The Aussie Edition

BJ (Medium friend) is fast becoming famous on Medium for her ‘This or That’ challenges but in the Australian edition she highlights that this challenge was instigated by John Hansen (another Medium writer) and being a born and bred Australian I had to give it a go. So Australian that I've never left its shores.

Read the original challenge by John Hansen here :

1. Kangaroo or Koala?

Koalas are the more adorable of these two but as I was raised on and with the kangaroos, I’ll stay loyal and choose the kangaroo.

As a child I would regularly head out ‘roo’ shooting with my father. We had an old bomb of a car called ‘Priscilla the Pig’. She was a rust bucket, unregistered, without any doors and a large hole cut in the roof and sported two large spotlights. We took this old girl bush bashing and Dad would stand up inside the vehicle with the top half of his body sticking up out of the hole in the roof. We’d chase the kangaroos around the paddock with Dad shooting from his standing position.

Once he had hit a roo and the car had stopped close by, Dad would check that the kangaroo was no longer alive and then I’d scurry over to check their was no joey in the pouch. If there was then I’d get to take the joey home and hand raise it.

Meanwhile, there was always a pot of roo tail soup bubbling away on the stove.

2. Beach or Bush/Outback?

This is certainly a tough question because both are stunning landscapes on the Australian continent.

I do tend to head to any body of water whenever I’m stressed so I’ll favour the beach. The pristine white sand, azure blue water and the soft sea breeze, and I’m no longer stressed or anxious.

3. Opera House or Sydney Harbour Bridge?

Definitely the Opera House. This special icon holds so much Aussie and overseas culture that it’s an easy pick.

Yes the bridge makes for a glorious backdrop to a beautiful landscape and I believe it’s great fun to climb — not that I’ll ever attempt to as I don’t like heights — but attending any show at the Opera House is just sheer magic.

4. Uluru or Daintree Rain Forest?

Both stunning and glorious places in their own right but I can’t go past a glorious patch of rainforest so I’ll choose The Daintree.

After spending 12 years living in Mission Beach, I’m at home in a beautiful rainforest setting and the Daintree was practically part of my back yard. Many glorious memories where made hiking the stunning trails.

5. Vegemite or Cream Cheese?

Love both these spreads but as Vegemite once saved my life, I’ll have to choose this dark salty paste.

Fifteen years of age and homeless with enough money to feed my cat and I once a day at most. When the hunger pangs became too painful I’d mix up a Vegemite soup. A teaspoon of Vegemite mixed with hot water and I’d stave off the stomach pains for a little longer.

6. Hot Chips or French Fries?

Hot chips wrapped in newspaper and eaten while digging your feet into the white sands of an iconic Australian beach.

Pure heaven and such a delight!

7. Bundaberg Rum or Victoria Bitter Beer?

Sorry I’ll bow out of this choice because I’m letting the team down. I truly detest both Bundy Rum and VB.

8. Scones or Pikelets?

I guess every Australian has that little bit of English ancestry running through their veins. I know I sure do because I’m a sucker for scones with jam and cream.

And to stave off the age old debate — jam always gets spread on the scone first and then the cream is piled on top.

My tongue just curls at the very thought.

9. Down Under or Over the Top?

We live down under but everything we do can be a little over the top hahaha.

I’m proud of my down under resident status so will choose the down under option.

10. Macca’s or Hungry Jacks?

Never been a Macca’s fan but have always enjoyed a Hungry Jacks Whopper with cheese, add bacon.

I’ve always felt you need to eat two Macca’s burgers to one Hungry Jacks burger.

In fact one of the best jobs I’ve ever held was as an employee of Hungry Jacks, way back in my youth.

11. Cate Blanchett or Nicole Kidman?

Both are gorgeous human beings but I have a soft spot in my heart for Nicole Kidman. I’m extremely proud to call Nicole one of ours.

12. Hugh Jackman or Chris Hemsworth?

Oh, another tough choice but in the fairness of This or That, I’ll choose Chris Hemsworth. You can’t beat a good Thor.

13. Meat Pie or Sausage Roll?

As children we used to run around singing the ditty, “Peters pies are full of flies with maggots in the corner.”

The things we believe as children but since then I’ve only ever eaten sausage rolls hahaha.

14. Rugby League or Australian Rules Football?

I have been living in Queensland for 23 years, which is homegrown Rugby League country, but try as I might I cannot understand the game. To me it’s more suited to Rome and the style of the gladiators as opposed to Australian sport.

I’ll happily enjoy a game of Aussie Rules instead — go the West Coast Eagles.

15. Beetroot on a Burger … Yes or No?

An Aussie Burger without beetroot is no Aussie burger.

Enough said!

16. Gum Tree or Wattle?

The beauty of a gum tree is preciously Australian. I do love our wattles but the gum tree is truly iconic.

17. Lamington or Pavlova

No dessert beats a good pavlova. True blue Australian deliciousness.

18. Pickled Onions or Gherkins?

I’m not exactly saying both here but if it’s homemade then pickled onions are hands down the winner.

However, if it’s shop bought, then my money is on the gherkins.

19. Iggy Azalea or Delta Goodrem?

My oldest son had a serious crush on Delta Goodrem in his teens and as a result I still know every word to her older songs.

20. Funnel Web Spider or Blue-Ringed Octopus?

The blue-ringed octopus is my choice here.

I spent some time living in Broome, in the far north of Western Australia, and one of my favourite past times was fishing those glorious waters. First though, I’d go out and collect my own bait and often this bait was octopus.

One day it was only because I had someone more experienced with me but I bent to pick up a tiny octopus, only for my friend to yell out no just before I scooped it up.

See, I’d never seen a blue-ringed octopus until that day and as it was not feeling threatened, it was not displaying its blue rings.

I was very lucky I wasn’t alone.

That’s the end of my answers to this challenge and I hope it gave any non-Australians some incite into our exciting country.

I do hope that any fellow Australian writers on Medium will jump at the chance to answer a few questions about our glorious landscape and daily existence.

Thank you John for a great This or That challenge.

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Originally published on Medium