Oz Slang

Oz Slang
We've discovered Australian's love to abbreviate words.
Here are some slang terms and abbreviations that may help you.
Alternatively you could just watch Home and Away or Neighbours.
And yes, G'day and Sheila are widely used!

Koalanet has an extensive list of words and phrases so start there.

Our most useful ones:
* Arvo = afternoon
* Chook = chicken
* Pom = from England
* Rashi = UV swim top
* Snags = sausages
* Thongs = flip flops (not underwear)

Visitors Checklist

Dear visitors to Australia,

I have started to add tips on what to expect, what to pack and general things to think about for your trip to Australia.

Click places we've visited to see if any of the places we've been to or things we've done are of interest to you.

Lists you can find below so far: 
Flight planning; Visa; What you CAN'T bring; Suggestions for packing; What to do/where to go; Driving tips; Oz slang;

Flight Planning:
Even those of our friends and family who are well travelled may not have completed such a long flight so a few things to think about as you book your flight:
- make sure you search flights for Sydney Australia not Sydney Canada
- search on Skyscanner or similar sites to get a range of prices and airlines
- think about how long you want to spend at your stop over destination
- join the airlines airmiles programme
- book on credit card to get extra airmiles
- check out airport lounge options if you have a long stop over
- check seatguru for tips on best seats on your plane. Not all seat plans will be up-to-date so don't be surprised if the seating plan. is slightly different when you come to select your seats.
- select your seats as soon as you book (majority of airlines allow this) to make sure you get a good selection. Its personal preference if you want to pay the extra for legroom; want a back row so you don't get anyone behind you; want a window or centre row seat etc. The closer you are to the front of the plane the quicker you get out, unless they open the back exit as well.
- Check the airlines baggage allowance. Some have a max weight across all cases, some are per case. Same with handluggage. Some allow 2 pieces, some only 1 including a handbag. I usually have a large shopping bag with me so I can throw coats, duty free and other items in it.
- We have all heard stories of delays and cancelled flights. Be prepared for a long wait but hopefully your flight will run smoothly and leave on time.

Visa:
Unless you are Australian you will need a visa to enter. ETA stands for Electronic Travel Authority. You can apply online and the response is generally quick from 1 hour to a couple of days. Having said that, don't leave it to the last minute as you won't get in without it.
- You can use this site or  this site or search the site of the Australian embassy in your country.

What you can't bring
Australia has a very very strict customs list of what you can't bring in, particularly food and vegetation, so read up before you pack or be prepared to declare it and maybe lose it or get a fine. Expect to see sniffer dogs as you wait in line at customs. 
The Australian government has a comprehensive list of other information. Click here.

Items prohibited include: food and drink (even those from the airplane should be declared or left on the plane); feathers; plants; seeds; untreated wood; mud (they may check shoes and sporting equipment).

Suggestions for packing
- Swimwear * including UV tops * goggles
- Sunlotion
- Sun hat
- Sunglasses
- Reusable water bottle * you'll be drinking lots of water and most places have water fountains for you to top up your bottle
- Beach towel
- Beach shoes/sandals
- Travel adaptor plug * the ones with USB slots are useful
- Print out of your itinerary - you will need some details to fill in the customs card which they will hand out during your flight
- Local currency * keep an eye on the exchange rate as it varies a lot
- Camera (large data card and batteries or charger)
- Notepad and pen
- Basic First Aid kit * Flight sickness pills if needed
- Clothing: pack layers as the weather can be varied. In Sydney we've experienced 40' heat during the day and thunderstorms in the evening. Not cold, just wet! If you're coming from Europe you may only need a lightweight jacket and waterproof/umbrella even if coming in winter as it will probably seem warm to you. Join us wearing our Tshirts in the park while all the Australians are in their winter coats!

- Download apps * maps; games; reading, airport; airline etc.

Items to consider packing in your flight hand luggage
For a long haul flight the in-flight entertainment and refreshments are usually pretty good. We still take these items on the plane with us:
- Ipad
- Headphones
- Book/magazine
- Pen (for filling out customs forms)
- Water
- Travel pillow
- Travel size toiletries
- Travel socks
- Boiled sweets (to help with your ears during the flight)

- Wear comfortable clothes (you're going to be sat in 1 position for a long time) and recommend long sleeves as it gets chilly under the planes aircon. 

- Get a local sim card on the plane or when you arrive to save you money on calls/internet browsing

What to do/Where to go
- Do your research. There is so much to see and do whatever your interests are. You can see what we have done here. It may give you some ideas.
- General tourist sites to check: the Official Tourism Site; NSW site; Queensland site; Victoria site; Western Australia; Northern Territory;

Driving Tips
- The rules vary from State to State and depending on what visa you are on so you will need to check with the Ministry for Roads about whether your driving licence is valid.
- When parking on the road you have to park in the direction you are driving in i.e on the left-hand side. e.g. on a 2-way street you can't cross the dividing white line and park on the other side.
- Car park and parking meter costs vary depending on time of day and day of the week. At the weekend the meters may be a lot cheaper than car parks.
- If you see meter signs that have a number below it i.e. 2 or 4, it means you can park up to 2 or 4 hours free. If it has the word ticket below that number it means you have to pay for those hours but they are the maximum hours you can park i.e. 2 ticket = you can pay to park for up to 2 hours. Some High Streets now offer 30mins free but you will still need to get a ticket. Just follow the directions on the meter to print the 30min free ticket.
- Rangers i.e. traffic wardens, regularly monitor meters so don't risk it and make sure your ticket is easily visible from the path or they may still fine you.
- If parking in an underground car park e.g. at a shopping centre or supermarket, look out for red or green lights on the ceiling. The green light shows where there is a space available. It's such a simple idea but saves you driving up and down the aisles, you just look for a green light.
- I've found Sydney drivers to be quite reasonable when it comes to merging traffic so go with the flow and let cars out even if you feel they are pushing in.

Blue Mountains

There is a lot to do in and around the Blue Mountains. From Sydney you can do a day trip (a Funday Sunday transport ticket means you can travel there at low cost) but to really explore the area I would stay overnight.

Do check their website to plan in advance what you want to do. As well as the natural beauty, there are tours, guided walks, spas, restaurants, galleries, shopping, active sports as well as many festivals held there. 

On our day trip we went to the viewing point at Echo Point. It has a clear view of the famous 3 Sisters, even with all the visitors bustling to get to the front of the railings. Once you get your breath back from admiring the views you can set off on one of the short treks. You won't need hiking boots for these trails.

 


We saw a variety of birds and lizards. There are much longer trails you can do but with our 2 kids we opted to undertake those another day when we were better kitted out.
The ground isn't concreted all the way round but it was fairly level. We did see a lot of people with strollers who didn't seem to be struggling too much.

Downstairs at the visitor information centre/car park, we stopped to watch a short performance about Aboriginal music & weapons. Be prepared to queue for the toilets here, if you can wait, walk the few hundred yards up to the viewing point which has more facilities.

Brunch was in one of the many cafes in Katoomba. Katoomba has a large supermarket if you need to stock up or use the toilet.



I discovered a cool street decorated in graffiti - The Street Art Walk. If anyone questions whether graffiti is art or vandalism they should take a walk along here. There are huge scale pieces in a variety of styles. 

 

 

We treated ourselves to afternoon tea at the Hydro Majestic. The views over the mountains equal to the Art Deco interior. An expensive treat and not altogether satisfying. Long wait and the sandwich fillings were quite basic. The dessert plate  pulled back some points.  Interested to go back and try one of their other restaurants. We were lucky to get a window seat with those views as wallpaper, the downside was a few people leaned very close to take photos of the mountains. 

Dreamworld, Gold Coast

After comparing all the theme parks on offer at the Gold Coast we chose Dreamworld. Mainly because it had characters both kids knew and had Whitewater world attached so we had rides, shows and water park in one.

The park was a 30min drive from Surfers Paradise. It was an easy run on the motorway. 

On arrival we put our water gear in a locker and set off  to explore. The main square was as I expected. A huge sculpture of the Dreamworld logo in the centre. Shops and cafes all around and a train that circles a third of the park.

Our first stop - ABC World. We queued for about 15mins to enter the Wiggles House. You sit in cars and they move from room to room throughout the house. Not a lot going on. A Wiggle on video in each room encouraging you to dance or look around. Photo at the end. Not overly impressed with it but our 3 year old was happy. Wiggle boat was a bit more adventurous. It was like a giant swing which moved in all directions. The kids ran through the Bananas in Pyjamas maze quickly and said that was their favourite.

Moving on to Dreamworks and a bit more activity. Went on the little rides in Shreks Kingdom. When we walked towards the carousel Shrek was there but I guess he was a tall scary character for the kids and nobody wanted their photo taken with him. On the way back it was Puss-in-boots turn and we stopped to say cheese. Bumped cars at Kung-Fu Panda's garage.  Had time for lunch before watching the Madagasca show. It was the same show we'd seen in the UK a few years ago.

At Tiger Island we saw the 2 tigers playing with each other and then caught a glimpse of the tiger cub. We must have got there at the end of a talk because he was being carried away by two trainers. We were able to give him a quick stroke.

With 2 hours to go before the park shut, we moved onto the Whitewater World section. We didn't want to pay another $10 for a different locker so kept our dry things in the original locker and just planned to come back to it before we left. At the gateway between the parks we were given waterproof wristbands so we could come and go.

We settled on loungers around Wiggle Bay but after they'd splashed for a bit and went down the watershoots, The kids didn't want to play there anymore so we moved to the wave pool which held their attention for a bit longer. For 2 kids who love swimming underwater, they seem to dislike getting wet! Back we went to the other side and had time to catch a 3D movie of 'How to Train Your Dragon' before the announcement that the park was closing was made.

We didn't go on any of the big thrill rides so can't comment on them, although we heard a lot of screams! There was just about enough to make it a full day out for us. The trouble we have is, once you've experienced the big theme parks in Orlando, others just don't compare.

Festival of the Winds, Bondi Beach

When we set off for a quick visit to Bondi beach one September morning we didn't expect to see a whale on the beach, or that it would be ridden by Spongebob Square Pants!
It was the Festival of the Winds. The largest Kite Flying Festival in Australia. Part of the beach was covered in kites of different sizes and shapes.
Those interested in flying can contact the Australian Kiteflyers Society AKS.

  

School Art show

Wow, I am truly impressed with the art produced at school. We have returned from the evening 'parent only' school art show, which was really well organised by the parent group, from helping to produce the actual pieces of art to the evening reception. The playground was transformed by fairy lights into an atmospheric reception and the school hall into a gallery. 

Each child produced an individual piece of art and each class produced a joint piece of art. They were displayed really well. The individual pieces you can buy - great fundraising idea as who wouldn't buy their kids art on canvas, the class masterpieces were then auctioned. 

The bar helped the evening go smoothly, especially when it came time to auction off the class artwork. The bids were flowing as fluently as the drink.  It was lovely to see the staff supporting the event and enjoying the evening. 

Saturday it is open for all the kids to visit. 

Now we just need to find a space on the wall for our new little canvas! 

Parsley Beach, Sydney

The venue for our Christmas Day on the beach. It's in a residential area and by the time we arrived at 10am on Christmas Day the car park was full but it was easy to find free parking in the surrounding streets.

As you enter from the car park, take note to look behind you as that's the toilet block. 

At the entrance there is a playground with swings, climbing frame, sea-saw boat etc. Well equipped for a small play area. Lots of benches if you want to sit in the shade to watch the kids. 

There is a cafe with outdoor tables and several picnic benches between the car park and the sandy beach. 

Then a long stretch of grass. Long enough for someone to erect a volley ball net and several games of cricket and frisbee to take place without impacting on each other and still have enough room for the large clusters of deck chairs, tables and blankets assembled on our Christmas Day visit. 

The sand is a semi-circle shape, divided from the grass area by a brick wall. Covered in a lot of leaves from the overhanging trees and a few shells. There is a large (fake) crab on the beach to play on.
Over the water is a long, high, pedestrian bridge providing good views across the beach and out across the bay.
There is a shark net which makes it a popular swimming and snorkeling choice. There are metal ladders leading into the sea from the rocks and beside the edge of the shark net.

Unfortunately on the day we visited the water was very murky. So much so you couldn't see your feet in the water. It wasn't very pleasant to swim in although it didn't stop us. We swam up to the nets and climbed out over the rocks and were rewarded by lovely warm rock pools to soak our feet in. My son was further rewarded by the sight of dead fish on the rocks which he insisted on throwing over the net to the fishermen patiently waiting for something a bit more lively to catch. There is an information signs displaying the vegetation you may spot. I was lucky enough to have a water dragon cross my path. When you need a stretch its a nice stroll along the rocks and over the footbridge. 

Summary: A good family beach. Shame about the quality of water. 

Facilities: Car park; toilets; beach shower; cafe; picnic benches and benches; playground; trees for shade; rocks; walking path; small sandy beach; swimming; shark net; fishing. 

No dogs on the beach but from the bridge they can walk around the rocks. 

Red Leaf Beach, Sydney

With the entrance hidden off the main road it's easily missed. Popular with locals as a good swimming spot due to the large semi circle shark net enclosure with a walkway. There are also platforms you can swim up to.

It's not a beautifully golden clean sandy beach and we did see some discarded bottle tops.We've only been once so I can't say if that is the usual condition and it won't stop us visiting again. There was plenty of litter free sand for playing in. The beach is a narrow but long shape with a parallel raised grass area. 

Above the beach is a cafe, the toilet block and shower block. There are also lockers. Good views across to the CBD. 

Melbourne

Our first trip to Melbourne was a long weekend the week before Christmas. We left Sydney in thunderstorms and arrived in Melbourne to blistering heat (40's). Therefore our usual method of walking around to explore a new city turned into short walks between air conditioned buildings. We did visit the Royal Botanic Gardens; Melbourne Art Centre; National Gallery of Victoria; Moving Image Museum; Melbourne Museum; Federation Square; Docklands area; MCG; Tram Ride; Crowne Casino Complex and South Melbourne Market. You can read more about those below.
If you only have a couple of days in Melbourne I would suggest concentrating on:  the Docklands area for views, shopping, refreshments then in the opposite direction you have Federation Square, for entertainment, museum, graffiti street then a short walk to the Southbank for galleries and theatre, from there another short walk to the Botanical Gardens. To make your own itinerary check out the official tourist site.

Royal Botanic Gardens

 

 

The Royal Botanic Gardens is a beautiful green space on the edge of the City Centre. It has a separate gated children's garden - The Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden, with miniature fountains to jump in and streams to run through. On the day we visited there were many, presumably local, families picnicking in the children's garden. We started our visit at the Cafe Jardin Tan and can recommend their homemade lemonade. We walked through the gardens and around to the lake. We were only going to stop for ice-cream at the Terrace cafe but when we arrived we saw people enjoying high tea so had to order the scones. Outside the Terrace you can go punting on the lake.

ACMI - Australian Centre for Moving Image

 

The ACMI on Federation Square kept us occupied for hours and is free entry. There are movies, exhibitions and workshops. Downstairs is their permanent exhibition - Screen Worlds. It walks you through the history of the moving image from the very first images through to current techniques. It is very interactive and there is a treasure hunt for kids. We didn't get to finish the treasure hunt because we found the area with the video games - and didn't move for half an hour.


Melbourne Museum

 

 

I'm not sure how often the exhibitions change but when we visited at the end of 2015 there was plenty to keep my 4 and 8 year old interested. All exhibitions had elements that were interactive plus a dedicated play centre for younger kids with Lego tables; drawing; reading areas; building bricks; musical steps and other fun things. We started at the 'Forest Secrets' where you can walk under the stream and see the fish and frogs. 'Bugs Alive' is the permanent insect section displaying thousands of specimens including some still moving! Was helpful to see what spiders to avoid.We spent 5 hours at the Melbourne Museum and only covered the ground floor, cafe's and play area.


National Gallery of Victoria

The National Gallery of Victoria is a beautiful building and worth a visit if you're in the area. It's free to walk in and to visit the garden. Some exhibitions are chargeable.

South Melbourne Market.

When we arrived at South Melbourne Market I thought it was just a fruit and veg market but as you walk deeper inside there are many different stalls. My son had his haircut at the Barber of Saville. There are also tempting nail stalls and massage stalls. We finished with fish tapas dinner at the corner cafe. Check open hours as it doesn't open every day. It was about a 30 minute walk from the Centre but you can get there by bus/tram or there is free parking (check restrictions).


Docklands Area

We jumped on the free CBD tram to the edge of Docklands Area, walked across the bridge and enjoyed the waterside views. As well as numerous restaurants you'll find the Harbour Town Shopping Centre which has outlet stores, a food court and fun park.









MCG Melbourne Cricket Club
We visited the MCG to watch an evening game of Cricket. My husbands a big cricket fan. After watching games at Lords and the London Oval I still struggle with the rules and the slow pace. Still, it was an experience to sit in the stands and enjoy the atmosphere. Outside the ground they handed out free No4/6 runs cards and inflatable clappers. With the fan cams and sponsorship competitions it reminded me of American sports games.

The MCG houses the National Sports Museum. Memorabilia from a range of sports not just cricket. 

Street Art at Hosier Lane

 

There are many streets listed under street art.
I only got to see Hosier Lane.
You can find others here.









Free CBD Tram
Take a tram ride - it's free! The CBD has a free tram zone. All the stops are identified with 'Tram Free Zone', which my son pointed out was wrong because it's not free of trams! If you get on and off within the tram free zone you don't need a ticket. If you are travelling on beyond the free zone then you need a ticket but will only be charged for the extra stops.