Nau mai, haere mai and welcome to Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand! For those travelling over to our countries over the next few months or so, our resident ShePlays Aussies and Kiwis have pulled together a little survival guide to our beautiful countries.
Same, same but different?
Like bickering siblings we have many differences but also many similarities.
Indigenous culture: Both Australia and Aotearoa have both have rich but also painful first nations history with Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, and Māori, respectively. Please remember to be respectful of our cultures and traditions while visiting. There are plenty of great resources at the local museums and online.
Wildlife: Australia and Aotearoa are both home to many unique flora and fauna including the famous Kangaroos and Kiwi. Yes, kiwi to us is a bird not the fruit which is kiwifruit. Rumors of Australia’s dangerous animals are exaggerated, we promise, but please keep your distance just in case, kangaroos can deliver a mean kick!’
Kangaroo photo supplied by Lizzie (@itsprettyoutthere, Instagram).
Landscape: Both countries are home to some beautiful natural landscapes and views. In Australia you’ll find loads of pristine bushland full of eucalyptus trees (or as we call them, gum trees). Bring insect repellent though, seriously. In Aotearoa, there are plenty if hikes (or tramps as we call them) in all host cities which will give you panoramic views of the land and moana (ocean).
Weather: It will be winter in both countries so be sure to check the temperatures in any of the places you are visiting. In general Brisbane will be the hottest, Dunedin will be the coldest, and Wellington will be the windiest (in the world).
Food: If I think of a national dish for both countries you can’t go past the classical meat pie or pavlova (meringue dessert). Pavlova might be a bit harder to come by as it tends to be home baked but pies will be readily available at any service station or local bakery. ANZAC biscuits are also a traditional biscuit which was developed in World War One by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs). If you’re by the beach in Australia, you can’t go wrong with some fresh fish and chips.
Drink: Aussies and Kiwis love their coffee and it’s a debate on which country created the much loved Flat White. We encourage you to check out the local coffee shops.
Flags: Yes we know they look the same but an easy way to tell them apart is Australia has more white stars whereas New Zealand only has 4 red with white outlined stars.
Words and phrases:
Hello = G’day (Aus) = Kia ora (NZ)
How are you = How are you doing or How’s it going or even in some cases just How’s it
Thank you = Cheers or Ta
Football = depends on where you are could mean any of the following Soccer (Football), Aussie Rules Football, Rugby League, or Rugby Union. Aussie Rules and rugby are usually called “footy”. Yes, it’s confusing for us too.
Flip flops = Thongs (Aus) = Jandals (NZ)
Hiking = Bushwalking (Aus) = Tramping (NZ)
Sweet as = In NZ this can mean many things including “thank you”, “it’s all good”, “no worries”, “you’re welcome”, and “that’s cool”. We also expand this concept other words like mean as, cold as, cool as, fun as, etc to emphasise the first word.
McDonald’s = Maccas (don’t ask)
Here are a couple of guides with more words and phrases you might hear.
Things to see!
Australia
Australia is well known for its beaches, but unless you’re up north, it’s probably going to be a little chilly for a swim. Thankfully, there’s plenty of other ways to spend your time.
Darling Harbour is Sydney’s main center for tourist attractions and you’ll find a wax museum, aquarium, zoo, and plenty else! Prepare for terrible parking if you’re driving, but public transport is pretty good. In Brisbane, it’s worth taking a trip an hour south to the Gold Coast, which is loaded with theme parks like Movieworld and Dreamworld, plus some awesome water parks if it’s warm enough (no promises!). Adelaide is a beautiful wine region where you can find several cellar doors worth a visit.
If you fancy some cute animals, Perth and Melbourne are for you! From Perth you can take a ferry to Rottnest Island and find some adorable quokkas. Melbourne is a ferry ride away from Phillip Island, which is home to the World Cup mascot’s close cousins: fairy penguins! There’s some great places off the beaten track as well. Bushwalking (hiking) is a popular activity here and you’ll be able to find great trails pretty much anywhere you go. See above re: insect repellent and mean kangaroos.
If you’re looking for more sport to attend, the NRLW (women’s rugby league) starts in late July and is always a heated contest. Down south in Victoria, AFL (Aussie Rules) is the sport of choice, and it is truly a unique game (although similar to Gaelic football). The women’s season doesn’t start until later this year, but ShePlays will have an AFLW league. Consider attending a match to decide if you like the chaos as much as we do and want to get involved!
Sydney (Gagigal/Wangal)
- Darling Harbour
- Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House
- Zoo, aquarium, museums galore!
- Luna Park
- Beaches (but Bondi might be a bit overrated!)
- Catch an NRLW match
- Visit to the actual capital Canberra!
Melbourne (Naarm)
- The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) – the largest stadium in the southern hemisphere and where some of Australia’s greatest sporting legends have been born
- Phillip Island (THEY HAVE PENGUINS)
- AFL match (uniquely Australian and Melbourne is mad for it)
- Bonus if you love it ShePlays has previously run an AFLW comp
- Luna Park
Perth (Boorloo)
- Hometown of the GOAT Sam Kerr
- Beaches
- Quokkas on Rottnest Island!
Adelaide (Tarntanya)
- Wine region
- Beautiful mountains
Brisbane (Meaanjin)
- Gold Coast (theme parks for days)
- Beaches (weather will be SLIGHTLY warmer up there)
- NRLW match (biggest sport in QLD, NRLW will start mid-late July)
- K’gari Island
- LONG TRIP but beautiful, largest sand island in the world
Aotearoa New Zealand
Aotearoa New Zealand is home to approximately 5 million people and consists of two main islands the North Island (Te-Ika-a-Maui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu). There are three official languages in Aotearoa, English, Māori and NZ Sign Language. If you are visiting Aotearoa you will likely hear many reo māori words and phrases in everyday conversation. The common ones you might hear or see being “Kia ora” (Hello, Thank you), mōrena (good morning), and nau mai, haere mai (welcome).
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
- SkyJump off the Sky Tower or Bungee Jump off Auckland Harbour Bridge
- Waiheke Island wine tours
- Rangitoto Island hike
- Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
- Karangahape Road (great food and generally just a cool place)
Te-Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
- Zealandia (literally one of the best places in the whole country, birds and hikes what more could you want)
- Te Papa National Museum
- Wētā workshop for any movie fans
- Mount Victoria Lookout
- Cable Car and Botanic Gardens
- Cuba Street and the laneways
Kirikiriroa Hamilton
- Hamilton Gardens
- Hobbiton – in Mata Mata
- Waitomo Caves
- Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
- Day Trip to Tauranga
Ōtepoti Dunedin
- Baldwin Street (steepest in the world!)
- See the albatross and penguins!
- If you have a few days spare think about trip to other areas down south Queenstown, Christchurch, Wanaka or Stewart Island