DIFFERENCES between AUSTRALIA and the US

Australia and the US are so similar - yet so different! their flags have the same colors, but there are so many differences to mention about the 2 countries. let's learn 10 (plus an extra) differences of Australia and the United States of America!
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[@gezzac100]

It's not your right to vote, it's your duty to vote.

[@MelodyMan69]

Sad. But some people dont have the intelligence to Vote. The outcome is visable every day.

[@hughmiller925]

@gezzac100 duty? Are you serious? It should be optional. The majority of voters are complacent and apathetic, resenting the fact they are required to be there. Never seen so many sour and irritated faces, then on voting day.

[@leechgully]

​​@@hughmiller925 I think youre imagining that. Most peopke I know aren't bothered by it at all and are happy to do it, especially since we now have pre-polling at elections so you dont have to vote on the day.

[@mikebennett744]

This is a tough one. Because everyone 'has to do it' nobody actually gives a crap. Look at the morons running our country (not singling out a party here, they all terrible choices). In Australia we elect our dictators. I can't even remember the last promise kept from our prime minister. Not to mention how out of touch they are. Look at Albo, we are in a national housing crisis but he is focused on things like domestic violence (fair, but statistically improving every year) and removing freedom of speech so his precious little ego doesn't get hurt when he looks at something. He is not the slightest bit interested in Australia or its people, only in his parties agendas. Ultimately we can't blame the politicians though, we elect them! The collective 'we' probably need better a education on how to spot a bullsh*t artist, hold governments to account, and move them on if they lie to us or take too much of our money. I don't think 'having' to vote really helps when you factor in the poor quality decisions we make as a country.

[@heatherfruin5050]

​@@hughmiller925If we didn't have compulsory voting Australia would be the poorer for it because not many people would vote, just like most of us don't vote at council elections.

[@miniveedub]

I like the Australian system of school holidays. There’s six weeks in summer with most of it after Christmas, so five weeks to play with your Christmas gifts. Two weeks at Easter to enjoy the last bit of summer, two weeks mid winter to break the cold and flu infection cycle and two weeks in spring when the weather is just warming up again.

[@KamBar2020]

Slava 🦘 Heroyam 🐨

[@mddawson1]

The main advantage of compulsory voting is that it is also illegal to prevent people from voting. Therefore we don't have any of the voter suppression tactics as is common in the US. You aren't going to rock up to vote only to discover you are no longer registered or that you are unable to find a polling station nearby. Last Federal election I had around a dozen polling stations within a 10 minute drive from home with the closest being a 10 minute walk.

[@scooter2099]

Should actually clarify this. It is mandatory to cast a ballot - it is not mandatory to cast a valid ballot. If you have some personal objection to voting for any of the candidates, you can leave the form blank or draw smiley faces or something ..

[@hughmiller925]

@mddawson1 you can look up polling stations on line. Keep the 1 vote per person system, "have you voted before" and give fines for that, for people that do the wrong thing, ie multiple votes, but do not give fines to people that don't get checked off an electoral roll.

[@redhead3199]

At least you can get a wonderful cook sausage (what we call democracy sausage) or maybe something like a cake. 🇦🇺

[@hughmiller925]

@redhead3199 ah ha, yep, sure, what ever. Who cares?

[@triarb5790]

​@scooter2099 The number of people who actually do that is significantly lower than the number of people who say they do that, by the way. Spoilt ballots/ donkey votes are almost negligible. I believe that's because when it comes to standing in the booth most of us realise we do take it more seriously than we tell our friend's that we do.

[@ratofvengence]

I'm surprised you didn't mention the lack of mass shootings here as a major difference. Universal healthcare too of course.

[@elizabethmarks4792]

🇦🇺amaerica was an agrarian culture that needed its kids off school for a long time in summer to help with harvest and farm work. That’s the origin of our school year there. Here in Australia, as you pointed out, people are in coastal communities and the school system grew up around different requirements.

[@Jeni10]

Most supermarkets are already cooled via air con so the eggs are fine, but once you get them home, the Egg Board recommends keeping them in the fridge to protect them from varying temperatures, because in the warmer months, your house can reach 30C and in colder months, the heating system can get the indoor temp up to 35C, depending on how much heat your house is leaking through cracks and crevices. The US cleans their eggs so they need to be refrigerated to prevent bacteria getting in through the porous shells. In Australia, our egg farmers use an approved process that keeps the protective film on the egg formed during laying, so the eggs are packed into paper pulp cartons and stored cool and dry until sold. Same in UK.

[@vegasvisitor-o3e]

@Jeni10 America not only washes eggs, but they bleach them, so they are all uniformly white.

[@Jeni10]

Only Melbourne has Cup Day off, the rest of the states have to work as usual. Same with the AFL Grand Final.

[@petermcculloch4933]

Actually Victoria, the entire state, enjoys those holidays

[@BasilPunton]

​@petermcculloch4933 The cup day is for Melbourne, Bendigo has a picnic day holiday on the same day, but it is not a Melbourne Cup day. Most regions of Victoria have similiar days but on different dates.

[@bumble-g2j]

Depends on whether you're boss is a fan. Also an extended boozy lunch isn't out of the question depending on what your job is.

[@Alex.The.Lionnnnn]

@@BasilPunton Really??? I never knew that. I just figured like most that it was "gambling day holiday".

[@dylans2376]

Adelaide has Adelaide cup day off

[@Jeni10]

Australia’s coffee culture arrived here with the Italians and Greeks during the war years, when they migrated here and set up family businesses like fruit and vege shops, or cafes and restaurants, businesses they knew very well from back home and quickly adapted to Australian life. In doing so, they taught us how to make espresso and how to buy good coffee blends and what it meant to have different roasts with different flavours and aromas. So we were hooked! We took it seriously and began training baristas everywhere! Decades later, Starbucks tried to set up their stores here but no one was interested, we had a look, we may even have bought something, but we preferred our local cafe to Starbuck’s strange looking desserts! They were forced to close up about two thirds of their stores and go back to square one. Their big mistake was in assuming Australians were like Americans and would love their drinks. They didn’t do any market research whatsoever.

[@georgecopley3403]

It was not until after the war that the Italians arrived here, the ones that lived here during the war were all put into internment camps, as they were fighting on the side of Germany

[@Bigdeano2108]

@@Jeni10 Starbucks is yuck!!!!

[@Jeni10]

@@georgecopley3403 I had three or four Italian girls in my kindergarten class, they stayed all the way through high school. “Italians are among the earliest European immigrants to Australia. A wave of Italian migration occurred during the gold rush in the 1850s. Migration from Italy continued throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, often as Italians sought better economic opportunities in Australia.” “Germans and Italians were also interned because of their nationality, particularly those living in northern Australia. Around 20 per cent of all Italians living in Australia were interned.”

[@georgecopley3403]

I grew up in Perth in the very ealy 1950's, we never had coffee shops here and I cannot remember any one drinking coffee, we had tea rooms everywhere I had two Italian girls in my class at State school and also I went to high school with them, they were both cousins, we knew their parents very well as my mother was a good freind of , both of their parents before WW2 and they were interned here in Western Australia at internment camps for Italians, the internment camps were run by the federal government of Australia. The girls parents used to run vegetable shops, coffee shops did not start to become popular until the late 1970's here in Perth as full scale Italian migration did not start in Australia until 1948 and the Italians came as displaced persons, but they taught us a lot more than coffee, we started to get broccoli and celery and we learnt how to eat squid 😃

[@pauldobson2529]

The coffee culture in Melbourne only really hit towards the end of the 80s, and Sydney a little later. If you're travelling through regional areas, you need to check how the coffee is served. I went through Cobar, on the way from Broken Hill to Sydney, had a look and said, "tea, no milk, no sugar, thanks". Nowadays, you go into Melbourne into one of the old bistros like Pellegrinis (the early ones who got the big Gaggia machines) and tell them how bad you thought the Italian coffee was in Italy, and they're all over you in agreement. I think their simple espressos are fine but don't expect the (caffe) lattes or flat whites to be great. But I remember being sat next to an Italian boy in primary school and wondering what the smell was. Of course it was garlic, but we Anglo-Celts weren't used to it.

[@MrDarkwing78]

🇦🇺 The Melbourne cup is actually one particular race, not a bunch of races. Specifically it is race 7 at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November every year. Oh, incidentally, you’re getting better by the sound of it, but drop the 2nd vowel altogether in Melbourne (and Brisbane). Mel-bn and Bris-bn.

[@trevorcook4439]

And it’s not a national holiday. We don’t have a day off for it here in Perth

[@3goldfinger]

You never mention healthcare. And we don't have the toxic religious culture at the same level as the USA.

[@StevenGreenGuz]

I came to Australia from London many years ago. One of the first things I did was to go on a canoeing trip - with zero sunscreen. I'm a blond fair-skinned Pom. Decades later I still have the marks on my hands from the damage the Aussie sun inflicted. Slip Slop Slap!!!!!!

[@lazygit5415]

I bet you were beet red and suffering :(

[@triarb5790]

I have funny reverse story. I came to Australia on a working holiday originally and was almost religious about slip slop slap. Met my man, who followed me back to the UK where he promptly got sunburnt on a beach in my home town of Bournemouth because he didn't believe 'the UK' sun was as strong so didn't think he needed sunscreen. 😂 35 years on, nope I will never let him live it down.

[@argusmac9056]

We don't have compulsory voting, we have compulsory turnout. You have to turn up at the voting centre, have your name checked off and receive your ballot papers but you can then simply place them in the boxes without voting. Peiople have died fighting for the freedoms that we enjoy - the least you can do is show up.

[@hughmiller925]

What BS

[@petermcculloch4933]

I stopped voting years ago.Mainly due to preferences.If I vote for an independent candidate or a minor party and they are beaten, which is normally the case, my vote ends up supporting one of the two major parties.The system we have gives my vote to a candidate I did not vote for So I roll up, mark my name off, pop the untouched ballot form in the box, buy a sausage and go about my day

[@jasonturner2206]

Yeah that’s a silly comment, people have died for the freedoms we have sure, but one of those freedoms should be the power to choose whether act on our right to vote or not. Otherwise it’s not really a freedom is it?

[@rolandbriefrel3125]

@@jasonturner2206🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@darren424242]

@@jasonturner2206 then we would end up with the extreme and divisive political discourse common in America, where common ground is almost non-existent.

[@Teagirl009]

🇦🇺 Nice vid 🙂 I think i prefer frequent shorter breaks every term. It helps break up the school year. I always looked forward to these breaks as a kid. It's about 6 weeks over Christmas holidays break. I support everyone voting. I feel like to get a truer representative government for all including the average person, you need majority voting. Including those who don't care much for politics. If its just the die hard rusted on voters of the majors voting, or extreme fringes voting, then the results can reflect that. It also cuts out the voter suppression issues the US has.

[@javahead8]

Hi, I like your video! Clarification - voting is not compulsory! You do have to be marked off the electoral roll to prove that the Government provided you the opportunity to vote. This prevents Governments manipulating the vote by making it difficult for people to vote. After you get your ballot paper you can simply discard it, deliberately spoil it, e.g. write naughty words on it, or do whatever you want with it. We also have the independent Electoral Comission to prevent Government interference. Congrats on being a duel citizen.

[@darrylguise8493]

Sorry, but it is compulsory to vote! The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, under section 245(1), states: "It shall be the duty of every elector to vote at each election". This has been upheld in a number of court cases, But, there is no way to check without upsetting the "secret ballot". requirement. You might be made an example of if you openly discard the ballot paper and if you did something silly such as write your name and address on the paper declaring your right not to vote.

[@brianahern5239]

Sprite is a brand like coke or Pepsi. We also sell Sprite and other lemonade brands. Your lemonade is what we call lemon squash.

[@Peters8749]

Also Kirks lemonade😊

[@stevealdridge557]

🇦🇺 Enjoyed your video! I prefer our Australian holiday breaks rather than a long 3 month vacation.

[@Alex.The.Lionnnnn]

The 3 months would be amazing while you have it, but 9 months of schools would have been unbearable for me as a kid, and even worse for me as a primary school teacher!

[@ratofvengence]

@@Alex.The.Lionnnnn Ditto!

[@Jeni10]

Ellie, you do have to vote, but you can do a pre-poll vote, a postal vote or an absentee vote (vote at a different location), but if you’re sick or get in an accident on polling day, you get a chance to explain yourself before they issue you with a fine. When you receive the notice that you didn’t vote, you write back quickly and if they approve the reason for your absence, you won’t get fined.

[@garryferguson799]

No you dont have to vote you only have to get your name signed on the electrol roll you then receive your voting sheet what you do with that sheet is your busness you can just post in vote box without filling out ,you just need to turn up and sign your name off different to america where certain parties do everything they can to stop people of a certain demographic's from voting

[@GarryBellerby]

@@garryferguson799 I believe the law is that you must vote for a candidate. You are given a ballot paper and you must place it in the ballot box. You cannot put that paper in the bin or take it with you. As for legally required to register a vote, given that it is a secret ballot, nobody can check your ballot paper before you deposit it in the ballot box. So by not voting for a particular candidate you may have technically broken the law, but whose to know? I am prepared to be corrected on this belief.

[@paulalderson6920]

The first sensible comparison I've seen so far.

[@heatherfruin5050]

No she's got some false info there.

[@robertclothier3597]

🇦🇨 How refreshing to finally see a comparison video without the breathless hysteria of all our nasty critters waiting to kill or maim you. Welcome to Australia mate, so good to see you've made the HUGE decision to move here & become a citizen of our broad, brown beautiful land. I'm sure you'll do us proud. At last count the number of Americans who've moved or live here is around 600k. Even in my neck of the woods in rural Central QLD we often hear American or Canadian accents. All the best mate ❤

[@barrycopas1671]

The AFL and Melbourne Cup holidays are only in the state of Victoria, they aren't given anywhere else in the country, our only Australia wide public holidays are Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Anzac Day, Labour Day, Australia Day and the King's Birthday.

[@baldrofasgard7926]

Labour day and the Kings birthday are Australia wide, but it are not on the same day in all states. The others fall on the same day.

[@ericktreetops741]

What about eater and New Year's Day?

[@darrenc3036]

Eight months ago, I moved to Australia from the U.S. My daughter prefers the Australian vacation because of the breaks in between terms. There are both positive and negative aspects for us as we are an Australian-American citizen! Also, I was nervous about eating eggs, worried that they might go bad quickly or cause food poisoning. However, I soon realized that the quality of eggs in Australia is much better than I expected. Woolworth stores always have them in the refrigerator. I choose Woolworth (former Safeway) over Coles.

[@petermcculloch4933]

Eggs remain fresher and last longer when kept at room temperature.A quick Google search will verify this fact

[@Alex.The.Lionnnnn]

Welcome! Hope you and your fam are loving it here!

[@Bobbydazzlla]

@@petermcculloch4933 The reason America refrigerates is they wash them with water. If you do this you have to refrigerate them so they don't absorb bacteria. Google that!

[@peteroneill404]

As others have said voting in Australia is NOT mandatory. The only requirement is to have you name crossed off the electoral roll when you receive your ballot papers, from that point it is up to you if you vote or not.

[@craigroaring]

Ok then, it is a mandatory role call. What purpose would that be for? This penalty when not voting is a disgrace to democracy.

[@azrealnightangel525]

It is if you show up you will generally vote. It also means politictians mainly go to the middle ground as opposed to the extreme. Not a focus of getting people out to vote.

[@craigroaring]

@@azrealnightangel525 I don't think our leaders supporting genocide is taking the middle ground.

[@hughmiller925]

May as well vote by then, after spending an hour and a half lining up on a Saturday

[@hughmiller925]

@@peteroneill404 regardless, receiving a punitive measure for not being crossed off the electoral roll is amoral.

[@BigRedsCrib]

I have a mate who raises chickens, and he told me that when the hens lay the eggs, they have a protective coating, which keeps them sealed. If you wash the eggs, which many industrial producers do to make them look nicer for sale, this removes the protective coating and opens up the egg pores. The eggs then need to be refrigerated to prevent bacteria.

[@petemedium2185]

Though it's not generally realised, Australia is a Social Democracy, hence why 'compulsory voting'; Who gets elected we are all responsible for. We also have Preferential Voting, which means we have more than one voting choice in all our elections. Also Australia puts the freedom and choice of the collective over the American idea of freedom of the individual over the collective. Also we don't have an actual residential Aussie Head of State, but rather a Governor General as representative of King Charles III. A very high percentage of our citizens now are of migrant stock from 1945 onwards, and their off spring.

[@lindyasimus]

>>Commercially sold eggs in America go through a washing and sanitizing process that clears contaminants, but also removes the natural protections that eggs have against bacteria. Because of this, eggs are refrigerated during processing and must remain chilled in order to reduce the risk of salmonella contamination

[@hollybums89]

Australian eggs unlike in the US aren't washed before sale. So they still have the natural protective layer on the outside that helps them not spoil at room temperature. In the US you cannot leave the eggs at room temp because that protective layer has been removed so they need to be refrigerated. If you bought fresh eggs straight from a farm or even farmers market which haven't been washed or bleached you can leave them out in room temp just fine.

[@SJG-pt4yp]

There are thirteen public holidays a year in Victoria Two are sports related and they are considered the only sports events that “stop” the nation. AFL grand Final and Melbourne Cuo. The rest are either spiritual holidays like Easter, Christmas related or other very important days relating to Australia’s great history.

[@qc7289]

🇦🇺 Cool channel and video! The grand final and Melbourne cup holidays are only in Victoria - the other Australian states don't get a holiday! Also one huge difference between USA and Australia is salary - most equivalent skilled jobs get paid at least double in USA compared to Australia (e.g. doctors, software engineers, dentists, lawyers, etc.)!

[@AlexJee7601]

As an Aussie living in the USA with teenagers. The longer summer break is great for them - they are able to get summer jobs. My daughter also did a summer trainee job over the college summer break that is a great way to pay down debt!

[@katetoner3077]

Years ago we had three school terms that would be 13-14 weeks long. By the time you got to the end of the term, kids were getting so tired and cranky, but also were getting sick. The government changed the system to have 4 terms instead. This shortened it to I think about 10-12 weeks. This had a couple of effects. The children weren't getting sick from being overtired but also it heated the economy a bit. Parents had an extra holiday to entertain the kids and take them on vacation.

[@Goatcha_M]

US eggs have to be refrigerated because they are washed, and that removes the protective layer around the egg that keeps them shelf stable. Unwashed eggs can be stored on shelf or in the fridge to extend their life, especially with its hot. And some brands may wash them, dunno, but its not mandatory like in the US.

[@donna6592]

🇦🇺 Loved your video! Very fair and accurate comparison of our two countries!

[@anewtheoryofemotion1712]

🇦🇺 Thanks for the video. I watched some of your videos when you first arrived back in oz and sympathised with how hard it would be for you to become 'aussie' again after being such a committed american. I thought you would soon go back to the US, but, here you are ! You look happy and settled, good luck to you.

[@GalaxyFur]

The United States lower 48 is roughly 5% larger than Australia. Thats basically a California larger than Australia. So if you add U.S. territories, Hawaii and ginormous Alaska into the picture, the United States is substantially larger than Australia. Infact the United States has more total land area than even Canada. But when including water for total area, Canada is about 1.5% larger than the United States. Also while coffee culture in the United States is older than Australia itself, I still can't figure out why Starbucks is so popular here when there are cheaper and better places you can go. My town for example, has mom and pop cafes where you can get good coffee. While black "real coffee" is super easy to get anywhere here, if you want an excellent Cappuccino or latte, I would go to one of the local Caffès instead. But yet Starbucks has taken the world by storm. In fact, most of the world's most successful coffee companies mainly originate out of the U.S. It does make some sense, though, obviously since the U.S. has the world's largest coffee market in terms of sheer size. But I think coffee was heavily popularized here just through sheer marketing alone. Who doesn't know the Folders jingle, after all? They have a massive fan base that stretches back many decades. Personally, I want to try a local coffee here in the States from Madison, Wisconsin, that was just voted as the world's best coffee in an international taste test competition recently. Also, I hear that if you want to visit Australia that Perth is a nice place to visit. I heard that from a family member who is living there. 🙂

[@rocknral]

Make sure you add Tasmania and Australian Antarctic territory, if you want to get down to tin tacks.

[@shattapinks]

I notice that you mentioned Christmas, but didn't add that Christmas is in the Summer in Australia and not the Winter because the seasons are opposite in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. That would be one of my biggest culture shocks because we get cooler/colder Christmases here in North America. Having a blistering hot Christmas season would feel so...different.

[@warg8728]

There has been a resurgence in Starbucks but only in areas with Asian students, it is regarded differently in Asia, especially China as a status symbol.

[@meikala2114]

And tourists

[@J_Teriyaki]

Voting is NOT mandatory...you must tick your name off. Originally from Rockhampton I thank you from Brisbane for your perspective. Miri on Borneo island and Vietnam is where I beat the cost of living Down Under for 4 months a year. Working 'casual' ('zero hours' for any UK viewers) has it's advantages...work hard and live cheap when in town🤸 Cheers 🥤

[@bapastma]

🇦🇺 Melbourne's great but also different from the rest of Australia (eg. Sport holidays, weather) so I hope you are getting to see further afield.

[@teknikgroup7597]

In Schools there is a "No hat No play" policy. Also before and after school you are expected to wear a hat on the school grounds. The hats are a wide brim versioned issued by the school and only these hats are to be worn. This law started in the late 90s. I wish this law had been around when i was a kid in the 80s as i have skin cancers on my face as a result of my fair skin being damaged...one lunchtime after the other at school.

[@jasewilliams14]

The eggs are actually randomized per store. ALDI will typically have them on a shelf at room temperature, whereas stores like Woolworths and Coles will keep them in the refrigeration section.

[@Bobbydazzlla]

That isn't the reason why the U.S. refrigerates though. They wash their eggs so have to refrigerate them to prevent bacteria being absorbed into the wet shell.

[@chuckmaddison2924]

Escape while you still can. In WA we don't get Melbourne cup day off.

[@FarnarkleKing]

Not knowing if you have dual citizenship, Americans living overseas still have to fill out an American tax return. America is one of the few countries to do this.

[@craighall689]

No wonder you don't see many Americans living abroad... paying tax even though your not living in the country...then paying tax in your new country of residence... dear lord

[@davidbuck6976]

I have enjoyed your series - keep going! Congrats on mentioning HECS. Not wanting to politicise anything....But what about the differences between the health care systems? [The Australian health care model is somewhat similar and derived from the Canadian health care model since the mid 70's.]

[@the-panda-lives]

I liked your list - very down-to-earth with no silly exaggerating or sensationalism (lol are you sure you were an American?). Another big diff between Oz and the US is the way workers are treated. Here in Oz we have a comparatively decent minimum wage which is (I think) about $26 an hour now. Because of this, tipping wait staff isn't such an expected thing as it is in the US. We also have compulsory superannuation contributions which are paid by the employer, which means you can move from job to job without forfeiting anything. I know that in the US, the benefits that come with a job seem to be almost as important as the job itself, but here that isn't such a thing. Unrelated to employment, we also have universal healthcare, which means a regular visit to the doctor is still relatively affordable for most (but not all) people and hospital bills probably won't send you bankrupt.

[@jeffmcmahon3278]

Ah yes, the Melbourne Cup - the race that stops a city (Melbourne) The rest of us get on with what we normally do every day. BTW - Adelaide Cup Day is a public holiday.

[@tropicaussie4572]

The United States is a fully Sovereign nation with its own American Head of State (the President), whereas Australia is still under the British Monarchy and a British Head of State , legally and politically independent but not truly sovereign !

[@travismiddleton8218]

Great video! As an Aussie it's always fun hearing what Americans think of Australia once they move here or are visiting 👍🇦🇺

[@elliemajelly]

thank you travis!! it was definitely a bit of a culture shock

[@travismiddleton8218]

@@elliemajelly I bet haha

[@pabloguillen5915]

Sports holidays are not official. You may get the day or half a day off from your employer, but they are not obliged to do so. There are official holidays: Australia Day, ANZAC Day, Good Friday, the King's birthday, Labour Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day. Student debt in Australia is, in any case, much lower because the government subsidises tertiary education to an extent. HECS is only payable once your income reaches a minimum threshold. Starbucks is for Chinese students. Nobody says or has brunch, you have breakfast and lunch.

[@OilBaron100]

Good video, thanks for posting.

[@patrickgamble9014]

Student debt you only need to pay if you earn over a certain amount so it’s quite possible if you never earn the threshold you might never pay back your debt. Also getting days off for Melbourne cup is only a Melbourne/ Victoria thing. The egg thing must be a Melbourne thing cause in NSW eggs always are refrigerated. I have seen eggs not refrigerated in fruit shops near where they sell fruit but this would be somewhere with air conditioning and the eggs would be stored in the cool room at night. I think also light switch’s on is different - it’s down and no splash back from our toilets. Our cheese doesn’t look radioactive either .

[@RanchHanded]

Nice list. Keep in mind, some of the holidays you mention aren't really Australian holidays. Some don't even cover all of Victoria and are Melbourne only. I moved from the US 15 years ago and am still sorting out the differences. The lemonade thing still throws me. "ade" is meant to be juice, sugar and water! (I kinda miss Sonic Cherry Limeade). Oh, on the eggs - the US government requires eggs be washed, but that removes the natural protective layer, so then they have to be kept in the fridge so they don't go off. Australia has the opposite requirement, so they can be in the fridge but they don't have to be.

[@brontewcat]

Wow - that is Victoria with sport themed public holidays. NSW had exactly 0 public holidays related to sport. I am horrified by the debts students acquire. I went through uni when tuition was free and still think your first degree should be be free.

[@Jeni10]

You can make your own lemonade with lemons and sugar or you can buy a lemon squash - the post mix version at the pub or the store bought version, most popular is Solo, at the supermarket and shops.

[@CleverKoala]

Yoh Ellie. Nice to see you like some of our stuff/approach. On sport you'll see that private schools have a big emphasis on sports, not the public schools, it falls back to families and communities to support the sport when they can't afford private school. Coffee culture in Melbourne is pretty sick, yes. The rest are catching up. Yep holidays spread out is good, and the idea of days off for sporting events, yep, another Melb thing that is a bit ott. You didn't mention snakes we have like some of the most deadly ones. Oh and don't forget drop bears! ;)

[@Alex.The.Lionnnnn]

Yeah I played soccer at Uni but it was just a chance to have some fun and a few cheeky beers.

[@vtbn53]

Those "sports" holidays are only for certain regions, specifically Melbourne/Victoria. There are no "sports" holidays in NSW or Queensland.

[@martinwhite3559]

In NSW and QLD, we don't have sports holidays. Melbourne is sports crazy. We have open cooling sections where we keep eggs and some dairy. Melbourne can be a bit of a different culture than other main cities in Australia. So judging Australia just on Melbourne can be small-minded. It's like judging Australia only on Sydney. Sydney is more like a big US city than other parts of Australia. Magpies can be super crazy where I come from. The reason for a lot of Australia being bear is that lot of Australia is unliveable like a dessert. We take holidays to see the desert but we would die if we got lost out there. The heat, dryness and access to water would make it hard. We have one of the largest population of camels in the world, but they mostly live in the desert and outback areas. Holidaying in our own country is great as there is so much to see and do. Deserts, famous national parks, rainforests, Waterfalls, beaches, The great barrier reef. Just to name a few. We are not all like Steve Irwin and Crocodile Dundee. Also, not everything is trying to kill us. Especially humans. Lol. I think you found that out.

[@elliemajelly]

well said! yes i completely forgot to mention different states have different holidays, but you’re right ☺️

[@coraliemoller3896]

Apparently eggs in the US go through some quality process that leaves them more vulnerable, hence requiring refrigeration. Most countries don’t do that, including Oz.

[@glenmason2483]

No mention of the different gun cultures and attitudes. A very sensitive and polarised subject.

[@bodybalanceU2]

melbourne cup and AFL are victoria centric so the rest of Australia do not have a public holiday for either event

[@matthewbrown6163]

HECS = Higher Education Contribution Schemes. $54K is the amount you need to earn to start repaying your HECS. University is often 3 years for most degrees. You will look at roughly $30K USA per in fees. You are able to ask for a student subsidy of about $300 USD per week which means you can earn more money to add to your income. Some medical degrees are 4 - 5 years with Medicine being 5-6 years.

[@gregnoble8799]

Voting isn’t compulsory. Registration to vote is. And getting marked off the rolls on election day is. You don’t need to actually cast a vote.

[@timbritton874]

🇦🇺oh and the AFL and Melbourne cup public holidays are only in Victoria.

[@petersiekmann5175]

You have not mentioned the compulsory superannuation scheme, the generous annual vacations for all workers and long service leave provisions.

[@nelliesmith5699]

Id prefer a bunch of smaller breaks. It’s like when you’re studying it’s recommended to take small 10min breaks.

[@R0d_1984]

If you don't wash off the natural coating, an egg will last 2+ weeks out of the fridge...

[@annplummer7835]

Brisbane here……..don’t know why, but we have very few flies. Just been travelling through Melbourne and Adelaide, and the millions of flies nearly sent us mad. Soooooo annoying!! Also, eggs are always in the fridges in Queensland.

[@aussieman3582]

So true. March flies at the beaches in Victoria.

[@bloggaloggs]

I wanted to leave an Australian flag emoji, but couldn't find one. Looks like no-one else could either!

[@MrDredd1966]

Australia's population is now 27 million

[@gregirwinwallace8706]

The reason the skin cancer is so high is because we weren't aware in the 40s 50s and 60s of how dangerous the sun was me we would get very burnt which causes cancer latter in life. Liked your video well done

[@elliemajelly]

ah yes that would make sense on the reason for the campaign. thanks for watching!

[@pauldobson2529]

And we always get a laugh out of British/Irish tourist out here for the cricket or the tennis over Christmas and January, or out on Bondi, and the look like crayfish after 15 minutes.

[@Alex.The.Lionnnnn]

@@pauldobson2529 Ahhh yes, the "nah don't worry, I don't burn" group. It's a humbling experience for them. 😂

[@Goatcha_M]

On some days you can start to sunburn in 30 seconds in Australia. Always use sunscreen.

[@Michelle.A79]

Your right! You don’t need to vote if it’s also for religious reasons you can be except from voting 🗳️

[@Alex.The.Lionnnnn]

LOL elliemajelly is a fun name. There used to be a lemonade franchise. It was delicious but it was a tad overpriced and probably why it isn't around anymore.

[@CorineaNeil]

🏴‍☠I couldn't find an Aussie flag lol. I thought this was just as fitting :) I prefer the Aussie holidays. It's great to get a break every 3 months, and it's 6 weeks break over Christmas and into January for school holidays. Glad your enjoying Australia, and yep the flies suck. The big nasty ones are called "Horse Flies" and they bite you. Hurts like hell, and some people have a bad reaction to the bite. My daughter got bit as a toddler and her ankle was swollen, red and nasty looking for almost two weeks!

[@DavidWren-u3k]

It is compulsory to attend a polling booth and receive a ballot paper after "having your name checked off" (or receive a postal vote). It is not compulsory for you to fill in the ballot paper.

[@yahoo1031]

Yes it is. Read section 233 of the Electoral Act.

[@bumble-g2j]

Secondary schools in SA concentrate on particular sports, whether it be volleyball, etc etc.

[@warwickcathro2650]

You don't actually have to vote in Australia. You have to show up at a polling station, get your name crossed off, and receive a piece of paper (or two). You can leave them blank, if you like, or write a poem on them - or you could decide to actually vote by numbering the squares. Your choice.

[@christiankirkwood3402]

🇦🇺 & ❤ No wuckers.. 😅 *We could add a few insights, but you did well, you've got it sussed, you're on the right track becoming a citizen and we embrace all comers... *We love our holiday semester set-up, we've "got it wired" *Summer or school/Xmas holidays are 6 weeks 😊 One thing we could add, is an explanation of the US school year gradient v our simple system here and the college/university differences, just an afterthought anyways 😅 A wise t-shirt print once said "nice place, shame about the flies" printed over an outline map of the continent lol A big warm hello from Lottie, Desiree, Gina, our mums, and dad, of course, here in coastal paradise at Tuckombil via Alstonville and East Ballina 800km north of Sydney ex Maroubra. Maaate ✨️ 🤙

[@frankmartin3057]

In Queensland and NSW the Rugby League Grand Final is played on a Sunday night. The following day is a public holiday, which makes more sense than having a holiday before the game for people who have travelled to attend the game or have been to a GF party.

[@lucydog3376]

Yes but the public holiday is for labour day which is the first Monday of October every year. It just happens that the grand final falls on the same weekend most years.. It's not a holiday for the football though.

[@frankmartin3057]

@@lucydog3376 Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

[@dylans2376]

You also don’t have to pay back HECS until you earn a certain amount of money per year

[@garryellis3085]

In Oz we have real lemonade. Sprite is not real lemonade!. Hex debt does not need to be paid until you receive over $54 thousand per year. Free range eggs don't need refrigeration. 50% of Ozzie's don't get skin cancer. How do US citizens get all this time off when only 2 weeks paid vacation per year is permitted.

[@teestees1115]

Australian lemonade is different to sprite

[@slicer2938]

so here's the thing, we don't ask for lemonade when we go to Macca's. all the drinks are branded drinks. that's why when U go to KFC U have things like Pepsi instead of generic cola. so U wouldnt ask for lemonade, because they don't have it.

[@ginagriffith2846]

Victoria is the only state to have public holidays for sport. Most of the other holidays are the same in all states except for Labour Day, Queens Birthday - sorry Kings Birthday and a few others.

[@geoffreypayne6867]

In terms of pop culture they are similar but if you dig down there are vast differences....

[@lorenzlorenzo1975]

AU: Further US: Farther

[@FredPilcher]

I have no idea how to leave an Aussie (or any other flag). To be fair, we don't have to vote - we have to turn up and have our name ticked off, but we can submit a blank vote. And yeah - calling the fizzy sugar water "lemonade" is really weird. Starbucks went broke here because their "coffee' is terrible, and there was always a real coffee shop a few doors down; Starbucks was one of those places you go to once and never again.

[@lizmunro6881]

You only pay student debt if your income exceeds a certain basic minimum.

[@DeveloperChris]

The place in Australia that is most like the USA, Port Arthur. At least it was 35 years ago. Ask any Australian why.

[@Goatcha_M]

HECS You also have to earn above a certain threshold, currently ~55K before you have to pay back anything. Even so the amount can skyrocket over the years as its indexed to inflation. Many won't repay it before they retire, so it is paid out of your estate when you die.

[@BrettNoneya]

No it is not paid out of your estate. Only 1 repayment if due up until your death. (The executor of your Will lodges all outstanding tax returns. This is up to the date of your death. If the Notice of Assessment includes a compulsory HECS debt repayment, your Executor pays it out of your estate. Apart from that, the rest of the HECS debt is automatically written off by the government.)

[@stevep2430]

So it pays to be uneducated.

[@Bobbydazzlla]

In the U.S.A. all eggs are washed. When you wash eggs you have to refrigerate them because the washing process makes the shell absorb water. They absorb bacteria if they aren't refrigerated. There's no flags on KZbin - so here's your Australian flag 🏴‍☠

[@BackVintageWines]

🇦🇺 you didn't mention going metric ! Wish the USA stopped relying on the Kings imperial measurement system ! 😂

[@baldrofasgard7926]

Yeh, funny how the country founded on rejecting the monarchy vehemently clings to the measurement system of the monarchy, while rejecting the measurement system realised after the fall of a monarchy.

[@GalaxyFur]

It won't happen. The only people it pisses off are those outside of the U.S., as Americans don't even think about the metric system or even think about switching. It's never a topic here except in KZbin comment sections. The U.S. is similar to the UK anyway, as it uses both Imperial in day-to-day life and metric for science.

[@R0d_1984]

When i think about lemonade, i think about Schweppes, sprite is terrible...

[@djgrant8761]

In Australia the only requirement is for you to get your name marked off the electoral roll. If you don’t want to cast a vote you don’t have to.

[@yahoo1031]

Section 233 of the Electoral Act says you have to mark the ballot paper.

[@chrlz904]

🇦🇺🇦🇺. You need an akubra with corks. Look it up 🤠

[@aynyce411]

If you want flies Head to Busselton Western Australian at Chrissy, then you’ll know flies are And let’s not forget the March flies at Pemberton They bite (spray acid) through your jeans, yep, ouch !!😊😊😊 Welcome to Western Australia

[@mddawson1]

The fine for not voting is $20.

[@steveskrobot9496]

🏁The country flags werent available so the Chequered flag is for the Great Race this weekend!

[@elliemajelly]

Hahaha there we go!!

[@Alex.The.Lionnnnn]

OH SHIT, thanks for reminding me!

[@steveskrobot9496]

@@elliemajelly Motor Race babe!

[@Secularworld60]

I dont think its the same in the US but everyone here is entitled to 4 weeks paid holiday per year .

[@elizabethmarks4792]

Those sporting holidays are Melbourne. Not the rest of Australia.

[@rtyler1869]

Not lol public holidays are sports focused. Both the AFL Grand Final and Cup Day are only located n Victoria.