Liz Dobson: We don't know how lucky we are...

Photo:NZPA / Wayne Drought

In Adelaide this week for a car launch, it's been interesting to hear my Aussie colleagues moan about their speeding fines or the tough policing of their roads.

It's not that the Aussie motoring writers are speed demons - okay, most of them are - instead it's that their police are strict when it comes to driving even a few kilometres over the limit.

One Sydneysider told me he was hit with a huge fine for being one click over the 60km/h limit. Yes, one kilometre.

And unlike here, it wasn't during a public holiday restricted period - it was an average day on an average road.

It seems as if most of the Australian motoring writers are sitting precariously close to the limit of demerit points. So one Brisbane-based journo made the most of driving in Austria (not Australia) recently by hitting 340km/h on the autobahn. If he tried that at home, he'd lose his licence for this life and his next 10!

Whenever we Kiwi motoring writers drive in Australia, we're warned in our pre-drive safety briefing to stay within the speed limit (and not even the "She'll be right, just add 10km") or we risk being given a ticket as a local souvenir.

There was an exception: a Kiwi colleague was caught doing 80km/h in a 60km zone in Victoria's Yarra Valley - though the signage wasn't clear.

A police car was hiding near the 60km sign and pulled my colleague over.

When he heard his Kiwi accent, the cop started chatting about his brother who lived in Auckland and let him off.

When the Australian media heard that they were incredulous - and slightly jealous.
Ha, serves them right for mocking our accent.