Shopping enthusiasts are doubly pleased to shop in a foreign country. Indeed, in addition to practical things, one can also get something quite exotic. Australia is on the other side of the Earth. When Moscow is day, there is night, when Russia is winter, there is summer. In addition, the mainland for a long time remained isolated from the rest of the world. Therefore, in Australia there are endemic species that can only be seen in other places on the planet except in zoos — kangaroos, koalas, platypuses, and emu ostriches.
Of course, you will not be allowed to remove a living animal from the country. But you can buy the symbol of Australia in the form of a soft toy or a fluffy keychain. In addition to the amazing nature, the original culture of the natives has been preserved on this continent. Many gizmos are made for the tourism industry, and these souvenirs will be a great and original gift. In this article we will talk about what to bring from Australia from:
- souvenirs;
- clothes;
- shoes;
- jewelry;
- decor items;
- food products;
- cosmetics.
Country Symbols
If you have a hobby to decorate the refrigerator door with magnets brought from your next trip - this is your right. But be aware that most of these products, even if they depict Sydney or Melbourne views, are made in China. If you want to bring not trivial, but original souvenirs from Australia, you will have to fork out.
The locals have a strange sense of humor. For them, it’s normal to uncork a bottle of beer with an opener in which the handle serves ... a foot or scrotum of a kangaroo. But many believe that this is simply disgusting and immoral. If you dislike a souvenir from a corpse, you can find something more ordinary. For example, a copy of a traffic sign.
What is original, Australian in it? At least a warning to the driver that there is a risk of collision with a kangaroo or wombat in the next 42 kilometers. An original souvenir will also be an inverted map, where Australia is depicted not in the lower right corner, as we are used to, but in the center of the world. Notebooks painted in the style of Aboriginal culture will also be a good gift.
Toys for baby
Souvenir shops on the Green Continent are simply bursting with plush koalas, kangaroos and other exotic animals. So you will have no difficulty in bringing a child from Australia. It should be said that these toys are made of first-class wool. Knowing the love of children to drag everything in their mouths, manufacturers do not use toxic dyes and harmful materials.
Older boys will be happy to receive Australian Aboriginal weapons, a boomerang, as a gift. In fact, these hook-shaped things have great destructive power. But in the souvenir shops completely harmless boomerangs made of plastic or light wood are sold. Children of all sexes and ages will appreciate the jam and jam from the exotic lillipilly berry. Honey from Australia also tastes very unusual. Probably due to the fact that the bees collect nectar for him from exotic plants.
Clothing from Australia
As in New Zealand, huge flocks of sheep are bred on the Green Continent. Therefore, the country's textile industry produces mainly clothes from wool. And this despite the fact that Australia is hot all year round. But well-made sheep's wool is not only thick sweaters, hats and warm socks, although they are also on sale.
Fleece fabrics can be very thin and serve as a material for sewing summer clothes. Moreover, according to many reviews, very good quality. There is no shortage of representatives of world famous clothing brands. But if you want to look like a real Australian dandy, then you need to buy:
- raincoat style raincoat;
- digger hat rabbit hat;
- pants from the skins of moles;
- a sheepskin shirt.
As for women's clothing, the style of kuji is popular in Australia, not in vain named after one of the Sydney beaches. Colorful bright sundresses, skirts, shorts, etc. will decorate your summer wardrobe.
Fashionistas should pay attention to the clothing of the Australian brand COOGI. He produces knitwear in ethnic style. In the state, which is surrounded on all sides by the warm sea, they are simply obliged to make beautiful and high-quality bathing suits. If you practice water sports, you can buy surfing and diving clothes in Australia.
fashionable accessories
In Australia, and cashmere sheep are bred. Products from their wool, mainly scarves, are also pleased with high quality. Farmers brought from South America to Australia and distant relatives of a camel - alpaca. Andean animals quickly got used to the new climate. Basically, alpaca clothing is top because their delicate, flowing wool looks like fur. Australia is famous for its haberdashery.
Find sheep skin too boring? Well, the people of Australia completely agree with you. Their indefatigable imagination invented handbags not only from crocodile or snake skin, but also from poisonous cane toad. As a souvenir, you can bring a kitchen apron with a funny print or a funny and witty slogan.
Ugg australia
An overabundance of sheep wool production was to sooner or later give rise to shoes that seemed to be useless in hot Australia, like felt boots. But do not think that ugg boots are made exclusively for export to cold countries. Sheep's wool is unique. She warms in cold weather, but your legs in her will feel great in the 40-degree heat. People in ugg boots can be found even on the beaches! It is noteworthy that at first these shoes were made for use at home. The first ugg had a soft sole, like slippers. But with the popularity of Ugg Australia, these shoes became street shoes. There are real ugg boots, even in Australia, at least a hundred dollars (6,650 rubles).
The market is oversaturated with boots from China, the quality of which is poor. So carefully check the company and place of production of these stylish sheepskin boots. When purchasing ugg boots, at the same time buy a spray against them to get your shoes wet. People on the streets of Australia rarely wear shoes and sandals. If every second is shod in uggs, then the rest half - in flip flops. Here they are called "tongs." Flip flops can also serve as a practical souvenir, especially if they are decorated with the flag of Australia.
Aboriginal culture items
The government of the country now strongly supports the indigenous people. The communities make boomerangs, paint pebbles and shells, and paint pictures that later enter the tourism market. How to navigate a huge assortment of souvenirs so as not to bring Chinese consumer goods from Australia? Real hunting boomerangs cost an average of $ 10 (665 rubles). Not only are they decorated with authentic murals, they also have a sign indicating production in the Aboriginal community.
You can also support the culture of the indigenous people with money by buying didgeridoo. This is a very specific wind instrument that Australian shamans use to enter a trance. To transport a 3-5-meter bamboo pipe in an airplane is problematic. Didgeridoo and the hunting boomerang should be sent home from Australia by parcel. But the picture painted on fabric or canvas will practically fit into a suitcase. Aborigines draw in several styles. The most popular is spot painting Dot painting. But there are paintings in geometric patterns, stylistic images of crocodiles, snakes, kangaroos. Such a painting is inexpensive - from 10 dollars.
National fruits
Australia has a lot of exotic fruits. So you can go to the nearest market a day before departure and buy papaya, passion fruit, dragon, lychee and other unseen fruits. But what to bring from Australia such that you will not meet in the markets of Southeast Asia? Macadamia is the most expensive nut in the world. Here he bears several names - Boomer, Kindal Kindal and Mullimbimbi. Unpeeled, macadamia is similar to our walnut, only under the green skin there is no hard shell. This product is extremely healthy and nutritious. But beware: macadamia is a deadly poison for dogs!
Australia is the birthplace of eucalyptus. These trees are the "visiting card" of the vegetation of the Green Continent. Therefore, you can bring real eucalyptus oil. It is used not only in cosmetology, but also in medicine, since it removes sputum from the respiratory tract and kills harmful bacteria.
National products
The gastronomic symbol of Australia is PastaWeight. Almost all Europeans do not like its bitter-salty taste with a touch of brewer's yeast. Nevertheless, Australians absorb this viscous brown mass in huge quantities, spreading it like butter on sandwiches. They say it has a lot of B vitamins.
No less exotic products from Australia are sun-dried kangaroos, emu and crocodile. Their taste is for everybody. But what is good in Australia (according to Europeans) is the wine. The climate in the south of the continent was ideal for growing vines. Great beer is also brewed here. The most popular brands are Coopers, Fosters, XXXX, VB and Tooheys.
Opals
These gems are no less famous than uggs. Australia brings black opals with white and red tints, translucent, lilac, emerald, silver-blue, dark blue, green. On the mainland, 97 percent of the deposits of this stone in the world are concentrated. Opals are sold as simply faceted, and as part of jewelry.
But you need to buy them in specialized stores (there are a lot of them in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra), where you will be given a certificate of authenticity. Such a pleasure is expensive, more expensive than hundreds of dollars. Prices depend on the size of the opal, as well as on the depth of its overflow, cutting skills, and related metals.
Cosmetics
Do you think you should bring your wife, sister or girlfriend from Australia? Women are usually given perfumes or cosmetics. Australia is not the perfume capital of the world. Let's see what you can buy native Australian from cosmetics. Locals believe that emu ostrich fat not only heals cuts and fights dermatitis, but also tightens skin turgor.
This oil is part of many creams and other products from the category of caring cosmetics. Only the smell of fat is very unpleasant. If your girl does not have obvious dermatitis, it is better to opt for cosmetics with macadamia, tea tree or papaya oils.
Where to shop
On the outskirts of any more or less large city there is Westfield - a huge hypermarket, overgrown with boutiques, cafes and entertainment venues. And in the center of settlements there are markets - both food and clothing. How much money do you need in Australia for decent shopping? This is a rather expensive country, and you are unlikely to limit yourself to an amount of $ 500 (33,250 rubles), especially if you buy beautiful and high-quality items of local production.
Tourists believe that shopping in Australia is good, especially when you consider that you get things that are unlikely that your friends know. Clothes and shoes are very high quality. The Australians may not be lucky with a sense of humor, but you are not forced to buy parts of animals as souvenirs. And by buying a boomerang or authentic-style painting, you will support the Aboriginal community. In addition, real uggs are very warm in the winter. But since there is no ice in Australia, the soles of these boots are very slippery.