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Visitors to Australia may come for the sun, sand, beaches and wildlife, but most of them avoid the outback and “shark infested” beaches. This could be because of some pretty common misconceptions about this massive, yet beautiful continent.
Here are ten common myths about Australia that travellers need debunked:
Driving around is difficult
Also lots of friendly people willing to sell you a well travelled or new car on the Aussie version of Gumtree – which is easy to access on your smartphone.
Roadside assistance is available 24/7 no matter where you are. It’s actually pretty easy to get around and explore the country by yourself, or with friends or family.
Gumtree Australia is a handy place to source a vehicle for your travels
It’s just dry desert
The country has a lot to offer besides dry desert. Most of the central outback is dry, but there are also stunning beaches, cities, beautiful coastal drives and tropical rainforests.
Australia is really popular with tourists precisely because of the natural beauty all around. Don’t expect an endless desert if you visit.
Everyone lives in the outback
Speaking of the outback, only one in ten Australians actually live in the central, arid regions. 90% of the residents live in cities on the coast. The biggest cities are actually the best places to visit. A trip down under would be woefully incomplete without a visit to either Sydney or Melbourne.
Fosters is the only beer
Australians don’t take their beer as seriously as you’d expect. The country loves to drink, but it tends to prefer it’s local wine over the local beer. Beers from across the world are available here, as well as many locally produced craft beers. Fosters is actually surprisingly unpopular and difficult to find on tap in most pubs.
It’s easy to get lost
The country is vast (almost 50% larger than all of Europe), but it’s easy to find your way around. There are signposts everywhere, lots of assistance if you need it, helpful locals and precise online maps. You are, in fact, more likely to get sunburnt than lost here.
Wildlife will kill you
The wildlife here tends to scare off even the natives. There’s frequent news reports of dangerous spider bites, shark attacks and snake infestations. The animals here are unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere and, yes, a lot of them are dangerous. But getting killed by the wildlife is really rare.
Snakes prefer running away when they notice humans, which means you’ll only be attacked if you get too close or harm a snake.
Beaches where sharks have been spotted or seen by authorities are usually clearly marked, so you know to stay away. Shark attacks may be dramatic and make the headlines in the news, but they’re really rare.
There’s one death on average from shark attacks every year. Compared to that, 300 people die from drowning every year on average.
Here’s an interesting fact about Australia – Kangaroos everywhere
It’s unbelieveable how common this myth really is. Turns out it’s true. Most people around the world instantly associate Australia with kangaroos.
The Australian Government estimates there are 50-60 million kangaroos and only 23 million people, so there’s a reason to believe this fact after all. But don’t expect a bunch of kangaroos crossing the street in the middle of Canberra.
Australia is lively and fun. It’s also somewhat misunderstood. Visit the place and you surely won’t be disappointed.
The post 6 Common Myths (+1 Interesting Fact) About Australia appeared first on Pommie Travels.
Source: pommietravels.com