Throw another shrimp on the barbee, as they say in Australia. Or do they?

Freya PetersenDecember 24, 2011 18:10

Aussie traveler contracts HIV from getting tattoo in Bali

An Australia man has contracted HIV after getting a tattoo while on vacation in Bali.

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Guards talk to tourists in the Kuta beach district of Bali. Tens of thousands of Australians visit the Indonesian resort island each year. (Sonny Tumbelaka /AFP/Getty Images)

An Australia man has contracted HIV after getting a tattoo while on vacation in Bali.

Freya PetersenDecember 24, 2011 08:30

Australians brace for Hurricane (Cyclone) Grant, likely to hit Christmas Day

Many residents of Darwin, in Australia's Northern Territory, are canceling Christmas dinner, having been advised that a hurricane — called a cyclone Down Under — will make landfall around 6 p.m. on Dec. 25.

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A towel dries on an Australian "Hills Hoist." The clothes line, invented in Australia in 1946, is a cultural icon and rumored to be the only thing left working at a Darwin home after Cyclone Tracy struck. (Ian Waldie/AFP/Getty Images)

Freya PetersenDecember 22, 2011 22:58

Series of earthquakes hits Christchurch, New Zealand

New Zealand city was devastated by an earthquake earlier this year.

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Cyclists leap over a damaged section of path on Feb. 24, 2011 after a 6.3 earthquake devastated the city of Christchurch, New Zealand on Feb. 22. (Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images)

A series of earthquakes has hit Christchurch, New Zealand, the city devastated by an earthquake earlier this year.

Freya PetersenDecember 21, 2011 02:57

Aussie who tried to steal USAID money blames too long in Afghanistan

An Australian convicted of trying to steal US government aid money in Afghanistan told an American court that he "lost the ability to think straight" after too long in a war zone.

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An Australian has been jailed in the US for trying to steal American government aid money in Afghanistan. (John Moore/AFP/Getty Images)

An Australian convicted of trying to steal US government aid money in Afghanistan told an American court that he "lost the ability to think straight" after too long in a war zone.

Neil Campbell, 62, a construction manager from Queensland, was reportedly sentenced Tuesday to 22 months in prison for seeking $190,000 in payments as a reward for steering US-funded contracts in Afghanistan.

Freya PetersenDecember 18, 2011 06:11

Australian government blamed in sinking of asylum seeker boat off Indonesia

The Australian government's tough stance on asylum seekers has been linked to the sinking of boat carrying more than 200 people — mainly from Iran and Afghanistan — traveling from Indonesia.

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Relatives of some of the 30 killed when a boat full of asylum seekers crashed on the rocks at Christmas Island on Dec. 15, 2010, trying to reach Australian soil, grieve during Muslim and Christian services held Feb. 15, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. (Don Arnold/AFP/Getty Images)

The Australian government's tough stance on asylum seekers has been linked to the sinking of boat carrying more than 200 people — mainly from Iran and Afghanistan — traveling from Indonesia.

Freya PetersenDecember 17, 2011 18:33Updated December 18, 2011 05:26

Another inquest to probe Azaria Chamberlain disappearance in Australia

Since uttering the words "a dingo took my baby," Lindy Chamberlain has struggled to convince Australians of her innocence in the disappearance of her 9-week-old baby, Azaria, who she claims was dragged by a dingo from their tent during a family camping holiday at Ayers Rock in 1980.

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A Dingo stands in an enclosure at the Dingo Discovery and Research Center at the Toolern Vale in rural Victoria, near Melbourne, where she is breeding dingoes for export to zoos around the world, on May 25, 2009. (William West/AFP/Getty Images)

Freya PetersenDecember 14, 2011 16:21

High cost of living in the land Down Under sends Aussies offshore for life's necessities

A new report has confirmed what Australian consumers have suspected for some time now: it's more expensive to live Down Under than just about anywhere on the planet, Europe and America included.

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Shoppers walk past a retail store window display in central Sydney on November 29, 2011. (Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images)

this story is part of globalpost's continuing coverage of world business. for more visit our new business page.

A new report has confirmed what Australian consumers have suspected for some time now: it's more expensive to live Down Under than just about anywhere on the planet, Europe and America included.

Freya PetersenDecember 13, 2011 05:56

Gay siblings of two prominent Australians who oppose gay marriage speak out

The gay siblings of two prominent Australians who oppose gay marriage have spoken publicly of their pride in recent changes to the ruling Labor Party's stance on the issue, and pain at their respective brothers' lack of support.

Gay marriage australia sydney mardi gras

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Participants march during the 34th annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade in Sydney on March 5, 2011. (Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images)

Freya PetersenDecember 12, 2011 06:34

Australian "tradie" dies after work van explodes

It will send a chill down the spines of Aussie "tradies" everywhere: A Melbourne refrigeration mechanic has died after his work van exploded in a suburban street.

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(Fairfax/Screengrab)

It ought to send a chill down the spines of Aussie "tradies" everywhere: A Melbourne refrigeration mechanic has died after his work van exploded in a suburban street.

Freya PetersenDecember 10, 2011 18:50

Apple named Instagram its "iPhone App of the Year" Down Under... and why that matters

Instagram, an app that lets friends share their photos in a continuous feed after applying various special-effects filters has earned Apple's "iPhone App of the Year" award Down Under.

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Erick Schonfeld, David Karp of Tumblr, and Kevin Systrom of Instagram during TechCrunch Disrupt New York May 2011 at Pier 94 on May 24, 2011 in New York City. (Joe Corrigan/AFP/Getty Images)

this story is part of globalpost's continuing coverage of world business. for more visit our new business page.

Apple Australia named Instagram its "iPhone App of the Year" ... and why that matters.

ABOUT THIS BLOG

You think you know a little about the typical Aussie, right? Kangaroo-riding, croc-wrestling, beach-dwelling people with a genetic predisposition to having no worries, mate. Okay, so Australia has an abundance of furry — and sometimes fearsome — wildlife, year-round sunshine, and laid-back people. In fact, it's the happiest place on earth, according to a recent OECD report. But it is also a country that routinely locks up asylum seekers, sells its military services to the U.S. and everything else to the Chinese, and worst of all worships that ridiculously long and complex game, cricket. Through Down Under, we invite you to explore both the delights and the darker side of Australia.

Correspondents

Freya Petersen

Australian-American, and proud of it. read more