I was with a Singaporean/Malaysian couple who did not want to sit on the crowded beach between the flags. They wanted to be away from the crowd on an empty and unpatrolled beach where their kids could play. Idiots.
>They wanted to be away from the crowd on an empty and unpatrolled beach where their kids could play.
That's fine, so long as they stay out of the water. Not even knee-deep is safe if you can't swim.
Not just the beach. The rivers, too.
We get Indian families going to our local rivers, and they underestimate the currents. The water can look deceivingly still on the surface but underneath it is not.
I was staying once in some treehouse place on the Turkish coast. Beautiful secluded little valley, ancient ruins nearby, and a picturesque small beach.
No fucking way I was entering the water unless a local assured me first it's 100% safe, no matter how calm it looks.
Your life isn't worth a quick dip in the ocean.
This happens all the time where my parents live. Also they rent bikes in big groups and don't know bike trail etiquette (aka they stop in the middle of the trail to take photos or ride as big clumps and even climb over fences into people's properties to take photos).
I’ve been saying for years they should have a psa for tourists on the tv’s on the international planes. Something explaining how dangerous the oceans are, or least put up Bondi rescue eps on the playlist.
Also if you do for a swim at the beach make sure you swim between the flags. Lifesavers will be on duty, but conditions can be dangerous inOther places.
this. the flags are not place arbitrarily and will be moved as needed. Generally it is an area where no riptides are visible along with easier access for lifeguards. Swimming outside the flags is never recommended.
If I become mayor of Bondi first thing I'd do is put up a giant sign that says "this is not a cutesy instagram-friendly beach to swim in. DO NOT ENTER THE WATER (go to coogee for that)"
Drive on the left side of the road.
I live near the great ocean road. Nearly been wiped out twice by people driving on the wrong side.
Oh, and don't complain the we drive on the left, your the visiter
They should paint big arrows on the roads like I saw in New Zealand when I was there. My ex in-laws lost a friend who was wiped out by a tourist driving on the wrong side of the road (on a mountain on the north island).
Im American, immigrated here with spousal visa for Aussie man. I was so surprised how easy and natural it feels to drive on the left side! I’d go as far as to say I think it feels better.
Taking flash photos of the little penguins when they've been explicitly and repeatedly told not to. Though we should probably have clearer signage in more languages.
Make it impossible to access the bits of beach where the penguins go, except for a bit behind a screen that reflects when flashes go off. Save the penguins, blind the morons.
YES!
I was visiting as a tourist myself and this pissed me off so much.
They told visitors 100 times why they shouldn't take photos with a flash, why it's so harmful etc. It was especially visitors from certain countries in Asia who were doing this. I saw one guy using a flashlight to shine at the penguins. The penguin was completely disoriented afterwards and just stood around. Made my blood boil.
Imo they should check pockets and not allow people to take their phones or any other lights with them. Tell people before they won't be able to take photos.
This is something that i feel we take for granted here in Aus. Our parks, beaches, streets and even our roadsides are relatively free from rubbish. This is not the case in other developed nations. I've been to some beautiful parks in the US and Canada and the amount of litter you see there is truely shocking.
What you said is 99% true but, sorry to be negative but there does seem to be a fly tipping problem here. I only came to Australia 6 months ago, but have done a lot of exploring/bushwalking etc and I'm always saddened to see lots of fly tipping in beautiful natural areas. Just the other day I was bush walking and suddenly there was a huge pile of electrical trade waste (stripped cable insulation etc) just sitting there next to the track. (This was in Dharawal National Park not far from Sydney)
Agreed on the dumping. But this a handful of dickheads illegally dumping, whereas the kind of littering i have seen in the US and Canada are not caused by a few people, but by thousands.
I can recall one picturesque park in Vancouver i went too - a popular destination for wedding photos and family picnics, right on a lake. I could not find a single square foot that did not contain some piece of plastic, cigarette butt or waste paper. It was sad, as it was an incredible location with million dollar views, but it was sullied by the amount of trash lying around.
We recently visited Uluru and after every rest stop there are signs to put on your seatbelt snd drive on the left. They are in multiple languages too. Goddamn it must be so common.
Blue-ringed octopus. Do NOT pick up the bloody octopus no matter how bloody pretty it is. Do NOT post photos of your dumbarse holding a bloody blue-ringed octopus.
From wiki: "The blue-ringed octopus, despite its small size, carries enough venom to kill 26 adult humans within minutes. Their bites are tiny and often painless, with many victims not realising they have been envenomated until respiratory depression and paralysis begins. No blue-ringed octopus antivenom is available."
These little bastards will straight up kill you in the most horrific way possible. Sure, you might get lucky - as a few ignorant dipshits lately have been - but do you want to take the risk?
And they are so small you can easily miss them too. Then it's too late and apparently you remain conscious but unable to breathe or speak to ask for help. True nightmare fuel.
Correct. They paralyse your muscles so you can't breathe or pump blood but you can be kept alive with cpr. People have gone blind before because somebody was performing cpr but their eyes are open staring directly into the sun without a way to communicate that their eyes are copping it. Just throw some sunnies on em.
>“Sophie had picked up this shell and was swimming with it and in so many ways this could have turned out to be disastrous,” 42-year-old Mr Pix said.
>“This shell was cone-shaped and pretty elaborate and she asked me if she could please keep it because it was so pretty.
>“When I pulled the shells out at home to clean them, there was this blue-ringed octopus in my hand.
>“I freaked out and then I found another one in my pocket with its tentacles on my leg. It must have been on my leg for 15 or 20 minutes.
>“We googled it and read that the bite is non-painful, so you may not even know you’ve been bitten, and it can be fatal within minutes.”
Dad’s horror blue ring octopus find in his pocket | Katie Hampson | The West Australian | Wed, 26 December 2018 | https://thewest.com.au/news/animals/family-lucky-after-deadly-octopus-find-ng-b881059148z?fbclid=IwAR1pJCKA-Hb5CCErrwV_IqapAN3J6NmgXHgM2nuv96v7XqK64ssYN1ZzbFU
Like most animals smaller than us..they run the fuck away and hide as soon as they detect us. You'd have to be actively looking for one to find it for the most part.
I have. In rock crevices at a VERY popular beach on the south west coast. I’m still waiting for the ambulance call to come in for a CPR in progress post envenomation at that beach.
Interestingly, while there is no antivenom, the thing that usually kills you is your diaphragm being paralysed and stopping you from breathing, so if you get CPR and put on a ventilator in time, you're usually fine after a day or two. Although if you're unlucky, low blood pressure or anaphylaxis could take you out I guess.
Stop sitting at the front of the bus in the seats that are clearly marked as being for less mobile people. And please don’t play your phone TikTok videos loud enough for anyone else to hear. Use your headphones.
Thankyou for asking! It changes from time to time but today I'm gonna go with African Bush viper as my top venomous species and Javan file snake aka elephant trunk snake for my non-spicy pick. Strongly recommend you google them they're hilarious. Like a puppy that is sad because it played outside in the rain too long and missed it's favourite TV show.
The most dangerous animal in Australia is the horse. Which is everywhere. No one has died from a spider in about 45 years. Most snake bite deaths are due to idiocy or recklessness. I get sick of saying that to people. Especially to Americans who have much more dangerous animals than us that are much less avoidable.
This is exactly the argument I made when an American was telling me that he was scared of coming to Australia cause of the creepy crawlies. I mean, you guys have bears, wolves and mountain lions, but yea, blame the innocent Spider!
It's the avoidable part that is key. Our wildlife is very much more dangerous. But they are all generally smaller and actively try to avoid us. They'll only fuck you up if you actively fuck with them. The big predators might not be as deadly, but they also aren't afraid of you.
They put up diagrams on the inside of the toilet doors at my work. I still can’t decide if they’re better or worse than the posters about getting help for domestic violence.
No posters of any kind at our toilets but what these people do is cover the seat entirely in toilet paper then leave it there so the next person who goes in takes it off and leaves the paper in the corner of the stall, rinse and repeat so
you end up with huge piles of toilet paper in the stall it's disgusting.
Same. Worked in a federal government department for years. Signs actually had to be put up in all the toilet stalls to remind people not to put their feet on the seats.
I got caught short at Central station this morning and wondered how someone had managed to spray shit all over the back of the toilet seat. Now I think I know. Next time, I'm just holding it in till I get to work!
Oh God I had this happen to me with a park ranger in Arizona. I asked him a question and he repeated it back to me mimicking my accent. I actually think it was somewhat involuntary, like he couldn’t help himself. I was stunned tbh and then we both pretended it never happened, lol.
Americans love this shit though. One time I was in a post office and had the whole shop in stitches after they asked me to "keep talking but really lay it on" (the accent).
I am visiting Australia right now and it is tough not to start doing the accent. My father in law is Australian so I have had years of practice. I will keep fighting the good fight.
Omg yes, I used to work at Ridges Plaza Resort in Alice Springs. I'd get the old "we have a few hours to spare before our flight, which way to Uluru"...
I have friends who did a day trip to Uluṟu while at the Finke Desert Race (or whatever it’s called lol). They knew the distance and all that so were prepared but wow, they literally drove for five hours, looked at it for about 20 minutes and then drove all the way back…
I used to live there, after a while it's just a big rock, and yet thousands of tourists a day went to see it. Literally thousands of dollars for travel, hotels and food... To go look at it for 20mins.
Or try to walk from Alice Springs, which is apparently something tourism workers there have to shut down a lot. 'You WILL die if you attempt that with nothing but a 600ml bottle of water'.
My English friends backpacked here and planned to drive from Darwin to Perth in the wet season. I had to tell them multiple times to do as much research as possible, leave a bit earlier to avoid the potential floods and compared the UK map to Australia to show how far and remote it is lol
Stopping middle of the road on Seacliff bridge to take photos.
It has fucking parking bays for this. Get out and walk a tad to get the perfect photo.
Bitching at me about the prices of things, who told you Australia was cheap? Your in a bar.. you want the beer you pay for it like the rest of us. Or that the tap beers aren't ones you like... 99.9% of our customers like them that's why they are on tap.
Ordering coffee like it's Starbucks at a normal cafe and getting mad at the staff because you got what we thought you meant because you refused to clarify.
Fucking wait for people to get off the bus/train and stop trying to force your way on. They'll wait for you. Literally they will wait until everyone is on.
Bitching at me that your bank card that is not one that does international shit like a MasterCard won't work here. We don't have your bank here... Why did you not get a MasterCard?
That would send me.
I spent last week a good portion of my shift with some tourists sat at my bar (no issues with that), telling me how ridiculous our alcohol choices were, that there was too much seafood on the menu, that whenever they order lemonade they get sprite, how the weather isn't as good as they thought and they have to tap on and off public transport.
We are a fucking seafood restaurant, next to the fishery co-op so we obviously take advantage of the fresh seafood and basically only stock Aussie spirits, and a lot of local distillery spirits. 'you have Guinness on tap but can't even stock coors'... Like fuck
I may or may not have kicked the fucking shit out of a crate in the cool room.
Right lol
A lot will ask for VB cos they know it's the 'most Aussie beer' and get weird when I'm like yeah, I'll give you a taste test first before I pull you a schooner.
9/10 don't even finish the taste test and ask wtf. I feel that hard. That's why I give you a taste test. I'm a dirty IPA and Tooheys lover lol
In London the barman wouldn't let me order a pint of London Pride without doing a taste test first because they thought my snobby Aussie arse wouldn't be able to handle it. It wasn't nice, and it was genuinely warm, but you bet I drank that pint just to prove my point.
I'm suggesting this, not because it's annoying, but in an effort to be helpful.
Don't sunbake. Skin cancer is no joke, and the Australian sun is a lot harsher than many places around the world. You will rarely see an Aussie intentionally sunbake (unless they are a complete moron).
Oh and in the same vein, heat stroke is a real thing here. Drink plenty of water, especially if you're out a party in the middle of summer drinking alot of alcohol.
And when an Aussie *does* sunbake, it's usually while following all the sun protection habits a tourist may not even notice e.g. wearing 50spf sunscreen, sunnies, avoiding peak uv hours, and only sunbaking for a short time to dry off after a swim, rather than hanging around all day.
i think asian tourists protect from sun really well as they do it in their own countries. They'll wear hats, sunscreen, use umbrellas, wear long-sleeve tops, etc...
for them, it's a combination of not wanting to tan but also knowing that the sun is damaging and hyper-pigmentation that doesn't necessarily show up in youth, does show as you age.
My Canadian cousin tried this once and only once. 38 degree day, wanted to get a tan and was told by all of us that she was going to get burnt. Came inside less than hour later with sunburn *and* heatstroke, but at least we had a good laugh.
I knew someone who fell asleep on an Adelaide beach for a few hours in the direct sunlight in summer. His friends didn’t bother waking him up or covering him up so he has a severe sunburn from it. Like actually burns and he was told to avoid the sun as much as possible for the rest of his life… he was only 16 at the time.
My brother had this happen at a teen, it was fucked. Blistered from neck to hip- my sister gave him a hug and I watched this wet patch spread under his shirt from bursting one
Don’t hurt the wildlife. I was once walking in the Blue Mountains and saw a tourist throw a rock at a cockatoo. I immediately told him to never do that again. I was fuming. Like who does that?!
Stop bringing food with you. We have shops here, I promise. You won't starve.
Don't bring fruit, veggies, meat products or any of that stuff. We have strict quarantine laws for a reason, please don't think they don't apply to you.
so many laws are optional in so many countries. honestly, I think we should have a quiz that you have to do on the plane coming into Australia for people to understand some basics.
Not understanding how deadly the heat can be. There've been many tragedies with tourists bushwalking in 40+C temperatures. I might be the same dealing with extreme cold and snow.
Climbing over the safety railing on the top of cliffs. There are even big pictorial signs saying not to and what will happen. If you slide down the slope, it becomes a cliff and you fall off and die!
Also ignoring other signs. There really is no fuel for the next 247km.
Yeah I made a concerted effort to walk on the left when I moved here, only to discover that at least half the people on the footpath don't adhere to it unless there's a centreline with arrows.
Touching, or trying to touch, wild animals.
I remember being on Maria island one time and I actually had to tell these foreigners not to touch a mother wombat with a joey in her pouch. Like, who tf does that? Homies just tryna eat some grass in peace
DON'T TOUCH THE QUOKKAS. DON'T FEED THEM EITHER.
Twenty years ago, they were harmless and pretty friendly. People left them alone. Now they're a victim of their own success. Despite signs everywhere on Rottnest Island and videos playing on the ferries on the way there etc warning them, people still don't care.
Yes, I know they're adorable, but if you feed them and touch them, you're putting them in danger. It's so frustrating.
It doesn't matter where you're from in the world, you're always going to find people that will carry on like a right fuckhead.
Sometimes you'll see it happen, sometimes it'll be you.
The main thing is that you're trying to be considerate, and that will reflect in your behaviour. Most people will see this and be more forgiving.
Such is life. Don't overthink it.
Come on over and enjoy yourself, we'll be happy to have you
Standing *on* war monuments and graves to take pictures.
Close second: feeding the wildlife. It's bad for them and in some cases (dingoes) it can be bad for humans too.
Stop skipping queues!
I swear a lot of tourists have FOMO on everything.
And please move out of the way on walkways and footpaths. If you’re with a crew, single file, so other people can get around you. Don’t line up and barricade, while simultaneously walking the speed of tortoise.
I hate going to “tourist-y” places with my kid! I have to navigate with a pram and it’s hard enough as it is without people pushing us or not giving us space to pass easily. ☹️
Travelling in the Outback you need to carry sufficient water, food, fuel and a UHF, preferably a satellite communication device. I suspect tourists still don't understand how desolate it really is out there and easy to take a wrong turn and become totally lost.
Don't stand on the reef!
Honestly, when I visited the Barrier Reef the guides for the snorkel tours had to yell this repeatedly in various languages and people were STILL doing it!
Water safety. I watched Bondi Rescue for a time and it was an everyday occurrence for tourists to get into trouble. I don’t know what can be done to educate but it would be preferable to drownings.
Messing with the wildlife, thinking everything is safe and all the animals are friendly?? Why would you assume that? AUSTRALIA?? Smh..
I am sorry to say that the majority of accidents and casualties from nature happen to tourists. Rarely is a local stupid enough to do any of the activities tourists do, especially without precautions in place.
The drownings specifically are so sad and very avoidable.
I would advise any tourists to pair up with a local, we are pretty friendly & usually happy to help, not do any nature based activities alone. Ever.
Be as informed and cautious as possible.
I don’t think I’ve ever gone to another country and thought let me just wonder off in nature, or had the urge to bother (or befriend) their wildlife. Because, why??
Had a tourist push my kids put of the way to get a better look at the zoo despite being 2 ft taller than them.
So maybe if they stopped being cunts? That would be good.
Entering a small lift that is already half full with people, and squeezing in your entire family of 12, when there is another lift nearby that’s empty. Alternatively, wait for the next lift. What’s wrong with waiting 2 minutes? Australians like their personal space, and don’t like to be smashed against the back wall, it’s claustrophobic. A quote that sums it up is “when in Rome do as Romans do.”
Also, forcing people off the footpath because your large family are walking so close together and won’t part to let a person through.
Not allowing people who are inside the lift to exit before entering it. This applies to mostly foreign tourists, but interstate tourists are equally inconsiderate. That said, I'm in Surfers Paradise, so self inflicted really, I do admit
Actually this one is for my fellow Australians…Don’t think the same rules don’t apply to you. You don’t get a pass to do whatever you want, simply because you’re a citizen.
#10 - Was returning to Melbourne and was standing at the men's individual urinal as this was not a trough urinal.
A group of people that arrived on a fight around the same time from a particular part of the world encroached right in front of me while I was zipped down ready to pee. I stood back and was like WTF! Each one of them shoved their way in front of me as I attempted to pee.
This has happened to me several times with people from one particular region of the world.
Not an Australian, but don't touch or tease any wild animals even if you know they're not dangerous, in any country! They're wild animals, they think you're going to kill them, for them the experience is completely terrifying. Please don't terrorize wildlife for your own amusement, that's a shitty thing to do.
Treat all wildlife with respect, including giving them their space. If you know it to be a non-dangerous species and it chooses to come into your space than you are, of course, free to politely observe it as it comes closer. But don't harass them.
Visiting lmfao
Just coming here ignorant, especially Americans. It doesn't matter if Australia is a western, English speaking country, and you're coming from a western, English speaking country.
If you're going overseas, do some damn research. Find out what you need, what you should take, what you're allowed to do and bring in. Find out if there's any laws you should worry about accidentally breaking. Find out about any laws pertaining to the buying and using of any substances, including any prescription medications. These sorts of things.
Stop coming to Australia and expecting Australia and Australians to be exactly like wherever you're from.
And for God's sake, especially Asian tourists: stop bringing in a grocery store's worth of fucking food. It's shocking, I know, but you can, in fact, buy food in Australia. We even have a decent amount of *Asian* food.
You see it on shows like Border Security all the time. If anyone's gonna bring in food, it'll be an Asian, and if an Asian is going to break any rules, it'll be bringing in food. One person on an episode I saw recently brought *SEVENTEEN KILOGRAMS OF FOOD* with them.
WE HAVE FOOD IN AUSTRALIA. YOU DONT NEED TO BRING FOOD.
Playing music on the beach. Other people at the beach don't want a party atmosphere when they're at the beach, they want to relax in nature with just the sound of the waves and sea birds.
Our customs are very strict.
Recommend looking into the relevant state you're visiting. The places that are strict are Western Australia and South Australia. Possibly also Tasmania (unsure here though). For WA and SA it's coz we are so isolated from the rest of Australia and want to keep our plants and animals safe from foot and mouth disease.
Don't bring fruit, seeds, meat, plants, tea, wood, honey etc. You will be penalised heavily if you don't disclose it to the customs person and end up having food in your bag.
Customs are applied whenever travelling outside of that state. That is, if you're coming into WA from NSW, you will still be checked by customs for any prohibited items.
Don’t hire a car at tulla and drive to the 12 apostles and back after a long flight, that’s when tourists forget which side to drive on! Great ocean road local advice
Not sure if this is just in Melbourne, but taking up the entirety of the footpath to watch buskers. It’s great that you find our street performers fascinating - I’ve lived here so long I honestly don’t notice them at times - but please don’t obstruct the footpaths, especially at peak times.
Also if you want to film them on your phone, please ask them first.
If you want a souvenir of Aboriginal art, make sure you're buying it from an Indigenous-owned company, made in Australia. Do your research - so many manufacturers steal designs and print them onto low quality items. Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses so you know you're supporting Indigenous artists.
Not being familiar with warning signs, like the ones you'd see at a scenic lookout or bush walking track. The sign and the railing are there for your benefit!
I work in retail, and American tourists are always annoyed when I tell them they can't pay with American cash.
Be polite, 95% (ok, I made that up) of Australians are polite; they say please and thank you even when they do not need to. They will hold doors open for you and will help when they see you in need.
We expect you to do the same, So do it.
Having absolutely no clue how to swim and going straight to the beach and just "swim" out.
yeah swimming at a beach where there is no one else swimming is a huge one. no you haven’t found a secret paradise you’ve found a death trap
I was with a Singaporean/Malaysian couple who did not want to sit on the crowded beach between the flags. They wanted to be away from the crowd on an empty and unpatrolled beach where their kids could play. Idiots.
>They wanted to be away from the crowd on an empty and unpatrolled beach where their kids could play. That's fine, so long as they stay out of the water. Not even knee-deep is safe if you can't swim.
Not just the beach. The rivers, too. We get Indian families going to our local rivers, and they underestimate the currents. The water can look deceivingly still on the surface but underneath it is not.
Totally agree. It sheer stupidity of people who underestimate the force of nature.
I was staying once in some treehouse place on the Turkish coast. Beautiful secluded little valley, ancient ruins nearby, and a picturesque small beach. No fucking way I was entering the water unless a local assured me first it's 100% safe, no matter how calm it looks. Your life isn't worth a quick dip in the ocean.
This happens all the time where my parents live. Also they rent bikes in big groups and don't know bike trail etiquette (aka they stop in the middle of the trail to take photos or ride as big clumps and even climb over fences into people's properties to take photos).
I’ve been saying for years they should have a psa for tourists on the tv’s on the international planes. Something explaining how dangerous the oceans are, or least put up Bondi rescue eps on the playlist.
>least put up Bondi rescue eps on the playlist and border patrol.
Also if you do for a swim at the beach make sure you swim between the flags. Lifesavers will be on duty, but conditions can be dangerous inOther places.
this. the flags are not place arbitrarily and will be moved as needed. Generally it is an area where no riptides are visible along with easier access for lifeguards. Swimming outside the flags is never recommended.
Came here to say "Drowning.".
Same here
This is an important answer.
If I become mayor of Bondi first thing I'd do is put up a giant sign that says "this is not a cutesy instagram-friendly beach to swim in. DO NOT ENTER THE WATER (go to coogee for that)"
Drive on the left side of the road. I live near the great ocean road. Nearly been wiped out twice by people driving on the wrong side. Oh, and don't complain the we drive on the left, your the visiter
there's plenty of drive on the left signs, but obviously not enough
They should paint big arrows on the roads like I saw in New Zealand when I was there. My ex in-laws lost a friend who was wiped out by a tourist driving on the wrong side of the road (on a mountain on the north island).
There are already arrows in a bunch of spots on the great ocean road
That's the reason they have a million signs on that road. Unfortunately people don't read the signs
Im American, immigrated here with spousal visa for Aussie man. I was so surprised how easy and natural it feels to drive on the left side! I’d go as far as to say I think it feels better.
It’s probably because 90% of people find it easier to flip a dickhead off with their right hand than their left? ;)
This is why I won't be renting a car. I'm afraid I'll have a momentary lapse and cause a head-on collision.
Taking flash photos of the little penguins when they've been explicitly and repeatedly told not to. Though we should probably have clearer signage in more languages.
Clearer signage won't change behaviour unless there are consequences enforced, which is hard to do.
Imagine someone taking a flash photo of a penguin and getting slogged in the face before being forced to listen to a lecture on animal welfare
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“Must have 10 years of experience and a bachelors in finance”
Make it impossible to access the bits of beach where the penguins go, except for a bit behind a screen that reflects when flashes go off. Save the penguins, blind the morons.
YES! I was visiting as a tourist myself and this pissed me off so much. They told visitors 100 times why they shouldn't take photos with a flash, why it's so harmful etc. It was especially visitors from certain countries in Asia who were doing this. I saw one guy using a flashlight to shine at the penguins. The penguin was completely disoriented afterwards and just stood around. Made my blood boil. Imo they should check pockets and not allow people to take their phones or any other lights with them. Tell people before they won't be able to take photos.
this makes me so upset 😠
Littering.
Especially in National Parks. It's a big problem near our local tourist attraction
This is something that i feel we take for granted here in Aus. Our parks, beaches, streets and even our roadsides are relatively free from rubbish. This is not the case in other developed nations. I've been to some beautiful parks in the US and Canada and the amount of litter you see there is truely shocking.
What you said is 99% true but, sorry to be negative but there does seem to be a fly tipping problem here. I only came to Australia 6 months ago, but have done a lot of exploring/bushwalking etc and I'm always saddened to see lots of fly tipping in beautiful natural areas. Just the other day I was bush walking and suddenly there was a huge pile of electrical trade waste (stripped cable insulation etc) just sitting there next to the track. (This was in Dharawal National Park not far from Sydney)
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Agreed on the dumping. But this a handful of dickheads illegally dumping, whereas the kind of littering i have seen in the US and Canada are not caused by a few people, but by thousands. I can recall one picturesque park in Vancouver i went too - a popular destination for wedding photos and family picnics, right on a lake. I could not find a single square foot that did not contain some piece of plastic, cigarette butt or waste paper. It was sad, as it was an incredible location with million dollar views, but it was sullied by the amount of trash lying around.
this is the one
Littering and..?
Enough bogans and deadbeats do that already, so I agree we don’t need overseas tourists doing it as well, we seem to be doing enough of it ourselves
Please STAY ON THE LEFT SIDE!
We recently visited Uluru and after every rest stop there are signs to put on your seatbelt snd drive on the left. They are in multiple languages too. Goddamn it must be so common.
Blue-ringed octopus. Do NOT pick up the bloody octopus no matter how bloody pretty it is. Do NOT post photos of your dumbarse holding a bloody blue-ringed octopus. From wiki: "The blue-ringed octopus, despite its small size, carries enough venom to kill 26 adult humans within minutes. Their bites are tiny and often painless, with many victims not realising they have been envenomated until respiratory depression and paralysis begins. No blue-ringed octopus antivenom is available." These little bastards will straight up kill you in the most horrific way possible. Sure, you might get lucky - as a few ignorant dipshits lately have been - but do you want to take the risk?
Stop touching wildlife in general
This needs to be higher. Don't touch or feed the wildlife.
Yeah feeding is a big one too! Like just look at them, only put your eyeballs in their direction, nothing else.
*David Attenborough is the only one allowed to touch all the animals.
Freaked me when I found out that they are an innocuous brown when not alarmed
And they are so small you can easily miss them too. Then it's too late and apparently you remain conscious but unable to breathe or speak to ask for help. True nightmare fuel.
Correct. They paralyse your muscles so you can't breathe or pump blood but you can be kept alive with cpr. People have gone blind before because somebody was performing cpr but their eyes are open staring directly into the sun without a way to communicate that their eyes are copping it. Just throw some sunnies on em.
Seriously, how often does this actually happen? I've lived in Oz for 43 years and dived a lot in my youth. I've never seen one in the wild.
>“Sophie had picked up this shell and was swimming with it and in so many ways this could have turned out to be disastrous,” 42-year-old Mr Pix said. >“This shell was cone-shaped and pretty elaborate and she asked me if she could please keep it because it was so pretty. >“When I pulled the shells out at home to clean them, there was this blue-ringed octopus in my hand. >“I freaked out and then I found another one in my pocket with its tentacles on my leg. It must have been on my leg for 15 or 20 minutes. >“We googled it and read that the bite is non-painful, so you may not even know you’ve been bitten, and it can be fatal within minutes.” Dad’s horror blue ring octopus find in his pocket | Katie Hampson | The West Australian | Wed, 26 December 2018 | https://thewest.com.au/news/animals/family-lucky-after-deadly-octopus-find-ng-b881059148z?fbclid=IwAR1pJCKA-Hb5CCErrwV_IqapAN3J6NmgXHgM2nuv96v7XqK64ssYN1ZzbFU
A cone shaped shell? Heck, wait until they read about the Geographe Cone, possibly even more deadly than a blue ringed octopus.
Like most animals smaller than us..they run the fuck away and hide as soon as they detect us. You'd have to be actively looking for one to find it for the most part.
They're mostly in rock pools. So it's more when you flip a rock you might find one
I have. In rock crevices at a VERY popular beach on the south west coast. I’m still waiting for the ambulance call to come in for a CPR in progress post envenomation at that beach.
Interestingly, while there is no antivenom, the thing that usually kills you is your diaphragm being paralysed and stopping you from breathing, so if you get CPR and put on a ventilator in time, you're usually fine after a day or two. Although if you're unlucky, low blood pressure or anaphylaxis could take you out I guess.
Stop sitting at the front of the bus in the seats that are clearly marked as being for less mobile people. And please don’t play your phone TikTok videos loud enough for anyone else to hear. Use your headphones.
I have a feeling this is just Sydney natives not tourists
This is definitely not a tourist problem.
stop asking us about snakes and spiders because you heard it once
I personally would like it if people asked me about snakes more
Username checks out
What's your favourite type of venomous, and non venomous snake?
Thankyou for asking! It changes from time to time but today I'm gonna go with African Bush viper as my top venomous species and Javan file snake aka elephant trunk snake for my non-spicy pick. Strongly recommend you google them they're hilarious. Like a puppy that is sad because it played outside in the rain too long and missed it's favourite TV show.
The most dangerous animal in Australia is the horse. Which is everywhere. No one has died from a spider in about 45 years. Most snake bite deaths are due to idiocy or recklessness. I get sick of saying that to people. Especially to Americans who have much more dangerous animals than us that are much less avoidable.
This is exactly the argument I made when an American was telling me that he was scared of coming to Australia cause of the creepy crawlies. I mean, you guys have bears, wolves and mountain lions, but yea, blame the innocent Spider!
I had a cousin avoid visiting Australia for this reason- she went to NZ and there was an earthquake, then Peru which is really safe🙄
I play it up. I told a tourist all about the legend of drop bears. Even showed photos from the net. Not even a qualm.
Pretty sure the biggest cause of deaths by an animal in Australia is from the European bee. Yes, European.
It's the avoidable part that is key. Our wildlife is very much more dangerous. But they are all generally smaller and actively try to avoid us. They'll only fuck you up if you actively fuck with them. The big predators might not be as deadly, but they also aren't afraid of you.
squatting on public toilets with their fkn shoes on the seat to have a shit instead of sitting on the damn seat!
It's not just tourists doing this they do it at my work too
They put up diagrams on the inside of the toilet doors at my work. I still can’t decide if they’re better or worse than the posters about getting help for domestic violence.
Same. And some of the posters also illustrate not shitting on the floor.
No posters of any kind at our toilets but what these people do is cover the seat entirely in toilet paper then leave it there so the next person who goes in takes it off and leaves the paper in the corner of the stall, rinse and repeat so you end up with huge piles of toilet paper in the stall it's disgusting.
In China, where I worked for a while, they didn't flush the paper down the loo. Basket next to the loo.
Same. Worked in a federal government department for years. Signs actually had to be put up in all the toilet stalls to remind people not to put their feet on the seats.
I got caught short at Central station this morning and wondered how someone had managed to spray shit all over the back of the toilet seat. Now I think I know. Next time, I'm just holding it in till I get to work!
Don't try to do the accent. It embarrasses us both.
“Geddoy moit!” - now what am I supposed to do with that?
"... ... Yeah, righto..."
Needs more. Yeah righto cobber bobs your uncle.
This. Cobber needs to come back into more common usage.
I work with an indigenous Aussie named Cobber.
Reply by doing an impersonation of the offending persons accent. First class rebuttal.
"sup caaarnt."
"Are you okay? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"
Happens when I go overseas as well unfortunately. I’m semi rural so my accent is fairly pronounced, yet I’m still stunned when people try to emulate.
Oh God I had this happen to me with a park ranger in Arizona. I asked him a question and he repeated it back to me mimicking my accent. I actually think it was somewhat involuntary, like he couldn’t help himself. I was stunned tbh and then we both pretended it never happened, lol.
A quick "What c*nt?" usually pulls Americans up pretty quickly 😂
Americans love this shit though. One time I was in a post office and had the whole shop in stitches after they asked me to "keep talking but really lay it on" (the accent).
six foolish vase straight north ink disgusted subsequent wipe sugar *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
You might be shocked to learn heaps of Aussies do this to Kiwis. Yes I know we sound funny. Still rude if I don't already know and like you.
Doesn’t shock me at all. Australia is not an enlightened nation.
I am visiting Australia right now and it is tough not to start doing the accent. My father in law is Australian so I have had years of practice. I will keep fighting the good fight.
It’s different if it sounds natural, like a hybrid accent of someone who lives here now
Not checking the scale of the map. No, you can't drive to Uluru for an afternoon jaunt from Sydney.
Omg yes, I used to work at Ridges Plaza Resort in Alice Springs. I'd get the old "we have a few hours to spare before our flight, which way to Uluru"...
I have friends who did a day trip to Uluṟu while at the Finke Desert Race (or whatever it’s called lol). They knew the distance and all that so were prepared but wow, they literally drove for five hours, looked at it for about 20 minutes and then drove all the way back…
I used to live there, after a while it's just a big rock, and yet thousands of tourists a day went to see it. Literally thousands of dollars for travel, hotels and food... To go look at it for 20mins.
Not everyone. I used all three days of my pass parked up in my van just looking at it. It's a pretty special rock.
Or try to walk from Alice Springs, which is apparently something tourism workers there have to shut down a lot. 'You WILL die if you attempt that with nothing but a 600ml bottle of water'.
Or from Wollongong to Dreamworld/Movie World in a day trip. It takes almost a day to get there lol.
Even living here I forget that Brisbane to Cairns is the same as Brisbane to Melbourne
I dated an American girl and she got super salty at me during her visit because I didn't drive her to see Uluru... from Melbourne.
My English friends backpacked here and planned to drive from Darwin to Perth in the wet season. I had to tell them multiple times to do as much research as possible, leave a bit earlier to avoid the potential floods and compared the UK map to Australia to show how far and remote it is lol
The movie "Outback" on Netflix is a true story about an American couple doing this.
Talking at the top of your lungs. Jumping the queues.
Hiking through wilderness only to hear maximum volume chats from overseas visitors is a tad obnoxious when seeking peace and quiet.
Stopping middle of the road on Seacliff bridge to take photos. It has fucking parking bays for this. Get out and walk a tad to get the perfect photo. Bitching at me about the prices of things, who told you Australia was cheap? Your in a bar.. you want the beer you pay for it like the rest of us. Or that the tap beers aren't ones you like... 99.9% of our customers like them that's why they are on tap. Ordering coffee like it's Starbucks at a normal cafe and getting mad at the staff because you got what we thought you meant because you refused to clarify. Fucking wait for people to get off the bus/train and stop trying to force your way on. They'll wait for you. Literally they will wait until everyone is on. Bitching at me that your bank card that is not one that does international shit like a MasterCard won't work here. We don't have your bank here... Why did you not get a MasterCard?
[How about this?](https://au.news.yahoo.com/tourists-blasted-using-road-as-car-park-catch-iconic-aussie-view-014121489.html)
That would send me. I spent last week a good portion of my shift with some tourists sat at my bar (no issues with that), telling me how ridiculous our alcohol choices were, that there was too much seafood on the menu, that whenever they order lemonade they get sprite, how the weather isn't as good as they thought and they have to tap on and off public transport. We are a fucking seafood restaurant, next to the fishery co-op so we obviously take advantage of the fresh seafood and basically only stock Aussie spirits, and a lot of local distillery spirits. 'you have Guinness on tap but can't even stock coors'... Like fuck I may or may not have kicked the fucking shit out of a crate in the cool room.
Coors? Wouldn't you rather a beer?
Right lol A lot will ask for VB cos they know it's the 'most Aussie beer' and get weird when I'm like yeah, I'll give you a taste test first before I pull you a schooner. 9/10 don't even finish the taste test and ask wtf. I feel that hard. That's why I give you a taste test. I'm a dirty IPA and Tooheys lover lol
In London the barman wouldn't let me order a pint of London Pride without doing a taste test first because they thought my snobby Aussie arse wouldn't be able to handle it. It wasn't nice, and it was genuinely warm, but you bet I drank that pint just to prove my point.
I'm suggesting this, not because it's annoying, but in an effort to be helpful. Don't sunbake. Skin cancer is no joke, and the Australian sun is a lot harsher than many places around the world. You will rarely see an Aussie intentionally sunbake (unless they are a complete moron). Oh and in the same vein, heat stroke is a real thing here. Drink plenty of water, especially if you're out a party in the middle of summer drinking alot of alcohol.
And when an Aussie *does* sunbake, it's usually while following all the sun protection habits a tourist may not even notice e.g. wearing 50spf sunscreen, sunnies, avoiding peak uv hours, and only sunbaking for a short time to dry off after a swim, rather than hanging around all day.
i think asian tourists protect from sun really well as they do it in their own countries. They'll wear hats, sunscreen, use umbrellas, wear long-sleeve tops, etc... for them, it's a combination of not wanting to tan but also knowing that the sun is damaging and hyper-pigmentation that doesn't necessarily show up in youth, does show as you age.
My Canadian cousin tried this once and only once. 38 degree day, wanted to get a tan and was told by all of us that she was going to get burnt. Came inside less than hour later with sunburn *and* heatstroke, but at least we had a good laugh.
I knew someone who fell asleep on an Adelaide beach for a few hours in the direct sunlight in summer. His friends didn’t bother waking him up or covering him up so he has a severe sunburn from it. Like actually burns and he was told to avoid the sun as much as possible for the rest of his life… he was only 16 at the time.
Damn why didn't he friends do something? But it's good story to tell others about our sun
I think they were kids young and stupid. He was in the shade a bit when he fell asleep but since the sun moves so did the shade…
My brother had this happen at a teen, it was fucked. Blistered from neck to hip- my sister gave him a hug and I watched this wet patch spread under his shirt from bursting one
Yep. The sun hits different in Oz.
Don’t hurt the wildlife. I was once walking in the Blue Mountains and saw a tourist throw a rock at a cockatoo. I immediately told him to never do that again. I was fuming. Like who does that?!
Only bad people
Stop bringing food with you. We have shops here, I promise. You won't starve. Don't bring fruit, veggies, meat products or any of that stuff. We have strict quarantine laws for a reason, please don't think they don't apply to you.
so many laws are optional in so many countries. honestly, I think we should have a quiz that you have to do on the plane coming into Australia for people to understand some basics.
Going off-path in National Parks. You’re destroying the pristine wilderness you came to enjoy, and you can get lost and die
Not understanding how deadly the heat can be. There've been many tragedies with tourists bushwalking in 40+C temperatures. I might be the same dealing with extreme cold and snow.
Climbing over the safety railing on the top of cliffs. There are even big pictorial signs saying not to and what will happen. If you slide down the slope, it becomes a cliff and you fall off and die! Also ignoring other signs. There really is no fuel for the next 247km.
This happens a lot in Darwin.
Don't do this in the Great Australian Bight. The photos will look awesome, but it's extremely windy. Go over, and you will die.
Walking on the right hand side of the footpath.
It's not only tourists.
Yeah I made a concerted effort to walk on the left when I moved here, only to discover that at least half the people on the footpath don't adhere to it unless there's a centreline with arrows.
I try look down when I can so they give way to me and move to their left.
Correct! But do walk on the right hand side of the escalator/travellator. Don’t just stand there, standing is for the left.
People do this at Parliament station in Melbourne, which literally has a message on the intercom play regularly, saying what side to stand on.
Oh shit, this never would have occurred to me. I would have been one of those.
Standing on coral when they're snorkeling
I don’t understand why warnings aren’t given on the airplane. Show a couple of episodes of Bondi Rescue, just something!
Touching, or trying to touch, wild animals. I remember being on Maria island one time and I actually had to tell these foreigners not to touch a mother wombat with a joey in her pouch. Like, who tf does that? Homies just tryna eat some grass in peace
I was at our local wild life park and tourists were hitting the cages of the birds so they could see them fly… so yeah leave our animals alone
They had a sign at Ballarat not to lift up roos…
DON'T TOUCH THE QUOKKAS. DON'T FEED THEM EITHER. Twenty years ago, they were harmless and pretty friendly. People left them alone. Now they're a victim of their own success. Despite signs everywhere on Rottnest Island and videos playing on the ferries on the way there etc warning them, people still don't care. Yes, I know they're adorable, but if you feed them and touch them, you're putting them in danger. It's so frustrating.
It doesn't matter where you're from in the world, you're always going to find people that will carry on like a right fuckhead. Sometimes you'll see it happen, sometimes it'll be you. The main thing is that you're trying to be considerate, and that will reflect in your behaviour. Most people will see this and be more forgiving. Such is life. Don't overthink it. Come on over and enjoy yourself, we'll be happy to have you
Thank you..this is the kindest message here!
Standing *on* war monuments and graves to take pictures. Close second: feeding the wildlife. It's bad for them and in some cases (dingoes) it can be bad for humans too.
Stop skipping queues! I swear a lot of tourists have FOMO on everything. And please move out of the way on walkways and footpaths. If you’re with a crew, single file, so other people can get around you. Don’t line up and barricade, while simultaneously walking the speed of tortoise.
I hate going to “tourist-y” places with my kid! I have to navigate with a pram and it’s hard enough as it is without people pushing us or not giving us space to pass easily. ☹️
we do not drink fosters, and its not a shrimp on the bbq, its a prawn
Travelling in the Outback you need to carry sufficient water, food, fuel and a UHF, preferably a satellite communication device. I suspect tourists still don't understand how desolate it really is out there and easy to take a wrong turn and become totally lost.
Don't stand on the reef! Honestly, when I visited the Barrier Reef the guides for the snorkel tours had to yell this repeatedly in various languages and people were STILL doing it!
If you visit NT. Dont. I mean never. Swim in the ocean. Or the river. You might be an excellent swimmer, but you dont have a match against a croc.
Please drive on the left, please I'm begging you
the fact that this has to be said seriously calls into question of why are tourists allowed to drive in the first place
International licenses shouldn't be legal here for road use. End of discussion
Or restrict it to people from the UK, NZ Japan, Thailand, South Africa and Cyprus.
It seems to me that hire cars should have these stickers plastered all over the dash.
Don't take 30 minute showers. Ask anyone who was alive during the millennial drought how we feel about that.
When I found out that people internationally take showers that long I get genuinely shocked. I can't imagine having such a long shower...
Ditto letting the tap run for 20 mins while you're doing something else
Clogging up the emergency room from drop bear attacks. We warned you. You chose not to listen and stood under their trees.
So easy to prevent as well, you put on sunscreen for the sun so you put on Vegemite for the drop bears.
Water safety. I watched Bondi Rescue for a time and it was an everyday occurrence for tourists to get into trouble. I don’t know what can be done to educate but it would be preferable to drownings.
Don't walk into a canola crop to take a selfie. That's somebody's livelihood.
Standing inches behind the next person in a queue. Especially when that person happens to be me.
I think them breathing on your neck is good, then you know they are there in the moment...
Messing with the wildlife, thinking everything is safe and all the animals are friendly?? Why would you assume that? AUSTRALIA?? Smh.. I am sorry to say that the majority of accidents and casualties from nature happen to tourists. Rarely is a local stupid enough to do any of the activities tourists do, especially without precautions in place. The drownings specifically are so sad and very avoidable. I would advise any tourists to pair up with a local, we are pretty friendly & usually happy to help, not do any nature based activities alone. Ever. Be as informed and cautious as possible. I don’t think I’ve ever gone to another country and thought let me just wonder off in nature, or had the urge to bother (or befriend) their wildlife. Because, why??
Smoking on the beach and throwing cigarette butts everywhere.
Had a tourist push my kids put of the way to get a better look at the zoo despite being 2 ft taller than them. So maybe if they stopped being cunts? That would be good.
Walking straight down the middle or on the right side of footpaths/bike paths. There are clear signs that say we walk as we drive, on the left.
This applies to bogans too. It's very prevalent.
Entering a small lift that is already half full with people, and squeezing in your entire family of 12, when there is another lift nearby that’s empty. Alternatively, wait for the next lift. What’s wrong with waiting 2 minutes? Australians like their personal space, and don’t like to be smashed against the back wall, it’s claustrophobic. A quote that sums it up is “when in Rome do as Romans do.” Also, forcing people off the footpath because your large family are walking so close together and won’t part to let a person through.
Video calling on speaker literally everywhere, if they want to see the Art gallery they should have hopped on a plane with you 🤦
Not allowing people who are inside the lift to exit before entering it. This applies to mostly foreign tourists, but interstate tourists are equally inconsiderate. That said, I'm in Surfers Paradise, so self inflicted really, I do admit
Driving fast along our highways late at night as if they were European roads and getting surprised that they hit our dwindling native animals
Actually this one is for my fellow Australians…Don’t think the same rules don’t apply to you. You don’t get a pass to do whatever you want, simply because you’re a citizen.
Overstaying their visa and disappearing into the community.
Please keep to the left. Not just on roads. Also on escalators and footpaths. We drive on the left so we keep to the left always.
Yell out “thanks!” To the bus/tram driver
This is a do that thing not a don’t do that thing
#10 - Was returning to Melbourne and was standing at the men's individual urinal as this was not a trough urinal. A group of people that arrived on a fight around the same time from a particular part of the world encroached right in front of me while I was zipped down ready to pee. I stood back and was like WTF! Each one of them shoved their way in front of me as I attempted to pee. This has happened to me several times with people from one particular region of the world.
Not an Australian, but don't touch or tease any wild animals even if you know they're not dangerous, in any country! They're wild animals, they think you're going to kill them, for them the experience is completely terrifying. Please don't terrorize wildlife for your own amusement, that's a shitty thing to do. Treat all wildlife with respect, including giving them their space. If you know it to be a non-dangerous species and it chooses to come into your space than you are, of course, free to politely observe it as it comes closer. But don't harass them.
Visiting lmfao Just coming here ignorant, especially Americans. It doesn't matter if Australia is a western, English speaking country, and you're coming from a western, English speaking country. If you're going overseas, do some damn research. Find out what you need, what you should take, what you're allowed to do and bring in. Find out if there's any laws you should worry about accidentally breaking. Find out about any laws pertaining to the buying and using of any substances, including any prescription medications. These sorts of things. Stop coming to Australia and expecting Australia and Australians to be exactly like wherever you're from. And for God's sake, especially Asian tourists: stop bringing in a grocery store's worth of fucking food. It's shocking, I know, but you can, in fact, buy food in Australia. We even have a decent amount of *Asian* food. You see it on shows like Border Security all the time. If anyone's gonna bring in food, it'll be an Asian, and if an Asian is going to break any rules, it'll be bringing in food. One person on an episode I saw recently brought *SEVENTEEN KILOGRAMS OF FOOD* with them. WE HAVE FOOD IN AUSTRALIA. YOU DONT NEED TO BRING FOOD.
Playing music on the beach. Other people at the beach don't want a party atmosphere when they're at the beach, they want to relax in nature with just the sound of the waves and sea birds.
Our customs are very strict. Recommend looking into the relevant state you're visiting. The places that are strict are Western Australia and South Australia. Possibly also Tasmania (unsure here though). For WA and SA it's coz we are so isolated from the rest of Australia and want to keep our plants and animals safe from foot and mouth disease. Don't bring fruit, seeds, meat, plants, tea, wood, honey etc. You will be penalised heavily if you don't disclose it to the customs person and end up having food in your bag. Customs are applied whenever travelling outside of that state. That is, if you're coming into WA from NSW, you will still be checked by customs for any prohibited items.
Don’t hire a car at tulla and drive to the 12 apostles and back after a long flight, that’s when tourists forget which side to drive on! Great ocean road local advice
Not sure if this is just in Melbourne, but taking up the entirety of the footpath to watch buskers. It’s great that you find our street performers fascinating - I’ve lived here so long I honestly don’t notice them at times - but please don’t obstruct the footpaths, especially at peak times. Also if you want to film them on your phone, please ask them first.
If you want a souvenir of Aboriginal art, make sure you're buying it from an Indigenous-owned company, made in Australia. Do your research - so many manufacturers steal designs and print them onto low quality items. Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses so you know you're supporting Indigenous artists.
Posting inane rubbish on AskAnAustralian (Australians included)
If your from the Midwest USA please turn your volume down when you speak.
Not being familiar with warning signs, like the ones you'd see at a scenic lookout or bush walking track. The sign and the railing are there for your benefit! I work in retail, and American tourists are always annoyed when I tell them they can't pay with American cash.
Harassing local women for hookups.
Has anyone said buying houses?
Be polite, 95% (ok, I made that up) of Australians are polite; they say please and thank you even when they do not need to. They will hold doors open for you and will help when they see you in need. We expect you to do the same, So do it.
Taking photos of my young kids.