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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Distribute free beverages in Australia

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I've never seen a group distributing free beverages on the street without special event before, I reckon the effect of this is much better than the advertisement on TV. The beverages distributed should be only a small part of the cost, plus the vehicles and the wages paid to the distributer, it seems that they might have a nice effect on the advertising by paying low cost.
第一次在沒有舉辦特殊活動下看到有人在街上免費的分送飲料,這樣的廣告成本應該會比電視廣告便宜。飲料的成本應該只是一小部份,加上車輛以及分送人員的薪資,或許用少少的錢就能達到不錯的效果。

I sat observing their acts in the Hungry Jacks for a while and found many people ran to them for getting a free one, then I realized you can get it for free. After having one, an Australian boy asked me, do you like it?
我也是觀察了一陣子,發現許多路人都跑去拿,才了解那是免費發放的。拿完紅牛之後,有一個澳洲小弟還問我,你喜歡它嗎?

I've been to many cities in Australia, but only met the free beverage distributing two times in Adelaide and Sydney respectively.
我跑了那麼多城市,只有在阿德雷德和雪梨遇到過。


20090131 in Adelaide
From 20090131_Adelaide
VitaminWater distribution in Adelaide


From 20090131_Adelaide
VitaminWater distribution in Adelaide


From 20090131_Adelaide
VitaminWater distribution in Adelaide


From 20090131_Adelaide
VitaminWater I got


From 20090131_Adelaide
VitaminWater distribution in Adelaide


From 20090131_Adelaide
VitaminWater distribution in Adelaide


From 20090131_Adelaide
The car that distributed VitaminWater in Adelaide


20090409 in Sydney
From 20090409_LittleBay_EasterRoyalShow
Red Bull distribution in Sydney Olympic Park


From 20090409_LittleBay_EasterRoyalShow
Red Bull distribution in Sydney Olympic Park


From 20090409_LittleBay_EasterRoyalShow
Red Bull distribution in Sydney Olympic Park


From 20090409_LittleBay_EasterRoyalShow
Red Bull distribution in Sydney Olympic Park


From 20090409_LittleBay_EasterRoyalShow
The Red Bull I got

Network in Australia

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As to the Internet, many Taiwanese blame Chung-Hua Telecom for the improving of Taiwanese network infrastructure, compared to Korea and Japan, the network in Taiwan indeed has much space to be enhanced. But if the target of comparison is Australia, the network in Taiwan is much better. I as a user using Internet heavily, the network in Australia is unqualified.
說起網路,台灣應該很多人中華電信有許多的怨言,和韓國、日本比它的確還有許多的改進空間。但是和澳洲網路比,狂電還有剩。對我這種網路重度使用者來說,澳洲的網路真的不及格。

From 20090614_Darwin
Internet area in Darwin YHA
達爾文 YHA 的付費上網區


From 20090524_Cairns
Internet area in Cairns N!Joy backpacker
凱恩斯 N!Joy 背包客棧的付費上網區


Far away from my hometown, the Internet made me contact with my family and friends easily, even knew what happened in Taiwan. During the early months in Australia, it's a must to ask my landlord to you provide Internet? So I don't have to worry about the Internet surfing. In the last two months of my stay in Australia, because of the nomadic life moving frequently, I could only live in the backpackers, you usually have to pay for the Internet or go to the Internet coffee, etc. I found a fun phenomenon that many backpackers from all over the world would stay in the state libraries or McDonalds, since these places have the free Internet or wireless network.
遠離家鄉的我,網路讓我能夠輕易的和家人、朋友聯絡上,更能掌握台灣所發生的事情。在澳洲的前幾個月,因為是租房子,找房子前都會詢問有無提供網路,所以不會有到處找網路的困擾。到後期的一、二個月,由於快速的在各城市之間移動,只能住背包客棧,通常使用他們的網路都需要再額外收費,或是到提供付費上網的商店。在這裡常會看到一個有趣的現象,來自世界各地的背包客會集中在州立圖書館或是麥當勞前上網,因為這兩個地方會提供免費的上網電腦,或是無線網路。

From 20081105_Adelaide
South Australia state library in Adelaide
在阿德雷德的南澳州立圖書館


From Perth (Australia)
Western Australia state library in Perth
在珀斯的西澳州立圖書館


From 20080826_Perth
Western Australia state library in Perth
在珀斯的西澳州立圖書館


In terms of my observation in McDonald, most of the wireless Internet users are Asian, and most of them use portable computer, ASUS EPC or Acer One. In some branches, you can see a notice near the Internet area in McDonald, says this area is for customers only, maximum stay time is twenty minutes. Actually, some people buy a cup of beverage costing around one to two AUD and stay in the Internet area for couple of hours, there are some people don't even buy anything from them.
在麥當勞使用無線網路的背包客,根據我的觀察,以亞洲人居多,又以 ASUS EPC,Acer One 小筆電居多。在上網區的餐桌附近,有些分店會特別貼上告示,本上網區只提供給店內的消費者,時間限制在二十分鐘內。其實有不少人買杯一、二澳幣的飲料一上就是好幾個小時,有些人甚至連消費都沒有,就用了起來(還不少台灣人這樣)。


From 20090514_Brisbane
Queensland state library in Brisbane
在布里斯本的昆士蘭省州立圖書館


From 20090514_Brisbane
Queensland state library in Brisbane
在布里斯本的昆士蘭省州立圖書館


From 20090514_Brisbane
Queensland state library in Brisbane
在布里斯本的昆士蘭省州立圖書館


From 20090514_Brisbane
Queensland state library in Brisbane
在布里斯本的昆士蘭省州立圖書館


That's great to surf the Internet in the state libraries, not only quiet but also have air conditioners, the only drawback is you have to conform to the opening time.
在州立圖書館上網就更棒了,不但安靜還提供冷氣,唯一美中不足的是要配合館方的開放時間。

Take the WA state library as example, usually you can't use the Internet at night, you have to find something to do.
西澳州立圖書館為例:通常到了晚上就沒辦法使用,只能自己想辦法找些樂趣。

Mon - Thu 9.30am - 7.30pm
Fri 9.30am - 5.00pm
Sat - Sun 10.30am - 5.00pm


In all the stat libraries that I've ever been to, the North Territory state library in Darwin is the most peculiar, it locates inside the Parliament house. Before you go into the library, all your things have to be examined by the X-Ray device for the security, and you as well.
去過了各大州的州立圖書館(西澳柏斯、南澳阿德雷德、塔斯馬尼亞霍巴特、維多利亞墨爾本、新南威爾斯雪梨、昆士蘭布里斯本、北領地達爾文),就屬北領地的州立圖書館最奇特,這間圖書館是在國會大樓裡面,每次要進圖書館前,都要把所有的東西掏出來,經過設備做安全檢查,人也不例外。


Now, talk about the Internet installed at home, I don't discuss about the bandwidth here, the part that I criticize most is, the bandwidth per month is only 20GB to 30GB (It depends on the ISP and the plan you choose), the definition of the used bandwidth is the sum of upload and download stream, and half of the bandwidth in one month can only be used in the non-peak hours(For instance, 0AM to 7AM). Once your bandwidth is over, the punishment might be different in terms of the policy of your ISP, the bandwidth might be as slow as a Modem, you have to pay in a higher price for the extra bandwidth or you can't surf the Internet in that month anymore. It seems that the Chung Hua Telecom in Taiwan is not bad but we take the ISP in Korea and Japan for comparing instead of the worse ISPs in other countries.
再來,說說一般家庭所安裝的寬頻網路,頻寬先不提(我也不是很清楚),最為人所詬病的是,每月的流量限制 20GB 至 30GB(流量是依你的 ISP 和你所買的方案來決定),這流量可是上傳和下載相加所使用的流量,而且有一半的流量只能在離峰時段使用。一旦你超出了當月的使用量,處理的方式也會依你的 ISP 而有所不同,有可能降你的頻寬至數據機的等級、超出的部份額外收取較高的費用、當月無法再使用網路。原來種花電信還算不錯的,不過肛世代還是要再加油,我們是要和韓、日比。


The table below lists the plans that provided by one of the Internet Service Providers in Australia
下面的表格是澳洲某一家網路業者所提供的方案

plansdown/up speedpeak + offpeak quotatotal cost
home 1 - $29.95ADSL2+ speeds2GB + 2GB$39.90
home 2 - $39.95ADSL2+ speeds5GB + 7GB$49.90
home 3 - $49.95ADSL2+ speeds10GB + 25GB$59.90
home 4 - $59.95ADSL2+ speeds22GB + 30GB$69.90
home 5 - $69.95ADSL2+ speeds25GB + 45GB$79.90
home 6 - $99.95ADSL2+ speeds50GB + 70GB$109.90
home 7 - $129.95ADSL2+ speeds70GB + 90GB$139.90


From 20090615_Darwin
Parliament house in Darwin
達爾文的國會大樓


From 20090615_Darwin
Parliament house in Darwin
達爾文的國會大樓


From 20090615_Darwin
Parliament house in Darwin
達爾文的國會大樓


From 20090615_Darwin
The North Territory state library in the parliament house, Darwin
在達爾文國會大樓裡的北領地州立圖書館


From 20090615_Darwin
The North Territory state library in the parliament house, Darwin
在達爾文國會大樓裡的北領地州立圖書館


From 20090615_Darwin
The North Territory state library in the parliament house, Darwin
在達爾文國會大樓裡的北領地州立圖書館


From 20090615_Darwin
The North Territory state library in the parliament house, Darwin
在達爾文國會大樓裡的北領地州立圖書館

Free shuttle bus in Australia

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From Perth (Australia)

I was really happy whenever I got a chance to catch the free shuttle bus in Australia. In order to save the money for travelling, I walked as often as possible but it's inevitable to take the public transporation system, the area of Australia is not as small as that of Taiwan, it's around 200 times larger. We can get many benefits from the free shuttle bus, saving money, air conditioner, saving energy, observing the customers on the bus, getting to the destination soon. I often complained about the public transporation system in my home town, no free shuttle bus, not to mention the few frequency of buses, unbelievable delay time, few routing paths. The population is around 400 thousand, plus additional employees from other cities, is that impossible to have a non-free mature public transportation system? There's a suburb more than 10 kilometers away from Perth called Fremantle, the population is less than 30 thousand but they get free shuttle bus in the city.
每次在澳洲坐上免費的巴士就覺得很開心。一個人在外除了靠這雙腿勤走路來節省旅費之外,乘坐大眾捷運是無法避免的,澳洲的國土可不比台灣,大約是二百多倍大。免費接駁車的好處真的是「罄竹難書」,省錢、吹冷氣、節省體力、觀察車上乘客、更快的到達目的地。常常在心裡就怨嘆起家鄉的大眾捷運系統,沒提供免費的就算了,有的公車班次還要等上好幾個小時、嚴重誤點、路線分部的不夠廣。人口還歹也四十萬,再加上外來的工作人口,難到連完善一點的付費公車都無法推動嗎?遠在澳洲西澳首都十多公里外的費利曼圖,人口不到三萬,都有免費公車了。


From Perth (Australia)
Train station in Perth city
柏斯火車站


From Perth (Australia)
Free shuttle bus stop outside the Perth train station
珀斯火車站外的免費公車站


From Perth (Australia)
The bus routing map beside the Perth free shuttle bus stop {Blue CAT, totally three in Perth, Yellow CAT, Red CAT)
珀斯免費公車站旁的公車路線圖(藍貓線,珀斯共三條,黃貓、紅貓)


From Perth (Australia)
Perth blue CAT, there's an image of cat on the bus's skin (The board whose color is in red and white under the door should be the device for the disability and pram
珀斯藍貓公車,車體上有貓的圖案(車門下方,紅白相間的板子,是給輪椅使用者或是推嬰兒車者方便進出)


From 20080729_Cottesloe
The bus with longer body in Perth
珀斯加長型巴士


From 20081004
Perth red CAT bus stop
珀斯紅貓公車站牌


From Perth Zoo
SmartRider card in which you can deposit money for taking bus, train and ferry
SmartRider 卡,類似台北的悠遊卡可以儲值,以這張卡付費可以有折扣,如果是用現金買票則要付全額,這張卡能夠用來坐公車、火車、渡輪


No matter the free shuttle bus, pay bus, train or tram, you can lookup the schedule, timetable on the Internet. You can not only find the traveling information in the information center but also get the time table and routing path. The government there is really considerate. In contrast to Taiwan, the government ignores the system because of few profits, the citizens would rather ride motorcycle or drive themselves, what a vicious circle.
不論是免費公車、付費公車、火車,你都能上網查詢班次、時間。在各大資訊中除了旅遊資訊外,也能夠索取大眾捷運的時刻表、路線圖。他們的政府就甘心。反觀台灣,因為不賺錢就放給他爛,民眾寧願騎機車、開車,簡直是惡性循環。


From 20080928_RottnestIsland
Free shuttle bus in Fremantle
費利曼圖免費接駁車


Generally speaking, the free shuttle buses in Australia circle around the CBD(Central Business District)
一般來說,澳洲的免費公車都是環繞著市區跑:

1. Public transportation in Sydney, the bus with only one routing path, circling in two ways, counterclockwise and clockwise.
一、雪梨,公車單一環繞路線分為順時針和逆時針兩條。

2. Adelaide Metro in Adelaide, the bus with only one routing path, circling in two ways, counterclockwise and clockwise. One bus route runs between Adelaide and North Adelaide, and part of the tram path in city is free.
二、阿德雷德,公車單一環繞路分為順時針和逆時針兩條。另一條公車路線則是跑阿德雷德和北阿德雷德,還有路上輕軌車市區部份免費搭乘。

3. Metlink in Melbourne, the tram with only one routing path, circling in two ways, counterclockwise and clockwise.
三、墨爾本,路上輕軌車,單一環繞路線分為順時針和逆時針兩條。

4. Transperth in Perth, The free shuttle buses here are my favorite, compared to the buses in other cities, the three routing paths constitute three big blocks, you can transfer among these three routes in the intersection of these blocks. The routing paths cover the city widely. Furthermore, not only the free shuttle buses, you can take the pay buses for free once the bus reaches the free zone block in the city.
四、柏斯,我超愛這裡的免費公車,和其它地方不同的是,它有三條路線構成三個大區塊,區塊交集的地方,剛好能夠轉車到其它區塊。路線所含蓋的區域真的很廣。而且,不僅是免費公車,就算是付費公車,只要到達市區某些區塊,在這區塊裡乘坐一切都免費。

5. Transperth in Fremantle, just a suburb more than 10 kilometers away from Perth, it provides free shuttle bus as well.
五、費利曼圖,只是柏斯旁的一個觀光小鎮,也提供了一條免費的公車單一環繞路線。

There are the free public transporation system I've ever taken, I reckon there are some more few services in other places of Australia.
以上是我曾經搭乘過的,我想在澳洲其它地方應該也有這樣的服務。


From 20081027_Adelaide
The tram in Adelaide
阿德雷德輕軌電車


From 20081105_Adelaide
The tram in Adelaide
阿德雷德輕軌電車


From 20081103_Adelaide
The train in Adelaide
阿德雷德火車


From 20081105_Adelaide
Adelaide Metro info center
阿德雷德大眾捷運資訊服務中心


Refer to the bus, the Perth government is rich probably because the mines. I found all the new buses were made by Mercedes-Benz with some features which are convenient for the citizens, the left side of the bus, the door for the passengers to pass in and out, can incline lower. It's much easier to pass in and out for the elders and disability. Moreover, there will be a board stretching out from the bottom of the door once the passengers are carrying the pram or on the wheelchair.
說到公車,珀斯或許是因為西澳的產礦,政府特別的有錢,我發現較新的公車全部都是賓士的,它有幾個非常便民的功能,公車的左側即乘客上下的門口,能夠調整高低,對於行動不便或是年紀大一點的人來說,降低門口的高度,更容易的出入。另外遇到民眾推嬰兒車或是坐輪椅,會有一塊板子從門口底端伸出。

From 20090306_Melbourne_Moomba
Tram in Melbourne
墨爾本輕軌電車


From 20090227_Melbourne
Free tram in Melbourne
墨爾本免費輕軌電車


From 20090227_Melbourne
Melbourne center station
墨爾本中央火車站


The ticket price in Adelaide is cheaper compared to those above, they provides many kinds of ticket, single use ticket, ten times ticket is much cheaper than the single use ticket, it also has the effect of encouraging the citizens to take public transporation system.
阿德雷德的大眾捷運票價應該是上面幾個中較為便宜的,他們車票的種類有分多種,最一般的就是單次票價,也有所謂的十次票價,一張票用十次,平均之後的費用更為低廉,也能達到鼓勵民眾搭乘的效果。


From 20090318_Sydney_DarlingHarbour
Sydney monorail
雪梨單軌電車


From 20090319_OperaHouse
Sydney monorail
雪梨單軌電車


From 20090320_StarCity
Sydney light rail
雪梨輕軌電車


From 20090321_TheRocks
雪梨免費接駁車


From 20090324_Sydney_Night
Sydney circular quay
雪梨環型碼頭


From 20090409_LittleBay_EasterRoyalShow
Sydney circular quay and ferry
雪梨環型碼頭和渡輪


From 20090408_CockatooIsland_Mosman_SydneyHarbourNationakPark_TheSpit_Manly
The large ferry on the way to Manly
前往 Manly 的大型渡輪


From 20090402_SydneyFishMarket_UTS
Sydney central station
雪梨中央火車站


From 20090402_SydneyFishMarket_UTS
Sydney central station
雪梨中央火車站


From 20090427_BlueMountain
Peculiar double-deck train in Sydney
雪梨特有的雙層火車廂


From 20090427_BlueMountain
Peculiar double-deck train in Sydney
雪梨特有的雙層火車廂


From 20090327_Sydney
Sydney weekly ticket which is unlimited, with it you can take bus, train and ferry as many times as you want
雪梨大眾運輸的週票,一週內無限制使用,可坐火車、巴士、渡輪


From 20090529_AliceSprings
Bus in Alice Spring
愛麗絲泉的公車


From 20090529_AliceSprings
Bus in Alice Spring
愛麗絲泉的公車