Scientists who surprised the international community last week with word that a sizeable Pacific island shown on Google Maps is in fact imaginary, made an even more startling announcement today with the news that Australia does not exist.
“It’s something we’ve suspected for a long time,” said researcher Bob Payne, of the New Zealand School of Geographic Research, who said red flags were raised as far back as 1770, when James Cook, claiming the supposed land down under for Britain, insisted that natives he’d encountered really did show him something they called a didgeridoo.
“Recently, doubts increased even more when alleged Australians claimed to have dominance over New Zealand in rugby, clearly something not possible in the real world,” Payne said.
The New Zealand School spokesman said that after noticing that the supposed continent appeared on Google maps a scientific team went to investigate, but at the co-ordinates given found nothing but a sea of Fosters Lager bottles.
Contacted by Payne, Google’s only comment was: “If we made a mistake, we apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused.”
When not serving in his role as spokesman for The New Zealand School of Geographic Research, travel humor writer Bob Payne is the editor in chief of BobCarriesOn.com.
BigStock photo.
