You gota give it to them, their polymer money is beautiful too:

http://www.bankofcanada.ca/banknotes/

Several years back I was backpacking around Asia and that's where I saw this "plastic" money. I thought they were fantastic, the paper stuff around was falling apart yet here was something that I could keep in my board shorts, going swimming with, not worry about someone stealing it from my wallet that I had to leave at the beach, and I could then use it straight away without to individually dry them out again! Or putting it through the washing machine :)

I didn't realise Canada had them too! Kinda surprised more countries are not using them, the security features (like the see through window) must be a lot harder to replicate, as well as looking pretty cool!

They're just being rolled out in Canada. So far, just the 100 and the 50 have been released into general circulation. I'll be glad when the 20, 10 and 5 are released; with the popularity of debit, I don't tend to have reason to carry large bills.

They are using the same Aussi plastic.

So now you will be able to go surfing off Newfoundland and the money stuffed into your bikini will still be fine to spend on the beach.

So to tie back to a recent HN Story... The Polymer money was developed by the notorious Patent Troll CSIRO ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymer_banknote )

* That being said -- while I think the technology is good -- it feels like the selling process is pretty average: http://www.smh.com.au/business/police-refer-securency-eviden... )

The 'patent troll' CSIRO is funded by Australian tax-payers and any money they make from patents is rolled back into research.

You may not like the outcome, but it's hardly fair to put them into the same category as one-person corporations who buy patents with the sole purpose of suing over their use.