WEIRD things we experienced in AUSTRALIA | Visiting Australia as an American 

ok friends. I think I need to clarify some of my comments in the video and also address some of the comments below. First and foremost, as I state at the beginning of the video, this is in no way meant to be a dis on Australia or Australians. We LOVED LOVED LOVED our visit and the many people we met and talked with. And yes, we talked with a lot of folks throughout out visit and many for extended periods of time. Just as Australians will find some things surprising when they travel to America, these simply are some things that we found surprising as Americans. We're not saying they're wrong or bad or horrible. Just different. FOOD Yes, as Americans from California, we are used to a different level of spice to foods and yes, we found Australian food to be bland. We do not expect Australians to have the same palate as Americans, nor do we expect Australians to cook for the American palate. We had only two meals we honestly can say we hated, and several that were quite tasty. And while we tried a variety of different places, from fast food to high-end, we did not have a chance to try all the different cuisines Australia has to offer. FOOTBALL When we were in Sydney, we were surprised to see American football broadcast on one of the screens of a pub we were in. We also were surprised to see pretty much every bar with NFL posters in the windows. And when we talked with several people in Sydney about this, they all said that US football was very popular. So maybe it is popular only in Sydney but we definitely were lead to believe it was popular throughout the country. If it is not, I retract that statement but we still were surprised to see how popular it APPEARED to be at least in Sydney. WASHCLOTHS We have traveled a lot in the US and even in the cheapest motel you will receive at least 2 washcloths. As noted in the video, this was the exception and not the rule during our travels in Australia. Sure, we could ask the front desk for another washcloth but the point is that it wasn't provided in the first place, which is something that we found surprising. If you still think we're haters, I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch some of the other videos on this trip, which will hopefully provide a different view of our experience. 🐨❤

We despise American football.

She's seems like a sweet lady but did she actually speak to any Australians while she was here?

Americans visit Australia and compare everything with the U.S. Other nationalities visit Australia to soak up the uniqueness and not compare with their homeland. I assume it comes from an education that teaches them about places outside of their own country, where as Americans can't comprehend a world outside of their borders, or control.

American football is so boreing .Australians like AFL and NRL.

I think Australia beats the USA on Asian food, but the USA would defintley beat Aus for Mexican food........for obvious reasons! given both countries Geographic locations!

Australians should watch this clip for bizarre amusement. For everyone else it's just consistently misleading.

Lollies are our word for candies, except for lollipops, which are ... lollipops 😅 Also, IDK where you were staying, but lawn bowls isn't that big! Football is the biggest sport, and there are several codes. Local councils (counties) are somewhat obsessed with roundabouts. Makes them look like they're doing something useful 😅

Some of your comments are quite surprising! American football is not particularly popular here; many other sports are preferred. In saying that in sports bars you’re able to see it. Also having eaten around America as well as here in Aus our food isn’t bland it simply has less sugar and salt than an American palate is used to. Regarding the wash cloths; almost every locations I’ve ever stayed at in Australia (and I’ve been all the way around over the years) has provided them so I’d suggest the places you stayed that didn’t were the outliers.

Food's not spiced? Where were you eating? Hotels catering for tourists often play it safe and serve on the bland side. Good Mexican is hard to find as there's few Mexican immigrants in Australia, don't forget Texas, California, etc used to be part of Mexico. A big difference is Aussies tend not to use ketchup and all the corn syrup soaked condiments Americans like. Many American foods are not available in Australia or Europe, especially beef and dairy as they don't meet the pure food standards. You need to get into some of the suburbs that have larger migrant populations and try the food.

I have never heard an American person or couple complain or disagree so much ever before about Australia. Watch One Pack Wanders. They are a beautiful American couple who have travelled Australia extensively. Some things they find different of course - but never complain, they buy spicy food they love and buy Australian food they have discovered they really enjoy as well. They are a beautiful polite couple trying new things without complaining. My friend’s son, who I’ve known since he was born, went to college in American. I asked him how it was, he honestly said absolutely nothing but rolled his eyes. My friend’s son didn’t complain about the differences he experienced he is far too polite.

Aussie here, never watched American football in my life. Regarding the food, there is some stellar food out there. Italian is by nature super bland when compared to Indian, Thai, Chinese, Iranian, Lebanese and many other cuisines. We also don't want too much sauce cause that's unnecessary calories.

Perhaps American food is overseasoned? And I really don't think American football is a thing over here. You might see it on cable television, but nah, we have too many much better codes of footy of our own.

If you are missing something go to the front desk or pick up the phone and ask. Not rocket science. Secondly, as for the food, ask for it to be spicy or something while ordering. I don't eat out much, being from an Italian family, can't get good food most of the time. Like American foods cater to Americans and our food is catered to Australians etc. However, as for seasoning, a lot of people don't like it hot, salty, peppery, and so on. There should be salt and pepper on the tables. We also, don't use a lot of sugar or what I call fake flavours as the USA does.

I’m an Aussie and I’ve grown to love American football. This year’s Super Bowl was amazing! One reason I like watching it is that American football is played in our summer when Australian football is not being played 😊 (i.e. it’s cricket season). And it’s usually on tv LIVE in the mornings over here.

Home cooked food is better than any restaurant.

for the love of God, when you go to Australia, do not eat in McDonalds and other American style fast food restaurants. Get proper local food. The food may taste bland to you because Australians probably don't cover their food with quite as much salt as America. (hint: its healthier)

Seriously what a load of crap, nobody watches American football. Our food can be as bland or spicy as you want but has less sugar and salt so healthier.

I am happy you enjoyed your Australian trip and shared your love of koala's - with the food, Australians unlike Americans do use sauces or garnish a lot on their foods like in the USA - I've traveled three times the the US and get weird looks when I order salad with no dressing and no cheese - and loath Mexican food where as Americans love it. Australian's enjoy the natural flavour of foods with out sugar, sauces or garnish.

Americans like too much salt and we do not have the Mexican heritage re chilli. Often restaurants leave adding salt to the customer. Many of us have blood pressure issues, and I preger to get bland food that I can season myself. Lolly is not short for lollipop. Lolly is our word for candy. We call lollipops lollipops. We call them facewashers, and every Australian hotel and motel I have ever stayed at in my 68 years has provided them.

Australia has the greatest variety of food in the world especially Asian food. So you think Thai food Vietnam food Indian food is to bland not enough spices? I’ve read about 2000 tourist reviews of Australia 1998 have raved about the quality of our food. I would like to remind you that you are in Australia,being Australian. Complaining that we are not like America is ridiculous, we are the way we are because we are us. We have on off switches on our power outlets because it is safer not because our electricity is stronger. Your power outlets are live. When we turn the switch to off the power outlet is dead. We are one of 76 countries that drive on the left including Japan. We have lots of roundabouts because it eliminates traffic lights and that cuts down on waiting times. If you want things to be like America stay in America.

Thank you for visiting my homeland and yes we are a bit weird .In fact, there was a book written by an Italian immigrant many years ago titled "There a Weird Bunch "Still this a nice place to be.😄

yeah when I went to the States IU was drive through New Mexico and decide turn off the highway and blown me down and what did I see, A round about.

Hey you are in another country. An Aussie phrase for you, Just suck it up. Which means just accept what you got.

Hahaha. Lawn Bowls is huge. That's so funny. And we DO NOT like American football. Bahaha. I think I'll do a video on this video as it's so far from the truth!

So you didn't find it strange that the sun is in the North orientation?

I suggest you don't speak on behalf of all Americans or generalise. I suspect your comment on bland food is attributed to the fact your used to processed food full of salt and sugar. And judging by your pics it looks like you ate mainly in low end cafes. Which can be pretty average in Australia or the USA. I also suggest you align your hotel comments with how much you paid. Because those pics look more like $100 motels than 4 star hotels. Sorry, but American football is not at all popular. Generally Australians may watch out of curiosity and all the hoopla that goes with it.

It's really difficult to get good Mexican food in Australia. The best you can hope for is "reasonable and edible". We have barely any people of Mexican heritage living here and it's a long way away! There are many restaurants which serve world-class Asian food though, unsurprisingly. For really good Italian food you need to go to Melbourne with its large and vibrant Italian community which migrated here after World War 2. Your experience with bland food may be unlucky, or may be due to our different tastes. I visit the USA - mainly California - a lot for my job and find the food can often have too much salt, sugar, and fat for my taste.

Sorry seen others come to love our AFL

To be fair, Zambrero (the Mexican place) is kinda shit.

Not enough sugar in food for you?

I really hope you are enjoying your time here! With regard to the spiciness of food, I can't be certain, but if you mention when you order that you like it spicy, I'm pretty sure they will make it spicier for you. And, usually salt and pepper is either at the table for you to add your preferred amounts, or at the counter where you order. If you are inclined, we do seem to have a good reputation with Thai, Vietnamese and Indian foods and you will definitely get some spice with those types of foods. Mexican isn't hugely popular here, or at least, not as popular as some others. I rarely stay at hotels/motels, but you should be able to ask for anything that they haven't supplied. In saying that I have found I do get a face washer, so that did seem weird! Looking forward to your upcoming videos.

i was amused that the statement about american football was showing a game of cricket, but panned across to put it out of screen. As for bland food. i don't know where you went, but i know indian places that would melt your face off if you asked. and chinese too. they cook bland for white people, but if you think you can handle it they will make you the genuine stuff.

Come to Sydney and I guarantee you will find the most aggressive drivers here

Pretty much everything in this video is the complete opposite of what’s been stated here!

I can't tell if you were trolling with the bland food thing. I think you are the only ones who think that. Either that or you accidentally went to all the worst restaurants. I will say that I've had plenty of bad food in Australia. Usually it's at the cheaper places though. Although you said Australia doesn't know how to do good Mexican food and that is true. We don't have a lot of Mexicans, unlike America. But we do have a lot of Asians, and our Asian foods are top notch.

I am an American that's lived in Australia for 45 years - a citizen for half that time. My wife (68) and children (40, 34, 30, 27) are Australian. I am sorry to say this, but I cringed when I heard you say that Australians follow *American football* and that you took the word from some locals as gospel. I don't know who these people are - I don't know if they were trying to fool you or impress you. Either way, they did nobody any favors by giving you this very false piece of information. That is actually very insulting to Australians! If you were really interested in Australia, you would have watched videos and read up information as to what makes Australia tick. American Football does not make Australians tick. AFL and Rugby are a major part of the Australian cultural fabric and it is greatly insulting that you even entered (let alone, left) the country not knowing this. That is almost as bad as saying Pakistan follows mostly Christian values. The only thing that makes me cringe more than you not knowing this was when my sister demanded that my son be ''less Australian'' when I brought my family over to the States many years ago. *Food:* People from all over the world have praised Australian food, and it really does depend on where you go. My diet changed when I began living in Australia in 1980. I consumed less salt than I did in the States. I can't comment because I don't know what you're diety choices consist of. *Gambling:* There is an annual 4-day horse racing event called The Melbourne Cup, which consists of betting. The thriving Australian music scene of the 70's and 80's was gravely impacted by venues replacing bands with pokie machines. The gambling industry in Australia is a subject I have very little authority to speak on, but I am aware that it is a thriving industry and one that has had a negative affect on lives. But it is wrong to imply that gambling is a common activity in Australia. It just isn't true. *Lawn bowl:* It is not greatly popular in Australia, and it not the definition of an Australian passtime. You have got that completely wrong. I'll go back to football. *Music:* Australian Top 40 is not any different to the US Top 40. You may have a few local hit makers, but in general, it mirrors whatever is going on in the rest of the world. You were going into establishments that openly played ''retro'' music, because the hospitality industry regonises and accommodates to each demographic. If you went to a young people's hostel, you wouldn't be hearing ''Push It''. Retro music has had a consistent presence in Australia, but it isn't the be all and end all of what Australians listen to, by and large. I am out of my depth when commenting on the style of music that gets played in the US, because I haven't been a full-time American since 1980. I must stress that before the Australian government decided to sponsor the gambling industry and have pokie machines replace bands, the Australian Top 40 was almost saturated with local music. Men At Work, INXS, AC/DC; etc, etc. weren't just flooks that popped out of nowhere. The popularity of Australian music even dominated the Australian Top 10, where the Top Five singles were made by Australian artists. Between 1975 to 1989, Australian music had a very big share in the domestic market. That isn't because Aussies were patriotic and chose their own before anybody else. It's because the music was so good that Australians began treating it the same way as they would treat good quality music from the UK and US. Sadly, this trend began to die down by the early 90's and the gambling scene didn't help. *Australian drivers:* Like your comment on music, you experienced something different to what people experience in their everyday lives. Australian drivers can be right a-h's. I have had physical fights with drivers on the road, especially when one called me a yank and told me to go back home. There are a drivers that can be more considerate than those in the States, and vice versa. Cameras and hidden police cars make speeding in Australia not worthwhile, but there are states in Australia where people speed and do not give a hoot about other drivers. *Lollies:* Australian word for candy. Not a shortening of lollypops. Australians do shorten words because Aussies are laidback (traffic is an exception to the rule, and you go about thinking American Football is important to them). *Washcloths:* I don't know. My first time experience in Australia dates back to 1977, which makes your 2024 experience vastly different. I came to Australia as a stereotypical blonde-tanned surfer that was on a surfing pilgramage, and I only hung out with Australian surfers that looked like me. When I returned to the States, the only thing I knew about Australia were the blonde-hair blue-eyed tanned surfers and the surfing communities. If I didn't return in 1979 and decide to pay a visit to the gritty city of Melbourne, I would probably still be thinking that Australia is nothing but surfers and I wouldn't have met my wife, who was the opposite to a blonde surfer.

Electric out let's are Lower ampage than USA which makes it safer.

TRAVELLING educates the mind. WHEN IN ROME DO AS THE ROMANS DO

Gambling is pervasive in Australia, myself I don't gamble so a little anti.A newsagent was for papers mags ,stationary they are in fact gambling outlets for lottery tickets. It is socially acceptable to gift a gambling ticket to someone !!

2 words F... O..

Most Australians can't stand American football because it's so complex and doesn't have enough action.

Is this real, we hate USA football lol

I have been to the States many a time. West coast, east coast & mid west. everyone was pleasant. the food differed from home but was still good. I enjoyed my postings in the US as a civilian.

Aussies like American sport? No we don't lol

For the best food flavor go to Taiwan

face washers is that what you wanted?

Americans nearly always comment on lack of Mexican food in Oz. Do they realise Mixico is across the border to them, while it's 12000 miles from Australia. Bet Kiwi food in America is lacking too!

You're getting the responses you are from people because you're criticising and complaining about everything without understanding or even having enough experience. Nothing sounds positive or even impartial. We do not appreciate that here! Australia is the number one migration country for a reason!

Everyone hates coffee mate. Use real milk from real cowes. Not milk from soys.

Judging from your size i would say you are a food expert. At least you can taste the food here, the US covers everything in that shitty orange cheese or sauce so you may as well just have that

I can't speak on behalf of other Australians, but I felt we had very little representation, let alone a voice, in the past. This condition continues to this day, which is why I think Australians get annoyed when Americans (like yourself) create these videos with misinformation. I know that was not your intension, but that is the outcome. Paul Hogan gave Americans the idea that we say ''shrimp'' instead of ''prawns'', and a major brewery advertised Fosters as Australians' first choice of beer - which is bullshit. Aussies not wearing shoes and every creature is lethal is also getting tiresome. I was livid when you said Australians prefer American Football, and that you didn't acknowledge AFL or Rugby. I've spent many years traveling for both work and play. I have researched each country prior to stepping in, and I took note as to what makes up the culture. Perhaps you have the idea of coming in blind and giving the world your observations. The novice approach. But I really don't think commenting on a country with limited time and location makes a fair assessment. I'm sorry to say this, because you do seem like a nice person and you obviously have an interest and a liking for Australia, but that was disappointing. No more disappointing than Australians that bullshit with the tourists with misinformation. It's just not funny. The people that told you American Football is popular in Australia were not telling you the truth.

Unfortunately Australians are keen to criticize other countries but look out anyone who dares criticize Australia.