I've lived in Australia for years. Don't make these 8 mistakes when you visit — especially if you're an American like me.
Jaimee Marshall
- I'm from the United States and I've lived in Australia for a few years.
- Australia has norms US travelers won't be used to — for example, we don't pre-pay for gas here.
- Australia's shops close earlier than they do in the US, and alcohol is more expensive.
I'm an American from Philadelphia who has spent the better part of four years living in and traveling through Australia.
With its over-$100-billion tourism industry, the country sees millions of visitors each year, many of them from the US like me. Although the US and Australia are similar in many ways, some significant differences could lead to misunderstandings or confusion.
If you choose to become one of these visitors, avoid making these common mistakes — especially if you're an American.
Jaimee Marshall
Although closing times for shops and cafés vary by region, I've found ones in Australia close much earlier than the places I visited in the US.
Here, it's common for retail shops to close by 5 p.m. and coffee shops even earlier, around 2 p.m.
It could be due to the comparably smaller population size reducing the demand for around-the-clock services and a general preference for a healthy work/life balance over excessive materialism.
If you do want to shop at night, you'll have to wait for "late-night shopping day," the one time a week when shops stay open until 9 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.
Jaimee Marshall
Australia has some of the highest taxes on spirits in the world. It's quite an isolated country, far from the places it imports a lot of its alcoholic products from, and you see that reflected in the prices.
Plus, wine is subject to a wine equalization tax (WET) — about 29% of the wine's wholesale value — and may also be subject to the goods and services tax (GST).
Although choosing a locally brewed beer or homegrown wine is a more cost-effective option, don't be surprised if you see a bottle of spirits that would retail for $20 in the US being sold for triple the price here.
Jaimee Marshall
Know that when you utter the word "pie," virtually no Australian is envisioning a decadent sweet treat, but instead a savory meat-based filling encased in a golden, flaky crust.
After all, meat pies and sausage rolls are at the top of the Australian culinary staples list.
Australia without meat pies is like the US without hamburgers or hot dogs. They're delicious, often enjoyed with tomato sauce (ketchup), and are to be eaten with your hands.
Jaimee Marshall
When shopping or dining in the US, it's hard to predict your total cost because sales tax is usually not included in the advertised prices. Plus, sale-tax rates vary widely at the local level.
In Australia, tax is already calculated into the final price on shelves and on restaurant bills. The advertised price is the final price.
Just about all goods and services are taxed at an even 10%. No surprises, and no awkward fumbling around for that extra dollar.
Jaimee Marshall
When you try to order "a regular coffee" or a "black coffee" here, you'll probably just confuse your barista.
"Drip" or brewed coffee is not really a thing in Australia. When you order coffee here, you'll most likely be served espresso-based drinks.
Fortunately, Australia makes some of the best coffee in the world.
You have options like cappuccino, flat white, mocha, etc. If you're craving a drip coffee, the closest you'll get is a long black, which is a shot of espresso in hot water.
Jaimee Marshall
There are a few ways pumping gas — or "petrol," as Aussies call it — differs from the US.
In the US, I usually either paid at the pump or prepaid inside before pumping gas. But, other than a few Costco locations, I've yet to find any gas station here that allows me to pay with my card at the pump.
In Australia, you pump your gas and then pay. You have to go inside to pay for your gas — perhaps this helps encourage customers to spend more money at the servo (gas station).
This practice is actually common in a number of places around the world, it's just not the norm in the US.
Jaimee Marshall
Americans are obsessed with Target, and it's only upon visiting Australian Target that I can understand why the phenomenon stirs such confusion here.
Surprisingly, these two separate corporations have nothing to do with each other despite their shared name and remarkable likeness.
Perhaps I'm biased but, in my opinion, Australian Target is underwhelming compared to the department stores we have back home. Unlike the beloved US chain, these Targets don't have a grocery section or mini food court with a Starbucks or Pizza Hut.
Plus, the Aussie versions of Target tend to be tinier with a smaller variety of products. I much prefer Australia's Kmart stores, which are also not related to the American version with the same name.
Jaimee Marshall
Believe it or not, this point is not for non-English speakers. I've found English fluency will not help you much here because there's Aussie slang or abbreviation for just about every word in the English dictionary.
The slang often follows two principles: Shorten the word and make it much more fun to say.
Tons of Australian slang involve shortening a word to its root and ending an -o suffix, like servo, arvo, avo, smoko, and bottle-o. Those were: service station, afternoon, avocado, smoke session, and bottle shop (liquor store).
However, memorizing those principles alone won't be enough to get by. Aussies change McDonald's to Macca's, mosquito to mozzie, breakfast to brekky, cooler to esky, and so on.
I recommend looking up a list of Australian slang words and memorizing the most common ones before you visit. Over time, you'll hopefully get the hang of it.