Australia is the dreams of thousands of young adventurers attracted by the possibility of exploring a world that is still so uncontaminated; it is the home of large metropolises and the Great Reef and the land of unique species and boundless territories.
Australia is all of this...and a lot more as I’m here to show you. But, as all countries of the world, it is also characterized by oddities or perhaps curiosities that contribute to making it even a more unique and interesting place.

First curiosity: Australians are on the run, literally..
The most widespread stereotype of Australians is that everyone here is a surfer or has tried surfing...and it is a wrong stereotype!
Of course, there are plenty of surfers, especially on the Queensland coastal area, but the ‘true’ Aussie is a RUNNER!
It seems that running at dawn is the favourite pastime of Australians (second only to having a beer at sunset LOL) and I must admit that Australians are very good runners, they run with technique, method and consistency. They make running look like child's play!
Women (and men) running while pushing the stroller, people running during their lunch break, people even running at dusk wearing reflective clothes.
I have started running too because I have felt compelled to.

Second curiosity: Australians love hoarding, especially food.
At the beginning I thought that the issue was limited to the few people I knew. Living in a house with local people, we naturally shared spaces and accessories and every time I opened a wardrobe or a drawer... I literally felt overwhelmed!
Food in quantities that could have fed an entire army for a week, objects of any size and even of dubious use stored everywhere, entire walls covered with books and much more.
I later understood that this tendency to accumulate was typical of most people here.
The reason? Well, certainly the high level of well-being that is widespread almost everywhere in Australia. I don't want to generalize because even there, as everywhere, there are people who aren't doing well, but the vast majority enjoy excellent incomes so it becomes quite easy to fall into the trap of impulse buying and consumerism.

Third curiosity: They have supermarket employees bagging your things.
There's not much to add, it's what happens and it was odd for me at the beginning because it is not so in my country. Whether you go to a supermarket chain, a department store or to the farmers market, once at the checkout the kind clerk will amiably and without failing to smile place your groceries or items in the bag.

Fourth curiosity:
In Australia it is not possible to buy alcoholic drinks in regular supermarkets.
For products like this there are specialized shops that only sell alcohol.
Naturally, you will be asked for a document if your age is in doubt.
Furthermore, it is not possible to display or consume alcohol in public places. For example, you will not be able to carry a bottle of wine on a bus if it is open, even if you are not consuming it. And if you buy a bottle of beer after work you won't be allowed to drink it in the park.
Did you also imagine Australia as the kingdom of bonfires and drinking on the beach at sunset?
Be aware that in most places drinking alcohol on the beach is prohibited. And here, in enforcing the rules, they are very strict.

There are many more funny, interesting and odd things to discover but I don’t want to give a spoiler…come to Australia and learn them yourself.