in the outback

In a series of longish posts, Slate writer Rolf Potts describes a car journey through the Australian outback, where finding "the real Australia" is easier said than done. Generally, I can't make it past the first couple paragraphs of the items that appear on Slate--too snarky, the politics guff reads like it's part of a sit-com about a debate team of something, and the travel stuff is usually as exciting as reading somebody's laundry list. This one's worth a look, though, for folks like me who are becoming obsessed with Australia after Dirt Music, Three Dog Night, the Secret River, et al. One of the best moments: "You think this is odd, you shoulda been here last month," Sal tells me. "We had a Mad Max party and a Priscilla Queen of the Desert party at the same time. What can you say? Some people come here to learn our history and see how we live. Others just want to have a good time."