Cultural differences you may not be expecting.

As an English person, it's comforting to know there's a lot that the Australians and the English have in common. We share common loves and interests - enjoying an outdoor culture, the appreciation of sarcasm, and self-deprecating humour, to name a few - and the same first language (always a plus). However, there were more than a couple of things that I wasn't expecting when I went to Australia...

— Bottle shops 

You can't buy alcohol in supermarkets in Australia. Yes, you read that right. Alcohol can only be purchased from specially-licensed shops nicknamed "bottle shops" (or bottle-o's) by the locals, so don't waste your time wandering the supermarket aisles looking for beer. Bottle shops are usually located next to/in a close vicinity to a supermarket though, so they're easy to find.

 

— Tipping isn't mandatory

In the UK it's pretty much expected that you tip 10% (more if the service was excellent, less if it was awful). On more than one occasion I ate out with an Aussie friend who was surprised when I left a tip. In larger cities the tipping culture is gradually on the rise, but wages in Australia are much higher than the UK. A waiter/waitress earns substantially more than they do here (AU$20 and over per hour), so tipping is usually reserved for really excellent service (but is always welcome!).

— Barbeques in the park

Did you know that Australian parks contain public barbeques? They're free for anyone to use, as long as you clean up afterwards, and very popular on public holidays. PS) Australians never cook shrimps on a barbie!

— Football isn't football

It's soccer. "Football" is a whole other game with the full title of Aussie Rules Football - from an outsider's point of view, it looks like a cross between football and rugby - and it has a large following in Australia. (Rugby is still rugby, though.)

— Slang 

There's no way for me to list all of the Australia slang ever here, but it'll be useful to look a few things up before you go, so you don't end up staying silent for your first couple of days because you have no idea what anyone is talking about (like someone I know... ahem). To start you off, "gnarly" or "sick" is good. "Fully sick" is even better. To "shout" someone is to pay for them, being "cut" is feeling sad, and "arvo" is afternoon. On another note, Aussies use the word "fag" as a slur for a homosexual person, so be careful about who you're going to amuse/offend when you're wondering aloud where your fags are (it's best just to not say it, really).

— Swearing on air
That's right - rude words and sexual references in songs and interviews aren't censored on Australian radio. I'll never forget my best friend driving us home one afternoon/evening, and over the car radio hearing a female singer wailing something like "you f*cking bloody arsehole" over an acoustic guitar. It was every bit as hilarious as it sounds.

— Taxi etiquette

This can make the difference between a pleasant journey, and the cab driver from hell. With terror in my heart, I recall the psycho who drove me from Bardon to Brisbane city and was one of the rudest, angriest men I've ever been stuck in a car with, and who drove alternatively like he wanted to kill me, or get me out of his cab as soon as humanly possible. I found out too late that lone passengers in a taxi are supposed to get in the front next to the driver, and getting in the back (as people do 80% of the time here in the UK) is considered extremely rude. Oops!

We've got a potential sociopath here. 

— And another thing about taxis...

They don't always turn up, even if you've pre-booked them for a special event. "Outrageous!" I can hear you Brit readers thinking, and I agree! However, that's just how it works, and there's no point getting angry or complaining about it. Just accept it as part of your new life Down Under, and go with the flow (and order another one, preferably from a rival company).

— A CV is a résumé

Australian CVs (résumés) are very different to the ones in the UK. Résumés tend to be less cluttered, and more stream-lined and to the point (and usually only consist of one side of A4). The best thing to do is to find a template online with an Australian job site and use that to adapt from a UK CV to an Australian résumé.

— Pub culture

Pubs often follow an art-deco theme, and are often located on the lower floors of hotels (which aren't actually hotels in a lot of cases) in Australia, instead of the free-standing quintessentially quaint buildings we are all used to here. Marc in Sydney has reminded me that people tend not to order their beers in pints, either - this discussion forum from Lonely Planet has some useful information on what sizes to order (or just ask for a beer!).

The Young and Jackson Pub & Hotel in Melbourne.

— Quiksilver costs that much everywhere
I used to think that the surfing brands were expensive in the UK because of international transit and import costs. Not true! Clothes are really expensive in Australia, and £45 for a bikini in the UK will cost you the same in AU$ in Australia. Before you leave the UK, it's a good idea to visit shops like H&M/Topshop/Primark to get basic items like tshirts/sleeveless shirts, and even things like tights, socks and underwear, because you just won't get (new) clothes at the same prices in Australia.

— It is common practice to add an "o" on the end of everything
Arvo, bottle-o, servo (service station/petrol station). You'd better get used to it, and quickly. I'm expecting to have at least one person calling me "Lizzo" on a semi-permanent basis.