Continuing on with the differences I found really intriguing – or that just made me smile – on my recent trip to the USA…
6. Yellow school buses
Nope. We don’t have these.
Some schools (mostly private schools) have their own fleet of school buses but they’re usually white with the school logo or design on them. They’re also basically a big rectangle on wheels rather than this iconic shape.
Alternately, students catch public transport. If they’re not walking, biking, or being dropped off at school by their parents. High school seniors (Grade 12s) might drive their own car if they have their license and the school (and parking space) allow it.
7. Trash. And bears to eat it. Racoons too.
We call them rubbish bins. Wheelie bins if they’re the bigger kind that get picked up by rubbish trucks (garbage trucks). Skips, or skip bin, would be (I think) the Aussie equivalent of a dumpster.
And while the bins in public places are usually covered (mostly to stop vandalism and keep crows and ibis (“bin chickens”) out of them), they’re not quite secure or solid enough to keep out a bear. Or raccoon. Which is totally fine since we don’t have either animal in Australia.
8. Tornado Shelters
While we might get the occasional tornado in some parts of Australia, I can’t remember ever seeing a tornado shelter. We do get a lot of tropical cyclones in the northern parts of Australia, which cause all kinds of damage and weather up and down the country.
9. Walmart
Dear Australia. Please get us a Walmart. We’re missing out. Kindly, Hannah
I know, it’s probably silly, but one of the things on my list of things I really wanted to do while we were in the US was go to Walmart. We went our first day in Colorado. Um, twice. And then a couple more times before we left too.
One, it was huge. Two, I could have wasted so much more time there. I don’t think we even walked around half of it. Three, it was so much fun! Yes, it was all new and exciting (and had an ENTIRE CHRISTMAS SECTION of decorations AND clothing!!!) but it was just a lot of fun to explore and see what kind of things were available.
Costco has arrived in Australia but I’m totally holding out for a Walmart.
Also regarding shopping, we don’t tip or have tax added at the checkout. The prices listed on items is what we pay. Which, I have to say, makes life sooooo much easier!
10. Pumpkin Spiced EVERYTHING
Dear Australia. If my request for Walmart is too big, could we at least bring pumpkin spice to our stores? Please. Kindly, Hannah
Yes, I know, it’s seasonal (and I could probably find all the right spices to create it myself) but we’re definitely lacking in the pumpkin-spice flavored, um, everything. Seriously. I am soooo jealous. Can’t say I’d go for the eggnog (ewww!) but I had a couple of pumpkin spiced milkshakes and a chai latte and ahhhhh. So good!
On the topic of milkshakes – the ones like in that picture which are thick enough to eat with a spoon? We call them thickshakes 🙂 Milkshakes are flavored milk.
Any of these surprise you? What kind of transport did/do you take to school? Let me know in the comments!
Also, Aussies, feel free to let me know if you have any of these where you live. Maybe I’m just a bit slow on the uptake 🙂
Missed Things you Won’t Find in Australia – Part One? Check it out here.
Hannah Currie 
When I was a kid, we did carpooling with a mother of a classmate who lived near us. So I never had a ride in one of those yellow buses. Where I live, we don’t really get tornados. So I was wondering in which airport you saw that sign. Yes, Walmart is really nice.
LikeLike
Hi Diana! I’m pretty sure that sign was in the Denver airport 🙂
LikeLike
I rode a school bus sometimes in middle school, but my mom always dropped us off at elementary school, and whenever it was nice out, I just biked to school. It sounds like our iconic yellow school busses basically would replace the public transport for students; it’s very common for older kids to drive themselves, and kids walk, bike, and/or get dropped off by their parents. Definitely some interesting similarities and differences! I would definitely struggle to drive on the left side of the road… and live without Walmart…
LikeLike
I love this comparison. It’s so fun to read about America from an outside perspective. In Oregon, we don’t have tornadoes, so I’ve never seen a shelter in an airport. We do have plenty of deer though and turkeys and squirrels. Most people I know around here prefer Target. It’s the “upper scale” Walmart. I never took the bus as a kid because I went to a private school, but my own kids take the bus home every day. Most parents drive their kids to and from school.
LikeLike