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Common Mistakes About Australia

When I was teaching in Japan, I found that some students had some ideas about Australia that weren’t right.  Sometimes this was because they’d seen a news report about something unusual in Australia and assumed it was common.

Here are some things about Australia you might be surprised about.

Santa Claus doesn’t usually wear a bathing suit

Sometimes on the news in Japan there are reports about Santa going surfing in Australia.  Even though it’s summer in Australia, if you go to a department store, Santa will be dressed the same as in other countries: wearing a red and white suit.

There is snow in Australia

In the southern states of Australia it snows in winter in the mountains and you can go skiing.

Not everyone drinks beer.

It’s true that a lot of Australians like to drink beer.  But not everyone does.  I’m Australian and I don’t drink alcohol.

There are hot springs in Australia

There aren’t many hot springs, but there are some.  People usually wear bathing suits in outdoor hot springs.

A lot of Australians aren’t worried about going naked in hot springs.

Some Japanese told me they thought foreigners didn’t like hot springs, because you have to go naked in hot springs in Japan.  Some Australians would be uncomfortable doing this, but a lot of Australians don’t have a problem with this.  There are nude beaches in Australia – that’s a lot more public than a hot spring.

Not all maps are upside down

In some tourist shops you can buy upside-down maps of the world – Australia is at the top of the world.  But most maps are the same as in other countries.

Japan bombed Australia during the second World War.

I was surprised that a lot of younger Japanese didn’t know Australia and Japan fought against each other during the second world war.  Japan is the only country to have attacked Australia – Japanese pilots bombed Darwin and Japanese submarines attacked Sydney.  There are some scenes in the movie Australia showing the Japanese attack.

Most people can use chopsticks

There are lots of Asian restaurants in Australia and most younger people are comfortable using chopsticks.

Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated in Australia

Thanksgiving is a North America custom.  It’s not celebrated in Australia.  Some people celebrate Halloween.  Some children go trick or treating, but most don’t.  Again, it’s more popular in North America.  There are probably more Halloween decorations in shops in Japan than in Australia.

Most people don’t often eat kangaroo meat.

Although it’s possible to buy kangaroo meat in some supermarkets, most people don’t eat it very often.  I’ve only eaten kangaroo once.

The dangerous animals in Australia aren’t that dangerous.

There are lots of dangerous animals in Australia: sharks, spiders, snakes, poisonous fish, jellyfish.  But in the city you’re unlikely to have any problems.  More people are killed by earthquakes in Japan than by sharks in Australia.

Famous Australian actors

In recent years Australia and New Zealand have had a lot of famous actors, but a lot of Japanese think these actors are from America and England.  Some well-known Australian actors include: Hugh Jackman (from X-Men), Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett (from Lord of the Rings and The Aviator), Heath Ledger (from Dark Knight.  He won the Oscar after he died) and Geoffrey Rush (he won the Oscar for Shine and played the pirate captain in Pirates of the Caribbean).  Sam Worthington (from Avatar) grew up in Australia and so did Mel Gibson.  Russell Crowe (from Gladiator) grew up in New Zealand and lives in Australia.

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Tags: Australia