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Surfers Paradise Hotels: 172 Reviews - 327 Photos
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Cairns Hotels: 1026 Reviews - 2348 Photos
Port Douglas Hotels: 246 Reviews - 578 Photos
Geelong Hotels: 366 Reviews - 606 Photos
Noosa Heads Hotels: 161 Reviews - 380 Photos
Hobart Hotels: 470 Reviews - 768 Photos
Darwin Hotels: 706 Reviews - 1698 Photos
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Australia Local Customs

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Most Viewed Local Customs in Australia

226.

Tipping and Prices Sydney

17 Reviews Tipping is not the norm in Sydney. Americans and Europeans often tip but only because they think it is the custom here. Wages are good in Australia and tipping isn't necessary. Last year, I worked in...

See All 129 Local Customs in Sydney

227.

Aboriginal Culture Perth

4 Reviews Australian Aboriginal culture can claim to be the oldest continuous living culture on the planet. Recent dating of the earliest known archaeological sites on the Australian continent - using...

See All 57 Local Customs in Perth

228.

General Brisbane

21 Reviews Have you heard of the Spider drink? I thought it was common world wide, but evidently not, it is unique to Australia and New Zealand. In other parts of the World it is known as an "Ice-cream soda" or...

See All 59 Local Customs in Brisbane

229.

Tipping Adelaide

8 Reviews Only a fool would tip in Australia. It is not required and not expected. Perhaps people in the tourist industry would act as though it is expected...but wages here are not calculated to take account...

See All 26 Local Customs in Adelaide

230.

Driving, Road Rules Canberra

4 Reviews I noticed that in Canberra, above all other cities in Australia, Ute drivers had something to say. In particular, this driver's vehicle was a rolling billboard, although he had so many messages, I...

See All 19 Local Customs in Canberra

231.

Pako Festa Geelong

14 Reviews The Polish/Australian community.. in their lovely traditional costumes. Many of these people have special schools operating, in the hope that their children will not forget their heritage, language...

See All 31 Local Customs in Geelong

232.

Drinks and Food Sydney

24 Reviews Pure Blonde is an Australian Beer that my wife has come to love. Every visit to Australia she looks forward to her first glass of this frosty brew. It's light, crisp and very refreshing; I rather like...

See All 129 Local Customs in Sydney

233.

Slang Brisbane

3 Reviews Aussie slang is not what usually the word was oriiginally meant for example : someone tells you your gay it does not mean your sexual preference , it means your being stupid. Yes I know new one on me...

See All 59 Local Customs in Brisbane

234.

Tipping, GST Canberra

2 Reviews In general it is not customary to tip in Australia though this is now changing and ten percent will sometimes be added to hotel bills. In some of the more exclusive restaurants it is usual to tip up...

See All 19 Local Customs in Canberra

235.

Baywalk Bollards Geelong

1 Review Too often people drive right through Geelong on their way to the famous surf beaches. With money being poured into redevelopment in Geelong (especially the waterfront) Geelong is fast becoming one of...

See All 31 Local Customs in Geelong

236.

Australian People Sydney

19 Reviews As in most cities; you will find street performers. In Sydney there were several costumed performers at various tourist sites; Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, etc. Take a picture if you must but...

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237.

Brisbane Exhibition Brisbane

3 Reviews This is one of the big events of the year - when for 10 days, the folks from the country meet up the those from the city. Starts on 16 August this year, starting with the cattle judging for the...

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238.

Laws/Crime Canberra

2 Reviews In every state there is a State Police Force. eg; NSW Police When your in Canberra they have the Federal Police. In other states Federal Police are reserved for my bigger issues Such as Customs,...

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239.

General Sydney/Aussie Customs Sydney

27 Reviews Here in Australia they drive on the left side of the road. This can make an American a bit batty trying to get accustomed. Remember when crossing the street to look right. Before the Sydney Olympics...

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240.

Dress Sense Brisbane

2 Reviews Casual wear such as a pair of jeans and a sports shirt are acceptable at casual restaurants and pubs at night. Just don’t wear thongs (flip flops) work boots or go shoeless. Of course upmarket...

See All 59 Local Customs in Brisbane

241.

Festivals, markets Canberra

3 Reviews The day we were in Canberra (Feb 2005), we were lucky to catch the start of a 10 day multicultural festival, held in one of the main squares of the city. There was free entertainment by travelling...

See All 19 Local Customs in Canberra

242.

Aussie Slang Sydney

4 Reviews It was a funny experience to discover the Australian local slang ;-) I was learning English there and I will remember my very first day in Brisbane forever. I was waiting the local bus to my...

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243.

Vegemite Brisbane

3 Reviews Vegemite celebrated its 80th birthday in 2003 - and the jingle first used in 1954 "We're happy little vegemites...we're bright as bright can be.. " was contemporised for radio and television to...

See All 59 Local Customs in Brisbane

244.

Dress Canberra

1 Review Canberra is the seat of the Australian Government and as such the dress code in Canberra is a little more formal than in other cities in the country. For business people it is the norm for both men...

See All 19 Local Customs in Canberra

245.

Australia Day Sydney

4 Reviews Australia Day, January 26th, to welcome the day local aboriginals perform the ceremony of Woggan Ma Gule. The guvorner of NSW attanded and afterwards there was a Q&A session. The perfect way to start...

See All 129 Local Customs in Sydney

246.

Climate Canberra

1 Review The temperatures in Canberra vary considerably from summer to winter. Rug up for the winter months as temps often drop below zero at night and are usually below 10C in the day. . In summer the...

See All 19 Local Customs in Canberra

247.

Festivals Sydney

7 Reviews 49th Sydney Film Festival - where you get to see the BEST new movies from around the world! Australians love the arts and the Sydney Film Festival is the perfect time to enjoy movies and talent from...

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248.

Sydney Buildings Sydney

4 Reviews St Mary's Cathedral - Free guided tours of the Cathedral & Crypt Sundays 12noon, following the Solemn Sung Mass. Magnificent stained glass windows are a feature of this superb Catholic Cathedral. A...

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249.

Historical Sydney

5 Reviews If a student of culture you might be able to locate the significance of the re visit 38 years later....like the trips down memory lane as a cultural thing. But then, go to the zoo and check out the...

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250.

ANZAC Day Sydney

1 Review If you are in town for ANZAC day, attend a Dawn Service. It is so moving; it doesn't matter what nationality you are. Everyone can relate to the memorial. It takes place at Martin Place in downtown...

See All 129 Local Customs in Sydney

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Oversized Attractions for a Big Country...

by M0B1US

One of the weirdest pastimes in Australia seems to be their fascination with building oversized attractions across their country - I guess they've got the space though... ;-)Dotted around the country are literally dozens of giant objects used as local tourist attractions which usually represent something about the local community they are erected.We managed to come across several, like the Murray Cod below (yes that small object at its mouth is me!) whose freaky nature I swear broke my camera as that was the last pic it took!!! :-(The others I came across were the Giant Merino in Goulburn, the Giant Ned Kelly at Glenrowan and a Giant Ant at Broken Hill, which technically is a sculpture...One of the more outlandish examples of this 'Gigantism Craze' sweeping the country is the story of the little town of Dunedoo in rural NSW. Some of you may be aware that the word 'Dunny' is Aussie slang...

We stayed two nights at a...

by Tenzin

We stayed two nights at a lovely motel in Cessnock,Hunter Valley. It could be due to the open door and my loud laughter but a fellow tenant came over and quietly told us to keep our noise down. I apologised and he walked away. Later my roommate next door told me that guy actually grumbled '... bloody yellow men'. Australians are among the friendliest people I know and racism exists in every corner of the globe. But that's the 2nd time I come across it on my 2nd visit to Australia. I'm looking forward to the 3rd visit or more but definitely not in anticipation of remarks such as these. One beautiful virtue of Aussies are their high standards of professionalism and service without a visible demand for tips. Don't let this discourage you from rewarding service over and above the norm. It's always nice to be appreciative to the deserving.The pic above is my mum and the menacing drake wagging...

Barbecues are designed differently

by dlandt

Australian barbecues are built slightly different from the ones I'm accustomed to. Instead of having a regular grill with a gridlike survae that allows the flames up from below, you have what is essentially a large skillet top. The skillet is heated by gas from below. You still taste the smoky flavor, and its good in that you can sautee onions and stuff that you couldn't do on a regular barbecue, but its just a tad different. I was able to cook pretty much anything I wanted on these grills, it was just the first sight that made me try and figure how I got that skillet top off so I could grill me some meat. By the way i think I should add that this seemed to be the standard for any kind of public or shared grill. Individuals might own combinations or some other kind.

Where is everybody?

by iandsmith

It's the first Tuesday in November and it's mid-afternoon. You notice some places are closing up, there's a dearth of traffic on the street. Is something about to happen? You bet! Literally!The nation, yes, the whole nation, stops work for a horse race. It's the only country in the world where it happens and, for someone from outside, it is probably hard to understand but it does give one an insight into the Australian character.It's a sort of "Stuff the boss, I'm here to enjoy myself" type attitude but that doesn't really matter because the boss is probably running the office sweepstake.The race is called the Melbourne Cup and it commenced in the latter half of the 19th century. It's run over 3,200 metres though the original distance was 2 miles and it's almost impossible to pick the winner consistently. No matter what historical guide you use, some unwanted horse often sneaks up (says...

TimTams

by dlandt

I have to extend my thanks to SydneyGal, without whose VT tip I would never have known about TimTams.TimTams became an addiction for my wife. They are simply chocolate covered dual layered cookies that most Aussies tend to eat in the morning. You can make a "TimTam Straw", by nibbling opposite corners and sucking hot coffee through it. These aren't pricey, maybe A$2.50, and if you go to the supermarket, you can find them laid out next to other Arnott's products, none of which disappointed. We tried Wheatens and Shortbread but they make others which all looked good. Look for them in any grocery store or corner market.Although these are cheap, tasty, and fun, I'm still at a loss as to why Japanese tourists in particular buy them by the shopping cart load. Literally, they fill their shopping carts with them.

Beer

by dlandt

Beer is an Australian specialty and tradition. I tried many brands while I was down there and only disliked one, Cooper's. Some of the others, all either reasonably good or good were Queenslander XXXX, Carlton Draught, Boag's, Victoria Bitter, and a few others. Mind you an Australian might not agree with this assessment and probably with good justification. Pubs frequently have their own brew as well, their pride. Don't pass these babies up, they are often real, handcrafted and lovingly made beers. Ironically enough, Foster's is a really minor label.

Dressing for women

by dlandt

Partly because the weather is nicer, and partly because Australian women seem to be more fit, they tend to wear a little less. Other than that, styles and fashions are very similar. Australian women seem to shy away from really flashy or extravagent clothing, but don't be surprised if you see some.

Dressing for men

by dlandt

In general, there is little fashion difference between the US and Australia. The only thing that comes to mind is that Australian men generally prefer to wear their shirts loose and open at the neck and cuffs. The sterotypical denim shirt and cowboy hat is seldom worn, but nicer shirts are the norm, t-shirts are rare. It also goes without saying that in general, Australia has a much milder climate than Europe or North America, and lighter clothing is more common.

Tipping

by dlandt

Tipping is a rare event in Australia. In general, you only tip when you feel you have received exceptional service, and even then, not a great deal of money. I was cautioned that to tip, especially to a member of the opposite sex, can actually make you look shallow and ingratiating rather than generous and thankful.

It's quirky - but I like it!

by iandsmith

Let's face it, when it comes to art, not all people have the same ideas. Dotted around Australia you will see these "gardens".Now, just what the people had in mind when they were making these oddities I have no idea but, thank goodness they had something in mind.A bland side street can be instantly turned into something of interest, as shown in this example in the Barossa Valley of South Australia.Love it or hate it, you can't ignore it!

Top 3 Hotels in Australia

Park Hyatt Sydney Sydney

5 Reviews and 286 Opinions A luxurious setting, conveniently close to the city centre without the hubbub. You can have it both,...

Hotels in Sydney

Crown Towers Melbourne

10 Reviews and 303 Opinions We arrived by limousine , the doorman opened the door with a flourish, a Casino representative...

Hotels in Melbourne

Novotel Langley Perth Perth

4 Reviews and 528 Opinions My partner and I just spent an anniversary night at the Novotel Langley. While the rooms were clean...

Hotels in Perth

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Reviews and photos of Australia attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Australia sightseeing.

Experience Australia

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Local Customs: Cities in Australia

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Questions and Answers

Q: Hi All, My name's Sophie. I am 19. I am Looking to visit Australia alone. I am cheating a little bit as I am flying over to...

A: Be careful about you immigration status. Don't travel on tourist visa if you actually are performing paid work.

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