Mary Carde of Parrearra on the Sunshine Coast finds navigating around suburbs with alliterative names like Marcoola, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, and Mount Coolum confusing, especially as she crosses the Maroochy River repeatedly. Shirley Connolly shares her experience of living in Campbelltown and later moving to a retirement village in Camden, where the main road is also named Carrington Circuit.
Australian coffee culture seems to be spreading globally, with flat whites from Munich to Lingen replacing the need to order a latte macchiato in Germany. Michael Britt of MacMasters Beach notes the prevalence of Australian coffee abroad. Col8ers reminisce about their early VWs, some of which did not have fuel gauges, like Don Leary’s 1956 VW which had a reserve fuel tank and cost him 30 shillings to fill up.
William Roberts of Randwick compares toll prices on the Tokyo-Osaka route at 27 cents per km and the Oresund Bridge toll from Copenhagen to Malmo at $6.60 per km, highlighting the disparity in toll costs around the world. Viv Mackenzie of Port Hacking poses a question about the occurrence of the Aurora, or Southern Lights, in Sydney in the 1950s and asks if others remember seeing it as well.
Readers can share their anecdotes and opinions on various topics by emailing Column8@smh.com.au with their name, suburb, and daytime phone number. Col8 isn’t just about lighthearted topics but also includes scientific inquiries, like Viv Mackenzie’s question about the Aurora in Sydney in the 1950s. This shows the diverse range of interests and experiences shared by readers through the column.
Overall, the column covers a range of topics from personal anecdotes about navigating alliterative suburbs, moving to retirement villages, and reminiscing about early VWs, to discussions on global coffee trends, toll prices, and scientific phenomena like the Aurora. Readers are encouraged to engage with the column by sharing their stories and opinions on various issues, making it a forum for diverse perspectives and experiences. Email submissions to Column8@smh.com.au with your contact information to join the conversation.
