I figured since so many GaG users are either American, or just from anywhere that isn't Australia, I'd better give you some education about things that are 'true blue Aussie'. This isn't an extensive list, just a few things I could think of off the top of my head.
So, let's get right into it! (I talk about food, people, locations and animals, fyi).
Food
Vegemite
Do not, I repeat, do not have a spoonful of this! We’d hate it too if we ate Vegemite like that! It’s ideal to spread a *thin* layer of this on toast, with some butter put on first.
Milo
It’s sort of like a chocolate malt drink powder, but better. Any Aussie kid that grew up with this would be familiar with eating spoons of just the mix by itself, or really messing around with the milk/milo ratio (imagine a glass full of chocolate powder with just a little bit of milk).
Pavlova
Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. It is a meringue dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside, usually topped with fruit and, optionally, whipped cream. The ‘true blue Aussies’ usually eat it on Australia Day, Christmas Day or New Years Day.
Barbeque/sausage sizzle
No, we don’t want to ‘throw some shrimp on the barbie,’ (it’s actually prawns by the way). Paul Hogan, what have you done?! Usually Aussie barbeques consist of plenty of snags, cooked onion, which you put in a slice of white bread, and top with a whole lot of tomato sauce. (Not ‘ketchup’!) You’ll find a barbeque outside practically every hardware store on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
Lamingtons
Lamingtons are squares of sponge, coated in chocolate and rolled in coconut, and are a staple at any gathering, or even in a kid’s lunch box. There’s beef between us and New Zealand about this though, as they claim they invented it, so it’s a touchy topic lol.
Tim Tams
Anything I put in writing about Tim Tams aren't going to accurately capture the deliciousness of this biscuit. But, I'll try to describe it to you anyways, it has two layers of chocolate malted biscuit, separated by a light chocolate cream filling, and coated in a thin layer of textured chocolate.
Meat Pies
There is nothing like a good Aussie meat pie from the local bakery, with crispy pastry, meat steaming on the inside, and topped with, you guessed it, tomato sauce!
Here’s a video of some American’s trying Aussie food which is a good laugh:
People/Icons
Cathy Freeman
Cathy Freeman is a 43 year old former Olympic athlete, who specialised in the 400 metre sprint event. Freeman was the first Australian Indigenous person to become a Commonwealth Games gold medallist at age 16 in 1990. She has 7 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medals from either past Olympic or Commonwealth Games, or World Championships. In the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, she represented Australia as the Olympic Torchbearer.
Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly was an Aussie Bushranger who lived from 1854 to 1880. He committed an armed robbery among other crimes in 1878, and what ensued was a violent confrontation with the Victoria with Kelly and his gang wearing homemade suits of metal armour, all of whom were killed except Kelly, who was severely wounded by police fire and captured. He was tried and convicted, and hung at the Old Melbourne Gaol later that year. His final words are famously reported to have been, "such is life". Some celebrate him as Australia's equivalent of Robin Hood, while others regard him as a murderous villain undeserving of his folk hero status, but regardless he’s certainly an Australian icon.
Steve Irwin
Steve Irwin, nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian wildlife expert, television personality, and conservationist. He tragically died in 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming an underwater documentary film titled Ocean's Deadliest. Some of you may be familiar with his daugher, Bindi Irwin, who most recently won the US Dancing with the Stars.
These are just a few notable icons, but if you want some more, go to this take about hot male celebs from Australia, and check out this take about sexy female Aussie celebs.
Locations
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland, is the largest living thing on Earth, and even visible from outer space. The 2,300km-long ecosystem comprises thousands of reefs and hundreds of islands made of over 600 types of hard and soft coral. It's home to countless species of colourful fish, starfish, turtles, dolphins and sharks. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. It’s absolutely stunning, and a must see for tourists.
The 12 Apostles
The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Their proximity to one another and the fact that there is 12 (hence the name) has made the site a popular tourist attraction. The rocks itself are pretty average, but the view is beautiful and I’d recommend doing the entire Great Ocean Road while you’re at it.
Uluru
Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island lies off the mainland of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. Over a third of the island is protected in nature reserves, and home to native wildlife like sea lions, penguin colonies, koalas and diverse bird species. And if you want a pet kangaroo, this is the place to get it ;)
Animals
Kangaroo
No matter how deceivingly placid they look, get too close and Skippy will give you a smack in the face.
Koala
They're so cute! We usually go koala spotting when we go for walks through conservation parks and count how many we can spot. I think some international people call them 'drop bears' which is super weird though.
Echidna
Another cute one, but those prickles.... don't cross this little guy! (I've never actually seen one of these up close in the wild, only at the zoo lol).
Dingo
A cool-looking wild dog. Top tip: look up 'Dingo ate my baby' on Google, it's an interesting story from the 80's about a mother who was wrongfully accused of murder of her baby. They made a movie about it too, called A Cry in the Dark, with Meryl Streep and Sam Neill. (And, they have really good memes about the 'dingo ate my baby' thing too lmao).
Platypus
Naww! Duck-billed platypuses are one of only one five mammals that lay eggs. They live in Australia, are around 20 inches long, are covered with brown fur and have a beaver-like tail, otter-like webbed feet and duck-like bill.
Wallaby
Practically a smaller version of a kangaroo lol. Still aggressive as hell though.
Wombat
This is probably my favourite animal on the list! <3 Let me know which one's your favourite!
Thanks for reading!
I'd be interested to know any Aussie sayings you’re familiar with or have heard us say.
And if you have any questions for me about Australia/Australians, fire away!
P.S. racist people will not get a response and will be reported.
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