Your Australia - Show and Tell!

There are some things we all know...

• Australia is both a continent and an island - "down under"
• Australia has a bunch of cool, one-of-a-kind animals - koala bears, kangaroos, the platapus...
• People in Australia all have "mates" - as in "G'day mate!"

Australia: The inside story, your story!

But what about the nitty gritty, the details that really make things interesting? We are looking for expert input from you - people who know Australia from personal experience. 

Whether you're a native or a visitor, share "your Australia" with us and our readers!

We want to publish your input all about Australia and make the continent come alive here in the AuPairWorld Blog.

• Tell us your own personal list of "must sees" and "must dos" (of course with photos, too). 
• Share an Outback picture or story.
• What about surfing and diving?
• Have you been to a cool hostel?
• What's your favourite bar and why?
• What is it that the tourists mostly miss?

So, don't be bashful. Take a minute and share your own bit of Australia with all the visitors to AuPairWorld.

And here, to get things started, are two "My Australia" contributions - from Eva and Denise on our own AuPairWorld team!

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Eva's Australia
Visit: 2006-2007, 12 months as an au pair and 4 months travelling

Some special places I got to know

Byron Bay. I learned to surf here in a one-week course. It was really cool, and I'm still surfing when the waves are there.

Blue Mountains. I lived in Sydney as an au pair and could be in the Blue Mountains in 45 minutes. We would hike in to a waterfall, have a picnic, go for a swim and later on barbecue at the campfire.

Some special people that I met

I'm still in touch with some of the other au pairs I met in Australia (two of my friends from then and now are shown in this picture). And I also have regular contact with my Australian host family :-).

An important lesson learned

For me as a German, it was great to meet people who worked hard, but when the working day was done were ready to relax and have a good time. They taught me something important about looking for the right work-life balance.

Denise's Australia
Visit: 2010-2011, 12 months studying in a Master's program

One Australia regret (but not so bad)

In my time there, I never managed to see a kangaroo in the wild. (Maybe next time.)

One Australia nightmare

No wild kangaroos, but I did come face to face with a wild Huntsman spider as big as my hand right in the house where I was living in Wollongong. That was a shock I won't forget!

Some special Australian things that I got to know

The fruit markets in Australia are amazing. Huge with every kind of fruit and vegetable that you can imagine.

The ethnic neighbourhoods in major cities. Australia is a country of immigrants and in the big cities you can find "Little Italy"s or "Little Greece"s or "Chinatown"s that have a really special feeling.

This phrase can be used for just about any purpose, and it always sounds good...

Now it's your turn: Tell us about your Australia!