100 facts about Australia

Interesting facts from the Russian guy living in Australia. Recommended Reading.

1. From Moscow and St. Petersburg Australia so far that even far-away-predalёkaya India - this is only half way. From me, for example, to his parents' home in St. Petersburg - 14883 km.

2. From poisonous spiders here anybody since 1979 did not die. Although a year found two poisonous spiders in the house and one outside. Generally, people somehow quietly applies to them.

3. Malaria is also about the same time completely defeated, in the '70s.

4. Sharks bite is someone. By sharks in Australia died in the last 50 years - 53 people, on average, get one person a year.

5. The quality of life of Australia in the top ten.

6. Australian "national" food - Vegemite. Vegemite - a processed yeast, brown mass with a pungent odor and very salty. Spread on bread very thin layer. Not everyone likes, but in my family loved. Even before it has begun to Australia, bought for the occasion, when I was in London. First Vegemite long hours passed, and now eat a little calmed down.

7. More Australian national food - it's Meat Pie, meat pies in a basket made of dough, top basket, too, closed test. In Peter remembered sold "Fruit Baskets" with jam, so that's Meat Pie is the same, but only with the stuffing. Inside stuffing with all sorts of additives and spices, usually quite liquid. Meat Pies are sold in supermarkets as a frozen ready meal.

8. Australian cultural icon - this is Steve Irwin, of course you know it, well, that crocodiles dragged by their tails all the time, and then died, stung by stingrays. It is often remembered here. Steve Irwin's daughter now leads a children's program about animals Bindi The Jungle Girl. It's small, 8-10 years somewhere, but nimble such, the camera is very confident, speaks loudly, grinning like a zebra. And yet she had to transfer to the adult male dancer, I do not like.

9. Australia is located on a very low latitudes. Melbourne eg at latitude 37.5 ° S - and it's much closer to the equator than most southern part of Russia and the Black Sea. And the rest of Australia (except Tasmania) closer to the equator.

10. But do not say that Melbourne is very hot city. In the summer there 20-30 ° C (40 ° rarely do that), and in the winter night four, day + 15 ° C. The weather is very changeable, often windy.

11. The sun is very evil, much UV easily get burned. I walk with long sleeves even in hot weather, and smeared sunscreen. Although Australians are often careless - a T-shirt can go. Or ride in a car with the window open, exposing the elbow under the sun. Seen here as a hard worker, sitting on the roof shirtless and in shorts, puts shingles, and the sun bakes at all - he has already become a strange color, reddish-brown. I like the northern people certainly more cautious.

12. Then several years there was little rain and the desert expanded. Australians worried - if this continues, the whole Australia will soon wither. But this summer (2010-2011) was a lot of rain, and the whole of nature is restored quickly. In late summer and autumn, usually everything is brown and faded. And this year the green and the grass is growing rapidly.

13. Australia's economy largely rests on the export of gas, ores, etc., but in contrast to the Russian government a profit generously shares. Social sphere is very developed.

14. If you have children for example 4, 5 or better, the benefits given so much that probably can already live without working.

15. Australia has grown about 20 million tonnes of wheat, about a ton per inhabitant; a significant portion of course goes for export. In agriculture, involved a very small percentage of the people: 3.6% of the working population. Here, labor productivity in agriculture is incredibly high.

16. Health care in Australia is quite strange compared to Russia. For example, doctors have not come to call, even to a child (though rather there is, of course, for serious cases). Need to take a sick child and go to the doctor. Wait in line and. Wife says - with her sick child to the father came, the child vomited while waiting nightmare. However, people rarely ill and lives a long time.

17. In Australia, on the street are free to take everyday things: a microwave oven, vacuum cleaner, stereo, computer, printer, chairs and other furniture. TV very much, to suit different tastes and sizes. People put these things near his home - which means you can pick up. Things often almost new. Sometimes covered with polyethylene. In my journal sometimes run over Patriots scoop and call it "picked up the garbage." In fact, of course it's not a dump, and communism and abundance. Of course, I understand patriots shame that they continue to communism than anyone else, in spite of all the victims.

It is almost new things. Now I have, for example, computer desk on wheels, with a sliding panel for the keyboard. When I picked him up, he was covered with dust; after wiping it was brand new, without a scratch. Why put it - I'm at a loss. Probably just bought another more luxurious. Bread maker, for example, was too new, but there was at least a defect - the blade sometimes jump off the pulleys, had little to finalize with a file. Australians too lazy to even lift a finger to fix something, it is easier to buy new.

18. In Australia, sometimes you can bargain at the store. My friend says: MacBook sold in stores, with student discount of 10%. He says, "Sell me on a student price" Those, "Are you a student?" He: "No, but I've never worked on a MacBook, I'll learn it all, so let's assume that I am a student." Ok, agreed.

19. Vote on the election here is necessary, otherwise fine. I really as long as it is overdue: give citizenship only after 4 years of residence, and we only stayed for about a year. And there I will go, of course, to the elections, like democracy.

20. The President believes the British Queen. She is depicted on coins. On older coins it is young.

21. In the main country - Prime Minister. Now it is Julia Gillard. It is here once said that, well, apparently, the current Queen - the last queen, after it we will not be part of the British Commonwealth, or something like that. Caused even small holivar this statement.

22. Also in Australia, there is a debate about the new flag - which may not be more than the British Union Jack.

23. Even in Australia is "Aboriginal Flag", he recently became official. Now, even at school hanging next to the usual Australian flag.

24. Aborigines here trying to help, all sorts of institutions specifically for them is, every social sphere. On the building where the pool, I noticed a sign on which was written something like "The Victorian Government recognizes that these lands are historical lands of the people Wurundjeri» (or maybe Boonerwrung, I do not remember).

25. In general, the natives - unlucky people often endangered, many alcoholics, criminals, bullies, from time to time to read some wild stories about domestic violence, beatings, terror.

26. The movement then left hand and right-hand drive cars, respectively, in the UK, Ireland and Japan.

27. The roads are good, and even a good thing that all the curbs have smooth transitions - I often ride a bike, and it is very convenient.

28. The old men often go to these small wheelbarrows, something between a machine and a chair on wheels. But I always saw these - in the US, UK, Europe, in Russia there is no such.

29. Immigrant here to be perfectly normal, as more than half of Australians - are immigrants or children of immigrants or grandchildren of immigrants. We feel completely calm, no sense of "foreign country».

30. Peoples around, of course, many different lives. In our area, the majority of people of European species, and many Hindus, Arabs, Turks, and a little Chinese. But Africans in my area almost no Australian Aborigines and something did not come across.

31. All very friendly, all smiles (even when I'm without my daughters-beauties, and if you go with them on the street, all right syusyusyu). Ethnic conflict is not (and indeed no conflict). As said on a similar occasion Kholmogorov, "flocks of 12-15 people do not loiter and will not clog a public infrastructure." Arabs in halal meat shop I said "assalamaleykum" he wildly happy since hello and waving his hand, even when we pass by on the street. Generally, I like multiculturalism and friendly people.

32. Young people are not bullies. Sit, for example, a group on a bench, smoking and so boldly scrutinize passersby - this behavioral pattern can not be found here.

33. Smoked very little, and smokes expensive.

34. The vast majority of Australians live in separate houses with a small green plot.

35. Machinery, in general, cheap, cheap insurance, too.

36. The Australian car company called Holden, a division of General Motors.

37. Gasoline now costs $ 1.35- $ 1.50 per liter, the price changes frequently, in addition, different price on weekends and weekdays.

38. The Australian dollar is the price as the US, even became a little more expensive. The word "dollar" is also used.

39. Australian money is made from durable plastic film, there is also a small, transparent the window. Australia first start to do that kind of money.

40. There are also coins. The smallest coin - 5 cents.

41. Coin 50 cents - a large coal and 12, they are jubilee, with different images, often used as a souvenir from Australia (besides when you buy Australian souvenir - a kangaroo there, koala or check - it is usually done in China, alas).

42. bulbs in the homes of two types: either screwed, as with us, or with bayonet cap (with two pupyrkami as in a car). In my house, for example, those and other bulbs evenly around.

43. AC mains voltage - 240

44. Rosette here his - not like in Russia / Europe, are not such as Britain and not in such as the US.

45. The houses are often sink with two separate taps - for hot and cold, without mixer. This British tradition. In Ireland, for example, are also common shell.

46. ​​Houses in Australia expensive, judging by the statements of the Organization Housing Affordability Survey - the most inaccessible houses in the world. We have accommodation in Melbourne worth roughly something on the order of 300-600 thousand Australian dollars. But if both spouses are working, it is possible to get a mortgage. Ie housing, of course, much more accessible than in Moscow, St. Petersburg (Moscow and St. Petersburg in Housing Affordability Survey do not even consider, for things madness)

47. The salary of an engineer or a doctor - roughly something like 70 to 130 thousand AU $ per year.

48. If you remove housing, the average price of housing in the family - about $ 300 a week, it's not very distant suburbs decent. Of course, depends on many factors. For example, we pay $ 300 per week (1300 per month). For this price we have a 3-bedroom house with total area of ​​81.5 sqm + terrace + parking place + land about 2 weave. The city center is 40 minutes (walking distance to the station 12 minutes, but the best on the bike, it's faster + 25 minutes to the center by train).

49. The price of housing is not strongly dependent on the proximity to the sea. Although many newcomers, of course, dream of living by the sea, but there live more cold, windy and wet. Price depends more on the proximity to the city, and the prestige, prestige of the area. We live about 12 miles from the center (and the sea), near Glenroy, but not because it is our conscious choice, but because we were invited to the first housing in the area. However, we fell in love with the area, it is good.

50. In Australia, cold, poorly insulated house, and when it's less than 15, the house is cool.

51. So many Australians go right at home in winter clothing and footwear (in uggah example)

52. All the houses that I see around, covered with ceramic tiles. Other options rarely.

53. Hot water in the house comes from a gas boiler. Some are electric boilers, it is much more expensive than it turns out, is not profitable.

54. From cats and dogs here strictly, no stray animals in the city do not have.

55. Shit, however, rarely comes across in the streets, where dog lovers seem not so severely fined as in England, for example.

56. In fact, Melbourne - it is less a city and overgrown for tens of kilometers in diameter village. Since all live in separate houses with a small green plot. In the center - the city, skyscrapers there.

57. Australians have long been obsessed with all sorts of introduced animals here, always some problems. Then the sheep, the rabbits, now that's a huge toad from South America - spread, starting from the Northeast wider and wider, devour all local small animals, and none of these toads predators will not eat - poisonous.

58. In Australia, there are feral camels, about 1 million head. They used to be brought here, and they currently live in the desert and wilderness, wild. Still have horses, such as wild.

59. Australians plants also suffer. Here are delivered prickly pear cactus and prickly pear became flooding the whole of Australia. But then luckily managed this Prickly Pear Lime largely - brought some caterpillars that devoured her.

60. Who is one of the most harmful invasive plants considered Lantana - such bushes with small yellow-red, sometimes blue flowers, pretty pretty, fine.

61. As for the import what some seeds, insects, etc. Australians are very wary. At the customs strictly controlled, so that no one brought any insects, seeds, fruits, even just wood products can not be imported.

62. To go to Australia for shopping pointless - it's pretty expensive and the choice is less than in Europe, the United States. For example, electronics, iPods there any, laptops, smart phones, branded sneakers - more expensive than in the US (but less than in Russia). While the usual daily consumer goods cheap.

63. Many Australians bought all sorts of things through the US Amazon or similar sites - profitable even with the shipping costs. From this Australian resellers suffer, of course, all of this is discussed in the newspapers and on TV.

64. The food is very good. Meat - from $ 8 per kg. Cheese - from $ 7 per kg, very good. Honey wildly delicious, even one that is the cheapest, 6-7 dollars per kg. Potatoes from 80 cents per kilogram. Fruits cheap. We spend on food as much as in Russia, but the food quality is much higher.

65. Bananas are, however, expensive. After the storms and floods in the state of Queensland price for bananas grown to 12-14 dollars per kg.

66. In our area full of shops with different products from different countries. So many products completely unknown and unfamiliar. Sometimes I buy something at random, if it looks good. Or write out the name on a piece of paper and then read on Wikipedia.

67. Buckwheat, for example, is in Chinese and Polish stores, about $ 3 per kg. Unknown aunt asked me once in the store, "What are you doing with this cereal?". Told her about buckwheat.

68. Public transportation is more expensive than in St. Petersburg, for example. Although the payment scheme is somewhat different. There buy a ticket not to "bus" or "underground", but at the time: 2 hours or the whole day. If the ticket is activated in the early hours, he will act for the rest hours, plus another 2 hours - that is almost three hours. During this time, you can make a lot of trips, with at different transport: train, buses, trams. And yet it is necessary to take into account the area where you will go. 1st zone - is, roughly speaking, within a radius of 10-12 km from the center, everything on - the second zone.

69. The bus pulls up to a stop, and if there is an old man on a chair with wheels, the bus goes down, "crouches," so that the floor gets at the curb.

70. Trains that travel in the city and suburbs, called «METRO» in Russia, but they do not go under the ground, only on the surface. They rarely go about once every 20 minutes, according to the schedule, that is, as in the Russian trains, for example. But they are free, there is no way to jam-packed as in Moscow.

71. If an old man in a wheelbarrow with wheels wants to sit on the train, he arrives at the first door of the first car. Then the driver out of the train and put a special metal ladder between the apron and the car drove straight to the old man in the car.

72. The Australians are very friendly, as adults and children alike. I was worried about my girls - they are in the school to adapt? English is almost unknown, totally new in this environment. But children are very friendly. On the first day, they say, almost everyone came up and asked, "What is your name?". More reason very popular question was: "What's your favorite color?". I was in Russia for 40 years no one has ever asked me what my favorite color, but I do not know.

73. In general, the Australian Government is very concerned about the children. My girls were sent to school to learn English (in addition to the basic). All free (though uniforms and books should be bought). Schools are very good, clean, nice, with good playgrounds, computers.

74. The children spend in school 5 days a week, every day the same time, from 9 am to 3.30 days.