This is what tourists really think about Australia

Tourists visiting Australia say mullets, our acceptance of “bin chickens” and even the way we speak are weird, with a recent survey exposing some areas of genuine concern.

Aussie culture is apparently weird according to a recent Reddit post.

In Australia, we do things a little differently. People will happily walk barefoot on the street, we understand our wildlife is terrifying, and we love mullets a little too much.

But according to a recent Reddit post, major elements of Aussie culture have been described as weird by tourists.

Topping the list was shopping centres closing in the evening, with more than 2000 people in agreement that the closing times are less than ideal.

One respondent said their friend was disappointed after realising most cafes close around 2pm.

“Yeah man, sometimes I’ll be fading hard at 3pm and need something better than a f**king McDonald’s or 7-11 coffee to get me through the afternoon, you know,” one commenter wrote in response.

Bin chickens are weird, according to tourists. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Other tourists say Australia’s gambling culture is concerning, with one respondent surprised by how prevalent references to gambling are on TV.

“I’m from the UK, and I’m used to the odd fruit machine in the corner of a pub, but so many pubs in Australia have entire cordoned off areas with tens of pokies,” they wrote.

“The lads at work are usually on their phones placing bets during downtime. Gambling ads are all over the television, followed by a half-hearted disclaimer warning that you’re more likely to lose money if you gamble. I know gambling is a big problem in the UK, too, but it’s weird seeing it so public here.”

Other commenters agreed that gambling addiction and smoking addiction are treated completely differently in Australia.

“I was thinking recently is how hard we came down on smoking to the point where brands only exist as a single font with a ton of cancer related imagery, and then they are only available behind a locked cupboard behind a counter,” they wrote.

“But yet gambling is plastered everywhere! TikTok and YouTube: Some Ladbrokes advertisement slapped between videos. The footy and cricket: they just slap ads on the signs, and even the commentators waffle on about odds. Buses will have a Sportsbet advertisement on the side.

“Once upon a time, gambling was just a thing where old drunks slapped some dosh on the horses or greyhounds at the TAB or people went in on a workplace pool for the Melbourne Cup.

Some tourists believe Aussie cafes close too early. Picture: iStock

“I just find the contrast between the two tragically funny, both are foul nasty habits, but one is treated as vile, but the other is outright normalised.”

Another commenter said it was disappointing how some people are prioritising gambling in a cost-of-living crisis.

But it’s not just society as a whole, our vocabulary is apparently pretty weird too.

“‘Yeah nah’, ‘nah yeah’, ‘yeah nah yeah’ and similar iterations. I’ve been here ages and am certain I still miss some nuances,” one commenter wrote.

A second commenter said they find joy in attempting to confuse Aussies.

“In-laws are Aussie and when we visit I say ‘yes no’ or ‘no yes’ instead of yeah nah/nah yeah, and it drives them nuts,” they wrote.

Another puzzling thing about living in Australia is our parking signs, with even Aussies agreeing they are confusing.

“I am Australian, and I still struggle to understand our parking signs,” one commenter wrote.

Another commenter described driving in Australia as an awful experience.

“Road signs and street signs are terrible. Highway signs seemingly provide a decent amount of information, but are actually incredibly vague. Street names are often put somewhere out of the way on a small sign, sometimes on the side of a building under an awning, or sometimes they’re just not there at all,” they wrote.

“Another one is the centre lines on roads. Why are they not a different colour than normal lane markers? When the centre lines are yellow, it’s immediately apparent where traffic directions are separated. I’ve come across one-way streets that weren’t marked, and you had to use other context clues to figure it out (vs. the US, where even on one-way streets the centre line is marked in yellow, even though it is on the outside of the road).”

Originally published as This is what tourists really think about Australia