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5 Mistakes Tourists Make in Australia

Where: Australia
April 12, 2007 at 11:57 AM | by | Comments (2)


Jaunted's very own Amanda Kendle, a constant traveler, travel writer and native Australian, currently resides in Perth. In addition to her work with Jaunted, Amanda also contributes to our big sister blog, HotelChatter, keeping readers updated on hotel happenings in Australia and beyond. We recently tricked Amanda into lending her expert view to our "5 Mistakes" questions. Below, a few gentle suggestions for making the most of your time Down Under. Your own Dos and Don'ts are always welcome in the comments.

· Don't eat at Burger King, eat at Hungry Jack's. Sure it looks like Burger King, has the same menu as Burger King, and is in fact the same company, but it's different Down Under. (Some smart-ass bought the naming rights to Burger King before they got here and wouldn't sell). If you wanna fit in, tell people you're going for a burger at HJs.

· Don't drink Fosters, drink pretty much any other beer. Fosters is the stuff the Aussies export coz nobody likes it. After that, beer-drinking in Australia gets pretty complicated but as long as you've got a beer in your hand you can't really go wrong. Some people are really getting into boutique beers (especially with the lemon in the top) but others find it just more important to have a big enough carton full of cans.

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· Don't stay in suburban western Sydney, stay in the tourist zone. For once, this is the right thing to do. Because you just have to experience Sydney's amazing harbour (complete with that famous bridge and opera house) as much as possible, every day that you're there. Hang the expense.

· Don't visit just one city when you could spend time in the Outback too. Yeah, 80% of Australians live on the coast and most of those in big cities, but there's just all that empty land out there that's actually really beautiful. And quiet and peaceful. And just gorgeous!

· Don't expect to understand an Aussie, even if you think you share English as a first language. And when you do understand them, don't believe everything they tell you: 99% of Aussies do NOT have a kangaroo in their backyard.

[Photo: gruntzooki]

Related Stories:
· Amanda Kendle [Jaunted]
· Amanda Kendle [Official Site]

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So Many Questions...

Ok, let me preface this by saying I lived in Sydney for six months or so back in 1995---yes I am dating myself.

Let me go point by point.

1.  I thought Hungry Jack's was Burger King
The urban myth I heard:  "When Burger King came to Australia they could not have "King" in their name because the Queen of England objected.  

Ok, so I was young when I lived in Australia, but not dumb.  That never made any sense to me on so many levels.  Thanks for clearing this up.  Your version, which reminds me of domain squatting in the mid nineties, makes so much more sense.

2. VB with Lime
That was my drink of choice.  Still acceptable?

3.  Yeah
It reminds me of SF.  As much as people say they hate Fisherman's Wharf, there is something magical about hanging down by the water and taking in the bridge, headlands, etc.  Same is true in Sydney.

4.  Can I Add To This--Visit Different Regions
I was amazed at the difference between Sydney folks and Melbourne folks.  Let alone the difference between Aussie East Coast and West Coast.

5.  So true.
Two dudes at a pool hall had me convinced Kiwis liked to go out in the middle of the night and do nasty things with sheep.

markj on April 12, 2007 at 2:49 PM #Permalink

But Mark ...

What they told you about Kiwis and sheep ... I'm sure that's true.
amandak on April 13, 2007 at 5:15 AM #Permalink

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