7 ms·

I think more interestingly, this shows just how big Australia is. Many people don't realise just how big the continent actually is, since they've only heard of

I think more interestingly, this shows just how big Australia is. Many people don't realise just how big the continent actually is, since they've only heard of Sydney (isn't that the capital? there are other cities there too?!). Australia fits edge to edge almost completely over Europe, and completely over the US and part of Canada. Yes, unfortunately, the vast majority of the continent is uninhabitable desert, but the sheer size of it is amazing. If terra-forming is ever possible, I think Australia is a great candidate to test it out on, before trying it somewhere more expensive like Mars.

jessriedel 7y ago
> completely over the US and part of Canada. No. Australia is large, but it is slightly less than the area of the continental US.
- lisper 7y ago
  Area of Australia = 2.97M sq mi Area of USA = 3.78M sq mi Area of Europe = 3.92M sq mi Area of Canada = 3.85M sq mi Ain't Google grand?
  - Thorentis 7y ago
    Yeah, the area of Australia is smaller. But in my OP I said "edge to edge" by which I meant (ambiguously, sorry) west to east edges. People don't realise driving from west coast to east coast US is the same distance as Australia.
  - mynegation 7y ago
    Australia is overlaid on a map of contiguous 48 states and DC, and that area is about 3.12M square miles. Yes, google is grand
  - hydrox24 7y ago
    Area of mainland USA = 2.96M sq mi. Area of mainland Australia = 2.93M sq mi. I think this is the apples to apples comparison. Don't include Alaska or Tasmania, or Hawaii, which tend not to be what people are thinking of.
- ddeck 7y ago
  In area terms that's true, but it does pretty much fit "over the US and part of Canada" as can be seen here: https://www.aboutaustralia.com/australia-size-compared-to-usa/ https://www.aboutaustralia.com/australia-size-compared-to-us...
  - jessriedel 7y ago
    You conveniently left out the word "completely" from the original statement.
keyle 7y ago
I backpacked it about 20 years ago. I was foolish. I didn't know how long it would take. It took a bloody long time! Even family couldn't relate until I printed the map of Australia on top of Europe (and northern Africa) at scale.
jen729w 7y ago
Sydney is not the capital! Canberra is, and a fine city it is too. Ironically, given that it is the only city many foreigners could name, Sydney is (arguably) many Australian’s least favourite city. It’s too big, and its geography makes it a nightmare to get around. Less arguably, parts of it are stunning to look at. But as a place to live? No thanks. Of course I would say that, being from Melbourne. ;-)
- LilBytes 7y ago
  I think that was sarcasm. Or... well, I hope? I dispute Canberra being a fine city (:P). Though I agree with you that Sydney is my least favourite city, Melbourne and Brisbane being equal top. I only chose Brisbane because moving from he UK to Australia, it's too far to move to another city and still be wet and miserable 9 months of the year. ;-)
  - jen729w 7y ago
    It was not sarcasm! When were you last in Canberra? Apparently it's changed a lot in the last 5 years. I'm also British originally – arrived here '03 – so I never saw it back in the day, but almost everyone I know went on a school trip as a kid and says it was terrible. And in the 90s/00s it probably was terrible. Since then it's become a really cool little city. Emphasis on little – it's tiny. But Braddon is a lovely place to be during the week, and the national galleries and what have you are a wonderful place to be on the weekend. Give it another chance. I really love it there. (I'm FIFO'ing weekly at the moment.)
    - LilBytes 7y ago
      Been here 11 years, I was last in Canberra 2 years ago. My problem is, all the attractions you've mentioned are indeed wonderful. And the War Museum is a national tressure. But I could knock them all over in a long weekend (I did!). Which was the reason I decided not to apply for a job in Canberra and stay in Brisbane. :P
  - Zancarius 7y ago
    It was almost certainly sarcasm. I have family over there and have rarely gotten similar questions from people here in the States. Although, it doesn't surprise me as much as it probably should. I live in New Mexico and have had people in the past ask if it's difficult traveling to the US, or what it's like living in another country... My mum, who is Australian, once received a compliment from someone at a local store whereupon learning of her origins said she "spoke beautiful English." Without batting an eye, she replied "Thanks, I usually speak Australian." So, the structure of the OP's comment adding in the additional exasperation of "there are other cities?!" definitely strikes me as sarcasm.
brownbat 7y ago
It holds an inconceivably large aquifer beneath it. In some places under enormous positive pressure so geysers shoot up after drilling. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Artesian_Basin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Artesian_Basin People are reasonably protective of that aquifer, but in an imaginary Earth, one with save states you could revert back to, it would be interesting to pump it all up and see what happens.
satori99 7y ago
> Many people don't realise just how big the continent actually is, since they've only heard of Sydney I hosted European guests in Sydney a while back. They inquired about hiring a car for a weekend to go and see Perth/WA. They were shocked when I told them they'd be lucky to even get there in 2 full days of driving.
- samplatt 7y ago
  Full days, as in 2x 24 hours? because it'd be a lot more than 2 days if we're talking a measly 8-9hrs per day.
  - satori99 7y ago
    It's about 40 hours non-stop in a car.
    - interfixus 7y ago
      Did me some hitch-hiking back in the day. Sydney-Perth, Melbourne-Perth (and the corresponding return trips) somehow always neatly approached four days, or 96 hours if you like. Once got a ride from a trucker who did Adelaide-Perth-Adelaide once a week. Alternating with a colleague, that is, so he had 3½ days exactly to complete the round trip, including on/off loading at both ends. They never really stopped once they got the truck moving, and I do believe a lot of the driving was pill-fueled. Completely bat-shit, of course, but apparently not that uncommon a practice back in the eighties.
      - ruvis 7y ago
        Bloody hell that's the most boring drive of the country too
cperciva 7y ago
On the topic of "the only one people can name isn't very good": The Sydney Opera House is one of the most famous in the world, thanks to its stunning architecture -- but among musicians it's famous for having unbelievably bad acoustics. Some singers have even had written into their contracts that they will never be required to perform there.
- coagmano 7y ago
  They've been doing a lot of work in the last decade to fix the acoustics in the main wall with acoustic diffusers, reflectors and changes in stage and seating structures
billforsternz 7y ago
Sydney is not really even the biggest city any more, it's in the process of being overtaken by Melbourne, which is actually a lovely city despite jibes down thread.
- bookofjoe 7y ago
  I like how the Australian Open TV announcers pronounce it "Melbun."
  - billforsternz 7y ago
    This is the correct pronunciation, that's how the locals say it.

jessriedel 7y ago

> completely over the US and part of Canada. No. Australia is large, but it is slightly less than the area of the continental US.

lisper 7y ago
Area of Australia = 2.97M sq mi Area of USA = 3.78M sq mi Area of Europe = 3.92M sq mi Area of Canada = 3.85M sq mi Ain't Google grand?
- Thorentis 7y ago
  Yeah, the area of Australia is smaller. But in my OP I said "edge to edge" by which I meant (ambiguously, sorry) west to east edges. People don't realise driving from west coast to east coast US is the same distance as Australia.
- mynegation 7y ago
  Australia is overlaid on a map of contiguous 48 states and DC, and that area is about 3.12M square miles. Yes, google is grand
- hydrox24 7y ago
  Area of mainland USA = 2.96M sq mi. Area of mainland Australia = 2.93M sq mi. I think this is the apples to apples comparison. Don't include Alaska or Tasmania, or Hawaii, which tend not to be what people are thinking of.
ddeck 7y ago
In area terms that's true, but it does pretty much fit "over the US and part of Canada" as can be seen here: https://www.aboutaustralia.com/australia-size-compared-to-usa/ https://www.aboutaustralia.com/australia-size-compared-to-us...
- jessriedel 7y ago
  You conveniently left out the word "completely" from the original statement.

keyle 7y ago

I backpacked it about 20 years ago. I was foolish. I didn't know how long it would take. It took a bloody long time! Even family couldn't relate until I printed the map of Australia on top of Europe (and northern Africa) at scale.

jen729w 7y ago

Sydney is not the capital! Canberra is, and a fine city it is too. Ironically, given that it is the only city many foreigners could name, Sydney is (arguably) many Australian’s least favourite city. It’s too big, and its geography makes it a nightmare to get around. Less arguably, parts of it are stunning to look at. But as a place to live? No thanks. Of course I would say that, being from Melbourne. ;-)

LilBytes 7y ago
I think that was sarcasm. Or... well, I hope? I dispute Canberra being a fine city (:P). Though I agree with you that Sydney is my least favourite city, Melbourne and Brisbane being equal top. I only chose Brisbane because moving from he UK to Australia, it's too far to move to another city and still be wet and miserable 9 months of the year. ;-)
- jen729w 7y ago
  It was not sarcasm! When were you last in Canberra? Apparently it's changed a lot in the last 5 years. I'm also British originally – arrived here '03 – so I never saw it back in the day, but almost everyone I know went on a school trip as a kid and says it was terrible. And in the 90s/00s it probably was terrible. Since then it's become a really cool little city. Emphasis on little – it's tiny. But Braddon is a lovely place to be during the week, and the national galleries and what have you are a wonderful place to be on the weekend. Give it another chance. I really love it there. (I'm FIFO'ing weekly at the moment.)
  - LilBytes 7y ago
    Been here 11 years, I was last in Canberra 2 years ago. My problem is, all the attractions you've mentioned are indeed wonderful. And the War Museum is a national tressure. But I could knock them all over in a long weekend (I did!). Which was the reason I decided not to apply for a job in Canberra and stay in Brisbane. :P
- Zancarius 7y ago
  It was almost certainly sarcasm. I have family over there and have rarely gotten similar questions from people here in the States. Although, it doesn't surprise me as much as it probably should. I live in New Mexico and have had people in the past ask if it's difficult traveling to the US, or what it's like living in another country... My mum, who is Australian, once received a compliment from someone at a local store whereupon learning of her origins said she "spoke beautiful English." Without batting an eye, she replied "Thanks, I usually speak Australian." So, the structure of the OP's comment adding in the additional exasperation of "there are other cities?!" definitely strikes me as sarcasm.

brownbat 7y ago

It holds an inconceivably large aquifer beneath it. In some places under enormous positive pressure so geysers shoot up after drilling. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Artesian_Basin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Artesian_Basin People are reasonably protective of that aquifer, but in an imaginary Earth, one with save states you could revert back to, it would be interesting to pump it all up and see what happens.

satori99 7y ago

> Many people don't realise just how big the continent actually is, since they've only heard of Sydney I hosted European guests in Sydney a while back. They inquired about hiring a car for a weekend to go and see Perth/WA. They were shocked when I told them they'd be lucky to even get there in 2 full days of driving.

samplatt 7y ago
Full days, as in 2x 24 hours? because it'd be a lot more than 2 days if we're talking a measly 8-9hrs per day.
- satori99 7y ago
  It's about 40 hours non-stop in a car.
  - interfixus 7y ago
    Did me some hitch-hiking back in the day. Sydney-Perth, Melbourne-Perth (and the corresponding return trips) somehow always neatly approached four days, or 96 hours if you like. Once got a ride from a trucker who did Adelaide-Perth-Adelaide once a week. Alternating with a colleague, that is, so he had 3½ days exactly to complete the round trip, including on/off loading at both ends. They never really stopped once they got the truck moving, and I do believe a lot of the driving was pill-fueled. Completely bat-shit, of course, but apparently not that uncommon a practice back in the eighties.
    - ruvis 7y ago
      Bloody hell that's the most boring drive of the country too

cperciva 7y ago

On the topic of "the only one people can name isn't very good": The Sydney Opera House is one of the most famous in the world, thanks to its stunning architecture -- but among musicians it's famous for having unbelievably bad acoustics. Some singers have even had written into their contracts that they will never be required to perform there.

coagmano 7y ago
They've been doing a lot of work in the last decade to fix the acoustics in the main wall with acoustic diffusers, reflectors and changes in stage and seating structures

billforsternz 7y ago

Sydney is not really even the biggest city any more, it's in the process of being overtaken by Melbourne, which is actually a lovely city despite jibes down thread.

bookofjoe 7y ago
I like how the Australian Open TV announcers pronounce it "Melbun."
- billforsternz 7y ago
  This is the correct pronunciation, that's how the locals say it.