Awesome Australian things

[ohheylisa]

Hey legends!

So I'm going back to America next Thursday..lots of feels

But when I go home, my friends really wanna have an Australia party (can you blame them?) But, even though I've been here for nearly four months, I honeslty couldn't throw an Australia-themed party by myself - so HELP what are your favorite Australian things/foods that aren't vegemite?

OR YOUR FAVO(U)RITE AUSTRALIAN SAYINGS (because I love them so much, and I need all my friends to hear them ALL)

[safari93]

Tim Tams!!!!!!!!! (and other Australian lollies bc a party without lollies is not a party I am interested in)

[ohheylisa]

@safari93 OMGGGG THE TIM TAM SLAM UGH SO GOOD

[lokifish]

My German friend loved it when I sent her Freddo Frogs and Caramello Koalas, so there's that Fruit Tingles, Bertie Beetles, Clinkers and Wizz Fizzes would probably prove a hit too.

Also you can't exactly take real-life animals overseas but given the theme I just had to share - I went to the zoo over the weekend and look! Kangaroos and emus! You can walk right up to them (provided they don't run away )

[redhead]

It's not an Ausie party without a barbie then a match of backyard cricket or kicking a footy around

[ElleBelle]

Make everyone watch The Castle. "Suffer in ya jocks!"

[Birdeye]

Fairy bread. It may not make as much of an appearance at our not children parties as it should, but I am yet to take it to one where it hasn't all been eaten.
Also I've heard that it's not a thing in America?

I love party planning, so I'm just going to put out a few ideas:

For Australian sayings, You could find (or make?) a list of our lingo to print out and give to people to attempt to speak with. Or make a game of it where they get a phrase and have to figure out what it means. I think I remember one on Koala-net or something.

You could put on a movie or any shows you enjoyed that you came across on as either another point of entertainment or background noise.

Alternatively of course there is Australian artists or songs about Australia as background noise. You could go in the way of putting on songs by artists or going for the more well known/typical ones like Men At Work's Down Under.

Show off your pictures from your trip somewhere, somehow. You can dedicate time to a slideshow of it, or even get them developed and scatter them on a table or hang them up.
If you have time, you could ask some of the people you've met to give you message on camera, to both celebrate/show off your trip and to show some of the accent or any natural differences. (You could have them say a bunch of sayings too?)

If you wanted to get pretty stereotypical you could have a dress up element. People could come as kangaroos, crocodiles etc. or they could be in more of the Steve Irwin sort of outfit that we may think of. Maybe you could bring back/make some cork hats, or just clothing with the flag or Southern Cross on it.

And I absolutely second the other ideas.

[stonepixie]

You could definitely play a game of 'guess what this means' with our lingo!

Death stare anyone who says 'Throw another shrimp on the barbie'

Make EVERYONE try vegemite!

I hear the real cheap shops have those clip on Koala's and are great for real cheap souvenirs. 

Don't forget to tell them about your close encounter with a drop bear!

If you are having a meal at this party, you can't go pass a barbie with sausages and steak and heaps of salad sides.

Take some milo back with you. Stay clear of Fosters, no one here drinks that shit.

I would say play goon-of-fortune, but do you guys even have hills hoists back in the states? 

Oh my gosh, please place pass the parcel. Apparently you guys don't even have it back there. Classic childhood game!

[ohheylisa]

HAHA @stonepixie the number of times my friends have messaged me "you should throw another shrimp on the barbie" is RIDICULOUS. I have no idea what goon-of-fortune or hills hoists are, ...or pass the parcel hahaha

@Birdeye I thought about assigning everyone a phrase and they have to keep trying to use it until they use it the right way, haha, awesome ideas!

Also you guys are a bunch of absolute CHAMPIONS! Let me know if you have any other FRICKIN AMAZING ideas!

[redhead]

You should totally have a pony ride