5 MYTHS ABOUT AUSTRALIA DEBUNKED
Australia. The Land Down Under. Oz - what ever you want to call it, we get to call it home. Somehow throughout the years Australia has gained some crazy myths that are believed to be true by many people living in other countries. Yet, these stories of a strange land found somewhere at the bottom of the world are just that - stories, myths, legends! We are here to debunk these myths and persuade you to come and visit our beautiful country down under.
1. We all talk in slang that you will not understand
G'day mate, by jingoes, sheila, dunny, fair dinkum - we are Australian and have never used any of these Aussie slang words! Here are a few words you might come across while visiting Oz:
Bogan: an uncouth, or unsophisticated person
Barbie: a barbeque
Maccas: McDonalds
Chuck a u-ey: Do a U-turn
Chuck a sickie: Taking a day off work when your'e not really sick
Woop woop: Middle of nowhere
Thongs: Flip flops
2. We ride Kangaroos to work and Koalas can be found in every tree
We are blaming this on movies and tv shows! Kangaroos are not some kind of super-human-animal! We find it so hilarious that foreigners truly believe we all have pet kangaroos that we hop on to ride around the neighbourhood. Unfortunately, kangaroos are just kangaroos, an Australian animal that can not be used for an alternative to an automobile.
Another myth we wish was true - Koalas unfortunately are not found in every tree. To be honest, we have never seen a koala in the wild. And no, we have never had a drop bear drop on our heads!
5 MYTHS ABOUT AUSTRALIA DEBUNKED PHOTOS
3. Our national dish is vegemite on toast - we eat it for breakfast, lunch and tea
"We are happy little Vegemites, as bright as bright can be,
We all enjoy our Vegemite for breakfast, lunch and tea,
Our mummy says we're growing stronger every single week,
Because we love our Vegemite, we all adore our Vegemite —
It puts a rose in every cheek!"
Yes - Vegemite even has a song. But, I am sorry to say Vegemite, we do not eat you for breakfast, lunch and tea nor does every one love Vegemite - it is more of a love or hate type of deal. I love Vegemite and it is my spread of choice, Stephen on the other hand can't stand the black salty paste that is "vegemite"!
5 MYTHS ABOUT AUSTRALIA DEBUNKED PHOTOS
4. You are most probably going to die from all our poisonous/deadly/lethal Australian animals if you visit
Yes we are home to many snakes, spiders, sharks, jellyfish and a whole host of other venomous critters, yet how many deaths really happen in Australia due to these animals? After a bit of googling we found that:
Snake deaths in Australia average out at less than two per year. Nobody has died from a spider in Australia since 1979. There has been 3 deaths by the Blue Ringed Octopus in the last century! What about our shark infested waters? There are around 5 fatal incidents per year in the world due to shark attacks, however we kill 100 million sharks every year. Who should be more scared, us or the sharks?
5. Sydney is the capital, right? Or is it Melbourne?
Okay, when I speak to foreigners and sometimes even fellow Australians many are not 100% sure of what is Australia's capital city! Many may think Sydney or Melbourne as they are our 2 most popular cities and travel destinations. However, Australia's capital city is in fact Canberra in the ACT (Australian Capital Territory)
Hopefully now having this extra knowledge you feel you are ready to pack your bags and finally head over to the amazing country that is Australia. Hooroo mate, see ya tomorrow!
Are there any other Australia myths you need us to debunk?
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