It’s easy to conjure up a list of things to do in Australia. It’s a vast country/continent with a myriad of natural wonders, diverse cultures, metropolitan cities, unique wildlife and more to explore. But that’s not what this list is about. This is more about the behaviors to avoid, words to refrain from and what not to wear when traveling down under. Sometimes knowing what to abstain from is as important as knowing what to do. So if you don’t want to get into trouble, rub the locals the wrong way or piss mother nature off, here are 20 things NOT to do in Australia.
1. Don’t Say “Put Another Shrimp on the Barbie”
This lame slogan was part of a 1980s ad campaign featuring Paul Hogan of Crocodile Dundee fame, targeting an American audience to come to Australia. Not sure how the campaign impacted tourism, but the catch-phrase sure stuck. It’s one of the first things that springs to mind when Americans think about Oz, and something that makes most Aussies cringe. Australians call those tasty crustaceans “prawns”, not “shrimp”, and saying that tired cliché won’t win you any friends down under.
