Australia! In which there is an octopus, and Seanan eats kangaroo.: seanan

Australia! In which there is an octopus, and Seanan eats kangaroo.

When last I left this incredibly delayed trip report, Jeanne and I had managed (finally) to touch down in Melbourne, following an unplanned jaunt to Sydney (during which we were not permitted to leave the plane). After fleeing the airport, we caught a bus to a bus terminal, where we caught another bus to our initial destination, the Hotel Promenade. We were going to be staying there for the first few days, before transferring to the WorldCon hotel block to join our fannish compatriots.

Since neither of us really wanted to be jet lag's bitch for the duration of our vacation, we basically went to the hotel, dropped everything off, and left, heading out into the wonderful world of Australia. Goal: stay awake until a reasonable bedtime. Jeanne, being foolish, allowed me to pick our activity...and that, o best beloveds, is how we wound up spending the better part of an hour walking pointedly toward the distant glories of Victoria Market. Jeanne has gone walking with me before, and understands that a) I think of anything under five miles as "a little ways," and b) I will always know how to get back to where I started. So she felt just fine following me around Melbourne, which is probably for the best.

Wonderful discovery the first: 7-11 has come to Australia. And while a chain store may not be your idea of a wonderful discovery, I consider anything that gives me cold fizzy caffeine to be an absolute miracle. There is no Diet Dr Pepper in Australia, but Coke Zero is an acceptable substitute. Luckily for everyone's survival.

Wonderful discovery the second: on the way to Victoria Market, we found a little alley that contained a) an Indian place that fed me delicious goat curry, and b) a chocolate place that made insanely decadent and delicious drinking chocolate. These calories would see us through the rest of our journey.

On! To Victoria Market! Where we looked at things ranging from the standard "rook a tourist, win a prize" assortments known to markets the world over all the way to Australian opals and wonderful handmade children's toys. I bought a mobile with pirates on it for Brooke's upcoming spawn. Jeanne bought some opals. Both of us agreed that the local seagulls were awesome, and that it was time to walk back to the hotel.

On leaving, we found a pet store with a large reptile selection, and Jeanne tolerantly allowed me to go in and coo at all the adorable snakes and lizards. Because that's just how we roll.

Walking back down Elizabeth St. allowed us to stop at multiple shops that had interested us on the way to the Market, including Minotaur, a science fiction specialty shop that felt sort of like the Australian answer to Forbidden Planet. They didn't have any Toby books, but they did have several copies of Feed, which I gleefully signed. Yay for signings! They seemed rather stunned to have a genuine American author in the store scribbling on things, but didn't ask for ID, which is good, as I don't have any ID for Mira.

We returned to the hotel, ate in the restaurant (decent, not great, but definitely filling), and went to bed early, only to awaken equally early. Like, "before six o'clock." Oops. We got up, found breakfast, and started our day of killer attack tourism. Destination one: the Melbourne Aquarium.

Now, I could say lots of things about the natural beauty of Australia's natural wildlife, or the cheekiness of eels, or the fact that holy crap, manta rays can apparently be as big as minivans. I could mention the giant lionfish, and go on at great length about the penguins. But I won't. Why? Because HOLY CRAP BEST OCTOPUS EVER. Seriously, their Giant Pacific Octopus renewed my faith in the universe. Poor Jeanne had to keep coming back and hauling me away from the tank, and my octopus communion. He was a rockin' and a rollin', and I wanted nothing more than to stay with him all day.

Alas, it was not to be. Farewell, sweet octopus. We lunched on pumpkin and potato pizza (not kidding), and went in search of the local Lush, since Jeanne needed conditioner. I know, I know, tourism, we're doin' it wrong. Still, when we found the store, we discovered that Australia got exclusive shower gel, and I claimed a bottle of Black Pearl in the name of AWESOME. Between that and the octopus, I was a happy, happy girl. Jeanne also got a local phone, since she's smart that way.

We returned to the hotel to drop off our things before we went looking for dinner, which was really the capper on our awesome day, because we discovered—quite by accident—An Alley of Wonders. Lots of little restaurants, all of them competing for the right to feed us dinner. We settled on a place that gave us free sodas and served me kangaroo steak, since I had to eat it at least once. It tasted sort of like a cross between goat and rabbit.

Australia: awesome so far.

tuftears

September 20 2010, 22:44:33 UTC 6 years ago

New comment

... but didn't ask for ID, which is good, as I don't have any ID for Mira.

Y'know, there could be a good market in IDs for writers' pseudonyms. };)

seanan_mcguire

September 21 2010, 04:00:02 UTC 6 years ago

So true!

hoppytoad79

6 years ago

soberloki

September 20 2010, 23:00:51 UTC 6 years ago

Ooh, if you're ever asked for ID for Mira, you could always point them to your more public-facing LJ entry where you talk about being both! And then just prove you're one of them!

What does Black Pearl smell like?

vr_trakowski

September 20 2010, 23:12:40 UTC 6 years ago

Essence of oyster itch, slowly roasted over glowing coals?

pola_bear

September 20 2010, 23:15:50 UTC 6 years ago

If Blach Pearl shower gel is anything like the Black Pearl ballistic I WANT!

September 21 2010, 04:00:42 UTC 6 years ago

It's EXACTLY like the Black Pearl bath ballistic. Australia gets all the nice things!

lisa_marli

September 20 2010, 23:29:13 UTC 6 years ago

I love Kangaroo, and I'm always giving Outback Steakhouse Grief for not having it. Roos will grow in America and they are herding animals, they just have to get a farmer to start a herd. Just like one had to convince farmers that Ostrich was good stuff.
A Big Red Roo is Not Cute. They are good eating though.
Black Pearl, it starts with a good name. May it smell just as awesome.

admnaismith

September 21 2010, 01:58:26 UTC 6 years ago

A Big Red Roo is Not Cute. They are good eating though.

With or without rosemary?

tsgeisel

keristor

Deleted comment

September 21 2010, 04:01:41 UTC 6 years ago

Nope! We are LEGION.

dornbeast

wendyzski

September 21 2010, 00:11:05 UTC 6 years ago

They seemed rather stunned to have a genuine American author in the store scribbling on things, but didn't ask for ID, which is good, as I don't have any ID for Mira.

Reminds me of a story that John Kovalic tells - he was at a booth at a con and volunteered to sign a bunch of his games for them. Then he decided to purchase a couple of items. They did not ask for ID for the first item, but did for the second. Now of course I totally want to go to book stores and pretend to be famous authors.

September 21 2010, 04:02:03 UTC 6 years ago

That's kinda awesome.

Hee.

amanda_nye

September 21 2010, 01:02:42 UTC 6 years ago

I so want to know more about your trip... Land of Poison and Flame!

September 21 2010, 04:02:18 UTC 6 years ago

Good, 'cause I'm posting it!

pyre006

September 21 2010, 01:06:29 UTC 6 years ago

"Seriously, their Giant Pacific Octopus renewed my faith in the universe. Poor Jeanne had to keep coming back and hauling me away from the tank, and my octopus communion. He was a rockin' and a rollin', and I wanted nothing more than to stay with him all day."

Do you have pictures? Wants to see the awesome.

September 21 2010, 02:04:43 UTC 6 years ago

Seconded. Pictures. NOW!

vixyish

tigertoy

September 21 2010, 01:43:59 UTC 6 years ago

Mira Grant does not have ID. Government agencies are afraid to admit she exists.

September 23 2010, 15:10:04 UTC 6 years ago

Heeeee.

rhoda_rants

September 21 2010, 01:54:31 UTC 6 years ago

My roommate my sophomore year in college was from Perth, and she used to wax rhapsodically about how awesomely Australia does chocolate. I wanna go so bad!! One day.

BTW: I randomly checked Amazon's ranking list the other day, and An Artificial Night is in their Top 100 for Sci-Fi/Fantasy. (squee!) I dunno how exactly they break it down, but that seemed pretty damn cool.

September 23 2010, 15:10:16 UTC 6 years ago

Neat!

September 21 2010, 02:03:31 UTC 6 years ago

Octopi RULE! Or they soon will, as soon as they finish figuring out how to overcome and subdue human beings. Because they're that intelligent. I await the rule of the coming octoped overlords. I wish I were there with you to share in your adventures, because it sounds like a total blast.

tygerversionx

September 21 2010, 03:13:38 UTC 6 years ago

You know, this talk of octopi has me wondering ... "What the HELL happened to all the sea life in the Feed-verse? Killer whales might be a lot more killer, too."

fluffworld

September 21 2010, 03:26:21 UTC 6 years ago

I always end up in that pet store after visiting the Victoria Markets too. :D

September 23 2010, 15:11:01 UTC 6 years ago

It's a fabulous pet store.

dimloep_suum

September 21 2010, 05:11:34 UTC 6 years ago

or the fact that holy crap, manta rays can apparently be as big as minivans.

Holy crap, the manta rays at Atlantis in Nassau? Blew my damn mind. One had an 11-foot wingspan, another a 13-foot wingspan. The largest one they had there (which was released into the wild the year before)? A 15-foot bad-ass motherfucker. Fuck yeah, rays!

September 23 2010, 15:11:11 UTC 6 years ago

JESUS.

yellowblackhaze

September 21 2010, 05:13:29 UTC 6 years ago

Gonna have to see if Minotaur still have any of those signed copies of Feed. You could have taken a tram to the Vic Market (another Melbourne experience to blog about). Kangaroo is good eating as long as it's not over cooked. I've never eaten them myself, but I've been told that witchetty grubs have a rather nutty flavour.

September 23 2010, 15:11:30 UTC 6 years ago

Glad you managed to get the last one! And I prefer to walk, when I can.

saffronrose

September 21 2010, 05:52:07 UTC 6 years ago

What was the name of the chocolate place with the insanely good hot chocolate? Someone else I read had a similar experience, but of course I cna't recall who it was so I could search the entries! Was it Chokolait?

September 23 2010, 15:11:40 UTC 6 years ago

That was the one!

supersniffles

September 21 2010, 09:47:30 UTC 6 years ago

"They seemed rather stunned to have a genuine American author in the store scribbling on things, but didn't ask for ID, which is good, as I don't have any ID for Mira."

Oh, too much. Laughing hysterically now. BTW, how soon is Blackout?

September 21 2010, 18:10:19 UTC 6 years ago

Book 2 after Feed will actually be called Deadline (name switch to avoid confusion with other books on the market) and is due out in May 2011.

(And if you ask me, it's EVEN BETTER than Feed. :D)

amanuensis1

September 21 2010, 10:16:17 UTC 6 years ago

I would totally try kangaroo because I'd HAVE to. I'm like that.

I am enjoying this trip report immensely!

September 23 2010, 15:12:13 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

the_s_guy

September 21 2010, 11:12:44 UTC 6 years ago

There is no Diet Dr Pepper in Australia

Weird, I had half a dozen DDP-selling places within walking distance of WorldCon pegged a while back. Sure, it's not common, and they don't generally advertise, but I thought someone would have turned up with some.

October 1 2010, 15:35:31 UTC 6 years ago

I only wish.

jacylrin

September 21 2010, 16:01:26 UTC 6 years ago

Pumpkin and potato pizza... this sound intriguing! Still with mozzarella and tomato sauce?

October 1 2010, 15:36:03 UTC 6 years ago

The pumpkin and potato pizza had olive oil, the pumpkin and onion had red sauce.

uses octupus icon

kippurbird

September 21 2010, 16:48:08 UTC 6 years ago

I never would have even thought about eating a kangaroo. Not because they're cute and stuff... but because they don't fall anywhere near the kosher category. I suppose that any animal can be eatable though.

Re: uses octupus icon

October 1 2010, 15:39:20 UTC 6 years ago

Except the surprising number that are actually toxic.

arib

September 22 2010, 00:26:30 UTC 6 years ago

It tasted sort of like a cross between goat and rabbit.

So, now I know that one thing I've never eaten tastes like a combination of two other things I've never eaten... :-)

(Not that I can eat kangaroo or rabbit, see

kippurbird's comment re- kosher)

October 1 2010, 15:39:45 UTC 6 years ago

You should, however, eat goat. Goat is delicious.

spectralbovine

October 4 2010, 05:21:32 UTC 6 years ago

Goat and rabbit, huh? I had kangaroo the same night I had rabbit, and I found kangaroo to be very...juicy. And tasty. There was a place in Barcelona that had kangaroo on the menu.

October 4 2010, 20:24:28 UTC 6 years ago

Yup! Totally awesome.

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Australia! In which there is an octopus, and Seanan eats kangaroo.

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Australia! In which there is an octopus, and Seanan eats kangaroo.

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