{"id":6460,"date":"2018-10-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-13T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/?p=6460"},"modified":"2020-07-08T13:44:40","modified_gmt":"2020-07-08T03:44:40","slug":"things-you-only-experience-in-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/australia\/laughs\/things-you-only-experience-in-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"10 things you\u2019ll only ever experience travelling in Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some travel experiences are so quintessentially Australian<\/a> you\u2019ll only find them here. How many have you had?<\/p>\n

1. BYO restaurants<\/strong><\/h3>\n

BYO is a time-honoured tradition in Australia, but the rest of the world has yet to catch on to our genius. Free BYO remains the holy grail, but we\u2019re okay with \u2018corkage\u2019 fees \u2013 within reason!<\/p>\n

2. Beetroot as a food group<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In Australia, it\u2019s best to assume beetroot will be on or in everything you order unless you ask otherwise. This usually comes as a shock to tourists, who see it as a fairly random salad choice to routinely add to burgers, sandwiches, and fancy-shmancy salads.<\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s most important food group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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3. Bird alert, not alarmed<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Whether it\u2019s aggressive seagulls squawking at you, an ibis stealing your lunch in the park, or a bush turkey building a dirt mound outside your window, being on bird alert is part of the everyday Aussie experience. Let\u2019s not scare the visitors with too much talk of magpie swooping season\u2026<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t even get us started on these guys! This one was spotted in the Flinders Ranges, SA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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4. Good coffee on tap<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Australians are obsessed with coffee (and brunch) and we do it well. And it\u2019s not just the hipster grinds of Sydney<\/a> and Melbourne<\/a> \u2013 Australia is one of the few countries where you are almost guaranteed to get a decent coffee pretty much anywhere. Take that, world.<\/p>\n

5. Lots of rules (but we\u2019re used to it)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t ride your pushbike without a helmet, or smoke too close to the pub entrance, or even THINK about using your phone at a petrol pump. And let it be known that we take the social contract of waiting for the green man at the traffic lights very<\/em> seriously. Australia is a land of rules and we\u2019re (mostly) fine with it.<\/p>\n

6. Tip-free zone<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Tipping is a tricky one in Australia. Not that long ago in our laidback land, it was considered borderline offensive to the tipee, but these days it\u2019s becoming more common in some up-market establishments. You won\u2019t get hassled to tip, but we all get to enjoy that Australian \u2018public holiday surcharge\u2019 of at least 10% on menu prices.<\/p>\n

7. Nowhere is too far to drive<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Australia is a BIG country and we\u2019re used to driving long distances. We\u2019ll drive somewhere for dinner that our European friends would probably fly to. Travelling in Oz means quickly learning our code words for distance. Something \u2018just up the road\u2019 could be a four-hour drive away, while, timewise, \u2018a bit of a hike\u2019 means you should look at your calendar, not your watch. And for a country where travellers don\u2019t mind driving, we sure do love to talk about the price of petrol.<\/p>\n

With views like this, why wouldn\u2019t you drive? Sea Cliff Bridge on the Grand Pacific Drive, NSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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8. Crazy good food in the strangest of places<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Food (and wine) is our secret weapon. Try traditional Australian bush tucker or enjoy all the flavours of a multicultural nation whose inhabitants brought all their tastiest cooking secrets with them. Even the smallest towns usually have at least one Chinese or Thai takeaway, and odds are it\u2019ll be incredible.<\/p>\n

9. Our love for Big Things<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s the little things in life \u2013 or, in this case, the big. In Australia, we\u2019ve got the Big Pineapple, the Big Banana, the Big Prawn, the Big Merino, the Big Melon (which Wotif gifted to the QLD town of Chinchilla in 2018) and loads more<\/a>. Hey you\u2019ve got to do something to stand out when you\u2019re in a country this massive.<\/p>\n

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The Big Melon, Chinchilla, QLD.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

10. The bush is a daytrip away \u2013 even from the CBD<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For a country where everything seems massively spread-out, there\u2019s a good chance that no matter where you end up, you\u2019re no more than a 10 to 15-minute drive from the bush or the beach. Holidaying in Australia, you don\u2019t need to choose between having a city or a country experience, because there\u2019s time to do both.<\/p>\n

Heads up!<\/strong> Due to COVID-19, government restrictions are in constant review and travel guidelines may change between when you make your booking and when you travel. We strongly recommend that all travellers seek further information about destinations and attractions before visiting, take extra care and follow all rules to ensure their own health and safety.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/i> PLAN YOUR AUSSIE GETAWAY <\/a>\n