Cultural Understanding

As we have now spent some time in the land down under, I feel we have a good understanding of Australian culture and can now answer some of the questions pertaining to stereotypes about Australians:

Q: Are Australian's as laid back as everyone says?

A: Maybe out in the bush, BUT living and working in Sydney, I have found that Australians work alot more than even people in Toronto. They work later hours, weekends, 2 jobs you name. In fact, as I have discovered, there are only about 6 national holidays compared our 11 for the entire year. The price to pay to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world

Q: Do Australians only eat shrimp on the barbie?

A: In 4 months of being here, I have probably seen shrimp on the barbie twice. Not sure where the saying comes from, but definately an over exaggeration (I did however add the photo of our first shrimp on the barbie)

Q: Does the toilet flush backwards in the southern Hemisphere?

A: It sure does...

Q: What do native Australian's look like? Do they really resemble convicts of the past?

A: No, there was actually thousands of Aboriginals that lived on this land long before settlers came (see below)
Q: Did the dingo really eat the baby:

A: Yes it did. Quite a sad story actually. Our first encounter with a dingo was in Fraser Island (right: not a dingo but native Australian animal nonetheless)