The Australians compiled a comprehensive guide for tourists to follow when visiting Australia if they want to fit in with the locals and stay out of harm’s way.
A woman from Singapore will soon be traveling to Australia on holiday and asked Australians what she should know before landing.
And the locals did not hold back.
There were many sensible rules, including always swimming between the flags on the beach, not bringing food into the country, and following safety guidelines when exploring the jungle and national parks.
They also included mishaps to avoid, from making sure you don’t use a fake Australian accent to respecting people’s personal space in public and always staying left along the paths.
The Australians compiled a comprehensive guide for tourists to follow when visiting Australia if they want to fit in with the locals and stay out of harm’s way.
“Stop asking us about snakes and spiders because you’ve heard it once,” one man said.
‘Don’t try to do the accent. It embarrasses us both,” wrote another, before one warned visitors to never walk on the right side of the trail.
“(Stop standing inches away from the next person in line, especially when that person is me,” another added.
An Australian reminded visitors of water restrictions due to dry weather in some states.
‘Don’t shower for 30 minutes. “Ask anyone who was alive during the millennia-long drought how we feel about it,” they said.
When in town, Australians said tourists should go for coffee at local coffee shops rather than chains and be aware of their surroundings.
‘Stop stopping in the middle of a trail or walkway to take photos of things. We appreciate you being here to enjoy the views, but step aside and THEN take your photo,” one user ranted.
‘Don’t shower for 30 minutes. “Ask anyone who lived through the millennia-long drought how we feel about it,” said one Australian.
Many gave advice for exploring regional Australia and how to be respectful of flora and fauna: ‘Don’t feed the wildlife. It’s bad for them’
‘We are not a tipping culture and most of us resent it when establishments try to force us to do so. We assume that service staff are paid the correct award rate and don’t need to rely too much on tips,” another responded.
Many gave tips for exploring regional Australia and how to be respectful of the land.
‘Don’t go into a canola field to take a selfie. “That’s someone’s livelihood,” one person said.
‘Do not check the scale of the map. No, you can’t drive to Uluru for an afternoon walk from Sydney,” laughed another.
‘Going off trail in national parks. “You are destroying the pristine nature you came to enjoy and you may become lost and die,” one user wrote.
‘Feeding wildlife. “It’s bad for them and in some cases (dingoes) it can be bad for humans too,” chimed in a second.
One user warned: “Don’t sunbathe.” Skin cancer is no joke and the Australian sun is much harsher than many places in the world.
Someone said that those exploring the remote outback should be aware of how vast areas of Australia can be and recommended carrying “enough water, food, fuel and a UHF, preferably a satellite communication device.”
“I suspect tourists still don’t understand how desolate the place really is and how easy it is to take a wrong turn and get completely lost,” they added.
Others warned sternly about the dangers of Australian beaches, saying you should always listen to the advice of lifeguards and observe safety signs.
“Without having a clue how to swim, I went straight to the beach and just ‘swim,'” one man said.
‘Yes, swimming on a beach where there is no one else swimming is a huge thing. “No, you haven’t found a secret paradise, you’ve found a death trap,” responded a second.
‘Don’t sunbathe. Skin cancer is no joke and the Australian sun is much harsher than many places in the world. ‘You’ll rarely see an Aussie sunbathing intentionally (unless they’re a complete moron),’ another responded.
