5 Amazing Facts You Should Know About Australia

The first things that come to mind when we think of Australia are man-eating crocodiles, deadly snakes, poisonous spiders, and the baking hot sun. We also imagine it to be a place full of rugged men fighting off deadly predators and having grand adventures in the outback. However, there is much more to Australia than what we learned from watching watching Crocodile Dundee. Join us as we take a journey through the land down under.

# Ugg Boots

Ugg boots were first created by Australian farmers, who used sheepskin to stay warm. As the years went by, many Australian surfers also cottoned on to using them for their warmth-giving properties. Although popular in America, most Australians consider them too dowdy to be worn outside the house. So how did they get the reputation for being fashionable in the US?

When the boots landed on American shores, a company named Decker decided to copyright them, and after a marketing blitz in which some celebrities endorsed the product, they became a runaway hit. Decker got greedy, and quickly started trying to shut down Australian manufacturers of ugg boots, for using the now-trademarked name.

# Crazy Cult Nuclear Tests?

It should come as no surprise that unanswered questions abound in all the vast nothingness of the Australian outback. With all that space to roam, there’s bound to be some dirty dealing going on—at least, that’s what one theory says about the mysterious events of May 28, 1993.

Some of the accounts of that day could point to a possible nuclear explosion. Now, if you have any confidence in the Australian government (though you may not after reading about their treatment of immigrants), you might not worry about this. Only problem is, the government had nothing to do with it. In fact, the group most commonly fingered for possible responsibility for the event is none other than the Aum Shinrikyo cult of Japan, famous for their 1995 sarin gas attacks on Tokyo’s commuters.

# Stadium Hijinks

Australians love sports, and due to their passion they punch well above their weight on the world scene. Australia was fourth in medal count in the 2004 Olympics (second per capita), and they are consistently among the top-ranked when it comes to cricket. While Australians take their cricket very, very seriously, they are not without a sense of humor when it comes to the matches.

At one cricket match against England in the 1980s, a group of fans brought a cooler with them that contained an entire pig. They told the security guards that it was soon going to be lunch and they were allowed in. However, it turned out that the pig was part of an elaborate practical joke.

# Drop Bears

You probably know that Australia has some of the more deadly animals in the world, and the drop bear ranks among them. Drop bears are similar in appearance to koalas, but much larger. Unlike the herbivorous koala, drop bears are predatory, and have the powerful jaws and razor-sharp claws to match. They are known to drop from the trees and often take bushwalkers completely by surprise.

The most fascinating fact about the drop bear is that it was completely made up to have a laugh at tourists. The origins of the drop bear myth are hidden, but it’s so well-known to Australians that any tourist trying to check the veracity of it will have the story vigorously confirmed. The Australian Museum even put together a detailed description of this fake creature and Australian Geographic published a straight-faced report claiming that drop bears are more likely to target tourists.

# Marree Man

One of the many mysteries of Australia is the Marree Man, an enormous depiction of an Indigenous man carved in the desert. The drawing is over 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) long and has been a boon for tourism ever since it was noticed, well over a decade ago. The strangest part is that no one knows who is responsible for the drawing, or how and why they put so much effort into it.

To the people who own the land and run tourist ventures, the more important question is how they can restore the drawing, as it has faded over time. The people who make money by taking people on flights over the drawing are quite happy with this mystery, but many Indigenous Australians are not so pleased. Some feel that the tourism flights over their lands are insulting to their beliefs and would prefer if the drawing was simply removed from the desert.