Whilst here, Steve kept up his journalistic tendencies with a number of excellent blogs (stevetervet.blogspot.com.au) which are well worth a read. He also kept in touch with the Kent football scene via a number of 'Twinterviews' with players and officials alike. Now that Steve is back in England, I couldn't resist the urge to turn the tables and interview him about his Australian adventures. So without further a do, here is my interview with Steve Tervet, sports journalist:
· What were your initial thoughts when you
heard that you were going to Australia for a year?
I was
apprehensive. My wife had been accepted onto a teaching exchange programme and
the application process had taken a long time, so it wasn’t as though it came as
a surprise, but the idea of being so far from home for what felt like an
incredibly long time was quite scary. The familiarity of home was being whipped
away and although I told people I was excited about going to Australia, I was
trying to convince myself more than them.
· When you first arrived in Australia, what
were your initial impressions?
It
was summer time in Melbourne. I expected it to be hot and it was.
· Albury is a large country town by Australian
standards. How did you find living
there?
At
first it felt quite remote but as the year wore on, I grew to appreciate that
we had been placed in a good spot. We had an airport just down the road,
Melbourne and Sydney were both within reasonable driving distance and the
railway also connected us to the two cities. Plus there were some good places
to visit locally. Other teachers on the exchange programme had been given
tougher assignments, Broken Hill for example. Albury had everything we needed
in terms of shops and the roads were so much quieter than we’re used to in
England.
· What Australian myth were you able to dispel
whilst in Oz?
No-one
drinks Fosters.
· Country folk are known to be hospitable; did
you experience any of this?
Massively.
We attended a church in Albury and the people there welcomed us instantly. It
was the same at my wife’s school – the other teachers made her feel at home and
I was even given work by the principal as a teacher’s aide. We made great
friends and it was very hard to say goodbye. Walking down the street, random
people would say g’day, which was a nice touch.
· How did you cope with the heat of summer,
and the cold of winter?
Everyone
told us how mild the summer was – normally they reach 40C more often in Albury.
We made the most of the hot weather, and learned the importance of sunscreen in
a country where the UV is so strong. There were plenty of skin cancer awareness
ads on the telly so we couldn’t fail to be aware of the dangers. The winter
wasn’t cold by our standards but we only had a wood-burning stove to heat the
house so we really felt the chill indoors. Double-glazing and radiators are
under-rated.
· What was your impression of the state of
football in Australia both from the A League and junior level?
The
A-League didn’t interest me. We went to a Melbourne Victory game towards the
end of the 2011/12 season but ‘soccer’ plays second fiddle to the other ‘footy’
codes in Australia and the fact it’s not on free-to-air TV will continue to
restrict its growth. By contrast, the AFL was on our screens at least three
times per weekend during the winter (as well as all over the radio and
newspapers) so we got stuck into that. What happens at national level is
mirrored locally. The local Aussie Rules league (Ovens & Murray) is
well-supported but the soccer was pub standard by comparison. No thanks.
· Australians are sports mad. What was it like visiting the MCG for the
first time?
Fantastic.
It’s the greatest stadium in the world and to be among Melburnians at the AFL
was a real treat.
· You visited a number of cities and towns
whilst you were in Australia. What was
your view of cities like Sydney and Melbourne?
Once
we had got beyond the tourist trail in both cities, I felt more comfortable in
Melbourne. The trams, the sport and the coffee all seduced me. I didn’t dislike
Sydney but unfortunately the memory of traffic problems there will stay with
me.
· Describe your road trip experience?
We
had a couple. From Sydney to the Gold Coast and back, and later in the year
from Cairns to Sydney. Both were unforgettable, a great way to see the ‘real
Australia’ and to get a feel for the sheer size of the place. I can’t do them
justice here but I wrote about both trips on my blog at
stevetervet.blogspot.com.au
· What was your favourite beachside area in
Australia?
Impossible
to pick one. Coolangatta, Palm Beach, Port Macquarie, Narrabeen, Port Douglas
and Conspicuous Cliff (in WA) were all superb.
· How would you describe commercial television
to the outsider, and also their coverage of international sporting events?
Pretty
poor on both fronts. The best TV shows we saw were either British or American
and Channel Nine’s coverage of the Olympics was painful. ABC put them to shame
with their Paralympic coverage.
· During your journeys, what was the best
place that you visited?
Again,
I can’t really rank such fantastic experiences. The Great Barrier Reef was
incredible and something we probably couldn’t have done anywhere else in the
world, so perhaps I’ll nominate that.
· What was the best restaurant that you dined
at?
Salsa
Bar & Grill in Port Douglas.
· In brief, describe the multiculturalism of
Australia from your viewpoint?
The
tent embassy rumble happened shortly after we arrived in Australia and we were
aware that the issues concerning Aboriginal people are still very much a political
hot potato. In Albury, our experience of multiculturalism came at the school,
where numerous nationalities are represented. Kids of all races and backgrounds
worked and played alongside each other which was brilliant to see.
· Would you ever come back to Australia for a
holiday or otherwise?
Definitely.
· How many times were you called a Pom?
I lost
count after a couple of days.
