1. Approach snakes or spiders. When I was in Europe I was shocked to see my host family go up to a snake and poke it with a stick. I realised that it’s safe to do that in countries without venomous snakes, but Australia is definitely not one of those countries! Stay away from snakes and spiders, and if you are close to a snake walk slowly away from it backwards. Also make sure you don’t put your fingers in crevices or holes, as there are often spiders there.
2. Bring forbidden items from overseas. Australia has very strict quarantine laws to protect our unique flora and fauna so please don’t try to trick airport security or bring in plants, dirt or animals without declaring them.
3. Swim outside of the flags. At surf beaches in Australia, there are two red and yellow flags between which it is safe to swim. Even if it is a small and crowded space, if you swim outside of it you risk being pulled out to sea by a strong rip (current). This can even happen to strong swimmers. Every year tourists drown because they are overconfident or don’t know Australian beaches.
4. Push in to a queue. Australians queue for a lot of things, including buses, and you should always go to the end and wait your turn - pushing in is considered very rude.
5. Spend time in the sun without sunscreen/zinc. Australia has some of the highest UV rays - and skin cancer rates - in the world. Always wear sunscreen when going outside in summer, especially to the beach, and make sure to reapply regularly.
6. Attempt to climb Uluru: this is banned now but I’m not sure if tourists would be aware of this before coming here. It used to be a popular tourist activity but it’s highly disrespectful to the local Indigenous culture.
7. Ignore fire bans/water restrictions. This is relevant right now so I thought I’d add it in: if the area you are in is under a fire ban, do not light any fires. If there are water restrictions (imposed during a drought) make sure to obey them by, for example, not watering plants during certain times of day.
8. Break the rules in national parks. As you can probably tell by now, although Australians like to style ourselves as rebellious ‘larrikins’, we are actually quite rule-oriented. While bushwalking, follow the official advice: leave only footprints, take only pictures. Don’t litter, try not to go off track and don’t bring dogs where they aren’t allowed.

Basically, just follow the rules and watch out for our wildlife! Hope this helps