The name Canberra (the capital of Australia) means ”Meeting Place” in the local Ngunnawal Aboriginal language

Antarctica is the windiest continent on the planet. Gusts where can reach 300 kph (185 mph).

Vagabonding:

Is independent travel for an extended period of time, typically overseas and on a limited budget. The term was popularized by travel writer Rolf Potts in his book of the same name.

A vagabond or “drifter” is an itinerant person. The word is derived from the Latin adjective vagabundus, “inclined to wander”, from the verb vagor, “wander”.

It does not denote a member of a nomadic people, but rather an individual who follows a wandering lifestyle within a sedentary society.
Such people may be called drifters, tramps, or rogues.

A vagabond is characterized by almost continuous travelling, lacking a fixed home, temporary abode, or permanent residence.
Vagabonds are not bums, as bums are not known for travelling, preferring to stay in one location.

In the law of England, the Vagrancy Act 1824 provides that
“every person wandering abroad and lodging in any barn or outhouse, or in any deserted or unoccupied building, or in the open air, or under a tent, or in any cart or waggon, [...] and not giving a good account of himself or herself [...] shall be deemed a rogue and vagabond,” and may be imprisoned for up to three months on conviction by a magistrate.

This act is still in force, though extensively amended by subsequent legislation.
The expression nevertheless goes much further back in English law: following the Peasants’ Revolt, constables were authorised under a 1383 statute to apprehend vagabonds and force them to show their means of support; if they could not, they were gaoled.

(source: Wikipedia)

Ngultrum – is the main currency of Bhutan (since 1974).
The ngultrum is subdivided into 100 chhertum (called chetrums on coins until 1979).

Photos:
(source: Wikipedia.org)

* 1 Ngultrum
* 50, not 40! , Ngultrum
* 1 Ngultrum
* 5 Ngultrum

Geelong (Victoria) is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia.

An inhabitant of Geelong has been known as a Geelongite, or a Pivotonian, in the past.

Geelong was named in 1837 with the name derived from the local Wathaurong Aboriginal name for the region, Jillong, thought to mean ’land’ or ’cliffs’.

Outback is also known as ”Back of Beyond”

How many phrases do you know with a meaning of ”prepare and start”?

- ready, steady, go!
- ready, set, go!
- on your mark, get set, go!
- ready, aim, fire!
- lights, camera, action!

Know more?

Did you know that a ”pub” means a ”public house”, a drinking establishment which is part of British, Irish and Australian culture

VicRoads

In 1989 the Road Traffic Authority (RTA) and Road Construction Authority (RCA) merged to form the Roads Corporation – better known to millions of Victorians by its trading name – VicRoads.

Man, Woman. Wo-man…
What does the ”wo” in ”woman” stand for?

”Woman” is a contraction of its original form, ”wife-man”, so ”wo” stands for wife.

Oxford English Dictionary:

Old English wīfmon, -man (see WIFE, MAN), a formation peculiar to English, the ancient word being wife.

”wífmon(n, -man(n masc., later fem., pl. wífmen(n, f. wíf woman, WIFE n. + mon(n, man(n human being, MAN n.1 A formation peculiar to English, and not extant in the earliest period of OE., the ancient word being WIFE.”

There it is, ”woman” started out as ”Wife-man”

Little River is most famous for being used as Highway 9 in the film Mad Max

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(Little River is a town in Victoria, Australia, 51 km south-west from Melbourne’s central business district. At the 2006 Census, Little River had a population of 375)