It’s not often that I travel to the opposite hemisphere, so I did my research before I went to Australia and New Zealand last month. I wish had been more clear on some of the local ways, though. Just in case you plan on traveling over there, here are tips and tricks that would have come in handy for me and might for you.

Breakfast: You’re only getting fried eggs. Don’t ask for anything crazy like scrambled eggs. If your meal comes with baked beans, don’t be surprised. And I swear I had to pay for jam (not jelly, get your terminology down) and for ketchup (aka tomato sauce). Twenty cents each. Vegemite, which my boyfriend refers to as “melted asphalt in a jar,” cost about the same.

Bathrooms: Where do I start? First, there’s the two-button system. One button is for a half-flush, the other for a whole flush. It took me about two days to figure out which button was which. There are no toilet seat covers, so stop looking for them. Also, there’s a bizarre little receptacle for trash next to the toilet. Not quite a trash can, since it squirts some weird liquid each time you put something inside.

Oh, and call it a toilet. Not a bathroom or a restroom. Just a toilet.

Wine: It’s cheap, run with it. Buy it all up (especially the port) and haul it home with you.

DUI limits: Remember that the blood-alcohol limit is .05 in Australia and .03 for some people in New Zealand. And people complain about .08 here in the states? I’m pretty sure .03 for me is about half a beer.

Tipping: Don’t do it. People who work in food and drink service are paid a proper, living wage. Just think how great it would be if that was the system here. That 15-20 percent addition to every meal adds up.

Laundry: We were lucky to stay with relatives during our trip. But what’s the deal with no one owning a dryer? And, if they do own one, they don’t use it. Either they’re much more environmentally conscious than Americans (entirely possible) or they just like crunchy-feeling jeans. I, however, do not.

Language: Special shout-out to co-worker Jillian Jones for supplying me with the Australian lingo book before I went on my trip. Pokey = Slot (and other gambling) machines. Meat pie = something kinda like a pot pie, but about 1/8 the size as one in the U.S. (and so much more yummy). Capsicum = bell pepper. Rubbish = trash. Stubby = a beer bottle shape.

Sports: They’re kooky. Gridiron = our version of football, but the word “footy” means an actual football. The Australia Football League plays something kinda like our football, but not exactly. There’s netball, which is kinda like our basketball, but not exactly. I never quite got the hang of it all.

Driving: Traffic cameras are everywhere. Sometimes you can see them (like Napa’s red-light cameras), but other times they’re hidden in cars along the roadside. We were told a violation comes with a fine of $330. Ouch. Our GPS system (Jaimus, we called him, since he had an Irish accent) was kind enough to alert us to the fixed ones, but those hidden ones were tricky.

 I think if we had these in the U.S., speeding would be all but eliminated. The fear of a hefty fine would keep me in check, that’s for sure.

See? That isn’t so hard to get all down on paper, right?

Maybe I should go into travel book writing. Or maybe I should just travel more.  Food for thought.

Girl on the Go appears every other week, alternating with Jennifer Huffman’s Surrendering to Motherhood. Contact Michelle at mchoat@napanews.com.