Deep in Victoria's western district,
the Wannon Falls picnic area and campground is an unlikely spot to
see the embodiment of Australia's
anti-Global-Financial-Crisis-future-proofing initiative.
 |
| Wannon Falls, Wannon, Victoria |
It's not immediately obvious.
At first glance, the reserve is a
fairly standard – albeit picturesque – rest area.
Visitors
generally head for the Wannon Falls viewing platform, with a splendid
view of the falls and their hollowed-out backdrop.
Unless the visitor is a twitcher*, of
course! Easily identified by their neck-breaking backward head tilt,
birwatchers gaze upwards, hoping to view elusive Powerful Owl
roosting in the tall eucalypts.
After exhausting these attractions, the
average visitor will most likely head for the amenities – the last
port-of-call before resuming the journey.
However, only the informed traveller
will note the small but significant distinction that sets this
building aside from most public conveniences around the country.
Because THIS loo provides a rare
insight into EXACTLY where Australian tax dollars go!
Along with an
extraordinary opportunity for Aussie taxpayers to simultaneously a)
get their money's worth AND b) make a statement showing how they feel
about it!
Public funds expenditure outcomes like
these provide assurance that government fiscal management policies
and priorities will continue to represent the needs of Australian
taxpayers AND overseas visitors.
Oh yes. AND bloggers who blog about
Aussie public toilet oddities … !!!
Want more information?
In Sicily in some places we still used the "land" as toilet...just to show where our money DOESN'T go. Here in Rome luckily we can use the toilets in cafès, some for free, others by having a coffee or something to eat.
ReplyDeleteYet another sign of country electorates getting only token funding; where are the two screws for the holes at the bottom of the sign?
ReplyDelete@Francesca - Haha! Using the 'land' still happens downunder in the remote areas ...
ReplyDelete@FruitCake - C'mon! I'm sure a toilet was the most pressing thing the electorate needed! Haven't looked to see which side of politics the local member is on ...
ReplyDeleteonly you can take ordinary things and make them extraordinary!
ReplyDeleteanother brilliant post about aussie public toilet oddities!
big hugs!
...love your government's economic plan and management policies!
ReplyDeleteGiven the screwed up nature of the United States government I'd love some tax payer money to go to some projects here in America.
ReplyDeleteOur roads are falling apart and quite frankly thousands of bridges here are dangerous because maintenance has been delayed for years.
Throw in the fact that Muammar Gaddafi wasn't cold yet before dozens of United States senators were talking about spending billions there to rebuild Libya.
Oooo - Inspired by your Aussie loos posts when visiting the widest Falls in Australia - Millstream Fall on the Atherton Tablelands recently, I think I photo'd this loo's twin!
ReplyDeleteMay have to write a post and link it to you :)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteHmmm would be very interested to know how much this toilet cost us, the words economic stimulus usually means the government got ripped off or I should say the taxpayers got ripped off. :)
FruitCake cut to the chase. Where are the bottom screws? The funding ran out? The falls look modest, even after a pretty wet year. Wasn't ex PM Malcolm Fraser's seat Wannon, which I would assume covers Wannon, so a conservative electorate. Marginal electorates get funding. Wannon gets a lavvy, albeit how needed it was and how smart it is.
ReplyDeleteJust too funny!!!
ReplyDeleteOK RED, so its Turkey Day in USA and somehow I just cannot think about outhouses, with a drumstick in my hand. ha,ha
ReplyDeleteGee, you have the nicest and oddest outhouses and I love all of em. I really like the photo of the Falls - that's my fav today.
Be good, take care, love your posts. Being a border town, we celebrate Thanksgiving twice :)
We here in the US like to watch our leaders throw our tax dollars into a deep dank hole. It seems to be our favorite pastime as we keep voting the same wasters back into power. Maybe we could outsource some good ideas from down under.
ReplyDeleteToday however we give thanks on this special day and as it might not be for fine roadside toilets, there is still plenty of other things to be thankful for.
I am still totally bewitched by your brilliant series on public loos. It's made me look for and at ours. Nothing as grand as the ones Down Under us available for us. It would almost be a pleasure to be caught short in Oz.
ReplyDeleteAt least taxpayers money was spent building the toilet as opposed to taxpayers money being thrown down the toilet which has happened on many occasions :-).
ReplyDeleteRed, you really are a nomad! I'm so glad you share your country with us!
ReplyDelete@Betty - yeah, 'quick win' spending is always a vote winner!
ReplyDelete@Beach Bum - scratch the surface and you'll probably find we're not that different!
@Linda - Please do! Only went to Little Millstream this year - so no loo pix of the big one! But can you see the falls from the loo?
@Magsx2 - I've come to LOATHE those signs - they're all around OZ! I'm more concerned by how much was spent on the signs!!
@Andrew - Haha! Maybe someone was removing the sign and I interrupted them?? I suspect you're right about the political orientation ... still, well advertised quick fixes win votes!
ReplyDelete@Mark - I couldn't believe my luck!
@SaucyKod - Thanksgiving twice, huh? I guess that's a good thing! My next post WON'T be about a loo I swear!!
@SFlaGuy - HAha, really not so different under the surface ... Happy Thanksgiving!
@Friko - Funny you should say. I've seen some of the best things where the loos are!!
@Windsmoke - Maybe they're trying to combine the two??!!
@TriGirl - Gosh, don't tell me I'm one of the things you're thankful for today?? What an honour!!! (No, that's not a misspelling - that's how it's spelled in English)
Glad to see your tax dollars hard at work...
ReplyDelete*I* know that's not a misspelling. I grew up in Canada :D
ReplyDelete@Mrs Tuna - Yes, it makes a nice change!
ReplyDelete@TriGirl - OMG, my apologies ... just get a bit tired of explaining our 'wrong' spelling!!!!
No worries. Interesting though, I've never been "corrected" :)
ReplyDeleteNeither have the "wrong" spelling both ways are right.
ReplyDeleteIts amazing how the government can find the money for park toilets and school halls when there is a economic crisis but not when the taxpayers cry out for the amenities. Love your dunny posts. Is there somewhere to click to see the whole series so I can catch up on the ones that i've missed?
So which is the toilet facility? That awful little block of wood in the right of the picture? Or that gorgeous cubby house structure at the end of the walkway? (Knowing how the gubmint don't like to let go of their munny.....)
ReplyDeletePlease tell me it's the gorgeous structure.
I'd love to have one of those in my backyard. If I had a backyard.
With all those minerals and mines that you have when I come over I want to see a toilet with opals!
ReplyDeleteCiao and have a great week end
Alessandra
There are so many double entendres one could use about 'economic stimulus' but I'll restrain myself.... :)
ReplyDelete...however Love Chunks was always fond of getting up from the table and saying, "Well, I'm off to drop a couple of John Howards at the pool."
Das sind Raphael und YvonneSaturday, November 26, 2011
Hi there
ReplyDeleteSuch a nice place to visit a Toilet :)
I like the waterfall.. very beautifull!
Have a nice weekend
Yvonne & Raphael
Eco friendly for sure - they have even installed a rainwater tank at the side and the walkway up is very impressive - just needs a red carpet.
ReplyDelete@Trigirl - My apologies again. It doesn't happen often - but when it does, it's usually about the Bill Gates version!!
ReplyDelete@diane b - You're right, of course!! Weird how I fell into the same trap that I'm accusing others of!! I stand corrected, and my apologies to anyone I offended! For all the LOOS together in one spot, go to the 'General Search Tags' on the of my blog, and click on 'Scenic Public Toilets'! This will give all the posts I've 'tagged' as such, from the most recent to the oldest. Enjoy!
@River - It's the gorgeous cubby, of course!! Pretty impressive, huh?!?! The little block of wood to which you refer is the bin ...
ReplyDelete@Alessandra - Haha! I'd like to see that too!! Or maybe a gold plated one??!!
@Kath - Oh, please DON'T restrain yourself!!! And since JH, there's been a sadly all too long procession of worthy successors ...
@Yvonne & Raphael - Yes, even the amenities are scenic downunder!!
@Dianne - Hahaha! Would LOVE to see a glammed-up loo in an out-of-the-way spot!! Maybe one day ...
Ah, the loos we view! I love them, too!
ReplyDeleteHmm... I'm just wondering with that fancy government sign whether or not the toilet investment went over budget! I imagine lugging appropriate materials here would have logged the first deficit! Such a fun post!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry Red but normally when I go into an outback loo, it's usually because I'm pretty desperate and I don't need any stimulus at all!!
ReplyDeletehaha...well, we all need something to read as we're washing our hands i guess...
ReplyDeleteHmmm...this could be the economic solution that the world has been looking for! Genius!
ReplyDeleteI don't need a plan or economic stimulus to go ... just going is quite alright with me.
ReplyDelete@Diane - haha! Some would say we're weird psychos, but we know better, right? RIGHT??
ReplyDelete@Gemma - Over budget? A government project?? That'd be a first!!! Wouldn't it??
@PDP - Ah, me too. It's an interesting spot for a piece of political advertising though, huh!
@Michelle - for sure, but it's a shame it's not a bit more 'stimulating'!!
@Jim - Just another example of government meddling in things that should be of no concern to them!!!
That is actually pretty brilliant! i think we should do it in the US, so long as they actually CLEAN the bathrooms, which is highly unlikely! :(
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like how we spend American tax dollars too! :)
ReplyDelete@Jen - Yeah ... not quite sure what happened to the followup maintenance funding!!!
ReplyDelete@Michael - Haha! Spending/flushing down loo are interchangeable!
That's a very pretty waterfall. It was interesting to see the results of Australia economic stimulus plan. We don't have much to show for it in our area of the world.
ReplyDelete@George - well... we've got a LOT of signs telling us stuff is happening!!!
ReplyDelete