10 things you should know about Australia

1. Vegemite. Every Aussie is raised on Vegemite, and every tourist must try it. This salty, dark, yeast extract spread is mmmmmm but unfortunately many people have no idea how to eat it, and therefore ruin the experience. Best idea: try it on some hot white toast. Spread some butter, then a thin layer of Vegemite (don't over do it!). That's your best bet to liking it. Some say you have to be raised on it...but I say...it's too good not to try :D

2. Thongs. We love our thongs. In fact, we wear them all the time. You're not Aussie if you don't own thongs. Ooooh wait...you're thinking of underwear, right? Thongs here = flip flops! So when you hear people yapping on about their thongs...don't freak out! Pull out your 'flipflops' and join in the fun. (NB: if you want to talk about the underwear here...just use the singular...ie. a thong.)

3. Maccas. We like to shorten words. Any words. Makes life simpler. Why expend too much energy saying a long word when you could just cut it down in half? Therefore McDonalds = Maccas (ask someone for MickyD's down here and they will just give you a blank look. Promise. Oh, and all our McDonalds have McCafe's in them....they make a great chai latte. mmm). Also, names get shortened. Sharon = Shaz, Darren = Daz, My own: Gemma = Gemz.

4. Aussie Rules Football. We are sport crazy. Rugby is big up north, cricket is big all around, and AFL (Aussie Rules) is big down south. Aussie Rules is real footy. No padding and protection like in American football. It's a game all of its own. Oval shaped ball, vertical goal posts, boys in short shorts, blood noses and concussions, it's a part of life here. Watch this youtube vid below to get an idea of the awesomeness that is AFL.

5. Koalas are not bears. That's right. They are more closely related to pandas than to bears. There are no bears in Australia. There are however, plenty of dangerous creatures, including crocodiles, deadly spiders, and jellyfish...however it's the snakes you most have to watch out for! (Don't worry you'll be fine. I've survived this long!)

6. Australia is big. Don't let geographically biased maps fool you. Australia is 32 times the size of the United Kingdom (with only a third of the population) and roughly as big as the U.S.A. minus Alaska and Hawaii. However, much of Australia is largely uninhabitable desert and the majority of us live on the east coast where the climate is kinder. We have tropics, rainforests, deserts, mountains (although smallish ones), bush, outback...all sorts of climates. It will take you a long time to get between cities (Melbourne to Sydney - our two biggest cities - is a 10 hour drive. Melbourne to Perth - takes several days!). You can get cheap domestic flights though, must better option.

7. Christmas is in summer. Being in the southern hemisphere, our seasons are opposite to those of you up north. When it's winter in the US, it's summer in Australia. So yes that means pool parties, salads and cold meats on Christmas day (optional. some still roast and pretend its winter by cranking the air conditioning up.) This also means our school year starts in January/February rather than September.

8. Sheilas. If you know any Aussie slang word, you probably know sheila. But to be honest, I've never heard anyone actually use the word in real life and if somebody called me a sheila I might get the urge to punch them. Probably best not to go around calling women sheilas.

9. We are amazingly multicultural. Melbourne is home to the second biggest China Town in the world outside of China (the biggest is in San Francisco) and honestly there are some places in Melbourne where you will actually think you are in Asia. There is also a whole street of italian food (Lygon St) and a Spanish quarter. Being such a young country we are a real melting-pot of cultural heritages...this is great when it comes time to eat out! So many choices! So don't get a shock to hear 10 different languages being spoken as you walk down the street.

10. The Aussie Salute. Flies. We have them. Lots in the country. One little English girl I was looking after screamed when one landed on her face, yelling "spider, spider!". It's ok. It's not flying spiders. They're just flies. You will learn to fix this problem by waving your hand regularly in front of your face. This is known as the Aussie salute.

Hopefully now you have a clearer idea of what an awesome country we are.

But there is still so much more to learn...I can only suggest...come and visit!

Check out these sites if you want to learn more:

Information About Australia (Tourism Australia - definitely start here!)

Brush up on your Aussie slang here.

Find some quality Australian shots on flickr.

Got any questions?? Ask me below!