(Photo: Sunset over Sydney, Australia.)

We had a wonderful time in Australia. We went from a large city to the Outback to the ocean. We learned a few thing along the way.

Australia is about the size of the Untied States. I will admit I had no idea it was so big. The majority of the people live on the edges of the country. While the US has a population of  about 326,625,791 Australia has a population of about 23,232,413. There is a lot of open land in Australia.

While both Australia and New Zealand had British influence, some locals told us that English in New Zealand is more formal and Australia likes their more relaxed slang. We did find it easier to understand the locals in New Zealand.

While there were lots of similarities between New Zealand and Australia, like driving on the other side of the road, there were also some things we noticed just in Australia.

Thing we noticed:

• A Semi/Tractor Trailer is called a road train.
• They do not swim in the ocean in certain places. (Check out Empty Beaches to learn why)
• Silverware is called cutlery
• They will do something in a tick or it will just take a tick.
• Ketchup was back to what we know.
• Many, many things will kill you: plants and animals. (Really you just have to know what to watch out for and how to use the plants.)
• Spiders are huge!
• Kangaroo meat is like beef for us.
• Wallabies hang out in fields by the hundreds. I thought it was a farm where they raised them the first time I saw them, but the guide said they were just wild.
• Joey’s do not stick their cute heads out of their mother’s pouch. They stick out their leg and maybe a tail. I am still recovering from that shock.