Rescuers Down Under?

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  • CarlithaH says:

    Just wanted to say I live in Melbourne Australia and i love your work!!! Hope you do come 🙂

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  • Tilda says:

    Definitely come to Australia. I used to live in Minneapolis! Have lived here for 12yrs now. Havn’t been back to the states for 6yrs. Miss family but love living here. Sunshine Coast is north of Brisbane. We have the Australia Zoo near us. Beautiful beaches, gorgeous surfers(gotta get out there in the early morning) awesome sunrises and sunsets. The state of Queensland itself is huge so make sure you make plenty of time to visit and make it worthwhile. The distance between cities is far and lots to see in each area. If you want any help planning your trip zap me an email! Be happy to help. Come visit, no time like the present! Who knows whats around the corner of our lives. Why wait, do it now! Live lady!

  • Nederland says:

    Australia is the place where I really dreamed of living. The place is so fabulous and awesome especially in Melbourne. And I like challenges that is why I am not afraid of the adjusting period. I am used of that already. We used to transfer from one place to another. And I am glad cos I have the chance to met other new set of friends.

  • Hi Amanda. I’m from Perth, currently the hottest capital city in Oz (and no Tabitha, I’ve never met an Aussie who was offended by “down under” – I wonder where on earth you heard that?)…

    Every day is well over 30 deg Celsius for the last couple of months, yet on the east coast, the poor buggers are drowning in floods! Roll on winter & some rain!

    Anyway, you should definitely come “down under” – it is a special place in the world (and I have travelled overseas a fair bit, so I came make the comparison from experience) and has many great things to see & do.

    Our beaches are spectacular, the climate is (generally) very nice (not too many snow storms, etc), the people are friendly & the food is good (but expensive 🙁 ).

    As for the length of the flight – I agree, it’s a long time & not comfortable, BUT if you pony up the clams for a business class (or first class) seat, it is well worth it. Seriously, you’re making some good dollars by the sounds of it, so a splurge on 1 big holiday this year is fine.

    Make it work related & claim a tax deduction… 🙂

    You only live once (unless you believe in reincarnation) so get onto a plane and come on down! I guarantee you’ll love it.

    BTW, congrats on your success. Well done on taking action – you deserve every success you get.

    Eran