Okay, so I’m not actually writing this blog from Humpty Doo. In fact, I didn’t know it was a real place until the other day when some nomading friends pulled up to stay there on one of their stops around the country. But I quickly Googled and found out that Humpty Doo is indeed a town in the Northern Territory, Australia. (Click on the link to discover some fascinating things about this little town just under fifty kilometres from the capital of the NT, Darwin) According to my Googling efforts it boasts a giant boxing kangaroo and a bird watching haven called Fogg Dam.
Hearing about this place got me thinking about some of the other, bizarrely named towns I’ve been to, or heard about. Like Yorkey’s Knob, north of Cairns, where I visited once as a child. Or Nowhere Else – which is odd at best, but even stranger considering there are two towns called that name – one in South Australia and one in Tasmania.
Travel across the ditch to the US and there are some interesting names to be had – how about Winkleman, Arizona? Looneyville, West Virginia? Toad Suck, Arkansas? Vermont Bread Loaf, Utah? Or Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania?
But my favourite comes from my country of origin, Wales. Having welsh parent’s, I was raised on a diet of things called Toad in the Hole, or a Spotted Dick. And the names of the villages are equally mystifying. Perhaps the most bewildering of all also boasts the record as the longest town name in Europe – Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Trying saying that after a couple of glasses of wine. It was almost a rite of passage in my family (I’m the youngest of seven kids) to have to master that pronunciation.
Have you travelled somewhere with a unique, odd or impossibly inappropriate name? Did you pick up any quirky memorabillia? I'm giving away a copy of my January Special Edition release, Made For Marriage, to the commenter who has been to the place, town or village with the most unusual name!
Helen, can you still pronounce it and after wine?
ReplyDeleteYears ago we had a holiday in Austria. To our delight we stayed in an area full of Eggs. Yes, there was a town called Egg with a marvellous park and playground. I have a photo of my youngest sitting on a train carved from a massive log and painted, with 'Egg' on the front. In the park was a circular walk through the forest with lots of life sized, painted cut out characters from fairy tales. I've forgotten most of the the other towns but there was Wotsanegg (spelling may be wrong but that was the pronunciation) and Amenegg (which we pronounced Ham and Egg, of course!). Every day as we headed out we joked about finding Bacon and Egg as well but that one eluded us.
Hi Annie - yep, I can say it. Although it does sound like I'm speaking with a mouthful of marbles.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to go to Austria. And that park sounds fabulous :)
I had to laugh. All those poor children learning to not only say the name, but spell it.
ReplyDeleteI lived in a little place called RISE AND SHINE up in Far North QLD. It's probably the quirkiest I have heard.
Helen, I've often wondered how that Welsh town name is pronounced - now I'm going to corner you at the next conference and ask you to say it. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Marybelle - Rise & Shine is a fab name for a town.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel - I can say it, just don't ask me to spell it :)See you at the conference!
ReplyDeleteEvery since I read your post yesterday, Helen, I've been wracking my brain trying to think of the weirdest place name I've ever visited. I'm not coming up with anything outrageous.
ReplyDeleteI always loved the name of Miss Marple's little village of St Mary Mead. And I LOVE Marybelle's Rise & Shine!
Rach, I think you should make sure Helen has had the requisite couple of glasses of wine before asking her to pronounce that Welsh town. Also, I want to be there. :-)
Nice post. The only place I can think of that I've been that has an unusual name is Death Valley in Nevada.
ReplyDeleteHow about Bing Bong, or Humpy Bong, or even Poowong? Haven't been to any of them. Don't think I'll book a flight any time soon either =)
ReplyDeleteWonder what Rooty Hill is like???
Here's one from Kiwiland (take a deep breath first) -
ReplyDeleteTaumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu
It's the Māori name for a hill in southern Hawke's Bay ans is often shortened to Taumata. It's the longest place name found in any English-speaking country, and the 2nd-longest place name in the world.
It means "The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one". I guess it's a bit of a love story all by itself. :-) 85 letters later, I say, "WHEW!"
Hi Michelle - I'm with you, I love the name of Marybelle's town. And I promise to say the name of that little welsh village in August :)
ReplyDeleteHi bn 100 - I thought of Death Valley when I was looking at unusual names in the US. Thanks so much for stopping by :)
ReplyDeleteHi Robyn - Humpy Bong - fabulous! Haven't been to Rooty Hill either :)
ReplyDeleteClare - what a fabulous name you've come up with! That's what I call a mouthful :)
ReplyDeleteHelen, my welsh grandies taught me to say it, too. And they told me what it means but that part's drifted off into space, sadly.
ReplyDeleteThe only entertaining name I can think of is INTERCOURSE, Pennsylvania. I guess made a smidge more funny because it's smack in the middle of Amish country. So of course we had to stop the car and get a picture...
Nikki, you win!
ReplyDeleteAh Nikki - we shall have to say it together at the conference, like a duet LOL. And as for - ahem - Intercourse . . . less said the better :)
ReplyDeleteClare - you've won a copy of my January release, Made For Marriage - you can contact me on - mail (at)helenlacey (dot) com
ReplyDelete