5 Quirky Things about Australia
I love Australia and I love Australians, happy-go-lucky by nature, fun-loving, generous of heart and all round warm and welcoming nation.
Whilst finding my feet in mini South Africa, I noticed a few offbeat things and I’d like to share them with you…
…the 5 Quirky Things about Australia:
1. The National Animals: Kangaroo and Emu are not only found on the coat of arms but
also in their food
Spotted on The Australian Heritage Hotel’s Menu
Ok so I was adventurous and I did try it…
2. When an Aussie greets you with “How ya goin?” It’s more of a statement than a question
and usually doesn’t require an answer
3. Distances are measured in minutes, not miles or kilometers.
A road sign in the Aussie Outback (source: www.abc.net.au)
4. Double flush toilets – as if once wasn’t good enough
It’s the most unusual thing. in every home, business and public bathroom there are two buttons to flush. One if for a half tank flush and the other for a full tank flush. Saving water, one flush at a time!
Dual Flush toilet (source: www.carlobonetti.com)
5. They have an interesting vernacular; which despite speaking English I just cannot make heads or tails of this slang.
Check out this Aussie advertisement for underwear:
I’m gong to be honest, short of asking my Australian family I googled the meanings of what these two were talking about.
A few Aussie slang phrases and what they mean:
Fair Dinkum – Used to emphasize or seek confirmation of the genuineness or truth of something
Seagulls on a chip – Popoular
Butter me buns and call me biscuit – I told you so
Grinning like a dead sheep – Super happy
Sharp as a bag of hammers – Really dumb
Pat Malone / On your Jones – On your own
Right-O – Fine
So there you have it folks, next time you’re ‘Down Under’ keep a lookout for these 5 quirky things about Australia!
The Jax
