16 Totally Aussie Facts
Australia
Unique and interesting things about Australia
Hey ya Straya!
Looking for travel inspiration when you visit the land down under? Or are you wanting an insight into some of the Australian culture?
Think of Australia and you think of beaches, barbies and beers, right? A relaxed lifestyle thrown in with no worries. There’s that but there is more.
Australia certainly does have some beautiful coastal cities and towns. We’ve seen a few. It also has beautiful mountains, unusual wildlife as well as hidden gem getaways. We’ve seen one or two.
Then there is the Outback. Horizons are vast and adventures are out there. Purely from its vast expanses, you could spend the rest of your life exploring it.
Want to experience Australia’s bucket list destinations? That could keep you busy for a while. I’ve seen captivating cityscapes and some beautiful blue skies. I’ve walked through beautiful gardens in Sydney and experienced its vivid lights. I would love to venture further and explore at least some of Australia’s cinnamon red landscapes or fascinating rugged topography. Hopefully one day.
Australians are renowned for their friendly attitude and it is a good trait to have, but there certainly is more to them than just that. They are a multicultural society with a unique collection of diverse nations.
This massive, beautiful country and its inhabitants might give the impression of a laid-back attitude but they also lead busy lives, mostly with a strong work ethic. Maybe because of this they choose to shorten their words or maybe it is just typical Aussie eccentricity.
Photo courtesy of Canva
Before YOU visit Australia, allow me to tell you about some of its mind-blowing, quirky and unique facts.
Photo courtesy of Canva
16 Fascinating Facts about Australia
Did you know that Australia (Straya) is the only continent covered by a single country?
There is a constant historic and continuing, albeit friendly rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney and maybe that is why Canberra was chosen as the capital city of Australia.
We also know they shorten their words like arvo for afternoon and g’day for hello. A few other well-known ones are good on ya mate or thongs for those casual sandals we call slip slops or flip flops.
Want to find out more interesting or quirky facts?
1. Australians are friendly.
We have found that most Australians are friendly and helpful. At times when we have walked on a promenade or on bushwalks past total strangers they have greeted us with a ‘good day mate’ as if they know us. What is that saying, strangers are friends you haven’t met yet? I would say that is quite correct. Some of them even start a chat with you about the weather, about fishing or anything else that interests them, even footy.
Moody clouds over Brisbane. View from Kangaroo Point over the Brisbane River.
2. Aussies pronounce some words differently.
I knew that Aussies pronounced a few words differently but some surprise me, like cordial and well, cordial. You know that concentrated syrupy flavoured mix to make a soft drink? Turns out that Australians pronounce it cor-dee-al which to me means friendly or affable.
Maroon is another one and also often (maybe not always) pronounced Ma-roan. They even have a football team by that name and pronunciation.
Pastel sunset
3. I thought all Australians loved Vegemite.
Turns out that’s not the case. Comments? Ewh! Yuck. End of conversation.
4. Sausage sizzles and democracy sausages.
Vote and get a democracy sausage. Shop for tools and get a sausage sizzle. Same thing.
Saffas (South Africans) grew up with boerewors rolls. Maybe Australians aren’t the only ones that shorten words because we often refer to them as boerie rolls.
The Aussies have their own spin on these - sausage sizzles! It’s similar but not quite the same. In fact some South Africans might not be seen dead with one in their hands. They taste like… well… beef sausages on a roll, often accompanied by some fried onion and a sauce of your choice, which could be red sauce or brown sauce. Did I tell you the Aussies are literal?
That could be a whole other topic but to get back to the sauces you might need some clarity. Brown sauce is barbecue sauce and red sauce is… yip, you’ve guessed it - tomato sauce.
Still, you can buy sausage sizzles outside Bunnings when you are shopping for DIY stuff. The money then goes to a charity. I believe you get them when you vote as well. It doesn’t matter who you vote for, apparently it is an Aussie tradition to get a democracy sausage.
Jan Powers Farmers Markets
5. Just for you: Beer drinker’s survival kit in Australia.
Australians love their beer and there are so many choices of different brands and craft beers. Can’t help you there.
When it comes to size though, there are choices as well. It is complicated. Surely not, you may say. Well, it seems like South Australia likes different sizes although most other states have similar sizes. But not always. Here is a general guideline to the quantity of beer you would like to order:
Pony – 140 ml/ 5 fluid ounces: That is hardly going to quench any beer drinker’s thirst but there you go.
Pot/Middy – 285 ml/ 10 fluid ounces: You might feel short-changed with this quantity as well, but just to confuse you more, it is sometimes known as a handle, a seven or even a schooner in some states.
Stubby – 375 ml bottle of beer: And if you have a stubby cooler then you’re all set and a true blue Aussie!
Schooner – 425 ml/ 14 fluid ounces: Beer drinkers: That’s more like it! But if someone says, “it’s your shout”, then pay up, because it means it is your time to buy.
Pint – 570 ml/ 20 fluid ounces: More comments from the beer drinkers: Now you’re talking, you beauty.
Jug – 1,140 ml/ 40 fluid ounces: Final words from the beer guzzlers: I feel a rip snorter coming on.
Slab – Not a chocolate but a carton or case (24 pack) of beer: Buy these at Bottle-O’s.
Ferry Terminal Brisbane River
6. Footy fan?
Australians are crazy about footy. AFL, NRL, RU and football Australia, which is actually soccer… Moving on, it is so complicated that it makes my head wobble. I’ll fill you in later (or not). Having said that, there is tough competition between the teams, and hard football is played, while kicking an oval ball (or a round one) between two goalposts.
There might be some kicking and shoving or holding down their opponents and I don’t understand any of the rules at all because it is nothing like the rugby I am used to.
Just pick a team – any team and you’ll be alright. Just don’t ask me to give you tips on how to engage in a conversation about footy. You’re on your own there, mate!
Fascinating Ficus tree roots
7. The Aussies have a magpie ‘season’.
Yip, a season is dedicated to these birds, that apparently can be quite vicious between August and October. During breeding time males defend their nests and swoop down on anything that moves until their fledglings leave their nests.
Attaching zip ties to your cap, hat or helmet and painting eyes on the back to ward off territorial birds from attacking you in the spring seems the way to go.
Lights in the trees. Not sure if it is to look pretty or as I have been told to keep possums out.
8. Pokies is big down under!
As far as I know, there is only one country that uses the term pokies and that is Australia. Pokies can be found just about anywhere and originally referred to poker machines. Today it ranges from poker machines to video slot machines.
There seem to be small casinos around just about every corner in bars and clubs and gambling appears more popular than in Las Vegas. If you want to waste your hard earned $$$’s then go right ahead. You win some, but more than likely lose most.
Entrepreneurs young and old, selling things on the kerbside. Sometimes you can even pick up things for free such as washing machines, kitchen appliances or furniture.
9. Lamingtons are the national cake of Australia.
Lamingtons were named after the Lord himself or possibly even his Lady. Lord Lamington, who served as Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901, apparently didn’t even like them, according to some reports, calling them ‘those bloody poofy, woolly biscuits’.
Created in the Queensland Government House, the lamington resulted from cooking chaos from a servant’s error. According to the legend, the sponge cake fell into a bowl of chocolate sauce. It was then dipped into desiccated coconut, so they didn’t get sticky fingers, and served to unexpected guests.
I still think they are messy to eat, but they are one of my favourite sweet treats.
A good spot for some Lamingtons and a cup of tea?
10. Lethal little critters and big creatures in Australia.
Koalas, wallabies and kangaroos? From cute and cuddly to not so sweet marsupials. Venomous snakes and spiders, and fascinating birdlife, apparently 80% of the animals are unique to Australia. There aren’t snakes everywhere. Scrap that. There are. Plenty of them. We’ve seen two, in a short space of time. Spiders too; huge ones.
As for midges, they are definitely out to get you. They are worse than mosquitoes! And you can’t even see them. Once they have given you a nip, you’ll have an itch to scratch - for days!! If anyone has any cures for those itches, do let me know. Turns out they are nastier than those mozzies that sting you. Those nasty buggers gnaw at you, even if they have miniscule mouths.
As for the webs of those arachnids, they are all over the place. It doesn’t matter if you have just eliminated those sticky, silky strands with the biggest broom you have available. Two minutes later, they are back. BTW, I am sure you could haul up an anchor with those extreme strands, they look so thick and intense.
Even so, the animals are not all out to kill you. You might regularly walk through a spider’s web though and learn some new dance steps. The Rumba will have nothing on you.
With the number of wild areas, parks and bushland, it is wise to be on the lookout for any critter or creature though, even in suburbia. But it makes for interesting walks.
Ring-tailed possums sleeping in the tree
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11. About those shortened Aussie words.
Don’t be too concerned if you listen to Australians talking and you do not understand a single thing they’ve said. They have created their own vocabulary by using casual or slang forms of the English language. Or should I say vocab?
Almost every word is shortened. Maybe they just cannot be bothered, maybe that’s the Australian way. Some of them also talk very fast.
Some common words to guide you for your visit, although they might not always be used:
Aussie salute – brushing away flies with your hand
Blowie – blow fly
Bludger – lazy person
Bottle-O - Bottle Shop or bottle store to buy alcohol
Bubba – bub, bubba or bubby is a baby
Bush telly – campfire
BYO - Bring Your Own – often wine at a restaurant or food to an event
Crook – sick, or badly made
Cut lunch – sandwiches
Esky – insulated food/drink container for picnics, barbecues etc.
Footy – Australian football
Macca’s - Mc Donald’s
Postie – mailman or postman
Rip snorter – great, fantastic, “it was a rip snorter of a party”
Spit the dummy – get very upset at something
Servo – service, gas or petrol station
Swag – rolled up bedding or a small tent
Togs – swimsuit
True blue – patriotic
Walking next to one of the many creeks in Brisbane
12. What’s in a name?
Talking of speaking English, Aussies call ibises chickens and chickens are called chooks. The Sacred Ibis is now frequently referred to as a bin chicken, a dumpster diver or a tip turkey. They are scavengers, often opportunistic, and can be spotted at rubbish bins, tips and city parks. They are considered an urban pest in Australia.
Chooks means chickens, and is the common term for a live bird, although some restaurants that mainly serve cooked chicken are known to have the word chook in their name or menu.
Being outdoors is the Aussie way
13. Aussies love being outdoors.
Walking, running, boating, fishing, cycling, hiking, - on land, or on water. A vast majority of Australians love being active and being outdoors. Nothing wrong with that.
Sand bank from Wellington Point to King Island
14. Eccentric Australia
Yip, there’s that. From crab races, cane toad racing to cockroach races, there are some weird animal races.
Australia also has some iconic big things that have become tourist attractions such as the Big Merino, the Big Pineapple, the Big Prawn and the Big Cassowary. There is said to be more than 150 big things across Australia. We’ve found a big turtle! Ok, maybe it is not that big, but it is kinda cute.
Big Turtle
Think you’ve heard of everything now? The Aussies in Darwin take repurposing to a whole new level with a beer can regatta. They test their skills by designing a vessel from cans, plastic bottles or milk cartons. The only proviso, that it floats.
A wooden sculpture made from the remains of an old jetty
15. How big is Australia?
A map does not do justice to the size of the Land Down Under. Flying from Sydney to Perth does. It takes 5 hours. Not convinced about the size of this continent? A flight from Darwin to Melbourne takes just over 4 hours.
King Island Moreton Bay
16. Australians have a unique sense of humour.
Who said Australians don’t have a sense of humour? Not me. I see it every day from listening to comments to doing grocery shopping. Love it!
These are just a few things I find amusing and typically Australian. I know there are many more, so if you know of some, let me know in the comments below.
Arriving in Australia
Calling Australia home
Now that I have equipped you with some insight into Australia, loaded with fascinating facts, let me fill you in with my news.
I know I have neglected my writing and website lately, understandably so. We have been busy for the last few months. We sold our house in South Africa that has been our family home for 35 years. Over and above that, we have sold all our furniture and possessions, some really old stuff, apart from a few sentimental items and a couple of other objects. That’s right, lock, stock and barrel – just about everything is gone! Reduced to less than 3 cubic meters, plus the luggage we had on the plane with us.
It is not easy getting rid of all your worldly possessions especially at our age. We became accustomed to these belongings. Familiar, comforting, some family heirlooms but all part of years or even decades of memories. Having said that, getting rid of most of our belongings have actually been therapeutic albeit nostalgic and sometimes even traumatic.
We realised though that we certainly did not need everything we had. I might regret later that I did not keep a few things but one thing we know for certain, we will be downscaling so there won’t be place for most of our things.
We have taken the plunge and gone on the biggest adventure of our lives. So where have we ended up? We have taken a giant leap across the pond to start the next chapter of our lives. Some of you already know or guessed. That’s right, we’re in Australia.
We have willingly grabbed this opportunity with both hands and have run with it. We are excited about our future. Will there be travel? Maybe not initially. To be honest, at this stage we are not sure what we are going to do except that we will certainly be looking for a new home. Hopefully there will be some exploring, even if it is only on foot in our neighbourhood.
About those magpies? I’ll let you know if I have to run and hide to protect myself from them.
Maybe there is one thing I wish I could have packed - a shopping trolley - they are worse than trying to control 4 toddlers going in opposite directions or crabs heading into the deep blue ocean on the other side of Moreton Island! Going shopping could potentially turn into a white knuckled, panic attack. Those four little dodgy wheels have minds of their own and whatever you do, don’t ever let them loose on a slope! They could just launch off from the eastern side of Australia, gouge the Outback, and end up in the west.
Our boxes only took up a small section of the space in the truck
What happens when you immigrate?
Everyone that we chat to says this is a huge thing in anybody’s life and even more so at our age. We have discovered it is like an overseas trip on steroids, not just average travel for a couple of weeks or even months. Every single sense in your body is intensified. Each emotion is brought to the surface as we learn new things every day. Nothing is familiar although it may be similar.
From the time that we planned to come over years ago there has been excitement, exhilaration, despair, anticipation, self-doubt, and heaps of other subconscious emotions. The last few months in South Africa were even more emotional. Saying goodbye to family and friends, not knowing when you will ever see them again was tough.
Even though we have only been here for a short while, (although we have visited a few times) we have found a few things that are unique to Australia. There are many things that we find amusing. We are loving it though.
We are fortunate to be part of a wonderful family and circle of friends that have made us feel welcome, been so generous and that have assisted us in so many different ways. I thank them sincerely.
Yet, amongst so many people one can feel just a little lonely. Not having your usual circle of family or friends can be overwhelming. Only if you have been through the process can you understand what it is like to be an immigrant or even an expat.
Initially blistered layers of self-confidence flake off to expose a fluid vulnerability. Constantly you are aware that you are different. We might look the same and we all speak English, but pronunciations are not always the same.
We have a deep appreciation for what we have here in Australia. It is different to what our life was like in South Africa. Moving countries has made me humble. I have wished many times that I could teleport some of our family and friends to Australia for a short while so they can see for themselves what this beautiful and interesting country is like. After all, even if you explain or show them a photo, it is not the same as experiencing it.
Does it make us more resilient? Maybe, maybe not. We have had to live in survival mode amongst crime, poverty and corruption for a while in South Africa. Don’t get me wrong, there is crime and poverty in Australia, so I am not just looking at this beautiful continent with rose tinted glasses.
We have had to step out of our comfort zone. A minor thing like going to the shops is actually a major outing in the beginning. It is not our usual place. All the items look different. Packaging and labels takes time to read. New names of suburbs or towns will take forever to remember and similar but different road signs or lines in the road will take some time to get used to.
It can be overwhelming and if you have to do it alone, it can be very daunting. Doing it as a couple has its advantages but it can also test one’s relationship if it is not well grounded. You need each other to depend on but it could be just as easy to pull each other down. It is not easy, but it is how you tackle it.
Still, we’re giving it a fair go. It’s Australia.
I have been asked what the hardest thing was about migrating. Hands down, saying goodbye to family and friends. Yes, I will miss other things over time, but I am thankful for what we had and grateful for what I have right now. I am willing to embrace new experiences, food and culture.
What is the best about moving countries? Being close to one of our sons and gaining more family members. For us as well, a newfound freedom. We can walk without feeling threatened or being continuously on the alert. That will take time to get out of our systems though.
There is something else. Should I say this? Don’t want to jinx it! Having electricity 24/7!!
Undoubtedly, moving to Australia is an adventure.
The elusive visa
Our Immigration Process
The first seed was planted in 2010 to move to Australia when we visited one of our sons. The minute I stepped on Australian soil I felt at home. We loved every minute of our first visit.
In 2014 we had our first meeting with a migration agent. In 2015 we visited our son again. We used this visit as our reconnaissance trip. We took a deep and thorough look at the option of moving over. Apart from Australia being hellishly more expensive than South Africa, we were keen. We even had a quick visit to Brisbane and quite liked it as well.
With some possible job offers, that never materialised because of our age and delays in getting our visa, we applied for a contributory parental visa in November 2016. (NB: this visa is not easy to obtain, it is a lengthy process and it is costly)
At that stage the waiting period was approximately 2.5 years. Soon after that it gradually lengthened to 4 years.
Then Covid happened. Borders were closed and no visas were being issued by the Australian government.
Visa granted!
Just prior to getting the final request for documents, our son phoned the immigration department in Australia to find out how long the visa would still take. There was no direct answer except ‘possibly by the end of the year’. We had searched the Aussie government website and other forums regularly and it was a similar answer, at best November 2022.
Eventually in August 2022 we received a request for further documentation regarding our visa. We needed a medical check-up and a police clearance each. An Assurance of Support needed to be paid too. All this had to be done within 28 days. After that the bulk of the cost of our visa which was a substantial amount.
Of course South Africa is on African time and a police clearance then took between 4 and 6 weeks so we had to ask for an extension to submit those documents.
We were ecstatic to receive the request but also suddenly stunned that this was now becoming a reality after so many years. Totally unbelievable!
Once all our documents were submitted, examinations done, police clearance received and all necessary payments done, we submitted our proof of payments. Within 2 days our visa was issued in November 2022. Whoop whoop!
In December 2022 we came to Brisbane for a quick 3-week visit, then returned to South Africa to sell our house, pack up our sentimental belongings and make the big move.
Finally in March 2023 Australia became our home.
So what have we been doing these last few months? For one thing, observing people!
It is taking time to settle in. We had a wedding to attend, had some family catch ups and of course needed to do some admin – constantly admin. We found a temporary place to stay, bought a car, opened a bank account… I won’t bore you with the rest, but all necessary things when moving to a new country.
Quick links for inspiration to travel Australia:
Chinese Garden of Friendship in Sydney
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A Monumental Thank you!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you that has followed our adventures in South Africa, Africa, as well as international travel in other parts of the world. Hopefully you will continue reading about our future escapades, whether big or small, so do look out for them.
If you are considering migrating to Australia please contact a MARA agent. They are the best qualified to give you sound advice on a suitable visa or any immigration advice. NB: I am in no way affiliated to them.
For anyone that has applied for a contributory parental visa (Subclass 143) and would like a more detailed timeline of our move as well as some relevant information, drop me an email at rmngfox@gmail.com and I will send you the specifics. I will include a few tips and links.
A totally Australian video for you to enjoy:
Explore Australia with GetYourGuide
About the Author
ALMA VAN AS | ROAMING FOX
Alma is a South African travel blogger and writer now residing in Australia. She hopes to inspire you with facts and fables about her adventures, road trips and international travel.
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I think we would be hard pressed to find someone that doesn’t like butterflies. Who wouldn’t be enchanted?
Beautiful, fragile and gentle, flitting from bloom to bloom.