Random Facts!

Bathrooms:

All called "toilets" most say "male" or "female"

All toilets have the half flush and full flash option (some of our kids didn't know how that worked)

Road Signs:

Lots of road signs encourage drivers to stop & rest. "Stop. Revive. Survive." Fatigue is one of the leading causes of accidents in Australia. Not much to stop and do along the way like in the U.S., and not uncommon to run out of gas on a trip across the country.

Roadsigns, "over taking lane" very often

Phrases:

"sweet as" or "sweet as bro"

Aluminum is said AL- a - min- e- um

Mate

Cheers 

"Listen up just for a tick"

Eski = Eskimo cooler 

Stubby holder = can coozie 

Chilly bin = cooler in New Zealand 

American stores:

Aldi

Subway

Shell

BP

Dominos

McDonald's

Hungry Jacks (Burger King)

Anytime Fitness

Gloria Jeans

Target. Is not the same as Target

Aussie stores:

Woolworths

Big W

Exports:

Sugarcane refinery below. There are tons of little trains that lead to the refinery.

You know sugarcane is ready when the flowers on top bloom

Macadamia nut 

After 2017 no automobiles will be produced in Australia

Animals:

Emu and kangaroo are the national animals and on the seal. Neither animal can go backwards so country motto is "forward"

Cane toad is poisonous

Housing:

Queenslander house is up on stilts to allow airflow and help keep house cool.

History:

1770-1840 penal colony for the United Kingdom. Prisoners were given a sentence of 7 years, 14 years or a life sentence. After it ended they could stay and work the land.

Gold rush then caused mass immigration from around the world. This caused the Chinese to migrate and create businesses to support miners. This upset some people so they created a White Australia policy which was in place for 100 years and prohibited immigrants from Asia because they were taking jobs from white settlers.

After both world wars many settlers again came to Australia. Many refugees today come on boats to Western Australia and are often caught by the coast guard.