...and am actually moving to the Shire of the Macedon Ranges soon.
It mentioned on the tourist information board that the story of a group of school girls going missing in 1900 is true. Is it true? Does anyone know?
To the best of my knowledge, it's fiction. People have tried to find contemporary accounts of such an event but haven't been able to. At least that's the impression I have.
I think Joan Lindsey wrote an autobiography, though I haven't read it. Maybe she sheds more insight into the inspiration for PaHR in it.
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I don't come from hell. I came from the forest.
I visited it a couple of days ago myself and was very surprised at how the tourist boards make out it's a true story. Even overheard other people talking about it like it was a real event that took place. It is, of course, completely fictional.
shareIs it definitely fictional? And if so, is it based on any actual 'real' events?
shareThe whole thing is apocryphal as far as I know; in my opinion, Joan Lindsay probably deliberately presented it as a true story for the mere fact that it would generate further intrigue (which has, as history has shown, proven to be a success). So, is there an actual plaque or something at the rock that mentions the disappearance of the girls? As far as I know, there is no historical corroboration of the event, so it could just be there to further play on the legend.
I'd love to visit the rock someday. I've always wanted to go to Australia, I think because several of my favorite movies are Australian. I'm intrigued by the geography especially.
You're always welcome...and the geography is so vast and varied.
It's really annoying when people come to Australia and say "Sydney was great!".
Sydney is the least authentic part of Australia; it doesn't have the best culture, way-of-life or beaches, yet it seems to be the only place that people visit when they come out here.
It's such a huge country with such varied landscape that it is nothing short of a travesty that people never move beyond Sydney.
Sydney should be enjoyed on your last couple of days in Australia before you fly out; it should not be 'the visit'.
...believe me when I tell you that there are vastly more interesting parts of Australia than Sydney on practically EVERY level.
So Sydney has the bridge and the Opera House...but the natural beauty of Australia far-and-away outstrips what Sydney has to offer; and the true culture of Australia is not even present in Sydney...as Sydney tries to emulate the bigger cities of the world, but has no real unique Australian culture of its own.
I once heard a tourist say, "oh I loved Sydney because it was the only city of Australia that is like the rest of the world"...is that why you travel to another country on the other side of the world?
That's ridiculous. I wouldn't mind visiting Sydney, but there are other places I'd like to see there, especially some of Western Australia, and Melbourne as well. I live in New York, so I see big city everyday—I don't need that!
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