Australians have left the internet in stitches after revealing some of the most absurd questions tourists have asked them. Taking to Reddit, one user shared that an American visitor once asked whether she needed a passport to travel to Australia, while another was apparently "shocked" to discover that Australians don’t use the same power plugs as them. They also recalled a Japanese tourist asking if there was a time limit on taking a shower.
The post then asked others: "What’s the funniest thing a tourist has asked you?" One Aussie recalled an eager Dutch tourist asking whether it was possible to spend a few days walking from Cairns to Brisbane. "The look of shock on his face when I said he could absolutely spend a few days driving was too much," they added.
An expat Aussie now living in the US said they’re regularly hit with some bizarre questions. "I get asked if we have Christmas and what day it is, whether we celebrate the Fourth of July, and even if Australia is really in the future," they said. "Depending on my mood, they’ll either get an educational response or a sarcastic Aussie response," they added.
Another internet user revealed they were once asked why there "isn’t a Starbucks on every corner" in Australia. "To an Australian, the reason why is obvious," they added. One person said a couple once asked how to "flag down kangaroos" to ride them as a way of getting around. "They thought they were always waiting at the side of the road, and you just rode them to places, like electric scooters or e-bikes," they added.
Meanwhile, a former worker in a coastal town recalled being repeatedly asked what time visitors could see whales and what time they were "put away" each day. "After a while, I would just give them a time (usually when I was finishing) and tell them to come back and talk to the boss if they had any problems. For example, a wild animal not following a convenient timetable."
Another user said that questions like "Can I drink the water?" and "Do you have chocolate here?" are just two examples from a "long list" of queries they’ve heard from visitors. It comes after an American tourist angered Aussies after delivering an unfavourable verdict following her trips to Sydney and Melbourne last month. Sonia, who lives in Denver, Colorado, took to TikTok during her trip to declare Sydney was "literally just San Diego", but not as nice. "Flew 15 hours to find out Sydney, Australia, is literally just San Diego...Bondi Beach? Thought it was Imperial Beach to be honest," she wrote. Sonia's video has gone viral and sparked more than 5,000 comments from divided TikTokers.
