Australia is a wonderful country, the nature is among the wildest and most fascinating in the world, the cities are super modern and liveable, the society is multicultural and the cost of living is high but proportionate to the salaries.
But many people do not know that Australia is not all sun, beaches and surfing, but it is a rather interesting and diverse country. Its distance from the rest of the world has made it, so to speak, unique in its kind.

Among the strangest things about a trip to Australia, poisonous or deadly animals are definitely in first place and here there are all kinds: spiders (the smaller they are, the more poisonous they are), snakes, jellyfish, crocodiles, sharks, octopuses and even magpies. Get ready to look in your shoes every morning, check your clothes, look under the sheets, inside the toilet, in the shower and under the pillows. Remember to look everywhere, it seems strange but after a few days you quickly get used to it.

If you go there during Christmas, be prepared to see a huge amount of Santa Clauses in costumes and flip-flops, here Christmas is very much felt but in its own unique way. In fact, many Australians have fun dressing up as Santa Claus even when it's 30 degrees Celsius outside, but the best thing are the sand puppets instead of the snowmen.
Still on the subject of shorts and flip-flops, in Australia you will find people dressed like this even in the bank, it doesn't matter how formal the place might be - Aussies are informal by nature.

The sun literally bakes your skin, not only if you are on the beach, but also if you walk along the streets fully clothed. The sun in Australia is very hot, so be prepared to buy an infinite amount of sunscreen, don't worry you won't forget it easily, more or less every 10 meters in the cities there is a sign that reminds you to protect yourself from the sun and in some places there are dispensers of - free - sunscreen (especially in or around playgrounds for obvious reasons).

Sydney is more active than any other Australian city.
If you are an early bird and you wake up at dawn to take a walk in one of the many parks in your city, you might think you will be alone, but you are totally wrong. Australians love sports and the outdoors, so you will find yourself in the company of a hundred runners in great shape.
Just greet everyone with a simple ‘whats'up mate?’ To which, however, don't even think of answering, because they will look at you as if you were crazy.

Some strange food I found here - and I’m not talking about kangaroo tail stew or aboriginal recipes - is Chicken parma. It is one of the national dishes that any Australian would kill for, it's not bad but let's be clear, it's just a breaded chicken cutlet with mozzarella and tomato spread on top. The name Parma sounds Italian like prosciutto di Parma but not sure how it is connected to the dish as there is no prosciutto involved.

If you go to the outback the flies will never leave you alone. Bring a hat, sunglasses and a bandana, or those beautiful hats with anti-bug pegs that make everyone look funny.
Australians wear hats and caps but they often go barefoot. I find it not only a lack of hygiene, but also a chance to get cuts or contract some disease. I saw people walking barefoot everywhere really: guys on public transport, businessmen in elegant suits barefoot in the city parks with their loafers in one hand and their briefcase in the other, young girls shopping in the supermarket with their heels blackened by the dust of the road.
I’d be afraid of insect bites too.
Australians will also sit and lie anywhere, on the floor, on the pavement, on the ground…I guess it’s a primordial way of living more in contact with nature than what Europeans are used to. I must admit also that the country is super clean and proper in most places unlike many cities and places in Europe unfortunately.
It may be the reason why Aussies feel so comfortable anywhere.

Australia is unique and worth a visit for sure, isn’t it mate?