Prawns sizzle on barbie as Aussies celebrate

"Throw another shrimp on the barbie, mate."
Yes, it was Australia Day yesterday and Aussies in Wanganui were celebrating.
Newspaper technician Peter Vitens was literally throwing shrimps on the barbie ? green ones, he said.
They were for his outdoor lunch.
The former Sydneysider took the day off work to celebrate the day with his family.
"A bit of seafood, a couple of snags, Bob's your uncle, we are away," he said.
Peter crossed the Tasman to Wanganui almost four years ago and said it took a while to get used to the River City.
He had come from four and a-half million people to 40,000 ? "a bit of a culture shock."
Wanganui had grown on him in a good way, although he would like to see the citizens more open-minded, he said.
Then he went back to the prawns, unfazed at using a Kiwi barbecue.
It was time for a barbecue, too, yesterday, for retired Northern New South Welshman Brian Hourigan, who was in the printing trade in Wanganui for many years.
"We will have Australian sausages and a bit of snake," he said.
"We will have a few tinnies too."
Brian said he didn't think he would ever be a Kiwi, having been born in Australia, but he was "fortunate to be living in Kiwiland."
He often went back to Australia for holidays, to Armidale, Northern NSW, to catch up with family and former work mates. Meanwhile, Brian is reflecting on the Kiwis' 24-0 defeat of the Kangaroos in the final of the rugby league tri-series.
"I certainly didn't expect that margin," he said.
"The Kiwis played very well and deserved to win. They took it to the Australians. I thought the Kiwis had a royal chance, but not by 24-0. If they won, I thought it would be by two or five points."
Sales consultant Tracey Gyde, born in Brisbane, celebrated yesterday by singing the Australian national anthem in the offices in which she works. She also expressed pride in her country of birth by wearing green, for the green and gold signifying Australia's colours.
Tracey, who came to New Zealand nine years ago, said she got Prime TV so she could watch Australian shows like those featuring the Brisbane Broncoes, the Today Show, Australian news and the Deal Or No Deal Show.
She missed Australia's "golden sand, hot weather and my Mum."
Wanganui Chronicle bowls correspondent Simon Westby, like Tracey, also hails from Brisbane, capital of the state which provides XXXX beer.
Simon was happy yesterday, not only because it was Australia Day and he planned, yes, a barbecue, but because he had found an outlet, in Feilding, for, yes, XXXX beer ? "out of a bottle, not a can."
He planned to cap the day off in true Australian style ? by watching on Sky TV the Australia versus Sri Lanka one-day cricket match at Adelaide.
PICTURED: Pure Australiana: Peter Vitens has it all in Wanganui on Australia Day yesterday ? the Wallabies jersey, the Australian tiger prawns, the Victoria Bitter, the snags, onions marinated in Victoria Bitter and, of course, the barbie.