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Surfers Paradise Hotels: 172 Reviews - 327 Photos
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Port Douglas Hotels: 246 Reviews - 578 Photos
Geelong Hotels: 366 Reviews - 606 Photos
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Australia Local Customs

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Most Viewed Local Customs in Australia

151.

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

152.

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

153.

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

154.

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

155.

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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156.

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

157.

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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158.

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

159.

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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160.

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

161.

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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162.

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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163.

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

164.

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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165.

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

166.

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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167.

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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168.

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

169.

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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170.

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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171.

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

172.

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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173.

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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174.

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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175.

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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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Fly on the wall

by iandsmith

There's an old saying that Australians will bet on two flies climbing up a wall. As with all humour, there's some truth in it.Aussies, more particularly males, do like a flutter. The trouble is that some of the things they bet on are, to be polite, crazy.I mean, betting on camel races isn't unusual and that's one of the things you can punt on but, try these next ones: Mouse races! You can catch up with that one in a place called Bylong. Yabbie races!! A yabbie is a freshwater crayfish in case you didn't know and they have a derby in Charleville in outback Queensland. Guinea pigs!!! You can find these contests at The Pinnacle. My personal favourite is the World Lizard Racing Championships (blue tongues {a type of lizard} preferred). You can take your entry for these to Eulo.All in all, you'll find no shortage of takers if you have some spare money. Where did I put my entry for the snail...

Anzac biscuits

by Kate-Me

One of Australian's national foods (well, it's a biscuit actually) that you might not be aware of is the Anzac biscuit (New Zealand also lay claim to having invented this biscuit). They're eaten all year round, but I notice these days that they're starting to be found in supermarkets too - just at Anzac day (commemorating when Australia and NZ fought side by side in the world wars)The main ingredients are flour, butter, rolled oats, sugar and golden syrup.

Vegemite

by seagoingJLW

Vegemite is a yeast extract spread made from a by product in the manufacture of beer with vegetable and spice additives. It is most definitely an acquired taste.Dr. Cyril P. Callister invented the first vegemite spread. There followed a national competition in 1923 to find a name for it.. In 1935 the recipe and manufacturing methods were sold to Kraft Foods.In Australia 22.7 million jars are manufactured yearly. For every jar that is exported, 30 jars are sold in Australia.

GST - Goods and Services Tax

by keeweechic

GST (Goods and Services Tax) was introduced on July 1, 2000. The Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) enables international visitors to claim a refund of the GST and Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) that you pay on goods bought in Australia, whether used during the holiday or not. The refund applies only to goods taken as hand luggage when leaving the country, after going through passport control. The refund will be paid on goods costing $300 or more, bought from the same store, no earlier than 30 days before leaving the country. Visitors may purchase several lower-priced items from the one store, either at the one time or over several occasions within the 30-day period, provided the total purchase amounts to $300 or more and the goods are covered by the one tax invoice. If you are leaving Australia through an international airport, you can collect your refund in cash on departure (up to $200), or...

Unusual Facts

by keeweechic

* Swimming - In 1838 it was declared illegal to swim at public beaches during the day! This law was enforced until 1902. * The Female vote - Australia was the second country to give women the vote.* The Police force - Australia's first police force was a band of 12 of the most well behaved Convicts Alcohol- It has been reported that the first European settlers in Australia drank more alcohol per head of population than any other community in the history of mankind.* The world's longest continuous fence known as the 'dingo fence', runs through central Queensland for 5,531 kilometres. It is 1.8 metres high and is designed to keep sheep safe from Australia's native dog.* Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. It's about the same size as the 48 mainland states of the USA and 50 per cent larger than Europe, but has the lowest population density in the world - only two people per...

Weather

by keeweechic

The seasons in Australia are in reverse of the Northern Hemisphere. June is the start of winter & December is the official beginning of summer. Australia is large and covers a range of climates from mild to tropical. The northern portion of Australia is warm year round and quite tropical. There are two main seasons - Wet (summer - November to March) and Dry (April through October). Anytime is a good time to visit, but December - February typhoons are likely and some roads may flood out. The southeastern section of Australia has a wonderful temperate climate (similar to California and the Pacific Northwest). Western and central Australia gets hot in their summer and mild in winter; with the central areas having more of a desert-like climate.

Dreamtime

by keeweechic

This is part of the Aboriginal culture and is most often used to refer to the 'time before time'. It also explains the birth and customs of the Aboriginal people and their land. Aboriginals believe that life today can be traced back to the Dreamtime or the beginnings of Creation. They are believed to have the longest continuous culture of any group of people on earth and their folklore tells of their Spirit Ancestors who travelled in all directions across Australia and major events that went to establishing formations in the landscape as is seen today. Many of the events of those times are still re-enacted in dance and mine form ceremonies. Australian animals are also included in the dreamtime myths and legends and Aboriginal art depicting the dreamtime has been painted in walls of caves and rocks for more than a century. The Dreamtime actually contains many parts which not only tells of...

Uluru

by keeweechic

The image of Uluru (or Ayers Rock) has been seen all around the world in advertisements for Australia. This large 348 metre rock is said to be the largest free-standing rock monolith on the earth. Europeans named it Ayers Rock came after South Australian Premier Sir Henry Ayers but in 1987, the name was changed to the Aboriginal name of Uluru. The park on which Uluru is found covers 132,566 hectares, is World Heritage listed and is home to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people (also known as Anangu). You can view Aboriginal carvings and paintings in this area but the sacred sites are closed to the public.

The Didgeridoo

by keeweechic

The Didgeridoo`s are wind instruments (similar to a long big flute) of the Aboriginal people and have been played by them for thousands of years. The timber is apparently selected by tapping the eucalyptus tree to see if it had been hollowed out enough by termites and if so, then it is right for turning into a didgeridoo. It is then cut to a length of around 1.3 metres and then cleaned out with either a stick or hot coals. The sound produces is of a low droning rhythmic sound and usually used to accompany chants and songs.

The Boomerang

by keeweechic

The Boomerang was originally meant as a throwing stick which was used to hit and stun or hurt its target enough that the hunter could capture or spear it. Later elaborate designs were made which eventuated in the stick being curved and allowed it to get around obstacles and eventually arc back to the thrower. The Boomerang is unique to the Aboriginal people of Australia. It is lightweight and thin with the ends slightly twisted in opposite directions. The lower surface is flat while the upper surface is rounded and is thrown overhand like a baseball and straight out or at a slight upward angle. Usually the boomerang is used for directing animals into traps, killing birds or for games.

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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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