“Dingoes and kangaroos and koalas, oh my!”

Alright, those may not be the lyrics Dorothy was singing in The Wizard of Oz, but pandas, we’re not in Kansas anymore. Today, we’re taking a trip to the Land Down Under to see some of its most fascinating sights. From the cutest, and sometimes deadliest creatures, to the friendliest and most fun people, Australia has it all!

Below, you’ll find a list we’ve compiled of some of our favorite posts from the Australia subreddit, as well as an interview with Australia’s Curious Campers, Natalie and Steve, who were kind enough to share about their beautiful country. So grab some Tim Tams to snack on, be on the lookout for any poisonous snakes, and be sure to upvote the photos that make you want to hop on a flight to the Southern Hemisphere ASAP. Then, if you’re interested in checking out Bored Panda’s last article featuring the Australia subreddit, you can find more pics encapsulating the Aussie experience right here!

#1 Our Cat Came Home After Missing In The Fires For 7 Nights. She’s Burnt But Should Live. We Thought Her Lost When The Fire Consumed Most Of Our Property. Best Feeling Ever To Walk Out And See Her Alive

Image credits: reddit.com

The Australia subreddit describes itself as “a dusty corner on the internet where you can chew the fat about Australia and Australians”, and although I’m not quite sure what that means, I’m happy to take part! This online group has over 1 million members, which is pretty impressive considering the population of the entire country is nearly 26 million people. But despite being the 55th most populous nation, Australia has certainly made its mark on the world. It’s the 6th largest country in terms of land, spanning an incredible 7,692,024 square kilometers (or 2,969,906 square miles) and making up 5.2% of the planet’s landmass.

Australia is also known for many unique qualities, such as its stunning tropical beaches, where visitors can find the Great Barrier Reef, its gorgeous, lush rainforests, its amazing, unique wildlife, its rich arts and culture scene, and of course, the friendly and easy-going locals. In fact, Melbourne was recently deemed the world’s friendliest city based on factors including resident happiness, safety, LGBTQI+ inclusivity, top attractions and highest-rated hotels.      

#2 Sign In A Red Rooster

Image credits: ViKKed

#3 The Kids Are Alright

Image credits: reddit.com

Australia is a wonderful place to visit for many reasons. Prior to the pandemic, the Land Down Under was bringing in over 8 million international visitors each year, and travel and tourism typically account for about 10% of the nation’s GDP. Some of Australia’s most popular tourist attractions are the stunning Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the Blue Mountains National Park. But there’s plenty to see and do (and eat!) all over Australia. Just be careful not to disturb any dangerous animals…   

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to make the trek to Australia myself yet, pandas, but I’ve been dying to go my entire life. In fact, I’m actually named after the capital of South Australia, Adelaide, because my father visited there when he was young and always loved the name. Of course, I’m obligated to visit for that reason, but Australia is appealing to me for countless reasons. It will just be a perk that when I visit everyone will know how to pronounce and spell my name because they’ve actually heard it before!

#4 After A Blackout Night, My Mate Woke Up To A Ripper Selfie On His Phone!

Image credits: CtrldKilla

#5 Why Are You Littering?

Image credits: SydneyTom

#6 My Physics Teacher Defended Her House From Bushfires By Herself, And Then Waited Out The Fire In Her Pool Using A Scuba Tank

Image credits: Drakey02

To learn more about the beautiful country of Australia, we reached out to two locals, Natalie and Steve, the couple behind Curious Campers Australia. Natalie and Steve have been traveling all over Australia for over a decade, so they’re certainly experts, and they were kind enough to have a conversation with us about what makes Australia unique. “First, there’s the people,” they told Bored Panda. “They are relaxed, friendly, good-humored and ready to  laugh at themselves before they laugh at someone else. But if there is a defining quality of Australian people it is their sense of camaraderie. Mateship is in the DNA of every Australian and in times of fire or flood or even a pandemic, Australians will innately come together to help out their ‘mates’ and community.”

#7 Things You Don’t Get In Other Countries – Handraised Joeys In The Line At Bunnings

Image credits: SashaCranks

#8 Energex Couldn’t Check My Meter Due To My Chicken

Image credits: reddit.com

#9 The Most Perfect Koala. I Will Never Get Over Living In A Country Where You Can Just Stumble Across This On A Walk Ten Minutes From The City

Image credits: louisat89

Natalie and Steve went on to note that the land is another special feature of Australia. “From coral reefs to mountain ranges and rainforests to deserts, Australia has a striking and diverse landscape,” they shared. “On the east coast, you can step from a rain forest on to the Great Barrier Reef. On the west coast of the country, you can walk from rust red earth onto a reef meters from shore and swim with turtles, dolphins and whale sharks. In between the coasts, there are vast tracts of people-less deserts and plains where you can feel like you are the only person on the planet.”

#10 Bunnings Really Does Sell Everything

Image credits: Red-Engineer

#11 Local Firies Have A Sense Of Humour

Image credits: donmcg12

#12 Australian Embassy Here In Beijing No Fucks Given Going Against Public Opinion

Image credits: HashtagTJ

We were also curious about some of the things Natalie and Steve love most about Australia. “We are travel writers and nature lovers, so our favorite things are the wildlife and the country it lives in. While kangaroos don’t bound down the streets of the major Australian cities, they and much of Australia’s unique, bizarre, and adorable wildlife, are never far away.” The Curious Campers went on to share some of their favorite wildlife experiences to try when in Australia. “Go to Kangaroo Island in South Australia to see an echidna train. This is when a line of up to 6 male echidnas waddle along behind the female in this cute game of ‘follow the leader’ hoping to be the successful mate (and of course there are lots of kangaroos here too).”

#13 Today I Learned Echidnas Can Swim

Image credits: outdatedopinion

#14 My Quokka Selfie

Image credits: webdog77

#15 Meanwhile In Australia

Image credits: rohanrag

“Check out Halls Gap in the Grampians in Victoria. There are some stunning walks through the hills here but there isn’t a better place at dusk to hear kookaburras – a chorus of them laughing is a sound you will never forget – it must be one of the best sounds in nature,” Steve and Natalie shared. “At Jurien Bay in Western Australia, you can visit an island and swim with the local Australian Sea Lions. Described as puppies of the sea you will be nose to face mask with these inquisitive creatures, it is a thrilling experience.”

“Tasmania is an island sanctuary and nature lovers’ paradise,” the Curious Campers added. “The jewel in the crown is a place called Maria Island off the east coast of Tasmania. If you have ever wanted to get up close to a wombat this is the place. It is cuteness overload, you’re sure to come away with lots of wombat selfies.”

#16 Look At This Cute Joey Inspecting The Camera Lens. I Also Took This Picture In The Gorge Wildlife Park

Image credits: YEET_and_retreat

#17 Last Qantas 747 Flight Draws Its Spirit

Image credits: Neoteny

#18 I’ve Seen My First Platypus! Hobart, Tasmania

Image credits: SirSpitfire

We also asked Natalie and Steve if there were any Australian stereotypes they wanted to dispel. “While we might admit to having an accent that no one else in the world seems to understand, it is a myth that Australians speak entirely in slang,” they told Bored Panda. “Words like bonza, crikey and struth and colorful expressions like ‘stone the crows’ and ‘fair suck of the sauce bottle’ are the stuff of movies, an Australia of the 1950s and one recent awkward Prime Minister in Kevin Rudd. But yes, you can expect to hear ‘G’day’ and ‘No worries’ pretty regularly, and you can expect to be called mate!”

“Unless you are really unlucky or really stupid, you will be not eaten by a crocodile, bitten by a great white shark or receive a lethal dose of venom from a spider or snake when you visit Australia,” the couple added. “Sure, there are plenty of dangerous animals in there, but you would have to go out of your way to encounter one.”

#19 Summer In Australia

Image credits: Fredx

#20 Victoria Police All Over It

Image credits: tyork_

#21 Picture From Plane Window Flying Over The Wildfires In Australia

Image credits: Liamerkul

“Australia is often perceived as a sun-drenched country where every day is perfect beach weather. Not true,” Natalie and Steve added. “We have seasons here and for the southern half of Australia, cold weather, rain, even snow can occur from April to October.”

“There is still a perception that Australians, descended from convicts, have evolved to be a tanned, blonde population – but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Today Australia is proudly and harmoniously multicultural with people from around the world calling Australia home,” the Curious Campers told Bored Panda.

#22 A Pile Of Manure Has Been Dumped Outside The Sydney Headquarters Of News Corp

Image credits: Kitchen_Items_Fetish

#23 Best Photo Of A Kookaburra Ive Taken Yet!

Image credits: Crispy_Chooken

#24 Selling Point For Aussie School

Image credits: Bray0910

Finally, we wanted to know what being an Aussie means to Natalie and Steve. “Being an Australian in Australia is an immense privilege. Being an Australian means we have freedoms and safety and opportunities not enjoyed in all countries. It means taking pride in that even though we are relatively small in number, we compete, play and contribute on the world stage,” they shared. “It also means we can enjoy living in a big, beautiful country. Only an hour from any capital city, you can be on a beach, or in the bush, or by a river or rainforest and not see another soul.  Australia has been called the lucky country, and being an Australian means living in a community and having a lifestyle that is the envy of the world. We’d never live anywhere else!”

If you’d like to hear more about Natalie and Steve’s exciting Australian adventures, be sure to check out their website Curious Campers right here!

#25 Yeah, Nah. Might Hold Off On Cleaning The Shed Out

Image credits: killjoy73au

#26 I’m An American Intern In Sydney. The Office Made Me This Spread Of Classic Australian Goodies. Not Pictured: Cheezels, Milo, And BBQ Shapes

Image credits: honeyedlife

#27 Was Mowing The Lawn And Discovered This Absolute Unit Of A Stick Insect, ~35cm

Image credits: DerangedDog1

Are you feeling inspired to visit Australia the next time you get to take a vacation? Be sure to pack lots of sunscreen (or a heavy coat if you’re visiting during winter!) and your best attitude! We hope you’re enjoying this list showcasing just how special the Land Down Under is, pandas. Don’t forget to keep upvoting the photos you find most amusing, and then if you’re interested in learning even more about the beautiful and fascinating country of Australia, you can find Bored Panda’s last article featuring the same subreddit right here!

#28 Yurrang!

Image credits: Taco_El_Paco

#29 Last Years Trip To Australia, Love From Belgium!

Image credits: juju-O-T-B

#30 Australia Summed Up

Image credits: LadderOne

#31 It Hit 45 Degrees Celsius In Our Area Today And My Boyfriend Got Instantly Branded By His Seat Belt Buckle Getting Into His Car. It’s Already Peeling

Image credits: GoodCelery

#32 For All The Naysayers Who Think The Rest Of Us Are Paranoid

Image credits: xtremixtprime

#33 Do Other Countries Have This Problem, Are The Manufacturers Doing This On Purpose?

Image credits: opticaIIllusion

#34 Stay Safe Out There

Image credits: Nick_pj

Source: boredpanda.com