Living in Australia - What you need to know

Now I do not want this thread turning in to a V's thread but thought it may be a good place to have advice for new arrivals, for example:

1) You have to park in the same direction as the flow of traffic.

2) Manchester is not the place in the UK it is a name for bedding and towels

3) Flybys is a loyalty reward card https://www.flybuys.com.au/flybuys/content

Lay by - Most shops have a lay by system where you can put goods on hold and pay so much a week off, once its paid you can take the goods. This is great if you have kids as in July they have the huge toy sales, you can put all your Christmas presents on lay by, pay them off up until Christmas and then collect them Christmas Eve or sooner.

Would like to add:

It's called a vacuum cleaner, not a Hoover.

Can still remember an odd game of charades in a shop with mum. She wanted Hoover bags for an Electrolux! The salesman was totally confused & couldn't understand how a Hoover could be an Electrolux....

Takeaways and Restaurants usually close around 9pm some of the fast food joints open longer

That's just reminded me a plaster is a band aid over here, they have no idea what you mean if you say you want a plaster

Lay by - Most shops have a lay by system where you can put goods on hold and pay so much a week off, once its paid you can take the goods. This is great if you have kids as in July they have the huge toy sales, you can put all your Christmas presents on lay by, pay them off up until Christmas and then collect them Christmas Eve or sooner.

Unfortunately, if you use lay by & the shop goes into administration you will lose both item & any money. This has caught many out in the past 2 years

A petrol station is a "servo" or service station not a garage, that confuses people as they think you mean somewhere to take your car to be serviced!

Don't say router it means err how do I put this.... I'm sure you know what I mean. Oh and it isn't pronounced root her.

There's loads Pom Queen! I was completely confused at school when asked to pass the 'liquid paper'! It goes the other way; ex-marine dad tells his Aussie army buds he's off to unroll the slug & they thought he was about to get naked in front of them! He meant get the sleeping bag out, lucky for them!

Ooooooh and a roll neck top is called a skivvy here..... Still makes me chuckle

A petrol station is a "servo" or service station not a garage, that confuses people as they think you mean somewhere to take your car to be serviced!

I remember this when I first moved over I said I was off to the garage for a sandwich the girl I was working with said why, do you know them!!

Don't forget thongs are flip flops not G Strings

A wind cheater is a fleece

A Beanie is a hat

You can't buy sarnies in the chemist (got funny looks in Darwin when my daughter wanted to know where they were!)

also, don't call 'em buttys either!

and a cheese & pickle sarnie is NOT the same!

Pokies are fruit/slot machines

When shopping for things like furniture and appliances, always haggle. It's expected and you'll usually save yourself between 10% and 30%.

A TAB in a pub doesn't mean you give the Barman an IOU it is another name for a betting shop

Don't say router it means err how do I put this.... I'm sure you know what I mean. Oh and it isn't pronounced root her.

Yeah, I know about this. I work in IT networking, which predominantly uses, yes you've guessed it - routers! I move to Australia in a few weeks and have been pronouncing it the Australian way recently in work, just to get into the habit (much to my colleagues annoyance).

Yeah, I know about this. I work in IT networking, which predominantly uses, yes you've guessed it - routers! I move to Australia in a few weeks and have been pronouncing it the Australian way recently in work, just to get into the habit (much to my colleagues annoyance).

Same for Data as well its pronounced Darta

Pants are trousers.

Or trousers are pants

Remember on our first visit, my cousin asked me to get the 'Eski' out the garage, I didn't have a clue...Cool box!!! I guess its Eski as in eskimo Box?

Local phone calls from landlines are flat rate not timed

Americanos are long blacks (whites are flat whites or any of the other myriad of coffee choices) - that's been the hardest for me to eradicate!

Some banks charge if you use a competitor's card to withdraw cash

Car registration is called Rego

You pay through the nose for ambulance if you call one so get ambulance insurance (some states - Qld has it free but other states charge like wounded bulls)

Dont be surprised at social functions if there is a blokes space for chat and a sheilas' space for gossip - segregation is frequent and expect to see the bloke weilding the barbie tongs

Yeah, I know about this. I work in IT networking, which predominantly uses, yes you've guessed it - routers! I move to Australia in a few weeks and have been pronouncing it the Australian way recently in work, just to get into the habit (much to my colleagues annoyance).

Why on earth change your accent? I've been here 5 years and it's still a rooter to me I do find myself saying darta instead of date-er sometimes now though - don't force it, why try to be someone you're not? 20% of the population are poms ( unless you are going to a rural area) so they'll probably think you're trying too hard.

Expect to have your leg pulled but that's part of the team bonding, so long as it isn't malicious or bullying, why worry?