# Tourist unaware of the first rule of Australia **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2019, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644 "2019-01-29T23:59:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/21 "2019-01-31T03:49:36Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Humour](https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/d58dd6d2-7938-49ac-99d5-47f5eb4de482) Borderline at best ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/22 "2019-01-31T11:26:15Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Humour](https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/d58dd6d2-7938-49ac-99d5-47f5eb4de482) I presumed he was referring to [Stonefish](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synanceia). From personal experience they can be very hard to detect even in shallow water. (Not actually stood on thankfully) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/23 "2019-01-31T11:36:09Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > I’ve been to Oz a couple of times and never saw a venomous creature in the wild. I feel cheated! But how many venomous creatures in the wild do you think saw you? They are everywhere. Perhaps not cheated but instead lucky. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/24 "2019-01-31T13:34:47Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > If anyone needs a background song while reading this thread, may I suggest [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy_TB6onHVE) one? This is awesome! Thanks for the giggle 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/25 "2019-01-31T23:06:19Z")
Oh, is that the first rule? I thought it was that you should always check your shoes before you put them on, to make sure nothing’s hiding in there. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/26 "2019-01-31T23:26:09Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Oh, is that the first rule? I thought it was that you should always check your shoes before you put them on, to make sure nothing’s hiding in there. Which is clearly derived from the first rule. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/27 "2019-02-01T00:13:17Z")
And to think this whole time, I thought the first rule of Australia was “Don’t talk about Australia.” ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/28 "2019-02-01T01:48:03Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Borderline at best No need to be a sorehead because you didn’t get it the joke. 😃 And to GreedySmurf- nope, I’ve never heard of the Stonefish. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/29 "2019-02-01T01:57:46Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > And to think this whole time, I thought the first rule of Australia was “Don’t talk about Australia.” Brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![bobmarleykingg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@bobmarleykingg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobmarleykingg)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/30 "2019-04-19T20:36:58Z")
Australia having stone with venom. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/31 "2019-04-19T20:51:15Z")
I burning your dog! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/32 "2019-04-19T21:03:39Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I burning your dog! Australian Sheep Dog? ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/33 "2019-04-19T22:36:12Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Drop bears are deadly, mate! To be perfectly honest, while they primarily prey on tourists, they will occasionally take an Australian octogenarian or inattentive child when the need arises. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/34 "2019-04-19T23:26:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Drop bears are deadly, mate! You can always sic a jackalope on them… ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/35 "2019-04-19T23:40:00Z")
Where did the drop bear thing originate, anyways? Did some tourists think koalas jumped out of trees, and locals thought it was so funny they made it an ongoing joke? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/36 "2019-04-20T00:07:11Z")
Drop bears oranginated in, like, nature. They’re real things. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/37 "2019-04-20T00:41:00Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > It is the only continent with venomous rocks. I thought it was funny. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/38 "2019-04-20T02:44:11Z")
I thought the first rule of Australia was “disparaging the boot is a bootable offense”. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/39 "2019-04-20T02:57:21Z")
I thought it was “no poofters.” ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644/40 "2019-04-20T02:57:44Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > They need to protect themselves from [the trees](https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2009/06/gympie-gympie-once-stung-never-forgotten/)! Ah, I thought this was going to be about [the trees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus#Fire_hazard) whose reproductive cycle & competition deterrence involves spontaneously catching on fire and sometimes _exploding_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tourist-unaware-of-the-first-rule-of-australia/828644.md?page=3)