Food and bugs - oh my

I guess I'm thinking of The Wizard of Oz and the phrase "lions, and tigers, and bears oh my."

1. -I admit I'm afraid of anything with more than 2 legs (this includes dogs but not regular cats).
My son said I should never go to Turkey or Greece because dogs freely roam the streets.
If this is the case in AU I need to start dealing with the issue, NOW.

2. - Am I going to meet any real creepy crawlers in any of the hotels? I'm sure they will be in the open areas.
What am I suppose to be looking high and low to avoid. Please don't laugh I'm serious.
My Dentist said there is some type of sticky bug type film on some trees; this protects them or something.

3. - My sister and I are going on the April 2014 Australia only trip.
We need guidance on food. The only thing I know I'm allergic to is clams.
I mentioned April because food might depend on the season.

When it comes to AU are there any to die for type foods. It doesn't have to be exotic just tasty.
Don't laugh but do they serve exotic meat like kangaroo in regular restaurants?

A friend went to Japan and was physically ill when she ordered shrimp stir fried.
The restaurant actually put live shrimp on the grill.
This type of experience I do not want.

Comments

  • The food is pretty much like the states. Australia like us has many ethnic people so they have food of all nations available. As far as Kangaroo and Alligator only can get them if it is a restaurant willing paying for the right to serve it. Got to try both at the Alligator farm on the trip. Not too many native animals to see except at the zoo. There are some roaming the grounds of the hotel in Cairns. I suggest you have flashlight with you. All the rooms are in cabins on the property and light level is low. If you are nervous can ask for employee to take you to your room. I went last year in November and it was a great trip. Enjoy.
  • Hi VA2Aussie,

    I went on this tour in November 2011 and it was fantastic!!

    Regarding food - I know in Alice Springs (on the way to Ayers Rock) they had Camel Pie as an option for lunch. At the hotel, I believe people could order Kangaroo and at the Crocodile Farm, croc was served, so you will have opportunity to try different dishes. I am very picky about food and did not try anything I mentioned, but there were a good amount on the trip that did.

    Regarding bugs - I know @ Ayers Rock flies can be an issue, but Tauck provides you w/nets for over your head. When I went, they were not an issue, but I'm not sure about your time of year. At the hotel in Ayers Rock they do warn of bugs that are dangerous there, but in the states, they're harmless. I didn't see any in my room, but they tell you if you do to call the front desk for them to take care of. I think Crackers suggestion of having the desk check your room is a good idea.

    No matter what - the trip is the best!! Enjoy!
  • edited October 2013
    Hi VA2Aussie,

    Phobias are very real … I'm not even going to mention mine! I am just going to address your queries pragmatically and from the point of view of a well-informed Australian. I am not a medical professional, or a native fauna specialist nor an entomologist. Just a local who's travelled to many parts of the world.

    1. Very good advice for most parts of the world, wild and civilised both. However, Australia is rabies free, and that's the main concern behind your son's wise advice. Now, you can contract tetanus anywhere, even from the fangs of your own dear cat, so it is still a Very Good Idea not to stick your fingers out where you shouldn't. Just like your Mummy told you! ;)

    2. I very much doubt it. And you have already been given some great hints above. And remember, you a visiting a very much westernised country. You are not visiting a third world or emerging country. Without our know-how you couldn't have put a man on the moon or run the space shuttle programme. Not boasting. Just stating the facts. You will actually be very close to one of those vital communication facilities near Alice Springs.

    3. Understand your concern completely. I can't eat chillies. Not because they are "hot". They make me very sick. I have the most terrible time in the States because when I inquire before ordering food, no one seems to understand that as well as being the generic name of a popular dish, the word also describes a variety of small pepper, from which a variety of seasonings are derived. In Australia the world "clams" is clearly understood to mean a particular variety of shellfish. So when you ask before ordering, you will most likely be asked if you have any other particular allergies. Do not fear. People understand the life and death importance of food allergies and also the importance of other food concerns. If you launch into a Harry Met Sally routine when ordering, they might roll their eyes (who wouldn't?) but they won't shoot you for it. Besides, we don't do guns in Australia! Yay!! As for seasonal foods, Australia is such a large country, most things are in season somewhere in Australia. Dismiss that as a concern.

    Exotic foods: Because you are a tourist and visiting touristy places, you may well see some. I will call them novelty specialist foods. I certainly wouldn't call kangaroo meat exotic. I'm told (because I wouldn't actually eat it myself!) that crocodile tastes like chicken. Kangaroo meat I have eaten and is available much more widely. It is a very lean meat and very healthy. Very tasty, too! I'm sure that in the circles you'll be moving in, that if you see it on the menu, it will be well worth ordering. Kangaroo carpaccio is wonderful!

    If you want really exotic foods, like the Japanese food you describe, I'm sure you could find it in Australia somewhere. We are a nation of immigrants and their foods! Of course, any live ingredients (!!!) would have to meet Australian food regulations, so I really don't think those particular ingredients would be "alive and kicking" when they were cooked.

    You are only doing the Australian part of the trip! How sad. You will only have a little over a week to see a tiny bit of the country … a country so large that the lower 48 fits inside Australia. On the other hand, think of it as a taster for the real visit!

    So, keep a tight fist on those phobias and plan for that taster visit! You are going to wonder what took you so long!

    Cheers,

    Jan

    PS There are no alligators in Australia, except possibly in zoos. We do have wild crocodiles, so remember what I said about those pokey fingers, all right? ;)
  • After just reading this post this morning, it was interesting to see in my email inbox an interesting link to an article on CondéNast.com . . . “Is the World’s Best Food on the Other Side of the Globe?”

    http://www.cntraveler.com/perrin-post/2013/09/is-the-world-s-best-food-on-the-other-side-of-the-globe?mbid=nl_daily_traveler&sp_rid=NDk0OTY1NjYyNTAS1&sp_mid=5818796
  • Thanks to all who responded especially Ambassador Jan and Expert Rabo.

    Rabo I looked at that foodie link and found the foods interesting. Since I am flying first class Virgin I might try the fish, barramundi, that was shown on that link. It looked tasty, soooo I'm hoping it is there.
    I have never heard of jackfruit but it is supposed to be a new vegan big deal.
    There appear to be mounds of recipes for jackfruit. I might look at specialty stores for canned.
    The Quay in Sydney looks fantastic. The Snow Egg and Lamb on that site seem very inviting.
    WOW I have a feeling my budget will be stretched to the max at the fancy restaurants listed on the link.

    Jan I will keep my little fingers to myself. lol I didn't do a lot of research on food, bugs, animals, etc.
    April 2012 I did the HI trip and some travelers said how much they enjoyed the Aussie tour. I put that on my 2014 to do bucket list. My mother, who passed away in 2010, always wanted to visit the continent, therefore I'm doing her trip.
    This most likely will be my only trip to the area so I want to enjoy to the fullest.
    NZ would have made the trip too long.

    I will be sure to pack a penlight type flashlight. Also looking for a good hat with a chin strap so I don't have to go chasing my hat into the unknown where my little fingers might be in danger. lol

    Please answer a question.
    What makes a person an Expert or an Ambassador on this site?
    Are Ambassadors used as guides?



  • Speaking of eating exotic foods in Australia, I just finished reading The Cook by Wayne Macauley, a writer from Melbourne. The ending is not for the faint of heart, nor are the descriptions of how to butcher, but if you have got the guts to read it, it's a really well done book. Oh and the whole book is one run on sentence after another -- it is narrated by an uneducated protagonist. It only takes a couple of pages to embrace the writing style -- at first you will probably be repulsed. I was looking for some novels set in Australia or New Zealand, and came across this one first. I will pick it for our book club to read next year. They might throw me out...
  • edited October 2013
    VA2Aussie wrote:
    My mother, who passed away in 2010, always wanted to visit the continent, therefore I'm doing her trip.
    I think your Mum will really enjoy the trip to Australia, VA3Aussie.

    You should see barramundi on many menus in Australia. While not every-day common, the farmed variety makes it very accessible. And it is a delicious freshwater fish!

    I think that label just means I talk too much….. blush…..

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • rabo wrote:
    After just reading this post this morning, it was interesting to see in my email inbox an interesting link to an article on CondéNast.com . . . “Is the World’s Best Food on the Other Side of the Globe?”

    http://www.cntraveler.com/perrin-post/2013/09/is-the-world-s-best-food-on-the-other-side-of-the-globe?mbid=nl_daily_traveler&sp_rid=NDk0OTY1NjYyNTAS1&sp_mid=5818796

    Interesting, rabo. Melbourne is often billed as the foodie capital of Australia. The Concierge at The Langham will be able to make some suggestions, many of them within walking distance of your hotel. Don't be fooled by the "tourist" bumph that you need to go to Lygon Street in Carlton for authentic Italian food. It's good marketing by the Lygon Street traders, but you will find as good and much better all over the CBD and greater Melbourne. What I'm also saying is that we don't have food "ghettos" in Melbourne. You will find one of the best fine dining Chinese restaurants in inner-city suburban Hawthorn.

    I think you'll find International Australian cuisine in most of the places you visit. If you are lucky, you will also come across an iconic Aussie delicacy, a meat pie! (I'm not sure whether to tell you this is a joke or not!The 'home made" offerings are often excellent!) You might consider the prices are high, but I have to tell you that we proudly pay our hospitality workers a living wage in Australia. We tip for exceptional service, not to replace an employer's wages bill. [Not a political statement. Just the facts.]

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • edited October 2013
    VA2Aussie wrote:
    Thanks to all who responded especially Ambassador Jan and Expert Rabo.

    Rabo I looked at that foodie link and found the foods interesting. Since I am flying first class Virgin I might try the fish, barramundi, that was shown on that link. It looked tasty, soooo I'm hoping it is there.
    I have never heard of jackfruit but it is supposed to be a new vegan big deal.
    There appear to be mounds of recipes for jackfruit. I might look at specialty stores for canned.
    The Quay in Sydney looks fantastic. The Snow Egg and Lamb on that site seem very inviting.
    WOW I have a feeling my budget will be stretched to the max at the fancy restaurants listed on the link.

    Jan I will keep my little fingers to myself. lol I didn't do a lot of research on food, bugs, animals, etc.
    April 2012 I did the HI trip and some travelers said how much they enjoyed the Aussie tour. I put that on my 2014 to do bucket list. My mother, who passed away in 2010, always wanted to visit the continent, therefore I'm doing her trip.
    This most likely will be my only trip to the area so I want to enjoy to the fullest.
    NZ would have made the trip too long.

    I will be sure to pack a penlight type flashlight. Also looking for a good hat with a chin strap so I don't have to go chasing my hat into the unknown where my little fingers might be in danger. lol

    Please answer a question.
    What makes a person an Expert or an Ambassador on this site?
    Are Ambassadors used as guides?


    If you look you have 10 posts. I am and Expert with over 200 and Jan who is an Ambassador has over 400 posts. Basically Jan and I have no life and are on the website nightly to see if we get info or can answer any questions. Jan lives in Melbourne and can give you lots of info on Australia.
  • crackers54 wrote:
    If you look you have 10 posts. I am and Expert with over 200 and Jan who is an Ambassador has over 400 posts. Basically Jan and I have no life and are on the website nightly to see if we get info or can answer any questions. Jan lives in Melbourne and can give you lots of info on Australia.
    What Crackers said! Although, I would prefer to think of my activities as travel research. ;))) Just can't put an old researcher down……

    Not now, Kong. Put me down!

    King Kong: The Musical. Developed and currently running in Melbourne. Headed for Broadway soon!

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • Ha Ha . . . retired and too much time on my hands . . . that's what makes me an Expert!
This discussion has been closed.