h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This really isn't fair. I'd quite decided to visit this place, but now that it has a new upbeat tourist-friendly name I've lost interest in the joint.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/30/2377903.htm?section=justin

'Tarkine Forest Adventures'. Ugh. It puts me in mind of horribly jolly and earnest youth group leaders of the sort I used to despise because they just wouldn't leave me alone. (They were mostly badgering me to join their poxy groups. I never did - a fact which should surprise none of you.)

What the hell's wrong with calling a place 'Dismal Swamp', anyway? It's all part of the great Australian tradition of brutal honesty in naming parts of the landscape. Dreary Creek, Cape Grim, Coffin Bay, Mount Carnage, Mount Buggery, Mount Treachery, Mount Despair, Mount Terrible, Mount Hopeless, Anxious Bay, Denial Bay, Lake Disappointment... It saddens me to think that Dismal Swamp is no longer among them.

But never mind. There's a little piece of my heart that will be forever Dismal.

Tarkine Forest Adventures does not create the impression of a real forest to me - rather a fake Disneyland kind of place, especially with that Adventures word at the end of the name conveying in image of 'activities' requiring, no doubt, climbing walls (fake), hanging bridges (perfectly safe) and maybe even bouncy castles... *shudders*

the Tasmanian Devils will turn in their grave,what a crap new name

Yep. The new name is *genuinely* dismal, isn't it?

And yes, I also have the mental picture of bouncy castles and other rubbish like that. The picture's only a nice one when I imagine the bouncy castle slowly sinking into the swamp.

At least you're not in danger of your whole country being turned into a theme park, and renamed after a fictional land created on the other side of the world 60 years ago.

We really should have asked for a smiley.

Yes, that would be rather special.

And you're right - at least we're not being mistaken for Middle Earth over on this side of the ditch, so there's some small consolation.

Come Nov 8th (around 10pm) you might be the land over the sea that all the Elves have to escape to

There's already a large colony in Bondi and adjacent areas - I'm not sure I'd like to call them elves, somehow... It could be rather risky.

They're not the lot we exported to raise the IQ of both countries are they? If so, I imagine they'll be making their way back here if things go awry on 8/11

What will happen on 8 November?*curious>

New Zealand general election. We've had a Labour led government for 9 years and are being threatened with a National (conservative with lashings of far rightness) one. It's a weird bit of timing for Ivan and I, as he's had to live with the conservatives for all those years in Oz and now finally has a left govt again just when we're, apparently, turning the other way.

Still, it ain't over til the fat lady sings, and NZers have been known to come to their sense just in the nick of time before.

Another election to keep a close eye on.

Ivan, I think it's crap that they've changed the name of Dismal Swamp. It's just the sort of place I would have chosen for an excursion. Now I agree it sounds a bit Disney-esque or kum-ba-ya for me.

But I still haven't stopped laughing at some of the other names in our original post- "Mount Buggery" made coffee come out my nostrils.

It could end up being a fantastically exciting election too, lots of potential.


I've already used elsewhere tonight...

Made coffe come out of your nostrils! That's a good trick - had you been drinking coffee recently?

Fortunately, yes. If not, I would have been really worried. I've been under the weather for a couple of days and while "runny nose" is a symptom, spontaneous nasal coffee percolation is not.

That last sentence should be made quote of the day!

The wonderful names around Australia, it gives me cause to wonder what happened at each location.

What about Cape Flattery?
Cape Tribulation seems pretty self-explanatory, although I'd like to know whose it was and why (Cook I think).
There are heaps of Skyring Creeks in Qld. What's that about?
I particularly like variations on Three Mile Creek (Ten Mile Creek, Five Mile Creek and so on).
There's a Mount Glum somewhere. Dear me. Did they cheer up?

Fb

I was fascinated too Frenchbean. Such realistic names, and usually with a story behind them. Some of ours have good stories too, if you know how to find out.

I see I have caught you just before work again I hope all is going well this second week.

Websailor

Just checked my world clock, and now I find you appear to be online. it is great that our times match, even if twelve hours apart, it save a lot of thinking

Websailor

I think it's awesome that places are named so accurately there. Most of those names make the places sound appealing to me.