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The Bar For non Automotive Related Chat |
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#31 | |||
Donating Member
![]() Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,508
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Quote:
I was at the Greyhound station in the daylight and it was bad enough...I walked the 800m into the city with no troubles but the taxi drivers looked like they wanted to kill me as they missed the fare. I was staying at a Holiday Inn and the girl was amazed that I walked in the door from the Greyhound. It was definitely a poor place, lots of beggars and empty buildings but didn't really feel unsafe in the CBD area anyway. Got a hotel recommended taxi driver to go the Ford Museum and the airport, which was the only time I was out of the CBD. Paris and Rome are up there for pickpockets, beggars and scams too. |
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#32 | ||
GT4.
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,218
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#33 | ||
Where to next??
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 8,893
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Lol...
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___________________________ I've been around the world a couple of times or maybe more....... |
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#34 | ||
Thailand Specials
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Centrefold Lounge
Posts: 49,030
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One of my ex-workmates fought in the civil war in his home country of El Salvador in the 1970s/80s.
The military came through and raped all the women/young girls than hung them all from the trees around the town afterwards in one of the towns. South America is one messed up place, I'd put it on par with Africa. |
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#35 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,112
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I've traveled through some cities that many might consider pretty sketchy - Mexico City, San Jose, (Costa Rica) Medellin & Bogota (Colombia) Lima (Peru) LaPaz (Bolivia) to name a few. Now I quite enjoy checking out the local nightlife when I travel, so I found myself walking through most of these cities alone in the middle of the night at least once.
I never had any trouble though, and as others have said I think its all down to the way you carry yourself. I would always pull my hood on, walk fast and purposely, never looked lost, and any one I passed on the street I would look briefly in the eyes - not in a threatening way - just to let them know (or to pretend!) I wasn't scared of them. No matter what the realities of the situation (ie I'm not a big guy and cant fight to save my life) they will always pick what they perceive to be the weakest target. Worked for me - 8 months in Latin America and the only trouble I had was doing a bad currency exchange deal and being left with fake money in Peru. |
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#36 | ||
If it ain't broke........
![]() Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Sunshine Coast Qld
Posts: 18,543
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Great thread, is Fiji safe ? Going next week, done bugger all o/s travel...........
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#37 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,874
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Fiji's awesome. Friendliest people on earth, where are you staying?
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#38 | ||
If it ain't broke........
![]() Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Sunshine Coast Qld
Posts: 18,543
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Shangra la, Where ever that is !! Got told by wifey that I needed a holiday !! Could you PM me some things to do / see.............
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#39 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: NSW
Posts: 4,324
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Quote:
I plan on driving right across the US. I would be getting a Californian car since that's where we will be starting. Im guessing hicks in the south don't like californi ? Often hear that LA is bad, but we walked around at night and drove many places during the day with no problems. Then again we kept well away from all the known rough areas in town. Worse place we went to was the CBD at night and that's not very bad from my experience. |
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#40 | ||
Miami Pilot
![]() Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: ACT
Posts: 21,701
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Have lived and worked overseas in HK, NY,and Irvine (Orange county). Most dangerous place for me? A villa/hotel complex in Bali where I was the victim of a coward punch (formerly called king hit), by a roided up idiot at my sister's wedding in 2005/6. Pretty sure the headaches I get every now and again are the result of that hit. I as lucky that I landed on a bed (apparently) and then slid to the floor, so I didn't end up with a cracked skull from the knockout fall.
I am certainly no adventurer, so prefer to enjoy my time at home rather than spending money to travel overseas only to be in potential danger. Call m a scardy cat if you like, but I would prefer to spend my money on cars than travel (did enough of that with work anyway).
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The Hammer: FG GTE | 376rwkw | 1/4 mile 11.793 @ 119.75mph 1.733 60' (4408lb) 1 of 60 FG MK1 335 GTEs (1 of 118 FG Mk 1 & 2 335 GTEs). Mods: Tune, HSD/ShockWorks, black GT335 19” staggered replicas with 245 & 275/35/19 Michelin Pilot sport 5s Daily: BF2 Fairmont Ghia I6 ZF, machine face GT335 19” staggered Replicas with 245s and 275s, Bilsteins & Kings FPV 335 build stats: <click here> Ford Performance Club ACT |
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#41 | ||
Lucifer's Angel
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sydney
Posts: 5,282
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I'm currently overseas for a month. Left AU for Finland at the end of March. Finnish Lapland for a week, then Helsinki for a week, followed by 3 nights in Krakow, Poland on my own. I loved Finland, and never felt unsafe, even with a DSLR out at midnight in Senate Square. There were a bunch of students sitting on the steps singing songs.
Krakow, I was a little more suspicious walking around the markets alone. Now I've joined a Trafalgar tour, and joined up with a bunch of Aussies, so we're looking out for each other. Going through Munich, Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, Vienna and Salzburg. Then I'm off on my own to Copenhagen, before coming home. I bought a Pacsafe handbag before I left with mesh panels, wire reinforced straps and safety clips on the zipper. So I'm happy enough that things in my bag are as safe as I can manage. I just have to keep hold of the camera, though my arctic parka covers that pretty well.
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![]() ![]() Blueprint, manual, 4490's, Redback 2.5" dual exhaust, BA Typhoon rims, tint, fog light covers, BF tailights, blue illuminated window switches, Ghia bootlid carpet, lower grille, FPV door spears, steering wheel & interior bits, XR6T + F6 intake, K&N filter, Typhoon spoiler, tuned, sway bars, custom angel eyes & plates..YUM!
If there's one thing guys in Holdens hate more than being beaten by a Ford... It's being beaten by a girl driving a Ford ![]() |
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#42 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Queenstown
Posts: 626
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Quote:
![]() Oops! Just saw, you're going to Shangri La by the looks, probably a typical resort, hope they have good Mai Tais, did you get b'fast thrown in, most do? You could rent a car and drive 'round the island for a day trip. If you rent a jet ski be careful, may have to sign a liability thing for damage, we tipped one over, cost us $230, they worry about engine damage. Watch out for falling coconuts ![]()
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2011 FG GTP 335 S/C. Auto, tiptronic. iPV ceramic headers, stainless hi flow cats and big bore, BMC filter, X3 tune, DBA T3 rotors, Roadhouse Performance pads. From Herrod; 100lb injectors, hi flow pump, Aeroflow fuel regulator, air to water intercooler, hi boost pulley kit, JLT breather. Hub dynoed at 598fwkw, 498rwkw, 959Nm torque, boost 10.62psi at 3750rpm (warm day). All done by iPV! Other rides; '21 Jaguar F-Pace, '21 Ford Ranger FX4-MAX. Last edited by FPVS3; 15-04-2014 at 07:59 AM. |
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#43 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Queenstown
Posts: 626
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Don't say that!! My daughter is passing thru there soon....on her way to Havana!!.....Oh Gawd!!!
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2011 FG GTP 335 S/C. Auto, tiptronic. iPV ceramic headers, stainless hi flow cats and big bore, BMC filter, X3 tune, DBA T3 rotors, Roadhouse Performance pads. From Herrod; 100lb injectors, hi flow pump, Aeroflow fuel regulator, air to water intercooler, hi boost pulley kit, JLT breather. Hub dynoed at 598fwkw, 498rwkw, 959Nm torque, boost 10.62psi at 3750rpm (warm day). All done by iPV! Other rides; '21 Jaguar F-Pace, '21 Ford Ranger FX4-MAX. |
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#44 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Queenstown
Posts: 626
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Quote:
San Francisco is great but don't go too far down Market St, can get quite dodgy suddenly.
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2011 FG GTP 335 S/C. Auto, tiptronic. iPV ceramic headers, stainless hi flow cats and big bore, BMC filter, X3 tune, DBA T3 rotors, Roadhouse Performance pads. From Herrod; 100lb injectors, hi flow pump, Aeroflow fuel regulator, air to water intercooler, hi boost pulley kit, JLT breather. Hub dynoed at 598fwkw, 498rwkw, 959Nm torque, boost 10.62psi at 3750rpm (warm day). All done by iPV! Other rides; '21 Jaguar F-Pace, '21 Ford Ranger FX4-MAX. |
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#45 | ||
BLUE OVAL INC.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 8,645
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Im gonna say bloody Brisbane, hands down.
The way the mob they breed tough, norf of the border, are always crying about traffic laws. It must be a bloody scary place to live. ![]() |
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#46 | |||
Where to next??
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 8,893
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Quote:
In Copenhagen try and get your hands on a 'city bike'... was near impossible to find a decent one when I was there, probably none now! Is Christiania still around or has that place been cleaned up / out I wonder?? If it's still there you're best to leave your camera and wallet in the hotel and befriend a local that will spend half a day taking you around there. Shout them lunch or something ;) Safe travels ;)
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___________________________ I've been around the world a couple of times or maybe more....... |
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#47 | ||
Banned
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 2,087
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Ive stayed there.. pretty safe but dont open your doors at night.. hotel as I remember it had rooms accessible without going through reception. I was also told do not leave the resort without a tour organised by the hotel. The locals know who is staying there have cash on them. Dont even think about venturing upto the local shops.
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#48 | |||
Where to next??
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 8,893
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Quote:
If it is, I can assure you there is nothing wrong with hopping on the local (Yellow) bus with the local workers, paying the $1 Fijian and heading into Nadi for a day or 2. Forget the Bulla Bus, that's a whole $7... Curious, was it the hotel tour desk that told you that you need a tour??? Oh man... venturing into the local shops is the BEST. You pay low prices for great food and clothes, meet some locals (don't worry, they are no longer canibals), visit the local markets etc.
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___________________________ I've been around the world a couple of times or maybe more....... |
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#49 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,874
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Quote:
you can go for a walk at 2am and you'll see security staff and other staff working and walking around and they all say 'Bulla' Sigatoka, the nearest main town nearby is very safe too local shops? there's a restaurant nearby which is apparently not bad but I never even saw it as it's up a side road back over the bridge near the railway track. Coleen Hewett (remember her?) lives maybe 20 mins away from the Shangrila |
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#50 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,874
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Quote:
I agree with all your comments re it being cheap and safe to shop over there |
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#51 | ||
Banned
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 2,087
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I have a few dodgy thailand stories...
guy offered me cheap nike shoes... yeah no worries I said.. just down the alley off the main strip, just in here he says, go into back door of a dodgy looking kitchen, then he removes a fake wall, just in here, so I stepped through it, he replaces it, just down the coridoor, so we walk through the dark and down some stairs.. by then its very quiet, dark and way off the main strip or where anyone can hear you. Opens a door and there is an immaculate showroom with shoes perfectly presented. Like a footlocker store. There were a few of his crew in there. I basically had to either buy shoes or be robbed. They were ready to jump me.I bought 3 pairs of the nikes.. (good price but fakes) then went to a bar at night. Sitting with a mate, two of the local girls came over just chatting and laughing. Sat on my mates lap. Just chatting and enjoying our drinks. Then after about 30 mins a guy comes over and says we must pay for the girls for half an hour?? Pretty expensive too..Huh?? Just chatting in a club? No discussion of any payment or service being offered?. My mate became a little argumentative, I looked about and there were his crew watching us ready to pounce if things got heavy. I paid up.. in another bar and saw another big guy with american accent arguing with a local about something. He was trying to intimidate the local with his size standing over him. Not sure who was right or wrong or what the disagreement was about. Some guy came out of the dark with a set of knuckle dusters and absolutely king hit him, out cold.. a group of locals quickly picked him up and out the back door. Dont know what happened to him. same night in another bar... my mate gets approached by bouncer and says get out. My mate says what for? The bounser asked for a sum of money to remain and if he refused to pay he was out and would not get in anywhere. I borrowed a scooter, took it for a few days and returned each day to pay the guy to extend the use for another day. After a few days the owner says he has heard a few things and that people are watching me. He said that I should wear long sleeves and lay low (im quite muscular). Many of the locals train muay thai and they thought they would see what im made of. He said stay in busy areas as they are waiting for a chance. one thing you dont do... dont ****** with the thai's in thailand, just dont do it. they will destroy you and wont bat an eyelid at the carnage. Its weapons central over there too. |
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#52 | |||
Banned
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 2,087
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Quote:
I also stayed in one of the islands... all the staff went home of a night by boat. Pretty scary knowing your in the middle of nowhere, maybe 5-6 tourists in the resort, mainland fiji is 3 hours boatride away, no police, hospital or anything just the natives who live on the island. then you hear a rustle in the dark in the trees behind your hut... ohhhh!! Last edited by HULK_I6T; 15-04-2014 at 10:59 PM. |
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#53 | ||
on the way to the RSL
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Almurta
Posts: 1,487
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I got robbed in San Sebastian in Spain, had a few too many brews and I lived in a Transit van on the beach carpark and I left the doors wide open and fell asleep. Woke up to a scuffle and noticed two blokes beating the living daylights out of a guy wearing a Cold Chisel shirt, turned out it was my shirt. Apparently Chisel isn't that big in Spain.
The two blokes were under cover cops who laid down some early justice, gave me my gear back and took us to a cop shop for a report, which was interesting cos I cant speak Spanish and they cant hear Australian. After they they took us back to the van, the police got in a pursuit, dropped us off in the middle of nowhere and disappeared for an hour. Got back to the van eventually, had a sleep then just chalked it down as a interesting time. I still love San Seb but its not the greatest place for personal safety. I had a few interesting times in Budapest, usually involving girls or security ushering you to certain taxis who will take you out the the boonies and empty your bank account.
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ED GLi - DOHC - GT42R - 2 Speed - 275 Radials- Moser 9" 8.9x@160mph+ |
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#54 | ||
335 - STILL THE BOSS ...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Melb East
Posts: 11,421
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Me and the Mrs grabbed a car and a trailer and drove around South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Swazi land the year before last.
South Africa. Rule is windows up, door locks down and be alert at intersections. While it is a bit overwhelming and frightening, as said above, look confident and be alert. Stay in the main areas and just be aware. Some towns we stopped because we had to ...... some we drove through very quickly. But funnily we never felt unsafe. Botswana. Incredible once we crossed the border. Friendly and totally different. Had no feeling of having to be careful ... even though we were but could stop at towns where we were the only white people, kids were friendly and people smiled. Loved it immesnsly and would LOVE to go back. Best experience ever. Zimbabwe. NOW talking about a dangerous place. We were warned and we **** ourselves. The minute we tried to cross the border from guards with their hands out from bribes, with people running up to you demanding you to buy their wares, guards with machine guns at the ATM. I said hello and smiled at him ...... I thought he was going to shoot me. Then a policeman started following us and after about 5 minutes behind my wife asked him why are you following? He said we should not be walking around by ourselves and he will walk with us while we go to the market as thats where we were heading. I think that made us more nervous but we weren't bothered after that. He walked us back to the motel gates (the locals are not allowed past a yellow line) and then we were OK to go by ourselves. This was at Victoria Falls .... the tourist area! When we got back to Botswana talking to a few people, there was some bad stories. Coming back from Botswana to South Africa, it was like we had to take a deep breath and the tension we noticed way more after a few weeks away. Had no real drama. Just tension. Anyway ....... dont let that stop anyone. Amazing amazing places ...... but don't think I could go back to Zimbabwe.
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'73 Landau - 10.82 @ 131mph '11 FG GT335 - 12.43 @ 116mph '95 XG ute - 3 minutes, 21.14 @ 64mph 101,436 MEMBERS ......... 101,436 OPINIONS ..... What could possibly go wrong! Clevo Mafia [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] |
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#55 | ||
I totalled my XR6
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,193
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A friend of mine comes from Argentina, he left in the late 1970's. He had been a forced conscript in the military. Some of the stories he told me turned my bones to ice. Scary, scary things happened there back then but not many people here either know about it or will simply not talk about it.
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#56 | ||
If it ain't broke........
![]() Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Sunshine Coast Qld
Posts: 18,543
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Well, there is quite a bit that has been crossed off my bucket list !!
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#57 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Kalgoorlie
Posts: 712
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the Pier Hotel in Port Hedland, im sure its the most dangerous place on earth!!!
got South African friends that have said if we want to go to Sth Africa they will come with us, go to the wrong part of town and you wont be seen again, they are white and said even if they make a wrong turn and go to a black area they will have there heads cut off, not many guns so they will do drive by stabbings and decapitations for no reason, wont pinch any of your stuff or rob your money, just cut your head off and move on to the next weak target, Fiji is heaps better than Bali, people are so much friendlier, they don't hassle you to buy stuff and even though they are poor the place doesn't feel as 3rd world and povo as bali, plenty of Indians in Fiji though and they are the shady people to watch out, they'll try rip you off and charge a fortune, Denarau is a pretty awesome place to stay, feel safe the whole time, security at the resorts at night, free to roam and swim at any of the resorts, its pretty pricey to shop on the island as most shops/restaurants are owned bu indian slimeballs, as said the bus into town is good for fresh fruit and the butcher is owned by an Aussie so you feel safe buying meat |
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#58 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 156
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Nah, Pier hotel got that rep back in the 60s and 70s when heaps of migrants were up there in the original mining boom . Alot of them didnt get on with each other and then add lots of alcohol gambling and no women . I lived in hedland for nearly 20 years 92 >2012 . Fights mostly every closing time at most pubs in port and south when theres something on but no worse than alot of places and prob better than alot.
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#59 | ||
If it ain't broke........
![]() Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Sunshine Coast Qld
Posts: 18,543
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Well we made it here today. Fiji Airport is a bit of an eye opener especially when about 4 planes land and 2 are going to take off and you have about 2 workers at Customs !!!! And the road network and road rules...........wow, just wow !!
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#60 | |||
Banned
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 2,087
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Quote:
Was told to stay out of that pub if I liked the look of my teeth. I bunkered down in my hotel for my stay at night. Everyone drinks up every day after work, people use alcohol as currency. The aboriginal communities are on the move if they ban alcohol. I walked into a shopping centre in Karratha and two aboriginal guys were fighting in the car park, Rolling around on the floor going hell for leather, I stopped to have a bit of a look, they both stopped fighting and started abusing me, both wanted a piece of me. I kept walking then they started swinging at one another again... Lol I worked at a warehouse at port hedland and was driving back to my hotel at around 11pm Port hedland time... I saw in the pitch black only about 300 metres from where I was working in a large yard, what looked like neon lights on a gate, I drove past slowly to see what it was about, some girl comes out skimply dressed and was pointing to a driveway for me to drive into. She was blocking the road, I drove around her and sped off. Not the most dangerous places in the world but about as bad as Australia has |
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