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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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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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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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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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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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...
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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...
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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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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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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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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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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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...
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This small vans for campers are a real tradition here in Oz. You can rent them everywhere and even buy a used one and re-sell it when you finish. It is a good way to "do" the east coast, from Sydney to Cairns. If you are staying in backpackers you might sea ads of people willing to share one or offering shared seats.
Yuck!!Vegemite polarises.You either hug and embrace it or hate it with your guts. Nothing is ever wasted. Where in the world can you find used brewer yeasts been re-packaged and re-marketed so successfully as food?Personally, I find the taste foul. Like Blue Cheese or Durian, it's an acquired taste. It's piquant, salty and the taste reminded me of kimchi minus the heat mixed with sewage. It is afterall, the end-product of a fermentation process.However, it is as Australian as you can get to a signature food and generations of Aussies swear by it. Generally used as a toast spread though more ingenious folks have also worked its way into gravies and other dishes.Give it a gung-ho and decide for yourself if you can acquire the taste for Vegemite!
To a lot of Asians, the first time in Australia is a rude shock.Almost nothing is operating 24-7. The streets are abandoned after 5pm and suddenly a buzzling city becomes a ghost town.On most days, including weekends, shopping outlets/places and tourist attractions close after 5pm. In certain big cities, you may get 2 late night shopping days (til 9pm) on Thursday and Friday while in the smaller cities and suburbs, it is just 1, mostly on Fridays.Supermarkets such as Coles and Woolworth/Safeway[Victoria], may operate 24 hours in the heart of the bigger cities but most may close after 10pm.So come prepared and plan your "to-do"s accordingly.
Obviously not everyone is Australia speaks this way and language changes all the time but here are a few words you might hear while in Australia.AAggro - abbreviation for aggravated, aggressive, aggression.Ankle biter - a small or young child.Arvo - afternoon. Aussie - an Australian.BBarney - an argument, fight. Beanie - a small close fitting knitted cap often with a pom pom on top.Big smoke - the city. Bloke - a man. Bludger - a lazy person who evades responsibilities, often applied to one who collects the dole and doesn't try to find work. Blue - to fight, a dispute.Bonza - excellent, attractive, pleasing. Bottlo - a Bottle shop or Liquor store. Bushytailed - full of health and good spirits.CCakehole - mouth.Can-do - capable and obliging.Champers - champagne.Chinwag - a chat, conversation. Chook - a chicken. Cockeyed - twisted or slanted to one side; foolish, absurd.Codger - a bloke,...
This is a very ticklish subject in Australia and you will come upon a wide range of opinions and sensibilities. Just over 200 years ago there were over 300 tribes of Aboriginals (with 300 different languages) living here. Since time immemorial. Then the white men arrived - declared Australia Terra Nullius (no one owned it) and things went down hill for the aboriginal.There certainly aren't 300 tribes left. Some call it genocide. And certainly some appalling things happened. One thing I find most appalling is that aboriginals couldn't vote until the referendum in the 60s.Anyway, there has been a shift in thinking recently. You may have wondered why the Midnight Oils wore Sorry on their clothes at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.This is because our prime minister John Howard refused to apologise for the theft of their land and other abuses. The Stolen Generation for instance....
This has become a weekend mainstay in Queensland anyway - especially on Sundays. In many outdoor shopping centres, outside big department stores like Bunnings and Harvey Norman, will be a little stall selling sausages on bread for about $2. These are fundraisers for a range of things, such as local scouts and other clubs and sporting teams. One of our favourite foods, and supporting a good cause as well.
Australia’s long distances are conducive to boredom and drowsiness. This has been recognised as a major cause of road crashes in the country areas. Driving when you are tired can be as deadly as drink driving, so do remember to stop every hour or so to stretch and freshen up a little.In many towns, you will find signposts directing you to a “Driver Reviver” station, such as the one in the photo. These are run by local volunteer groups and provide free tea or (instant) coffee and refreshments. They usually operate in holidays and on weekends – the times vary. Sponsorship pays the costs and the idea is to encourage drivers to break their journey and avoid the dangers of drowsiness. If you are driving long distances, take a break! They are signposted and you usually will find them near a rest area (as in the second photo, which began as a photo of the old car in the foreground).
Australia had a long tradition of droving cattle over long distances – that is now past, thanks to modern transport. From time to time though, cattle still are droved down country roads for short distances. There also is “the long paddock”. To explain, many roads across the country are designated as “travelling stock routes”, where livestock may be grazed provided they move a few kilometres per day. During drought periods, when graziers find themselves with hungry stock and little pasture, it is possible to obtain permits to graze the roadsides of the travelling stock routes (water runoff from the roads tends to improve pastures there). In Australian terminology, a fenced field is called a ‘paddock’, so by extension a road with fences either side becomes ‘the long paddock’. In bad drought seasons, they come into their own and can be crucial for graziers.There is a requirement that signs,...
I mentioned in my introduction page that Australia is the most urbanised large country in the world. Given the size of the country, this may seem surprising, but the difficulty of farming in a generally difficult climate without the government subsidies handed out in some other countries has meant that smaller farms must struggle or find efficiencies, often by consolidating and reducing the workforce. In general, large farms need fewer workers (except in specific cases, such as casual seasonal labour for fruit picking) and the trend is to mechanisation. Then even smaller towns struggle, as there are fewer people to support them and those remaining find that shopping is not as good as in larger centres . So the young people move to the cities.As a comparison, here are some statistics I found on the percentage of urbanisation among larger countries:Australia - 88.6% United States of...
Tipping is not general or expected in Australia. We take the pragmatic view that laws setting minimum pay and working conditions ensure people are adequately paid for their work. You are expected only to pay for what you ordered.Having said that, it is common to ‘round up’ the amount paid in taxis, or to round restaurant bills to the nearest $5 or $10 if you have been particularly satisfied. But nobody will be fussed if you don’t.
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,...
Crown Towers Melbourne
10 Reviews and 303 Opinions We arrived by limousine , the doorman opened the door with a flourish, a Casino representative...
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...
Reviews and photos of Australia attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Australia sightseeing.
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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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