Cool Facts about Australia:
- When USA’s first space station Skylab crashed in Australia in 1979, Australia issued USA a fine of A$400 for littering, which remained unpaid for 30 years
- There are Target stores in Australia with the exact same logo, name, and branding that have no affiliation with the actual Minneapolis-based retailer all because Target didn’t trademark their name in Australia.
- It is cheaper to fly to the USA from Australia to buy Adobe’s Creative Suite than to buy it within Australia.
- Mick “Crocodile” Dundee was based on an actual person who survived 56 days in crocodile infested outback Australia. He died in a police shootout after he killed a cop while high on amphetamines.
- While Australia might have all kinds of deadly animals, the entire continent has been rabies free since 2010.
- In 1970 due to a wheat production quota dispute between a Farming family in west Australia and the Government, the family declared their land to be independent from Australia and created a legal micro-nation called the Principality of Hutt River which exists till today.
- Burger King is called “Hungry Jack’s” in Australia, as the name was already trademarked by a takeaway food shop in Adelaide.
- There is a suburb in Australia called Surfers Paradise that have “Meter Maids” who are dressed in bikinis and feed expired parking meters to promote the area and preserve goodwill.
- In 1859, English settler Thomas Austin released only 24 rabbits onto his property in Australia, stating “The introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home, in addition to a spot of hunting.” By the 1920’s the population reached 10 billion.
- The first ever modern commercial refrigerator was built in Australia in 1856 to keep the beer cold
- In Australia voting is compulsory and citizens over 18 are fined if they do not vote
- A 2012 episode of Peppa Pig was banned from Australia as the central message that spiders were not to be feared was deemed “inappropriate for an Australian audience
- In 1932, Australia declared war on its local Emus due to them eating crops. Despite Australia having better weaponry, the Emus survived and won the war
- In 1999, an Iraqi refugee fled to Australia and lived off their welfare system. Years later after he became successful, he walked into the local welfare office and tried to pay back every cent with an $18,000 check.
- Australia straight-up lost Harold Holt, its Prime-minister in 1967. He still hasn’t been found.
- You are most likely to survive a trip to ICU with a severe infection in New Zealand and Australia than anywhere else in the world, despite an increase in the severity of infections. This is partially due to the fact that all patients have 24-hour one-on-one nursing.
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| For dinner: shrimp on the barbie :), Australian meat pies and Australian potato salad |
After dinner we watched Crocodile Dundee. I had never seen it and I had no clue it was based on a true person.
