(* and all other vehicles Australian)
When Will and I left for Australia, the only thing our friend Dave asked of us was to send fun and interesting photos of the vehicles here back home. Sadly we've failed at this task so far. I've had this blog in mind for two months now and I'm finally going to populate it with what Dave was looking for. And what better way to kick it off than with the quintessential Australian vehicle - the ute!
I'm unsure what "ute" actually stands for (is it cute? is it some sort of animal?) I have a sneaking suspicion that due to the way Aussies affectionately shorten most words in their vocabulary, a ute is short for a utility vehicle. They are basically a station wagon without the roof in the back; mostly sedan but yet useful in their own right. They are to Australians what pick-up trucks are to Canadians. 
Customize it, use it, make it your own. See the photos below. This black beauty I snapped at Surfers Paradise the other day. It came complete with its own custom mufflers. It reminded me of my brother's showpiece of a truck that he drove in university. Each year they have a weekend-long festival paying homage to this unique vehicle.
Customize it, use it, make it your own. See the photos below. This black beauty I snapped at Surfers Paradise the other day. It came complete with its own custom mufflers. It reminded me of my brother's showpiece of a truck that he drove in university. Each year they have a weekend-long festival paying homage to this unique vehicle.
The array of vehicles here is amazing. Peugot, Citroen, Suzuki, Mercedes, Mitsubishi; they all share roadway with Ford and Australia's answer to General Motors; Holden. 
Oh yes, the Ford Falcon and even an updated version of the Ford Fairlane can be seen cruising around the streets. Datsun still has vehicles on the road here. More than once Will has seen his first car - a Datsun 280 ZX. And they have proper 4X4's here, many of them remind me of my uncle's old Toyota Landcruiser.
Oh yes, the Ford Falcon and even an updated version of the Ford Fairlane can be seen cruising around the streets. Datsun still has vehicles on the road here. More than once Will has seen his first car - a Datsun 280 ZX. And they have proper 4X4's here, many of them remind me of my uncle's old Toyota Landcruiser.
This last one - well I just can't explain it. Don't read or look too closely. Apparently backpacker vans are the largest, lewdest travelling billboards around! 
