I’m one of those who thinks it has something to do with being home. I’m from the US and have been all over it, and when in the military I saw the countryside of Korea. So my experience is not great. But nothing beat that look out the window of the plane as it swept over the coastline of California on my return flight home. So green and beautiful, and I was nearing home!
I hear ya, Baker. Coming home from the (to me) strangely picturebook perfect greenness of Asia, at sunrise we cross the Australian coastline. Red, baked dryness. Horizons of hard-edged nothingness. Yep, I’m home. Different to your experience, yet strangely the same.
Red dirt. Just something about that… 
I used to live on the very edge of the Mojave Desert. I used to ride my Enduro all over the place. Often I would ride out to the hills and look out over the Antelope Valley. It would be hot and dry, and there would be a breeze blowing. The sky was clear and the air was clean. It was quiet. It was nice to just sit there and absorb the scenery. Thanks for reminding me. 
I like rain! (From what I’ve heard – and I haven’t been there yet – it doesn’t rain enough! )
Even though I’ve lived in the US a long time and love it here, my trip home to Oz last year really made me appreciate the majesty and beauty of my home land.
So much so, that I plan on moving back in about a year. Especially now that I am going to be both a Aussie and US citizen soon, so I can go back and forth as I please!
Yeah, it was quiet - once you shut down your Enduro! While you were driving “all over the place,” of course, anyone within earshot was deprived of the “quiet.”
The Enduro was unmodified, so it had to meet the noise restrictions for a street bike. (The Enduro was basically a dirt bike outfitted for street use.) It wasn’t that loud. Besides, there were no people around for miles. (I know you meant to put a smiley there to indicate that you were joking.)
Never been to Australia, although I would LOVE to go.
America, however, is the most beautiful country I’ve experienced yet, especially Rhode Island. Get out of the cities and off the roads and go to the beach or walk around in some of the wilderness here, and it’s gorgeous.
Other beautiful countries I’ve been to include Canada, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Monaco, and France, and Bermuda (well, I guess that qualifies as the UK), which are all the ones I’ve visited so far.
Already in Use: Indeed. Earth is my favourite planet. There are so many beautiful places – from arid deserts to lush rainforests, from glaciers to crystal waters – that it seems unfair that our life spans are so short. I could spend a hundred years or twice that exploring the Earth. And even that mightn’t be enough!
Dammit, now I want to go to Australia! See what you’ve done!
Sadly, I’ve already got a job lined up for this summer and I think trying to see a whole continent in a few weeks is out of the question, so it’ll have to wait another year at least. Sigh. So many places, so little time…
My best mate and I are thinking of flying into Sydney and then working our way down to Melbourne. We’re thinking of a three-week journey.
Question for Australians: Is there a ferry service to Tazmania? Or do you have to fly?
I’m going to try REALLY HARD not to make a Uranus pun here.
There’s a ferry service from Melbourne. You can take a car if you wish. I’ve never been on it, but I understand that the service is now run by quickish catamarans. Bass Strait is quite rough on occasion and the trip is sometimes cancelled.
When your plans have firmed up we should try to organise to meet for a malted beverage.
I’m betting mr. LA would prefer to take a bike rather than a car.
The most beautiful country on earth is South Africa, if my experiences are anything to go by. Then again, I have yet to visit both Australia and New Zealand, two countries that are easily in the same league, from what I’ve seen of them on TV and such.
And then there’s Brasil. And Argentina. And Canada. And Japan. And China… all yet to be visited.
Anyone got a spare million bucks or two?
hahaha, I’ve been to Australia, and those apartments next to the Opera house are amazing!
But the trip there was terrible
Especially Yahoo Serious! :mad:
In 1943, the song **I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City ** got to number one on the US hit songs list. Later, Tony Bennett (and later Sinatra) had the hit, I Left My Heart in San Francisco , at which time the media conveniently ignored the earlier, better title. But now, to trump all these names, we have a newer book entitled:
B]I Left My Hat in Andamooka **
by Austin Clifford (Melbourne: Wren: 1973)
Now, to make this post poetic, we have to add the two cuddliest animals on the planet:
The quoll and the quokka
Have milk in their mocha
And prance to the polka
Around Andamooka
[
I find the Pacific Northwest to be the most beautiful part of the U.S. It has every type of landscape - from tall misty evergreen rainforests to verdant rolling vinyards, towering raw mountains, glistening sandy beaches and golden grassy plains. Exquisite.
Australia has many areas that are far from beautiful-althought the coast is great. Take ALICE SPRINGS-the best part about that place is the :
-cheap beer
-the annula ALICE SPRINGS REGATTA (it is hilarious)
Other than that , its a pretty dreary place!
YES. Australia is the most beautiful country in the world. I have never been there, but I want to go there more than anywhere else. The landscape is breathtaking, the animals are wondrous, everything about it is fantastic. I am very biased- I realize that not all of it can be beautiful, but the parts I have seen are. I have wanted to go there more than anywhere else for the past 9 years.
Merla
WANNA GO TO AUSTRALIA!!!
Thank you. Just had to get that out.