Down Under, My Home
Thanks for the idea Stephie about writing to those who don’t know about Australia, to post something about my country. So I dedicate this to you. Hope you learn more about where I am from:
My brilliant home, Down Under, in other words, Australia is the only place where I will feel happy, safe and at my true home. Here my mother and father escaped from the wars in Lebanon to arrive to safety in Australia after their marriage and we were then born. I lost a brother who was very young after a mistaken needle shot from a new unprofessional doctor… Australia is called Down Under because we are the country that is quite far from others and are at the bottom of Earth.
Australia has been inhabited for at least 50,000 years, since the remote ancestors of the current Australian Aborigines arrived from present-day Southeast Asia. The land was not discovered by Europeans until the 17th century, when it was sighted and visited by several expeditions. In 1901, Australia became a united federation, free to do what we willed by the rules.
Australia is divided into six states and several territories. The states are Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania: the territories, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. The Australian Capital Territory was created at the chosen site of the capital city Canberra. Canberra was founded as a compromise between the two largest cities, Melbourne and Sydney. By far the largest part of Australia is desert, 40% of the landmass is covered by sand dunes. Only the south-east and south-west corners have a cooler temperature and fertile soil. The northern part of the country has a tropical climate: part is tropical rainforests, part grasslands, and part desert. The Great Barrier Reef, by far the world’s largest coral reef, lies a short distance off the north-east coast.
Most of the Australian population descends from 19th and 20th century immigrants, most from the United Kingdom to begin with, but from other sources in later years. Many inhabitants are of Greek, Italian or Asian descent. Descendants of the original population, the Australian Aborigines, make up less than 1% of the population. Which is a shame because Aboriginals( Aborigines) were the first to live in Australia, and to make up only 1% of the population is quite sad… how they are losing their people so quickly!!
Its most famous attractions are the Opera House, Ulura ( an Australian Big Rock) and the Harbour Bridge. Kangaroos are our special Aussie Animals, along with the Koala, Emu etc.
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Hi Nadine, Nice post…U knw wat?? We actually had a lesson in Geography last year abt the country DOWN UNDER…..really sorry about ur brother…..glad fr ur mom and dad
Keep writing
Posted July 26, 2008, 1:45 pmHey Meghna
Posted July 26, 2008, 8:00 pmCool, what a coincidence that you learnt about Down Under and I wrote about it too. Hope you like it? It is okay about my brother, sometimes I feel like crying on his birthday, but I know he wouldn’t want me to be anything other than happy. I am too grateful that my parents survived and escped the war… or History would have been WAY different and I wouldn’t have been born!
Kisses, Nadine
Great Post and you have shown Australia off so well, It makes us sound like such a great place, which we are.
Sad to hear about your brother, how old was he when he died and what was his name?
So have you only got one sister Norma or are there others??
Lisa
Posted July 26, 2008, 11:59 pmHi Lisa
Posted July 27, 2008, 1:29 pmI’m glad you think so!! Thanks for your comment, I know, Australia is a brilliant place and so it deserves a great post and explanation about it!! It is AWFUL about my brother…. he was about 2 days old or so, not really sure… my parents named him Safie (Hard to pronounce, I understand), which means clear sky in Arabic.
Actually, I have my oldest brother, Najee, 13 years old, then comes me, 12, then Norma who is 10; last but not least my youngest little sister Diala who is 8 years of age.
And you? Do you have any brothers or sisters? And if so, what are their names and how old are they Lisa?
Hugs, Nadine
Hi Nadine! Thank you for dedicating this woderful post to me! I love the photos, they’re great! The Opera house seems to be fantastic! I’ve heard a lot about it!
Posted July 28, 2008, 12:05 amSorry about your brother
GREAT POST! THE INFO ABOUT AUSTRALIA IS GREAT! I’LL POST SOMETHING ABOUT ARGENTINA!
Congratulations and kisses,
Your friend Stephie
Hi!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted July 28, 2008, 4:51 pmI am so sorry about your brother, N.Z is also sometimes caled down under though we are a whole lot smaller than you guys. please keep commenting with all you guys help I have 100 comments! (Go me lol) it is really interesting learning more about Aussie!! (though I am glad we do not have snakes and big spiders!)
Gotta go
Megan!!!!!!
Hi Nadine,
Posted July 29, 2008, 5:12 amNow I have all the e-mails, tell me how I can make a blog like yours, and if the blog’s free?
Please tell me the instructions…
Kisses,
Stephie
Hi Stephie
Posted July 29, 2008, 6:14 pmYou gave me this idea to write about Australia.. so you deserve it! Thank god you like it and the pictures!! It is okay about my brother, thanks for being considerate.
Can’t wait to read the post about Argentina and see some amazing pictures!
Make sure to keep writing!!
Love, Nadine
Hey Megan!
Posted July 29, 2008, 6:18 pmIt’s okay about my brother… though sometimes it gets me really sad deep inside. Wow! I never knew NZ was called Down under too!! How awesome is that? Even though you are small, your country is full of splendid places. Of course I will keep commenting and visiting… congratulations about the 100 comments… you go girl!!
Glad you liked the post and learnt something new.
See you Megan and thanks for commenting!!
Hugs, Nadine
oh yeah sorry about my blog it was playing up haha anyways i really like these pictures of sydney they are GREAT!:)
Posted July 31, 2008, 11:24 amHi Nadine, you certainly have experienced events that few others have experienced. I hope that Australia will be kinder to you and your family (and I am sure that it will be) It is great that you wrote about both your origins and then contrasted it with your life in Australia.
Posted August 1, 2008, 12:13 amDo you live in Sydney? I love visiting there as the harbour is just so beautiful. The Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge are so awesome and I love to ride on the ferries around the harbour. We went to visit our two sons who work in London a while ago. While we were there we went to Newcastle in the north of England. To our surprise it had a smaller version of the very same coathanger bridge. I think the same architect designed it, and they built it as a smaller version to make sure that the Sydney one would work.
Does everyone in your class blog or just you? Great work anyway and keep on posting, commenting and especially, enjoying your life in Australia.
yerh i learnt abit…..
i am from Australia victoria near Melbourne
Posted August 1, 2008, 2:58 pmHey Nadine,
Its nice to read about Australia. It is one of the places in my list to visit before I die. And important reason for that is that it is nearest to Antarctica which I’d love to visit once to see the fluffy penguins
And I’m sorry to hear about you brother.
Is there some problem with your the feed of your blog, I got this update today. Maybe there is some bug somewhere.
Posted August 14, 2008, 2:45 amHi Nadine
I liked your post on down under, my home I think it was realy nice of you to tell people about australia. The pictures are rely nice.
:p(mrgreen) 
Posted August 19, 2008, 4:36 pmHello Anne Mirtschin
I’m glad you liked my work and post, that is wonderful news!! Indeed I do live in Sydney, how cool is it that you’ve visited the Harbour Bridge before!! It is a brilliant place to see isn’t it?
Posted August 21, 2008, 9:30 pmThanks for your lovely and encouraging comment. Really.
Yes, maybe the same architect designed the bridge in London, amazing news… how amazing, I never actually knew this! Thanks to your kind encouragements, I’ve lived these days with huge grins and knowing me and my family are all living a free and happy world, that we’ll always have each other.
Indeed yes my class does blog, thanks to my sensational teacher who brought us to the blogosphere, Mrs Pericles, and my class is the 08Allstars. Their blog is
www.allstars.edublogs.org
Sincerely, Nadine
Hiya Murph
Posted August 21, 2008, 9:32 pmThat’s great you learnt a few things!! So did I. Oh.. now I finally know where you are from, Victoria. Nice place it is! Thanks for telling me though.
Stay In touch and keep visiting
Nadine
Hey Latika
Posted August 21, 2008, 9:36 pmThanks for your comment, I’m glad you liked my post!!
Nadine