The nothing like Australia

Given the fact that over 90% of the Life in the Fast Lane readership reside in countries outside Australia, we try to share a little piece of Australiana every now and again…

Mumbrella revealed the new Nothing Like Australia musical ‘spectacular’…the Australian tourism advertisement directed by Michael Gracey, and featuring some iconic Australian imagery.

As ever the whole ‘tourism marketing’ is open slather for satire and spoofs, so we have included some ‘take-off’ versions alongside the original. For instance there is this rival site – well worth a look – There’s Nothing Like Australia

Not sure how it will stack up against previous iconic campaigns such as…

“Slip an extra Shrimp on the Barbie” 1984

“Come to Australia – there are so many interesting ways to die” 1990

Before the emails start – NOT all the animals will actually kill you – the taipan is in fact a death adder; the tiger snake is, well not a tiger snake; hermit crabs are generally innocuous (as are koala bears); necrotising arachnoidism is more the hallmark of the brown recluse spider than the white tail spider; – but ‘fair crack of the whip’ we have some deadly natives here and accidental death is certainly a possibility..

“Australia is a country that exists on a vast scale. It is the only island that is also a continent and the only continent that is also a country. Despite being the most desiccated, infertile, and climatically aggressive of all inhabited continents, it teems with life. In fact, Australia has more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else: sharks, crocodiles, the ten most deadly poisonous snakes on the planet, fluffy yet toxic caterpillars, seashells that actually attack you, and the unbelievable box jellyfish (don’t ask). The dangerous riptides of the sea and the sun-baked wastes of the outback both lie in wait for the unwary. It’s one tough country.” Bill Bryson ‘In a Sunburned Country’