Billy Connolly's World Tour of Australia
Encyclopedia
Billy Connolly's World Tour of Australia is the second in a line of ‘world tours’ that follow comedian Billy Connolly
on his various travels across the globe.
Filmed over four months in 1995, Connolly takes the viewer on a scenic and informative tour of Australia
, a country he first visited in the 1970s, intercut with scenes from his stand-up comedy
act at various venues around the country. The tour takes in Sydney
, Canberra
, Melbourne
, Adelaide
, Perth
, Darwin
, Alice Springs and Fraser Island. On the way, Connolly also experiences and demonstrates several Australian customs, traditions, and attractions, including swimming with the dolphins in Perth, eating a pie floater
in Adelaide, and visiting several museums and galleries, most of which feature some form of Aboriginal art.
The DVD box-set of the series, released in 2004, contains two disks, each featuring four episodes of the tour. The opening titles feature an Aboriginal
man playing a didgeridoo
in the foreground, while in the background Connolly drives his Harley-Davidson
trike
(on which he travels throughout the series, with his learner's badge attached to its rear) towards and past the camera. The first disc focuses mainly on the southeastern coast of Australia, with Connolly visiting such places as Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle
, while the second disc focuses on Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and rural Australia.
Connolly introduces himself and his tour with a preview of where he and his team will be heading and what they will be seeing. He kicks off his tour in October in Sydney by visiting the Harbour Bridge
and giving a history of its construction and opening. While on the bridge he points out the Opera House
where he performed during his stay in the city. He then takes a tour of the harbour on The Bounty
, the ship used in the 1984 film of the same name featuring Mel Gibson
. The boat sails past Goat Island
, at which point Connolly tells the story of Charlie Anderson, a prisoner who was banished to the island. The boat eventually drops Connolly off at Doyles Restaurant in Watsons Bay
, where he chats with its owner, Peter Doyle. Next, he visits the Financial District of Sydney, where he goes underground (via a "personhole cover") to visit the water-tunnels where the convicts were sent to work. The episode concludes with Connolly taking a seaplane
trip to visit famous Australian artist, Ken Done
.
Episode 2 starts with Connolly visiting La Perouse
, Botany Bay
, where Captain Cook
first landed on Australian soil in 1770. He tells the story of how close Australia came to being a French colony, if not for Arthur Phillip
's landing ahead of French explorer, Jean-François de Galaup
, and performs a French version of "Waltzing Matilda
" ("Dancing Matilde") for effect. Connolly then travels south-west to visit Australia's capital, Canberra
. There he tells the history of the architecture and layout of the city, for which they had a competition that was won by a man named Walter Burley Griffin
. Connolly tours the various embassies for each country in the city. He visits the original Australian Government House
, built in 1927, and tells the story of the Aboriginal protests outside the house in the same year for recognition as a race. A tent-city was set up by the Aboriginal people, which was eventually driven away. A permanent tent-city was then set up by the Aboriginal people as their own embassy, and it still exists today. Other embassies he visits are the Chinese
embassy, French
embassy, the Indonesia
n embassy (where he gets "interrogated" by an officer, who was clearly a fan of the Scot, for filming on an embassy street), and a jocular "Pygmy
embassy", which was actually an electrical box.
Connolly then heads back to Sydney to be interviewed on the Today
program. While in Sydney, he takes a walk along the harbour, watching and listening to various street performers, including a man named Johannes O'rinda who whistles classical music. The episode ends with Connolly climbing to the top of the Opera House, from where he tells the story of Jørn Utzon
, who designed the building's exterior.
Episode 3: Connolly travels to Newcastle first, stopping en route at Nobby's Point in order to view the city on the horizon and talk about the coal mining
industry in the area. From there he goes trout
or salmon
fishing on Stockton Beach, home of the famous shipwreck. He then rides his trike back to Sydney, making a detour to visit a graveyard
in Maitland
. There he visits the resting place of Les Darcy
, a young Australian boxer who chose to visit America
to fight new opponents rather than be conscripted for World War I
. He died from influenza
, at which point his body was brought back to Australia. This is the first of a few cemetery visits during the tour, due to Connolly's enjoyment of the stories they tell about people's lives. When he arrives back in Sydney, he takes the viewing audience on a walk from his hotel to his gig
at the Opera House. Along the way he reads from various brass plaques
along the eastern side of Circular Quay, with famous Australian quotes and poems engraved on them. Some of the writings he recites include "My Country
" by Dorothea Mackellar
, "Unreliable Memoirs" by Clive James
, a poem about pie
by Barry Humphries
, and a quote by Germaine Greer
about being homeless until Aborigines are seen as the rightful owners of Australia. Due to the nature of his walking to his show, Connolly meets and interacts with many of the members of his soon-to-be audience. He then heads to the Brett Whiteley
Studio, which features many of the late artist's sculptures and paintings, many of which feature small birds and lifelike 3D
sculptures. Connolly chats with Whiteley's ex-wife, Wendy Whiteley
, about how her then husband bet him $100 to do two consecutive gigs without repeating a joke, which he successfully accomplished. The episode finishes with Connolly viewing more art from the studio.
Episode 4: The Big Yin rides south to Melbourne
, Victoria
. His first stop is the West Gate Bridge
, where he tells the story about the bridge collapse in October 1970, causing the loss of life of 35 men. He then travels into the city and stops at Melbourne Gaol
, where outlaw
Ned Kelly
was hung. Inside the jail, Connolly notes the practice of Phrenology
which was rife in the era of Kelly. He also points out the various torture devices that were used, including a flogging machine, kidney belt, Cat o' nine tails
and anti-masturbation gloves. The final thing he points out is the Ned Kelly shrine in the prison, which documents the fall of the man and holds his personal journal.
After returning to downtown Melbourne, Connolly makes his way on foot to his gig from his hotel. On his way he notes the electronic birdsong that is piped through speakers in the city as ambiance . He next heads to Mornington Peninsula
, where he tells the story of ex-Australian Prime Minister
Harold Holt
, who mysteriously disappeared while swimming off the peninsula. Connolly then returns to the city and boards a tram
to travel through the city. He eventually hops off the tram and walks through the city, pointing out some beautification
sculptures and appreciates some street-performers along the way. Another interesting artpiece he demonstrates is a metaphorical time-machine that represents the past, present and future. The episode finishes with Connolly heading to William Ricketts' Sanctuary, where he commentates on some of Ricketts' artwork, most of which featured lifelike Aboriginal sculptures which represent the soul and culture of the people.
Episode 5: Connolly makes his way to Adelaide
in South Australia
. He visits a Jimmy Pike gallery where he views an Aboriginal dance as well as Aboriginal artwork. He tells the story of Pike, a famous Aboriginal artist who learned to paint in prison as a means of therapy. His next visit is to Adelaide Zoo
, where he visits his favourite animal, the Hairy-nosed wombat
. He then sets off to his gig from his hotel, taking the viewers on a tour along the way. He points out the local casino, SKYCITY Adelaide
, as well as the artistic layout for the ventilation of the South Australian Government House
, before arriving at his gig next door. Later, he travels into the city to buy a pie floater.
Perth
is his next stop. He describes the Western Australia
n capital it as "the most isolated capital in the world". He describes the aboriginal belief that the Swan River
was carved out by the rainbow serpent
. He then visits Kings Park
where there are gum trees planted along the side of the road in dedication of every Australian man and woman who lost his or her life in war. He then travels out to Rottnest Island
, originally named Wadjemup. He takes a bike ride along the coast of the island until he stops by some tea tree
s. While describing them, some quokka
s come out and pay him a visit. He then heads out into the ocean to go swimming with the dolphin
s. While in Perth, Connolly celebrates his 53rd birthday. His sister, Flo, and his eldest daughter, Cara, have been flown out to visit him as a surprise. The episode ends with Connolly visiting The Pinnacles
, a petrified forest in Nambung National Park
, north of Perth, where he does one of his world-famous nudey-dances.
Episode 6: Connolly starts by heading to Brisbane
, Queensland
. He drives around the city on his trike, giving a commentary on the city's political history and notable landmarks. He points out the local town hall where he was attacked by a Scottish-Australian prison officer during a gig on his first tour of Australia. He then takes a walk through a man-made rainforest
in the city to his gig, pointing out the Nepal Peace Pagoda
along the way. Next, he heads to the Caboolture Gliding Club on the outskirts of Brisbane to go flying in a glider
. His pilot does several loops and twirls in the sky before bringing him back down, only to find out the battery ran out on the camera he took up. So he heads back up again to get the footage. Connolly then heads out to take a look at second-hand houses standing on pallets, available for sale alongside the highway. Once bought, they're placed on a truck or boat and sent to wherever the buyer wishes. He heads to a neighbourhood where several of these houses have been set up.
Connolly flies to Fraser Island, the largest sand island
in the world which lies off the coast of Queensland. He tells about the trees of the rainforest that were cut down and used around the world as piles, due to their incredible height and lack of branches. The rainforest eventually became a United Nations World Heritage Site and no further logging was permitted. Connolly's next destination is Lake McKenzie, where he goes for a quick swim and spots a turtle
. He then takes a drive out to the eastern beach of the island. While driving, he talks about some dingo
s he saw while staying on the island, and how they're the purest-bred dingoes in Australia. He arrives at the beach and the episode ends with him playing his banjo while the sun sets over the ocean.
Episode 7: To follow.
Episode 8: To follow.
."
The book isn't, as Connolly writes in the introduction, a travel guide — "I wanted to show you my Australia".
Billy Connolly
William "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
on his various travels across the globe.
Filmed over four months in 1995, Connolly takes the viewer on a scenic and informative tour of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, a country he first visited in the 1970s, intercut with scenes from his stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
act at various venues around the country. The tour takes in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, Alice Springs and Fraser Island. On the way, Connolly also experiences and demonstrates several Australian customs, traditions, and attractions, including swimming with the dolphins in Perth, eating a pie floater
Pie floater
A pie floater is a meal available in Australia, particularly South Australia which consists of the traditional Australian style meat pie sitting, usually inverted, in a plate of thick green pea soup. It is typically covered with tomato sauce and, although subject to the taste of the individual...
in Adelaide, and visiting several museums and galleries, most of which feature some form of Aboriginal art.
The DVD box-set of the series, released in 2004, contains two disks, each featuring four episodes of the tour. The opening titles feature an Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
man playing a didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
in the foreground, while in the background Connolly drives his Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
trike
Tricycle
A tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...
(on which he travels throughout the series, with his learner's badge attached to its rear) towards and past the camera. The first disc focuses mainly on the southeastern coast of Australia, with Connolly visiting such places as Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, while the second disc focuses on Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and rural Australia.
Episode list
Episode 1:Connolly introduces himself and his tour with a preview of where he and his team will be heading and what they will be seeing. He kicks off his tour in October in Sydney by visiting the Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
and giving a history of its construction and opening. While on the bridge he points out the Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
where he performed during his stay in the city. He then takes a tour of the harbour on The Bounty
The Bounty
The Bounty is a 1984 British historical film directed by Roger Donaldson, starring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins, and produced by Bernard Williams with Dino De Laurentiis as executive producer. It is the fifth film version of the story of the mutiny on the Bounty. The screenplay was by Robert Bolt...
, the ship used in the 1984 film of the same name featuring Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
. The boat sails past Goat Island
Goat Island (Port Jackson)
Goat Island is a rocky island in Sydney Harbour, in New South Wales, Australia. The island is some 400 m by 200 m in size and is located north-west of the Sydney central business district....
, at which point Connolly tells the story of Charlie Anderson, a prisoner who was banished to the island. The boat eventually drops Connolly off at Doyles Restaurant in Watsons Bay
Watsons Bay, New South Wales
Watsons Bay is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Watsons Bay is located 11 km north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra....
, where he chats with its owner, Peter Doyle. Next, he visits the Financial District of Sydney, where he goes underground (via a "personhole cover") to visit the water-tunnels where the convicts were sent to work. The episode concludes with Connolly taking a seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
trip to visit famous Australian artist, Ken Done
Ken Done
Ken Done, AM is an Australian artist best known for his design work. His simple, brightly coloured images of Australian landmarks have adorned a very popular range of clothing and homewares sold under the "Done Design" brand.-Early life:...
.
Episode 2 starts with Connolly visiting La Perouse
La Perouse, New South Wales
Lapérouse is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The suburb of Lapérouse is located about 14 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the City of Randwick....
, Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
, where Captain Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
first landed on Australian soil in 1770. He tells the story of how close Australia came to being a French colony, if not for Arthur Phillip
Arthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
's landing ahead of French explorer, Jean-François de Galaup
Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse
Jean François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse was a French Navy officer and explorer whose expedition vanished in Oceania.-Early career:...
, and performs a French version of "Waltzing Matilda
Waltzing Matilda
"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known bush ballad. A country folk song, the song has been referred to as "the unofficial national anthem of Australia"....
" ("Dancing Matilde") for effect. Connolly then travels south-west to visit Australia's capital, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. There he tells the history of the architecture and layout of the city, for which they had a competition that was won by a man named Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin was an American architect and landscape architect, who is best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australia's capital city...
. Connolly tours the various embassies for each country in the city. He visits the original Australian Government House
Old Parliament House, Canberra
Old Parliament House, known formerly as the Provisional Parliament House, was the house of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988. The building began operation on 9 May 1927 as a temporary base for the Commonwealth Parliament after its relocation from Melbourne to the new capital, Canberra,...
, built in 1927, and tells the story of the Aboriginal protests outside the house in the same year for recognition as a race. A tent-city was set up by the Aboriginal people, which was eventually driven away. A permanent tent-city was then set up by the Aboriginal people as their own embassy, and it still exists today. Other embassies he visits are the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
embassy, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
embassy, the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n embassy (where he gets "interrogated" by an officer, who was clearly a fan of the Scot, for filming on an embassy street), and a jocular "Pygmy
Pygmy
Pygmy is a term used for various ethnic groups worldwide whose average height is unusually short; anthropologists define pygmy as any group whose adult men grow to less than 150 cm in average height. A member of a slightly taller group is termed "pygmoid." The best known pygmies are the Aka,...
embassy", which was actually an electrical box.
Connolly then heads back to Sydney to be interviewed on the Today
Today (Australian TV program)
Today and Weekend Today are Australian breakfast television programmes, the show is often referred to as The Today Show. The show has been broadcast live by the Nine Network each morning since 1982...
program. While in Sydney, he takes a walk along the harbour, watching and listening to various street performers, including a man named Johannes O'rinda who whistles classical music. The episode ends with Connolly climbing to the top of the Opera House, from where he tells the story of Jørn Utzon
Jørn Utzon
Jørn Oberg Utzon, , AC was a Danish architect, most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia. When it was declared a World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007, Utzon became only the second person to have received such recognition for one of his works during his lifetime...
, who designed the building's exterior.
Episode 3: Connolly travels to Newcastle first, stopping en route at Nobby's Point in order to view the city on the horizon and talk about the coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
industry in the area. From there he goes trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
or salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
fishing on Stockton Beach, home of the famous shipwreck. He then rides his trike back to Sydney, making a detour to visit a graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
in Maitland
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
. There he visits the resting place of Les Darcy
Les Darcy
James Leslie Darcy was an Australian boxer. He was a middleweight, but held the Australian Heavyweight Championship title at the same time....
, a young Australian boxer who chose to visit America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to fight new opponents rather than be conscripted for World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He died from influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
, at which point his body was brought back to Australia. This is the first of a few cemetery visits during the tour, due to Connolly's enjoyment of the stories they tell about people's lives. When he arrives back in Sydney, he takes the viewing audience on a walk from his hotel to his gig
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
at the Opera House. Along the way he reads from various brass plaques
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
along the eastern side of Circular Quay, with famous Australian quotes and poems engraved on them. Some of the writings he recites include "My Country
My Country
"My Country" is an iconic patriotic poem about Australia, written by Dorothea Mackellar at the age of 19 while homesick in England. After travelling through Europe extensively with her father during her teenage years she started writing the poem in London in 1904 and re-wrote it several times...
" by Dorothea Mackellar
Dorothea Mackellar
Isobel Marion Dorothea Mackellar, OBE was an Australian poet and fiction writer.The only daughter of noted physician and parliamentarian Sir Charles Mackellar, she was born in Sydney in 1885...
, "Unreliable Memoirs" by Clive James
Clive James
Clive James, AM is an Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet and memoirist, best known for his autobiographical series Unreliable Memoirs, for his chat shows and documentaries on British television and for his prolific journalism...
, a poem about pie
Pie
A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients....
by Barry Humphries
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
, and a quote by Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer is an Australian writer, academic, journalist and scholar of early modern English literature, widely regarded as one of the most significant feminist voices of the later 20th century....
about being homeless until Aborigines are seen as the rightful owners of Australia. Due to the nature of his walking to his show, Connolly meets and interacts with many of the members of his soon-to-be audience. He then heads to the Brett Whiteley
Brett Whiteley
Brett Whiteley, AO was an Australian artist. He is represented in the collections of all the large Australian galleries, and was twice winner of the Archibald Prize...
Studio, which features many of the late artist's sculptures and paintings, many of which feature small birds and lifelike 3D
Three-dimensional space
Three-dimensional space is a geometric 3-parameters model of the physical universe in which we live. These three dimensions are commonly called length, width, and depth , although any three directions can be chosen, provided that they do not lie in the same plane.In physics and mathematics, a...
sculptures. Connolly chats with Whiteley's ex-wife, Wendy Whiteley
Wendy Whiteley
Wendy Whiteley OAM is an Australian artist and cultural icon.She is sometimes described as the "grande dame of the Sydney art scene"...
, about how her then husband bet him $100 to do two consecutive gigs without repeating a joke, which he successfully accomplished. The episode finishes with Connolly viewing more art from the studio.
Episode 4: The Big Yin rides south to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. His first stop is the West Gate Bridge
West Gate Bridge
The West Gate Bridge is a steel box girder cable-stayed bridge in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It spans the Yarra River, just north of its mouth into Port Phillip, and is a vital link between the inner city and Melbourne's western suburbs with the industrial suburbs in the west and with the city...
, where he tells the story about the bridge collapse in October 1970, causing the loss of life of 35 men. He then travels into the city and stops at Melbourne Gaol
Melbourne Gaol
The Old Melbourne Gaol is a museum and former prison located in Russell Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It consists of a bluestone building and courtyard, and is located next to the old City Police Watch House and City Courts buildings...
, where outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly
Edward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish...
was hung. Inside the jail, Connolly notes the practice of Phrenology
Phrenology
Phrenology is a pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules...
which was rife in the era of Kelly. He also points out the various torture devices that were used, including a flogging machine, kidney belt, Cat o' nine tails
Cat o' nine tails
The cat o' nine tails, commonly shortened to the cat, is a type of multi-tailed whipping device that originated as an implement for severe physical punishment, notably in the Royal Navy and Army of the United Kingdom, and also as a judicial punishment in Britain and some other...
and anti-masturbation gloves. The final thing he points out is the Ned Kelly shrine in the prison, which documents the fall of the man and holds his personal journal.
After returning to downtown Melbourne, Connolly makes his way on foot to his gig from his hotel. On his way he notes the electronic birdsong that is piped through speakers in the city as ambiance . He next heads to Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
, where he tells the story of ex-Australian Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Harold Holt
Harold Holt
Harold Edward Holt, CH was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia.His term as Prime Minister was brought to an early and dramatic end in December 1967 when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria, and was presumed drowned.Holt spent 32 years...
, who mysteriously disappeared while swimming off the peninsula. Connolly then returns to the city and boards a tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
to travel through the city. He eventually hops off the tram and walks through the city, pointing out some beautification
Beautification
Beautification is the process of making visual improvements to a person, place or thing. With regard to a town, city or to an urban area, this most often involves planting trees, shrubbery, and other greenery, but frequently also includes adding decorative or historic-style street lights and other...
sculptures and appreciates some street-performers along the way. Another interesting artpiece he demonstrates is a metaphorical time-machine that represents the past, present and future. The episode finishes with Connolly heading to William Ricketts' Sanctuary, where he commentates on some of Ricketts' artwork, most of which featured lifelike Aboriginal sculptures which represent the soul and culture of the people.
Episode 5: Connolly makes his way to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. He visits a Jimmy Pike gallery where he views an Aboriginal dance as well as Aboriginal artwork. He tells the story of Pike, a famous Aboriginal artist who learned to paint in prison as a means of therapy. His next visit is to Adelaide Zoo
Adelaide Zoo
Adelaide Zoo is Australia's second oldest zoo, and the only major metropolitan zoo in Australia to be owned and operated on a non-profit basis. It is located in the parklands just north of the city centre of Adelaide, South Australia. It is a full institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium...
, where he visits his favourite animal, the Hairy-nosed wombat
Wombat
Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately in length with a short, stubby tail. They are adaptable in their habitat tolerances, and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, as well as...
. He then sets off to his gig from his hotel, taking the viewers on a tour along the way. He points out the local casino, SKYCITY Adelaide
SKYCITY Adelaide
Adelaide Casino is a large casino and recreational venue on the north edge of the Adelaide city centre. Located in the heritage-listed Adelaide Railway Station building on North Terrace, Adelaide, the Casino has 90 gaming tables and 950 gaming machines, as well as several bars, function areas and...
, as well as the artistic layout for the ventilation of the South Australian Government House
Government House, Adelaide
Government House, located in Adelaide on the corner of North Terrace and King William Road, is the official residence of the Governor of South Australia.-History:The original 'Government Hut' was a thatched hut constructed by the seamen of the HMS Buffalo...
, before arriving at his gig next door. Later, he travels into the city to buy a pie floater.
Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
is his next stop. He describes the Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n capital it as "the most isolated capital in the world". He describes the aboriginal belief that the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
was carved out by the rainbow serpent
Rainbow Serpent
The Rainbow Serpent is a common motif in the art and mythology of Aboriginal Australia. It is named for the snake-like meandering of water across a landscape and the colour spectrum caused when sunlight strikes water at an appropriate angle relative to the observer.The Rainbow Serpent is seen as...
. He then visits Kings Park
Kings Park, Western Australia
Kings Park is a park located on the western edge of Perth, Western Australia central business district. The park is a mixture of grassed parkland, botanical gardens and natural bushland on Mount Eliza with two thirds of the grounds conserved as native bushland. With panoramic views of the Swan...
where there are gum trees planted along the side of the road in dedication of every Australian man and woman who lost his or her life in war. He then travels out to Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island is located off the coast of Western Australia, near Fremantle. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, meaning "place across the water". The island is long, and at its widest point with a total land area of . It is classified as an A Class Reserve and is managed by the...
, originally named Wadjemup. He takes a bike ride along the coast of the island until he stops by some tea tree
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
s. While describing them, some quokka
Quokka
The Quokka , the only member of the genus Setonix, is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat. Like other marsupials in the macropod family , the Quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal...
s come out and pay him a visit. He then heads out into the ocean to go swimming with the dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s. While in Perth, Connolly celebrates his 53rd birthday. His sister, Flo, and his eldest daughter, Cara, have been flown out to visit him as a surprise. The episode ends with Connolly visiting The Pinnacles
The Pinnacles Desert
The Pinnacles are limestone formations contained within Nambung National Park, near the town of Cervantes, Western Australia.-Formation:The raw material for the limestone of the Pinnacles came from seashells in an earlier epoch rich in marine life...
, a petrified forest in Nambung National Park
Nambung National Park
Nambung National Park is a national park in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia , 162 km northwest of Perth. It contains the Pinnacles Desert....
, north of Perth, where he does one of his world-famous nudey-dances.
Episode 6: Connolly starts by heading to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. He drives around the city on his trike, giving a commentary on the city's political history and notable landmarks. He points out the local town hall where he was attacked by a Scottish-Australian prison officer during a gig on his first tour of Australia. He then takes a walk through a man-made rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
in the city to his gig, pointing out the Nepal Peace Pagoda
Peace Pagoda
A Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa designed to provide a focus for people of all races and creeds, and to help unite them in their search for world peace. Most have been built under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii , a Buddhist monk from Japan and founder of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji Buddhist Order...
along the way. Next, he heads to the Caboolture Gliding Club on the outskirts of Brisbane to go flying in a glider
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
. His pilot does several loops and twirls in the sky before bringing him back down, only to find out the battery ran out on the camera he took up. So he heads back up again to get the footage. Connolly then heads out to take a look at second-hand houses standing on pallets, available for sale alongside the highway. Once bought, they're placed on a truck or boat and sent to wherever the buyer wishes. He heads to a neighbourhood where several of these houses have been set up.
Connolly flies to Fraser Island, the largest sand island
Sand island
A sand island is an island that is largely or completely made of sand. The largest sand island in the world is Fraser Island. Other examples of large sand islands are Moreton and North Stradbroke Islands which lie south of Fraser Island off the east coast of Australia....
in the world which lies off the coast of Queensland. He tells about the trees of the rainforest that were cut down and used around the world as piles, due to their incredible height and lack of branches. The rainforest eventually became a United Nations World Heritage Site and no further logging was permitted. Connolly's next destination is Lake McKenzie, where he goes for a quick swim and spots a turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
. He then takes a drive out to the eastern beach of the island. While driving, he talks about some dingo
Dingo
The Australian Dingo or Warrigal is a free-roaming wild dog unique to the continent of Australia, mainly found in the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to...
s he saw while staying on the island, and how they're the purest-bred dingoes in Australia. He arrives at the beach and the episode ends with him playing his banjo while the sun sets over the ocean.
Episode 7: To follow.
Episode 8: To follow.
Book
A book (ISBN 0563387238) accompanying the series was also issued. Ghost-written by Connolly's manager's PA Claire Walsh and featuring photographs from Nobby Clark, along with screenshots from the televised series, it is dedicated to "the two Australians who have had the most profound impact on my life: my wife Pamela and the artist Brett WhiteleyBrett Whiteley
Brett Whiteley, AO was an Australian artist. He is represented in the collections of all the large Australian galleries, and was twice winner of the Archibald Prize...
."
The book isn't, as Connolly writes in the introduction, a travel guide — "I wanted to show you my Australia".