8 Lies You Were Told About Australia 👀 🇦🇺

When you were in Science class, did your teacher ever tell you that every single toilet in the Southern Hemisphere spins counter-clockwise? So ultimately, the other way then those of the Northern Hemisphere? Yeah, well, every person I talk to here (that is if we stumble upon this topic) says "Did you hear that every single toilet in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia as the most famous example) spins the other way?" Well, it was believable...because I was told the same exact thing.

But, it's a lie. Instead of spinning counter-clockwise, the toilets just suck all the water into them; excluding the spinning.

Lmaoo...when I first heard this, I was so shocked and intrigued for some reason. But at the same time, it seemed so believable. We think kangaroos are everywhere in Australia (well which they are), that people can actually keep them in their backyards. But as I became older, I realized, it's practically impossible to ride a kangaroo. Well, not impossible, but quite illogical. 

This is because:

1. Kangaroos hop, not walk.

2. While kangaroos seem friendly, they can be intimidating up close.

3. The kangaroo's back is like humped over; so while you can still uncomfortably get on it's back, it will be a very rocky ride.

So basically, these are a few "famous" sayings that a lot of Americans think people say in Australia....but instead, it's all a lie.

1. "Shrimp on the Barbie"

Ok, people don't even say shrimp in Australia. Literally every single type of what we call shrimp in America is prawn. But in America, prawn is a different food. So basically, the two same "foods" are called different things in the two countries. I don't know how shrimp on the barbie was made famous, but it's incorrect.

2. "Crikey Mate"

Steve Irwin was the one who made "Crikey" or well "Crikey Mate" famous. But in modern times, almost no one uses it in every day conversation...but I guess that's something foreigners for Aussies think people say.

3. "Dingo ate my baby"

So the story behind this is that there was a woman Lindy and daughter named Azaria in the 80's. They were camping in Uluru, Northern Territory, when a dingo snatched the daughter or something. So Lindy made the saying "Dingo ate my baby." But again, no one uses it in modern times; even though we expect people to for some reason..

You hear the word Australia, what would your first thought be? For many Americans, it would be the stereotypical fact that everything wants to kill you. There are animals in Australia that will kill you; but those animals don't result for "everything".

I don't know how this became popular, maybe it was the Aussies who made it popular. But I just want you all to know, that Australia has many less attacks or killings then other places.

For example:

Over the past 12 years, there have been an estimated 15 crocodile attacks in Australia. That's obviously not a lot. Meanwhile, in America, an estimated 1,000 people die every year from crocodile attacks. That's a drastic amount.

Don't let this one myth change the fact you're gonna visit Australia. Because I promise, it is unlikely.

So, here's the thing. So many people think that literally every Aussie surfs. When in reality, there are only approximately 2.5 million recreational  surfers in all and 420,000 surf participants in the whole country. In other words, around 2% of Australians are surfers. The country's population is around 26 million, meaning around 1/10 Aussie residents actually surf (including both categories).

I don't know why....but I have encountered so many people who assume Australia is so expensive. They were like comparing it to Scandinavian countries like Norway and Sweden. That's just a new level, especially when talking about Norway (top 5 for most expensive countries). Meanwhile, speaking of Australia, (according to a website), it ranks around 16th. That's a pretty good drop. While a few things may be expensive here and there, the overall experience is much comparable to that in the United States (ranking 20th according to the same website).

One of the first words that come to mind when thinking of Australia is kangaroo. This is literally a conversation I had with a local person while speaking about this topic:

Me: "Hey, when you think about Australia, what's the first word that comes to mind?"

Person: "Kangaroo"

Me: "Why kangaroo?"

Person: "They're literally the national icon of the country."

Before I go on, I'm just saying the national icon of Australia is vegemite or fairy bread.

Me: "But kangaroos are literally hunted down lin Australia ike deer in America. They literally care more about koalas than kangaroos."

Person: "You're so wrong. Why would you think every American would think Australia is world-famous for kangaroos?"

Me: "Because it's a lie"

I know there's no point to putting this conversation on there, but like that's how most Americans develop their mindset.

Ok, I know for all the geo nerds here, you're all going to say the correct answer to the capital of Australia. But...lmaooooo....how Americans have it so wrong. You ask 80% of the population, so around 264,000,000 people, they say Sydney is the capital.

I know all Australians would know that's not correct, because it's Canberra. If I tell a random person in America this, they obviously wouldn't believe it. I, myself, had an argument with another person about the capital of Australia. They asked me what it was, thinking the right answer was Sydney, until I told them it wasn't. They didn't believe me, well obviously, and we kept saying our answer for the next 3 hours (I'm not kidding). I then told them to google it, which they did; and guess what they found?

This is a pure example of not knowing your geography, and how it should be known more, especially in the states. Just because Sydney is a big city doesn't make it a national capital city. It's a subdivisional one though. Anyway, while many capital cities are the largest cities in the country, it's because it has a suitable geographical location, a military location, and head of government. That's how capital cities are chosen. And that's why, Canberra was chosen the capital city of Australia.

In the end, the only thing I can say is sorry for exposing all the Australians out there, but it was well worth it. Once again, thanks for reading!