Sure. What's wrong with making a PA in the climb? We make ours in the climb above 10,000' once transferred to Centre and cleared to final cruise level. The work is pretty much done then, and our PA is the signal for the cabin crew to call us for drinks, food, etc. Likewise with just after TOD. Once the descent is initiated there's not a lot to do. We would normally do ours prior to TOD but sometimes you get busy in which case we'd wait for a quiet period after TOD but before 10,000.
Sounds like someone who hasn't flown outside empty Australian airspace then! That description is all but unrecognisable to anyone used to European or I dare say US ops.