I spent the day on the South Perth foreshore playing cricket, footy and in direct contradiction to the purpose of the day, throwing an american football (omg!) 
The fireworks in Perth were really good and the synchronisation with the music playing was done really well this year Luckily we didn’t have problems like last year. But all that damn walking to and from the train station wasn’t so nice on my poor feet. Hope everyone had a good day because I sure did.
For the past 3 years I’d held dinner parties on Australia Day - yesterday was the first Australia Day I spent as a guest! Had a barbecue at a friends’ place, spent way too much time playing Uno Attack!, thought about going to the free Australia Day concert but decided against it, and went to bed early.
I was vaguely interested in fireworks, but the NYE fireworks here in Canberra were extremely lame, and started late to boot! I didn’t want another repeat of that situation.
Maybe next year I’ll do something Australian like play cricket or watch the Aussie Open or something.
I was at a barbie at a friend’s place. A whole bunch of us getting very nicely sozzled and listening to the Triple J Hottest 100. The countdown started at 10 am, but we didn’t crack open the first beers until 1 pm, which was a little un-Australian of us, but we made up for it later in the day. Great weather, great music, and there’s nothing like a rousing drunken group rendition of “Take Me Out” to get the party going.
Went to the beach. Bewdyful! 
Then went home and had to start studying for an assessment I have on Friday. 
Ah well. Any day off is a good day in my opinion.
You mention Autumn/fall and I may have to coe over there and do you damage! Summer only arrived 2 weeks ago!
“NZ day” or as it is actually called Waitangi day is …ummm soon. It’s a bloody holiday who cares what weekend it is in.
ANZAC day is the one that makes you realise who we are.
Good on ya Aussies.
Twas much fun, I thought!
C3 thanks for putting that Amurrikin perspective on what Australia Day is. It’s a big fun summer holiday kinda last hurrah thing before Fall starts to set in, though that’s still about 6 weeks away and just before the kiddies go back to school. That does sound kinda like Labor Day here.
The Fourth of July (Independence Day) is our mid-summer blow out. It is a patriotic day but most of us drink beer, char meat beyond recognition on the grill (see drink beer), attempt to blow ourselves up, head for the beach or lounge around the pool (My Fourth pool parties are infamous!) and drink beer. There are big fireworks displays all over but I rarely go because by that time I’m tired and besides there’s beer in need of drinking which we all know is of vital importance. 
As SallyCan’tDance and a couple of others have said, a day off is good no matter what the reason. Hope everybody had a good time!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Ta, mate.
I happen to be on vacation in Australia; and spend A-Day rafting down the Tully River near Cairns. Happy Australia Day, mates.
My Australian co-worker decided we all had to go out drinking yesterday to celebrate. There was much drinking, and somehow the night ended with me pushing him down the sidewalk in a grocery cart trying to start an Australia day parade. It was a little tricky getting to work on time today.
:: blood rushes to DMarks brain as he stands on his head and waves Happy belated Australia Day to everyone down under ::
Heh. Sorry about that! I’m a winter person, myself, and if summer only lasted 2 weeks of the year, I’d be in heaven. We moved here in June, so in 2004 we had Winter…Spring…Winter…Spring…Summer. It was fantastic.
Merry Oz, y’all!
I need to get back over to G’Dope, see what’s cookin’.
I’m glad to know each and every one of you.