It would be a dull old world if we were all the same. Part of the joy of travel is to experience different cultures, ranging from cuisines to leisure pursuits to basic attitudes.
It is easy to generalise, and inevitably, clichés and stereotypes emerge about every country in the world. However, it is fair to say that there are more about Australia than any other nation.
Why that should be is hard to say. Perhaps it is because Australia is so physically remote from the rest of the world. Alternatively, it could be due to the nation’s unique cultural heritage. Either way, there are numerous Aussie stereotypes. Here, we have done some digging to see which stand up to close scrutiny and which are more down to people spending too long rewatching the Crocodile Dundee movies.
1) Aussies will bet on two flies crawling up a wall – TRUE
It sounds bizarre, but we start with one that is easy to prove. Australians gamble about $30 billion every year. That’s about $1,200 per person – the population is just over 25 million. The second biggest spenders on gambling are the Irish, and they spend about 0 per capita.
More than 50 percent of those wagers are placed on pokies, which is the Aussie term for slot machines. Traditionally, pokies are found in pubs, cafes, and truck stops across the country.
These days, Aussies are as likely to bet on pokies online, however, taking advantage of the many promos and bonuses that can be found. Take a look at www.australiainternetpokies.com and you will get an idea of the huge choices open to Australian pokie enthusiasts in cyberspace!
2) Aussies learn to surf before they learn to walk – FALSE
Australians do enjoy their beach culture, but only one in ten owns a surfboard. In fact, more Australians own game consoles than surf boards, but the “masters of Fortnite” stereotype has yet to catch on.
In fact the whole “surfer dude” thing is a cliché expounded by TV shows with little basis reality. Australia has an obesity crisis that’s worse than the UK’s and not far behind the USA so perhaps more water sport and less X-box would be a change for the better. See this article on www.sbs.com for more details.
3) Australians have their own language – PARTIALLY TRUE
We’ve already seen one example in “pokies” – it’s true that Aussies like to shorten words and add “ie” to the end. The very word “Aussies” is another example, and there are dozens of others. Tinnies are cans of beer, brekkie is the first meal of the day, and of course we all know about the legendary barbie.
Having said all that, you’ll find the same across other English speaking countries. There’s an old joke that the UK and USA are “two nations separated by a common language” and even the English will struggle to understand everything that’s said when they visit Scotland.
4) Australians are obsessed with coffee – TRUE
OK, not every single Australian is coffee obsessed, any more than everyone gambles, but on the whole, this one is a yes. But sample a cup of coffee in any Australian coffee shop and you will soon join them.
In Australia, coffee is something to be experienced and savored, not chugged back from a cardboard cup as you emerge from the drive-through. And that’s something we can completely get behind.
