If you’re thinking about visiting Australia for the first time, there are a few things we would like you to know. Many tourists make mistakes when setting foot in this wonderful country, but by considering the following, you are unlikely to do the same.

1 | Know that Australia is huge

In fact, Australia is the sixth largest country in the world! Don’t assume everywhere is easily reachable, as traveling across our wonderful plains could seriously curtail your holiday time. As examples, if seeing Australia by car, it would take you 9 hours to travel between Melbourne and Sydney, and 27 hours to get from Sydney to Cairns! Our advice: consider the places you are desperate to see, and the adventure activities you want to get involved in, and plan on returning another year if you can’t cram everything in during your first trip.

2 | You don’t need to worry (too much) about dangerous animals

Many tourists avoid certain beaches in fear of sharks. They avoid the rainforests in fear of poisonous spiders and crocodiles. And they back out of visiting the Outback in case they step on a slithery snake. And let’s not forget about those beastly Koalas! Okay, so you’re relatively safe with those cuddly animals, but you shouldn’t let the dangers of our other examples deter you. There are flags set up on patrolled beaches, so you know where you are safely allowed to swim. And when it comes to the Outback and rainforests, there are plenty of tours available, so contact organisations such as OutbackFree to help you traverse safely through these unmissable areas.

3 | There will be words you won’t understand

Well, you will understand them if you take the time to learn the lingo. If we say “good arvo” to you, for example, we are wishing you a ‘good afternoon.’ If we alert you to nearby ‘mozzies,’ we are warning you about mosquitos. And if you start hearing us complain about ‘ankle biters,’ we aren’t referring to those blasted mosquitos again, but rather our kids, who (in most cases), are unlikely to bite your ankles! There are loads of other slang words and phrases here to get you up to speed!

4 | You might annoy us

In general, the people in Australia are a friendly bunch, but you might still do and say things that annoy us. For starters, UK readers need to know that there is more to Australian television than Neighbors and Home and Away, so don’t quiz us on our favorite characters. There is a slogan we use in Australia, ‘Don’t be a tosser,’ which is not meant to be derogatory towards you, but rather a reference to not throwing your litter. However, we might still call you a naughty name if we catch you offloading your garbage! And there are other surefire ways to annoy us here, so read and memorize them, as we might just call you a drongo if we catch you out. Hint: that is not a term of endearment!