Snorkel???

Inc · **Posted:** Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:23 am

So I have never been to Australia, but all the TV shows I see about the land down under show it as a massive desert. Lots of sand, hardly any water, a bunch of venomous creatures, and if i swim in the ocean, a great white will eat my leg.

So my question is, why does everyone and their mother seem to have snorkels down there? TV hardly ever shows any water so I am just wondering why most everyone uses one. Seems like when I imagine a jeep in Australia, that jeep always has a snorkel. Don't get me wrong, they are awesome and I kind of wish we had more US options for snorkels.

Feel free to post pics of your jeep using a snorkel.

Fouros · **Posted:** Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:38 am

Mike

a snorkle is not just for water crossings, it keeps dust out of your air box in a convoy situation, at the air intake is higher up out of the dust of the 4x4 your following

Inc · **Posted:** Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:14 pm

Well, that makes sense. Dust and Australia I can see go hand in hand. Thanks Fouros.

pipeliner · **Posted:** Sat Oct 18, 2008 8:07 pm

incubusmike wrote:

So I have never been to Australia, but all the TV shows I see about the land down under show it as a massive desert. Lots of sand, hardly any water, a bunch of venomous creatures, and if i swim in the ocean, a great white will eat my leg. .

And if the great whites don't get you the jellyfish will!

And you forgot to mention the salt water crocodiles. It always amazes me that any of us are still alive.

Inc · **Posted:** Sat Oct 18, 2008 10:07 pm

pipeliner wrote:

And if the great whites don't get you the jellyfish will!

And you forgot to mention the salt water crocodiles. It always amazes me that any of us are still alive.

Yeah, those box jelly fish are freaky. You can't even see them in the water. And then the salt water crocs, well I doubt I'll ever come near or touch any water if I ever come to visit just to play it safe. :shock:

I am quite attached to all my arms, legs, fingers and toes.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Sun Oct 19, 2008 8:31 am

You forgot that in the desert - they have 4 of the deadliest snakes in the world

Actually I think the key to looking at Australia is a map that I can't find right now - they did an overlay and Australia covers - most of the USA - it's big
So saying it's desert is like saying 'it doesn't rain in Arizona - so why does Florida have rivers?'
Yes they have deserts - but they have mountains, forests, swamps, rivers and an incredible coastline and only about 20 million people? so less than 10% of the US in an area that's the same size.
one article said about 80% of the people live within 10 miles of the coast?

One of these days- I want to see it.

Inc · **Posted:** Sun Oct 19, 2008 12:10 pm

Yeah, my in-laws went last year and my wife and I were jealous and I know there is more to Aus than just desert. In all honesty, I think I would move there in a second. Australia seems to be really like the US to me. I know there are differences but overall I think I'd love it there from everything I've seen and heard. I've been to England, Scotland, China, Argentina, Mexico, Canada and for the most part I wouldn't want to live in any of them (maybe Patagonia) but Aus seems like a place I could really see myself.

CD · **Posted:** Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:33 pm

It's not bad just depends on where you want to live, when we came back from PNG I hated the place and asked my parents to send me back to boarding school in PNG. Love it now, can't see myself ever leaving.

pipeliner · **Posted:** Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:46 pm

My only knowledge of PNG is Port Moresby airport and the highlands around Kutubu, but I wouldn't live there in a pink fit!

palla · **Posted:** Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:11 pm

The only thing I heard about PNG is that the police shot down a helicopter full of bandits that just robbed a bank, it crashed & burned & everyone died including the pilot who was doing it at gun point. They dont muck about in PNG esp when the police carry automatic weapons......

And yeah Aus is a lot like the US, except our banking/finance sector is structured different... hope not too many KJers get burned.

CD · **Posted:** Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:18 pm

pipeliner wrote:

My only knowledge of PNG is Port Moresby airport and the highlands around Kutubu, but I wouldn't live there in a pink fit!

Pink fit or not, I'd not live there now either. I was born there, came back to Aust (NT, the Alice, Canberra, Syd, Canberra) then back to PNG in primary school & early high school. Great place to live, but now it's a different ball game and not safe.

pipeliner · **Posted:** Sun Oct 19, 2008 7:02 pm

Sorry to hijack this thread, but this is the bit of PNG that I have visited

The second photo is of a 500m long suspension bridge that was constructed to carry the pipeline across the 500m deep gorge. The really tricky bit is that road access only went to the left hand side - EVERYTHING needed on the right hand side was flown in by helicopter with a 1 tonne maximum lift capacity.

Everything needed to construct the pipeline in the first photo was also flown in - not even a KJ could get through that forest!

2006 KJ · **Posted:** Sun Oct 19, 2008 7:31 pm

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Sun Oct 19, 2008 7:45 pm

x10

Fouros · **Posted:** Sun Oct 19, 2008 8:20 pm

sorry for the hijack but

CD i found a place in Aus that imports Goroka coffee, he is an ex KIAP , actually knows my dad ( he was a kiap in Goroka and wewak up untill 74-75)

i lived there untill 74-75

i can pm you the details if you want

CD · **Posted:** Sun Oct 19, 2008 8:39 pm

Fouros wrote:

sorry for the hijack but

CD i found a place in Aus that imports Goroka coffee, he is an ex KIAP , actually knows my dad ( he was a kiap in Goroka and wewak up untill 74-75)

i lived there untill 74-75

i can pm you the details if you want

Yeah cool, send me the PM Fros.

Back on topic, snorkles

Team J.a.G · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:51 am

CD wrote:

Fouros wrote:

sorry for the hijack but

CD i found a place in Aus that imports Goroka coffee, he is an ex KIAP , actually knows my dad ( he was a kiap in Goroka and wewak up untill 74-75)

i lived there untill 74-75

i can pm you the details if you want

Yeah cool, send me the PM Fros.

Back on topic, snorkles

Now you see more of these snorkels down under :lol: