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  ussie  cons  xplained:  egemite
Remember those Marmite ads, where one person would love it and another would nearly vomit when faced with the distinctive taste? It is exactly the same with Vegemite (click). Once upon a time, in a country far far away, scientist Cyril Callister and Melbourne businessman Fred Walker were working on a yeast spread for the Aussie market.
After various failed attempts, they finally came up with a spread that Australia took to its heart. Vegemite has been putting 'a rose in every cheek' ever since. Although it was bought by American company Kraft in 1998, it is still recognized as an Aussie icon. Whether you spread it like an oil slick or just wave the jar near your crumpet, Vegemite is a true Aussie love affair.
* About 22.7 million jars of Vegemite are manufactured every year. That, fact fans, is 235 jars per minute.
ussie cons xplained:  ydney  pera  ouse
If there was a poll to choose Australia's most distinctive landmark, it is a pretty sure thing that the Sydney Opera House (click) would come in way ahead. It's perched scenically on Bennelong Point at Circular Quay and there is not one tourist goes home without at least one photo (see mine below :-).
Built amid much controversy and finally opening in 1973, the Opera House is now the busiest performing arts centre in the world, with no fewer then five auditoriums showcasing everything from opera and ballet to contemporary dance and theatre.
*** The tiles on the 'shells' - all two million of them - are actually beige. When they would be white, the reflection of the sun would blind everyone on the harbor.
ussie cons xplained:  he  reat  arrier  eef
 The Great Barrier Reef (click) is difficult to describe, it is amazing. Over 2000 kilometers in length, it stretches from Gladstone to up the tip of Cape York, but it is from Cairns that most travelers get to explore the spectacular coral formations and fantastic explosion of vivid sea life (the reef runs close to the coast at Cairns). And don't worry about sharks, the only ones you are likely to see are friendly reef sharks.
* The Great Barrier Reef is is the only living structure visible from the moon (see picture).
ussie cons xplained:  luru
 Nothing quite conjures images of an Ancient Australia like Uluru, otherwise known as Ayers Rock. About 9 kilometers around the base and 348 meters high, Uluru remains the most mysterious and enduring of all Australian icons. Uluru is of great spiritual importance to the Aboriginal people of the area and it is against these beliefs to climb the rock. No matter how many photo's you have seen, nothing quite prepares you for the sheer size and majesty of Uluru and the outstanding natural beauty of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (click).
* It is widely believed that two thirds of Uluru is buried underground.
ussie cons xplained: ondi each
 Possibly the most famous beach in the world (and actually a lot smaller then you think it is going to be), Bondi is one of the first stops for backpackers seeking the over-cooked lobster look. Just get there early on weekends, as half the city seems to turn up for a sunbake (that is Australian for 'sunbathe', kids). Swimming and surfing are the most popular activities, but if the waves look a bit scary, try a dip in one of the sea-water swimming pools. For a change of scenery it is nice to wander along the cliff-top track to Bronte or Coogee.
* Despite signs being plastered everywhere asking people to only swim between the flags, it would appear some people never listen as lifeguards report sometimes having to rescue the same person several times in 1 day!!!
ussie cons xplained: ussie ules  ootball
 When you hear someone mention 'the footy' in Oz, don't expect them to be talking about football, or 'soccer' as it is known there. It's more likely that they are referring to one of the rugby codes or their own unique brand of football - Aussie rules. Spending an afternoon at the footy is a must-do on any trip to the Land Down Under (Australia). The MCG in Melbourne is the biggest and most famous ground, but the atmosphere is likely to be just as electric at any AFL (click) game. Just grab yourself a few beers, the obligatory pie and sauce, get chatting to one of the die-hard, one-eyed fans nearby and before too long you will be cheering 'goals' and 'behinds', applauding 'marks', chastising the umpires and shouting "Can the Dees/Roos/Blues" with the best of them.
*Carlton Football Club has plundered the most premierships - 16 out of the 104 grand finals that have been played
ussie cons xplained:  eighbours (the TV-series)
 Many people's first impressions of Australia would have been formed in those 25 minutes every evening between school and dinner time.For almost 20 years now, the show has thrived on providing sunshine-starved Brits with a picture of happy, shiny, skinny people living in a place where it never rains. Lots of fan pages have been made but the one and only real Neighbours page is the BBC page (click).
* Although it is not possible to wander around the interior sets of the show, the kitchen from number 26 (the Robinsons) is on display in the Melbourne Museum. You can even open the fridge door and gawp at Charlene's wedding cake .
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angaroo
When Captain Cook first landed on these shores, he saw many strange things - shuffling wombats, sticks that came back when you threw them away (the boomerangs) and strange men in vests and mullets. But nothing could have prepared him for the oddness of the kangaroo bouncing over the land... Kangaroos are marsupials, which means their young get a free ride in the female pouch, and they are found all over Australia in many different guises - from the 'Big Red' in the Outback, to smaller rock wallabies and some that even live in trees. They may be cute, but are a pest to farmers and are hunted to control numbers. Apart from helpful ones like Skippy, that is :-)
