Aussie Slang!

So it's already been nearly 3 weeks since I arrived in Perth, Western Australia (WA) and my time has already been filled with so many wild and fun adventures and new friends!  This is such a beautiful country, not without it's differences from the United States.  Here's a list of Australian shorthand language and either their un-abbreviated meaning or American equivalent!

Freo= the city of Fremantle
trolley= shopping cart
breakfast= brekkies
granola= musuli
Aussie rules= Australian football rules
roo= kangaroo
cell phones= mobiles
pharmacist= chemist
tabis/reef shoes= booties
rashguard= rashie
wet suit= wettie
takeout/delivery= takeaway
ranch= station
avocados= avos
vegetarians= vegos
BBQ= barbie
sweets (candy)= lolli
bottleshop= liqueur/liquor store
appetizer= entree
entree= main
arbo= afternoon


The whole appetizer and entree one threw me off when I first went out to eat!  Some things I just never knew before coming here-- Melbourne is pronounced "Mel-bin" and Brisbane is pronounced "Bris-bin," that was awkward!

Australia's west coast is not nearly as popular nor inhabited to the extend of the "Gold Coast" east what with Sydney and Victoria and Queensland and all that.  However, Perth is still a major city with nearly 2 million people, though you wouldn't know it by the number of cars on the road.  Public transportation here is huge, the train is fast, easy to maneuver, relatively inexpensive, and convenient, and buses are so abundant and run frequently, you're sure to have no issues getting around from place to place, and the people here take advantage of that.  If that isn't enough, there is Uber available, and often at night, taxis are parked outside of bars always ready to give someone a lift.  Public transportation here is different than Hawaii, where you pay a one day fare for a ticket, here, you tap a card loaded with money when you get on and off the bus, or when you arrive at and leave the train station, and you are charged for the number of 'Zones' you have passed through.  If you travel within the same zone, you are charged nothing, but a day trip from the Murdoch/Fremantle area into the city of Perth, which only takes about 30-45 minutes by bus and then train, can run you upwards of $5-8 one way!


I just recently returned from a 1 week trip up north in Exmouth, WA where I was completely off the cellular grid with my program fulfilling our field research section of this study abroad program, on little giant clams (and yes, they are actually called that).  In my next post, I'll talk all about the amazing things I did and saw during my time there! 

Already, it's safe to say the people I have met in my program are some of my best friends and my decision to study abroad is one of the best I have ever made, it's still so surreal that I'm here, and I'm loving ever minute of it!!!