What You Need to Know before Visiting Australia
Americans often fantasize about Australia, but very few actually make the trip down under. If you do have the opportunity to visit Australia, here are a few things you need to know before you go.
1. Many stereotypes about Australia are not accurate
Tell anyone that you're going to visit Australia, and their response will likely include something about "throwing a shrimp on the barbie." This is perhaps the most popular "Australian" phrase in Americans' minds. This phrase, however, is not accurate on multiple counts. For one, Australians do not call the seafood "shrimp." They call shrimp "prawns." Secondly, it is not common to put prawns on a barbie (barbecue). Barbies are usually meant for burgers or snags (sausages).
Another stereotype about Australia is that all Australians live in the bush and wear khakis and a wide-brimmed hat. This is certainly true for some Australians, but there are plenty who rarely leave the Sydney or Melbourne City Center.
The list of stereotypes about Australia could go on and on.
2. Australia is HUGE Seriously, Australia is massive.
It is, after all, a continent. It is easy to look at Australia on a map and incorrectly assume that some of your proposed destinations within the country are close to each other. The Red Centre of Australia, and the Outback in general, is a long way from the coastal cities. Along the coast, Cairns and Brisbane, despite being in the same state, are over 1,000 miles apart. Fortunately, however, most flights in Australia are relatively cheap, and the train system is quite good, as well.
3. When Australians discuss football (or footy), they are not referencing American football or soccer
Australia has a rich sporting culture, particularly surrounding the authentically Australian sport of Australian Rules Football. Aussie Rules Football is an exhilarating sport that is played by world-class athletes and is unbelievably exciting to watch. The sport requires extreme endurance, speed, jumping ability, kicking skill, and strength. Kicking is used to pass the football to teammates and kicking the ball between the posts is a score. There is a lot of contact involved, as well. Do yourself a favor and catch a match if you can.
4. Australia uses a lot of coins
Australia relies on coins to fill the roles of A$1 and A$2. So, when the store clerk hands you coins back after you gave them $5 for a $1 item, do not freak out. For Americans, change has the perception of being unimportant and irrelevant; therefore, it can be easy for Americans in Australia to not give much thought to the coins and lose them. The coins really add up, though.
With that being said, Australia did eliminate the penny. Any transaction is simply rounded.
5. Australians use a lot of slang.
A thick Aussie accent can be hard enough for an American to understand, and when the accent is paired with heaps of slang, it can be almost impossible. Australians have a tremendous amount of slang words and phrases. Entire words are unique to Australia in addition to the shortenings of basic words in the English language. Whole sentences can be constructed using only Aussie slang. So before you go to Australia, read or watch videos on the slang that you will encounter. That way, when your Aussie mates ask if you're keen for a Macca's run, you'll know that they are asking if you want to go to McDonald's.
If you have decided to visit Australia, congratulations on choosing a truly remarkable country. From the warmth of the people to the beauty of the land to the uniqueness of the animals, Australia is a special place. Hopefully this article will help you be a bit more prepared when you step off the plane in the lucky country.