From An Aussie's Point Of View...

"NO YANK HAS EVER EATEN VEGEMITE WITHOUT TOSSIN' THEIR COOKIES!"
My best friend moved to Australia from Los Angeles when he was 8. I would go over to his house and he'd quite often be sitting infront of the TV eating Vegemite from a jar! He LOVES it! It's not everyone's cuppa tea, but eating it whole often enough will make you very sick. It's a really good treatment for mouth ulsers though. So of course they weren't eating real Vegemite in the movie, it's nowhere near as soft as Nutella.
My boyfriend and his brother went on a cruise a few years ago where they were the only Australians onboard. The punishment for throwing cigarette butts overboard was having to eat a piece of vegemite toast the next morning. They both love Vegemite, so they were happy to break the rules.

CRUSHING CANS ON YOUR HEAD.
ALL my friends can do this. And WELL too. It's a widely appreciated party trick. Also, opening beer bottles on anything that isn't a bottle-opener or your hand is praised too.

THE KANGAROO WHIMPERS LIKE A CHIHUAHUA!
I thought that was funny. Kangaroos as pets are a common feature in Australian films. Memorable mentions are Smiley's pet 'Roo' from "Smiley Gets A Gun (1959)" and of course "Skippy the Bush Kangaroo". Or if we're talking about cartoon kangaroos, Yoram Gross commonly uses them in "Dot & the Kangaroo" and 'Splodge' from "Blinky Bill". While they're on the television and in movies as pets, they're really nothing more than an Australian fantasy. I've never met anyone with a pet kangaroo. Although I do stay awake at night when there are wallabies (smaller kangaroos) jumping around in the bush next to my bedroom.

THE PRONOUNCIATION
It's interesting to hear the different pronounciation of 'Aussies'. The Americans say it like it's spelt. But the Australian's pronounce it 'Ozzies'.

"So I put on ME JUMPER and HOED into some TUCKER. But ME BREKKY had CHICKY SNAGS. I mean, I don't like to WHINGE, but I said, 'Bring on ME DAMPER and HOT CHOCKY!'"

People have commonly posted on this board saying that they are Australian, and no one in Australia talks like that. I'm not sure what part of Australia they're from, but where I am from (Sydney) EVERYONE talks like that! Perhaps it's the tween market seeing this movie that are so out of touch from their own country's culture that the slang used in this movie seems like a foreign language.

The term, "Throw another shrimp on the barbie!" is not commonly used in everyday life, but it was a phrase popularised by Paul Hogan, who is pretty much the Australian poster-boy for foreigners (Crocodile Dundee).

THE SLANG, WHAT IT MEANS, AND HOW OFTEN YOU HEAR IT (from aussieslang.com)

barbie
noun:- Barbecue. Similar to a cook out, a barbie is a popular way to get together with friends in the warmer months of the year. Like the word, the barbie is used very often. For me personally, my family have a BBQ dinner on most nights.

chockie
adverb:- chocolate. I use this a lot, but only at home. I don't normally buy chocolate products, so I had no need to take the term outside the house.

chuck a spaz
verb:- get angry demonstratively. I thought this was funny to have two adults using the term in this movie, because the only place I've heard it used was among school children.

dag
adjective:- a term for a funny person, nerd, goof, loser. In this respect it can have either an endearing or disparaging meaning, although is usually used for a likable fellow. This is used really light-heartedly. If I'm at home in comfy but unfashionable clothes, I refer to it as daggy. My mum calls me 'dag' quite often.

damper
noun:- a yeast less bread cooked either in the hot coals or in a Dutch oven (colloquially called a 'Dutchey') over a camp fire. This word is really only used when the actual food is being made. Bread is called 'bread', otherwise.

chuck a leftie
verb:- to turn left

dinkum
adjective:- real, honest or genuine. Can also be used to question validity, e.g.., dinkum?

dinky di
adjective:- the genuine article or the real thing, especially if the object is from Australia.

dogs eye
noun:- meat pie

down under
noun:- Australia! Can also be used to indicate the southern hemisphere.

drongo
noun:- a stupid, inept, awkward or embarrassing person, a dimwit or slow-witted person, a fool.

duds
noun:- trousers.

g'day
misc:- the universal Australian friendly greeting, as in hello. Pronounced "Gidday", a shortened form of "Good Day". I use this greeting to EVERYONE. It's used all the time amongst virtually everyone in this country.

lingo
noun:- language

mate
noun:- a general greeting term and familiar greeting amongst men whether a friend or total stranger. Similar to Cobber. This is a very very very common word we use. US = buddy.

postie
noun:- postman

QANTAS
noun:- Australia's national air carrier. QANTAS is an acronym for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd.

seppo, septic, septic tank
noun:- a derogatory term for an American, "septic tank" rhyming with "yank".

• Sheila
noun:- a common term for an Australia female, usually single and probably good looking. It probably originated from the high number of female immigrants from Ireland called Sheelagh.

snag
noun:- a sausage.

spit the dummy
verb:- to make up a fuss, to have a tantrum

troppo
adjective:- crazy or insane. Not necessarily a mental disorder. A description of the way people can go crazy in the tropics.

tuckerbag, tuckerbox
noun:- a bag or box for storing food. Originally used by outdoor workers, the present equivalent is the Esky. The tuckerbox has been immortalised in the song "Where the dog sat on the tucker box."

Vegemite
noun:- a savoury spread, made from an extract of brewers yeast, eaten on sandwiches and toast.

whinge, winge
verb:- to whine or complain incessantly.

woop woop
noun:- a unidentifiable (mythical?) place inland a long, long way away and far from civilization.

Yank
noun:- an American.

No bar tender would be so offended by the term "URUGLI" that he'd kick them out of the bar. But having said that, Urugli isn't a real place, so I don't blame the bartender for taking offense.

TRAVELLING AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT.
My goodness they certainly get around Sydney fast! They obviously weren't travelling CityRail, which is the railway network around Sydney, infamous for being slow & unreliable.


LOCATIONS MENTIONED OR SEEN:

Dog on the Tucker Box – located in Snake Gully, NSW. According to Jack Moses' poem it is 5 miles from Gundagai, NSW, or 8 kilometres.

Whoop Whoop and The Black Stump – these terms could refer to anywhere located a long way from civilisation. They are not real places.

The Salvation Shore Inn – Again, this is a fictional location most likely set in Pittwater. The name is a reference to Neil Diamond song "Brother's Love Travelling to the Salvation Show" (played during the credits). Neil Diamond is also referenced in the name of the jewel that is stolen in the film 'The Kneel Diamond'.

Rose Bay High School – The school that they probably mean is Rose Bay Secondary College in Dover Heights, NSW. For a student travelling there every day from Pittwater by car, it would take approximately an hour and a half – which is how long I had to travel to my high school via bus.

Circular Quay – The hub of Sydney Harbour in a place called Sydney Cove. The chase scene is located here too. It is very close to The Rocks part of Sydney where Mary-Kate and Ashley also tour in the film.

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb – The climb starts at the Rocks, close to Circular Quay.

Luna Park – 'Avery's dad' apparently owns it. The Park closed in 1996, but in late 2000 (a few months after the movie was filmed) and early 2001, the park was allowed to operate on selected weekends and school holidays under strict, court-appointed conditions. Avery's dad must be one powerful man!

Manly Beach – One of Sydney's most famous beaches. The surf competition is held there.

Dee Why – The "party at Dee Why!" announced at the end of the movie is held here. Although they all flock there in an instant, it would actually take about an hour and 15 minutes to walk there from Manly.

The whole desire to be popular is really only an American theme. The Logie Awards are the only real 'popularity contest' in Australia, for television actors and shows. It's sort of considered a curse if you win a Logie, because it means that your talent (or lack of) has been overpowered by your popularity and celebrity status.

PARTIES!
One thing that this movie really captured is our love of partying. Basically, you can find a party any day of the year and you can guarantee that invited or uninvited, you're in for a wild night and a good time.

IF PETE & AVERY WERE REAL...
Pete & Avery are the types of guys you would find in the Central Coast of New South Wales. Everyone there is all about surfing and just chillin'. It was really refreshing to us Aussies to see Ryan Clark as Pete, as most of us grew up watching him as 'Sam' on "Home & Away", where he played a laidback surfer as well.

BOTTOM LINE: This is a kid's movie! People on this board are taking it WAYYYY too seriously.