The first thing a Canberra newcomer will notice about kangaroos is that they’re EVERYWHERE (and so is their poo.) Although city dwellers in Sydney and Melbourne may rarely encounter a roo outside of a nature preserve, here in the Bush Capital, it’s not unusual to see them every day. Given their omnipresence, newcomers need to learn a few things fast about their marsupial neighbors.

First, the kangaroo’s hop is the most efficient way to travel long distances in the world. The muscles in their powerful back legs act as elastic bands; kangaroos can hop up around five to six feet high. Don’t count on anything except a high fence to keep them out of the yard.

Next, kangaroos are marsupials, which means their young, called joeys, are born not fully developed. They stay in the mother’s pouch to finish growing. Joeys begin leaving the pouch for short periods when they’re four months old, and the mother can give birth to another tiny joey. The kangaroo’s pouch is a wonder. It has four teats and different milks to nourish both newborns and older joeys.  By 11 months, joeys leave the pouch for good. When you see young kangaroos out of the pouch, it’s likely because Mom has a smaller joey inside.

The third thing to know is that kangaroos eat grass. And only grass—don’t feed them bread or carrots. Those foods aren't good for them, and roos can become aggressive in search of their new favorite food. Because of their limited diet, kangaroos will enter neighborhoods and go to the road’s edge to find grass, especially in dry seasons. Drivers should be on the alert at dawn and dusk when they’re most active, to avoid hitting them.

Next, kangaroos are social animals, and they hang out in groups of ten to twenty called mobs. A male kangaroo, called a boomer, is the head of a mob. Newcomers should be wary of approaching the big males, particularly if they square up, preparing to defend the females. The same goes for a mother with her joey. Never let dogs chase kangaroos. If a kangaroo is cornered, he can use his powerful rear legs to disembowel a dog or crush the rib cage. Kangaroos have been known to head into water when a dog chases them. They lure the dog in and then hold him under until he drowns.

It’s hard to imagine the skyline of Sydney without its iconic Opera House. Named a UNESCO World Heritage site, the building is rightly known as one of the modern wonders of architecture. Construction began in 1959 and the building opened in 1973. Every part of the building is a marvel—even the million-plus tiles that make up the soaring sail-like roofs.

Staring at the massive building, I found myself wondering: why are those sweeping curves all in tile? Surely, concrete would have been easier. The answer leads back to the Opera House’s architect, Jørn Utzon. He wanted a white roof in stark contrast against the blue harbor and sky. But he also wanted depth and changes in color, and for that, he needed tile. Utzon envisioned a glossy tile, but not mirror-like to cause glare. And he didn’t want bright white tiles under the harsh Australian sunlight. Inspired by the finish of Japanese ceramic bowls, Utzon took his ideas to a Swedish tile company called Höganӓs.

It took three years of experimenting, but Höganӓs at last created the effect Utzon had in mind by mixing in a small percentage of crushed stone with the clay. These tiles became known as the Sydney Tile. Imported from Sweden, the tiles were placed in chevron-shaped beds in a factory set up under the Monumental Steps of the Opera House.

The Sydney Opera House has 1,056,006 roof tiles. Each one is 120 mm square. There are two colors: snow and ice. The ice tiles are a glossier off-white while the snow tiles are cream-colored. The snow tiles line the outside of the chevron shapes, and the contrast between the two colors and how they mirror the sky is one of the reasons for the building’s dramatic impact.   

The interplay between the ice and snow tiles and the light was meant to recall Utzon’s experience of watching the sun reflect off the European Alps. The roof appears to shimmer and even dance in the different light from dawn to dusk. As American architect Louis Kahn said, “The sun did not know how beautiful its light was until it reflected off this building.”

The tiles are fungus-proof and self-cleaning although they still require maintenance and replacement. Maintaining the roof—along with the rest of the massive building—is a huge expense for the Opera House. In 2013, as part of the building’s 40th Anniversary, 125,000 of the tiles were put “on sale” to the public. People can now buy a digital “tile” from the roof, and the money goes toward supporting the Opera House’s long-term renewal goals. This Own Our House campaign will last until the Opera House’s 50th anniversary in 2023.

The wonder of the Sydney Opera House drives home how getting the smallest details right—in this case, 1,056,006 of them—can have a lasting impact for ages to come.

Back in the States, we knew spring was coming when the cherry trees blossomed. In Australia, it's spring when the magpies swoop. For the next two months, our magpie neighbors in the trees around us will morph into menacing Mr. Hydes.

From late August through late October, magpies defend their nests by swooping on anything in their territory they perceive as a threat to their eggs or young. Those perceived threats include unsuspecting walkers, pets, and cyclists. The good news is that only 8 to 10 percent of magpies ever swoop people. The bad news is they can cause injuries. Since magpies are protected throughout Australia—it's against the law to kill them, collect their eggs, or harm their young—Australians cope in other ways during swooping season.

In my area, the state government publishes safety tips:

• Look out for nesting sites and don't provoke the birds.
• Walk through their territory; don't run. Dismount and walk your bicycle.
• Keep your pets leashed and don't allow them to chase birds.
• Face magpies as much as possible; they usually attack from behind.
• Wear sunglasses and a hat or helmet to protect eyes and head.

 The website Magpie Alert logs attacks by neighborhood and also offers tips.

While I am arming myself with sunglasses and keeping our dog Milo tightly leashed, I wanted to balance my perspective by remembering the good things about magpies.

Five Fascinating Facts About Magpies

1. Indigenous Australians in their Dreamtime stories credit the magpie with creating the first sunrise.
2. Magpies have the most complex vocal sound of any bird in the world. It's often described as warbling, carolling, or chortling.
3. They're longtime neighbors, staying in the same area for 20 years.
4. Magpies have good memories and recognize faces. Many authorities advise offering a little ground beef or cat food to make a lifelong friend.
5. They have inspired poetry throughout Australia's history, including this recent favorite I discovered that describes a magpie's ongoing feud with a postal carrier.
   

While magpies may be a menace for the next several weeks, most of the year they're not a problem. And I can console myself by remembering the prodigious number of insects they eat and their cheerful chortling every morning. As neighbors go, it could be worse.

On Valentine’s Day in 1966, Australia converted from an old pound system to a decimal currency. It’s hard to imagine today how sweeping that conversion was. The change was on a massive scale, as huge as the day Sweden made the switch from driving on the left to
driving on the right. The day of the big change, called “C-Day” for Currency Day in Australia, was a major logistical and public relations success.

Australia’s old system of currency had pounds, shillings, and pence like the British system. The problem was that the pound divided into 20 shillings of 12 pence each, making the math involved in transactions complicated. Australia wanted to convert to a decimal currency to match its trading partners and many other countries in the world. The new system would have a major unit divided into 100 smaller units.

The question was what to name the new monetary unit. Prime Minister Robert Menzies wanted to call it the Royal, an unpopular choice among Australians. Other names were proposed, such as the Dinkum, the Austral, and the Merino. Eventually, the name Dollar was chosen, which was divided into 100 cents, much like America’s system of currency. The new coins depicted Australian wildlife, while the notes illustrated Australia’s history and accomplishments.

Starting in 1965, a widespread media campaign began to educate the public about the upcoming change. The campaign featured the cartoon character Dollar Bill. Older Australians fondly remember the popular jingle.  

Three months before the changeover, banks converted their machinery and processes and stocked up on the new currency.

The big day came on Monday, 14 February 1966. The banks had been closed since the previous Wednesday in preparation. Thursday had been a Public Service pay day, so many people lined up at the banks, eager to cash their first pay check in decimal currency.