Enlighten this yank about Australia

Okay so I finally get to visit your country and stay a few days... I love to be in different countries to absorb the culture and feel of the countries... what should I know about life in Australia? Which side of the road do you drive on? Which side of the sidewalk do you walk on? What foods are endemic to Oz? What holidays and sports are most popular? What everyday life items are going to be different for us when we visit your country? What beers and wines are well made there? I want to know as much as I can about your country, values, customs, slang, food etc... so we may totally enjoy ourselves while we immerse ourselves down under....

I'll bite. Drive on the left walk up the stairs the same way. Look right before crossing the street, it will save your life.

Beer and Wine- Drink anything but Fosters and Yellow Tail and you will do fine.

Try to speak English, most locals will respnd in kind. ;-)

Really Australia is not that foreign for anyone coming from the English speaking world. Other than accent and slang which the Aussies will use on you accoassionally for fun, all is good. Relax, enjoy.

What foods are endemic to Oz?

(That answer, of course, uses the technical meaning of "endemic". :))

Witchetty grubs!

 

(That answer, of course, uses the technical meaning of "endemic". :))

They are for the tourists!!!

We're a long way from almost everywhere else but apart from driving on the left (look right when crossing the road!) we do things more or less the same as you do in America so don't expect extreme culture shock. We even speak the same language! Kinda ;) The best way to discover Australia is to come and experience it for yourself without too many pre-conceived ideas. Relax and enjoy it - that's what we do :)

We are a pretty relaxed bunch of people who love life!

The vast majority of us live near or on the coast and love the outdoor / beach lifestyle.

Try a meat pie with tomato sauce - it is a favourite lunchtime item for many.

thanks for the comments... just looking for those special tips that keep us from doing anything we shouldn't be doing... didn't mean to sound as if I thought you folks were that much different... but even here in Texas we do have our quirks and prefer different foods than a lot of the other US citizens... maybe endemic wasn't the right choice of words :)

As a Texan I think you'll fit right in! You really don't need to worry about making any "social blunders" because there really aren't that many differences, honest! The food is almost exactly what you already enjoy with few if any unexpected "surprises". If you enjoy a good steak then we can most definitely accommodate you! There are also plenty of Chinese, Italian, Greek, Thai, Indian, French, Vietnamese, Japanese, Malaysian, Lebanese restaurants; you name it. It's a very multicultural society, especially in the cities, so finding something to eat is never a problem. I guess it's worth mentioning that tips are not expected or required here but always appreciated if you want to acknowledge particularly good service. Our "service staff" are paid well enough not to rely on tips to make a living. If you enjoy a glass of wine then look no further. Aussie reds are generally excellent and New Zealand whites too. We also do a mean sparkling wine (we're not allowed to call it champagne, the French don't let us, but it's just as good as their version and half the price!). There's a HUGE choice so take your pick. Obviously we have plenty of beers too but if you don't want to stand out as an obvious tourist please avoid the Fosters :D Most cities have a local brew and Tasmanian beers are particularly good - Cascade or Boags especially.

thanks room, look forward to the local beers (not foster's) and the reds... looking forward to my stay in Sydney.

There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of good Aussie reds to choose from so have fun finding your favourite! The biggest seller and most popular red is Shiraz, especially from the Barossa Valley in South Australia but it's available from other regions too as wine is produced pretty much everywhere in Oz. Try also a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Coonawarra region, again in S. Australia. You can also find a wide variety of merlot, pinot noir, grenache and any number of blends. It's a huge topic so if you are a real wine tragic then get a good wine guide to help you navigate the complexities. I just know I like a good glass of wine!

As a frequent visitor to Australia, I am always amazed by the welcome they give to foriegners. Don't be surprised when someone picks up your accent and asks about your stay. Aussie watch many US programs so they are more aware of your country than you are of theirs.

Visit Melbourne if you have half a chance. Brisbane is the San Diego of Australia, a very liveable city. If you get to the Gold Coast, take a drive through the Glasshouse Mountains- and look for the pieman selling pies by the road side.

The Auquarium in Townsville is terrific, and if you are there, go see the Bilabong nature park.

These ideas are just for starters.

Paul

Enjoy a Works Hamburger.

Its got the lot on it.Beef Pattie Egg Bacon Cheese Pineapple salad including tomato beetroot grated carrot etc.

Its a meal in itself and be selective where you buy it.Usually bought from good sandwich shops.

I have been enjoying this thread. My wife and I spent 17 days in Australia in 1989. We are booked on the Dawn Princess around the continent in September 2011. So the comments are helpful

mayyyyyyyyte. (and Paul-ey!) I hope you guys enjoy oz, and get a smile from our way of life!! I do agree with other posters re the tips. Also (my understanding) of Texans are that you guys are pretty laid back, so you will find the pace in oz fairly similar.

Sydney is NOT representative of how I view Australia, far too cosmopolitan and "up town" from my point of view! If you can, get out into the regional areas, and you will get a much better feel for our culture.

Have fun and be prepared to have an "-y" or an "-o" on the end of your names, or get them shortened. It's a habit a lot of us have (hence Paul-ey ;) ) If you can get to a non tourist beach or a swimming pool (municipal pool we call them!) You will get to meet "normal" aussies, who aren't in the tourist industry and in their natural state! That normally makes for a great experience!

Comments for food: mangos whilst delish, often give people an allergic reaction, ie swelling on the lips or a rash. You can pick them up off the side of the road up north, so don't pay too much for one!

Some more so-far missing answers :)

Among the fave Aussie sports are cricket in summer and footy (football) in winter. Which type of football varies with which state you're in: NSW and Queensland, Rugby League is king; everywhere else, Aussie Rules. Soccer and Rugby Union have smaller followings most places. Netball, lawn bowls, golf, tennis, surfing are all popular.

Yes, people in the cities do tend to walk on the left on the footpaths (sidewalks) more than the right, though many are not aware they do this.

Toilets use a different flushing system. Unlike North American ones, where the default state is that the bowl is almost full of water, the default state here is that the bowl is almost empty of water. This difference can be quite a shock for first-time tourists travelling either direction, who may assume that the toilet is broken! :) We are not shy of the word "toilet", though use of euphemisms like "bathroom" and "washroom" is rising.

Lightswitches are oriented the other way - down is on, up is off.

Powerpoints (electric outlets) have individual on/off switches and different shaped sockets. The voltage here is also different, so if you're bringing electrical devices they'll need to handle 240 Volts. (Then you'll just need an adapter for the plug)

At patrolled beaches, for safety swim only between the red and yellow flags. (The number of tourists drowning each year from ignoring this advice sadly has been on the rise over the last few years.) If you need assistance in the water, signal a lifesaver by raising one hand high.

The 'add a vowel' tendency has been mentioned :) Thus "breakfast" becomes "brekkie", "football" "footy", "afternoon" "arvo", etc etc. There are huge numbers of these.

The emergency number here isn't 911 but 000. I am hopeful you won't need it, though :)

The Australian accent is non-rhotic i.e. we don't pronounce most "r"s that end syllables. To our ears most Americans say "weatherrrr"; to your ears we might sound like we're saying "weathah". So, in the mouths of an Aussie, "flaw" and "floor" sound the same as each other. Similarly, so do "court" and "caught", but neither sounds like "cot". (Many American accents pronounce "caught" and "cot" the same, but differently from "court".) The "r" in Melbourne is not pronounced, but the one in "Brisbane" is. The final syllable in both cases sounds identical.

"Aussie" is pronounced as if spelled with a "zz". So is "Brisbane".

To get a drink in a pub, go up to the bar and order one when the barmaid asks what you'd like. (There is a virtual queue if not a physical one.) I've heard of tourists going into a pub, sitting at a table and storming out in outrage 30 minutes later because no one has come round to take their drinks order :) Some few inner city bars may have drinks waiters, but pubs don't.

Visible prices everywhere already include all taxes. If you buy any big ticket items, keep the receipts and you can claim a refund on the GST when leaving the country.

Unlike "aloha", "g'day" only means "hello", never "goodbye" (even though it originally comes from "good day", which could mean "goodbye", but is almost never heard these days).

There's probably a lot I'm forgetting but there's a start, anyway... Hope you have a top time Down Under :D

P.S. This isn't specific to Australia so much as the Southern Hemisphere, but I think worth mentioning - I was oblivious to this for decades, and it seems absurd at first glance, but it's true: the moon will look upside down! :D

While I'm here, I'll suggest that while you're here you try, among other Aussie delicacies: lamingtons, Tim Tams, and some Vegemite on toast... or in a sanga (sandwich). Be warned: Vegemite is an acquired taste to say the least! :)

Speaking of food: your "jelly" is our "jam", your "jello" is our "jelly"; your "candy" is our "lollies" or "sweets"; your "crackers" and "cookies" are both our "biscuits", and your "biscuits" are basically not available!

Pick up truck = Ute (short for utility vehicle)

Cooler box = Esky (brand name)

Flip Flops = thongs (jandals in New Zealand)

Swimsuit/trunks = bathers/swimmers

Ketchup = tomato or red sauce

Sausages = snags

And beware, the term "fanny" as in "fanny pack" or as a word for "backside" has an ENTIRELY different meaning! Same region, slightly further forward ;)

Aussies have a reputation for speaking their minds and it's probably true that you will hear a lot more "colourful" language than you might be used to. It's not done to cause offence and it's not directed at you personally but be prepared to hear a few expletives, especially when the discussion is about sport.

Beer in pubs usually comes in a pot (small) or a schooner (large) or a can or a stubby (short glass bottle). Remember to order your drinks at the bar, don't sit and wait for a waiter who isn't there!

Smoking is pretty much forbidden indoors in pubs, bars, restaurants in fact in any public place, especially where food and drink are served or consumed. So far you can smoke outside but even then it's better to ask. If ashtrays are provided you can assume it's OK to smoke. If you head out of the city you will find the rules and regulations are more freely interpreted by the locals!

love the "translations" and most definitely I'll take a schooner but what should I get a schooner of? what about the slang? Here in Texas we got "sh*t fire" which really means wow and we have yeehaw which means yippee or hooray... come on and keep them coming!

Deason and roomy - Thanks for the language lessons!!

Depends on where you are but for me a Cooper's Green is always a good one.

Oh, and we shouldn't forget to warn about the drop bears.

:)

love the "translations" and most definitely I'll take a schooner but what should I get a schooner of? what about the slang? Here in Texas we got "sh*t fire" which really means wow and we have yeehaw which means yippee or hooray... come on and keep them coming!

Order a schooner of the local brew or ask the bar staff what they recommend. The beer choice is almost as big as the subject of slang. You can actually buy Aussie slang "dictionaries" or there are numerous websites. It would take an hour for me to go through even the most basic terms. Some of them are very funny. Aussie culture has become quite Americanised over the years thanks to TV, movies, etc so a lot of US terms are also used here. I am certain that you will be understood everywhere you go and, trust me, even if you inadvertantly say something inappropriate nobody will take offence. Aussies have that wonderful combination of a thick skin and a sense of humour.

Wildlife: Thanks to Steve Irwin many visitors are under the impression that Australia is literally crawling with deadly snakes, spiders, crocodiles, sharks and other lethal creatures. Not true, especially in the cities. The only think you might see is a spider. They aren't all venomous but to be on the safe side assume it will give you a nasty nip so don't get too close. If you live in the southern US you already know about rattlesnakes, etc, and where they are likely to lurk. And our sharks are no bigger or meaner than the ones you find off the US coast. And the drop bears but we don't like to talk about them.

But you should be aware of the jellyfish ("stingers") if you swim or snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef or elsewhere 'up north' then wear a stinger suit (your tour operator should be able to hire/lend you one) which should protect you. Everyone knows about box jellyfish but there's an even nastier little bugger called irukandji (Google it and be scared witless LOL). Stinger season is November through May/June.

Everyone knows about box jellyfish but there's an even nastier little bugger called irukandji (Google it and be scared witless LOL).

Great, now I have another nasty little critter to stay away from while snorkeling! :eek: :rolleyes:

watch Oprah!

She's coming to our OPRAH house in sydney! LOL!

"And beware, the term "fanny" as in "fanny pack" or as a word for "backside" has an ENTIRELY different meaning! Same region, slightly further forward ;)"

True! How to put this delicately? Women have fannies, men do not.

Also, the verb "root" has a significantly different sense in Australia. The sense it is used as a verb in the States is covered by our word "barrack". To barrack for a team is to support them, etc. This frees the word "root" in Australia to mean "have sex with". It's a somewhat vulgar term, rarely to be read in newspapers and not to be said to the vicar, but not the most vulgar one available for the act (that would be the same in both countries); perhaps equivalent to "screw" in the States(?). Also if something is "rooted" it's broken, useless, no good, or if a person, exhausted.

Thus, a person one is almost guaranteed never be heard of here from locals, and that would raise a smile if described by visitors, is the cheerleader who roots for a team. :eek:

We get a LOT of American TV here. Rest assured most people will be able to understand everything you say, even if you can't maybe understand them :)