6 Unexpected Fun Facts About Australia

We know Australia. It’s where Rustic Pathways began, and we’ve been running student travel programs in Australia since 1983. There are three times more sheep than people, and it’s the only continent without an active volcano. With over 10,000 beaches, visiting a new one every day would take more than 27 years!

Here are some key facts about Australia:

Here are six more unexpected and interesting facts about Australia that you might learn on a student adventure to Australia.

1. Most Australians live in New South Wales

New South Wales has more people than any other state in Australia. 65% of the state’s population lives in the Greater Sydney area. Bonus fun fact about Australia, Melbourne is home to the second-largest Greek population in the world after Athens in Greece.

Australian state capital populations

2. Snakes are worse than spiders in Australia

Australia has plant and animal species, but snakes are the ones to worry about. Spiders get a bad rap, but snakes are worse in Australia. It is the only country in the world where there are more species of venomous snakes than non-venomous ones. The Inland Taipan, known as the most venomous snake, calls Australia home. The last time a spider killed someone in Australia was in 1981.

A Rustic Pathway student shows their bravery holding a snake.

3. Australia is snowier than you think

During winter, Australia gets more snow than Switzerland. The Australian Alps actually receive more snow each year than Switzerland.

4. Australia fought a war against a bird species and lost

A striking black emu stands out in the wild.

The Emu War of Australia was a conflict between humans and birds. Emus are the second-largest living birds, standing at an average height of no less than 5.7 feet. They have long legs and necks with short wings (less than 8 inches). When emu populations grew and began wreaking havoc on crops, The Emu War of 1932 began.

Soldiers used World War I era machine guns against the emus. It took about 10 bullets to kill a single emu, leading officials to conclude that it wasn’t worth it. One soldier famously remarked, “The emus have proved that they are not so stupid as they are usually considered to be.”

5. K’gari Island (formerly Fraser Island) in Australia is the world’s largest sand island

K’gari Island (referred to as Fraser Island before 2021) is the world’s largest sand island off the coast of Queensland. The island is covered in forests and has many notable spots like Champagne Pools and Lake Mackenzie. It’s also one of the best places to spot some of Australia’s dingoes, with around 150 of these wild dogs living on the island.

K’gari Island, Australia

6. Uluru is sacred for the aboriginal people

Uluru is one of Australia’s most iconic sights and a must-visit destination. Uluru is one of the few places on Earth to be listed twice as a UNESCO World Heritage site, both for its cultural and natural significance.

Rustic Pathway students take in the view of Uluru.

The entire Uluru area is a sacred site for the native Anangu tribe. Experience this magical place is on a sunrise or sunset tour, where you can enjoy breakfast or a barbecue as part of the package. At dusk, the rock famously glows red as the sun dips below the horizon. Interestingly, the world’s largest rock is not Uluru, but Mount Augustus in Western Australia, which is actually twice the size of Uluru.