7 Things To Know Before Visiting Australia
Aussies are hands down the nicest people I have met around the globe… and then being in Australia… well, it’s that chill-satisfied-vibe on steroids, and it’s the epitome of how you feel on a never-ending beach weekend: you must experience it at least once.
Australia was always the second continent I was dying to get my hands on; besides Europe. It didn’t disappoint in the slightest, and it was exactly what I expected it to be… besides a few things.
What do i need to know about Australia before visiting?
It’s best to think of Australia as a culture cross between the United States and Europe – as Australia has the same socialist and healthcare values as Europe but is spaced out and the daily lifestyle is more similar to those living in the United States.
The table below will provide a quick snapshot of the most important things to remember before heading ‘Down Under’:
| Credit Card Culture | Australia is largely a card-based society — tap-and-go is everywhere. You won’t need much cash. |
| City Distance | Major cities are very spread out — cross-country flights can take 4+ hours. Plan for domestic flights if you want to see the country properly. |
| Iconic Beaches Require a Car | Some of Australia’s most scenic beaches (like those along the Great Ocean Road) aren’t accessible by public transport — you’ll need to rent a car. |
| Seasonal Flip | Australia’s seasons are opposite of the U.S. and Europe — it’s summer in December and winter in July. Pack accordingly! |
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Australia
Australia, while demonstrating stark similarities to other countries and cities with blended cultures – is really it’s own place with it’s own distinct way of living.
Here’s a breakdown of some things you probably won’t know until you travel to Australia:
1. You will never hear an Aussie say the words, “Your welcome”.
When you go down under, you will hear the words, “No worries” so often that you will start to say it. When I was in Brisbane with my dad, his iPhone wasn’t keeping a battery – so he ran down to the apple store. He told me he asked someone at the genius bar for help, and that young man’s response was,
“No worries.”
My dad replied,
“You know, I love that you guys say ‘no worries’ because you actually mean it when you say it.”
To which the Aussie replied,
“Ah, no worries.”
Needless to say… they’re relaxed.
2. They love to eat Kangaroo meat
Better known to Aussies as, “roo meat”.
I heard of this for the first time when I was in Italy a few months before my trip to Australia, where I met a bunch of Aussies on my tour. They told me that because the kangaroo population (around 40 million is what I’ve heard) is literally greater than the amount of people (27.3 million), that they eat them.
Why do Australian’s eat kangaroo meat?
Well… Australia is out there. I can’t forget how on the plane ride down under, when I saw the well-known-squiggles near the continent; how we were still 3 hours away.
I was all of the sudden going in my head, “… whoa. This place really is out there…”
Flight screen from LAX to SYD International Airport; December 2018
Because Australia is so far away, it’s kind of hard to put kangaroos on a plane anywhere for so many hours at a time. So, how do Aussies deplete them?
They eat them.
It’s cheap in their supermarkets. They’re into making jerky out of them, too. In Brisbane, I not only saw roo jerky, but emu jerky.
While we were in Australia, my dad asked almost everyone if they ate kangaroo meat. Almost all said yes; that it’s tough but when cooked well – sweeter than other meats. When we were in the outback, my dad asked a park ranger at Desert Springs Park if he ate roo meat, to which his enthusiastic response was,
“Yes, and I love it!”
He began pointing to everyone, saying,
“You should eat it, you should eat it –”
And then pointing at me,
–” and you should eat it.”
“Well… I’m a die-hard vegetarian, so… –”
“– Ah, no, see – I was vegetarian for twenty years, so I respect it. But I was feeling so weak one night, so I went to the store and cooked up some roo meat –”
My dad chimed in how it’s extremely lean; that kangaroo meat has nearly no fat in it – so many Aussie’s view it as an extremely healthy option.
The park ranger flexed his muscles while grinning as he finished his anecdote,
“– and I woke up the next morning feeling like this!”
So, if you see kangaroo meat in the markets down under – don’t be surprised.
3. Things in australia are far away
You may have heard before that Australia is roughly the size of Europe – meaning (if you’re aware of how close everything is in Europe), that you would envision Australia being the same way transportation wise.
But it’s not.
My dad and I went to Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Alice Springs, Perth, and Melbourne. We had to get to all of those places via plane.
Landing in Melbourne from Perth, Australia; January 2019
Does Australia have trains?
Australia has trains, but they’re more like the ones in the U.S. then the ones in Europe.
From Darwin to Adelaide can take up to 17 hours, which is similar to the time it takes to get on a train from Washington D.C. to Chicago. Similar to the states, when in Australia, you’re either road tripping everywhere – or you need to fly to travel between the big cities.
4. You can’t really bring produce back from anywhere
As I explained, my dad and I flew into all of those cities. In every single arrival airport, you have to discard of any fruit, produce, or seeds you brought with you – and not just from outside of the country: even from other territories in Australia. They’ll fine you, if you’re not careful.
Both Australia and New Zealand try to keep their countries and territories pure, but it’s also unfortunate at times. When I was in Ireland, my friends from Melbourne couldn’t take souvenirs with seeds or plants back down under.
5. The hip kids are calling Australia, “Straya”
I also learned this one from my friend in Melbourne that I met while I was in Ireland.
Better read up on some other Aussie slang before your trip because they have loads of it.
6. You’ve been pronouncing cities in australia wrong
It’s not “Cairns” like, “care” – it’s “Cairns” like “cans”.
Same with Melbourne. It’s not, “Mel-born”, it’s “Mel-ben’.
Start eschewing your r’s, pronounce these correctly to another Aussie, and they’ll commend you for it.
Take it from me, it feels good to be accepted into their cooler-than-our-American dialects!
7. Australia is one of the coolest places on Earth
It really is the land of no worries. Australians a satisfied life, and it shows. Australia is everything you think it would be: cities, with mind blowing beaches, and the friendliest people.
Noosa Heads in January 2019: one of the many beautiful beaches of Australia.
If you’re looking for more things to do in Australia, click here.
Last updated: May 29, 2025