Australia and New Zealand - what's the same and what's different?

FLAGS

Flag of Australia User DO'Neil on en.wikipedia

Flag of New Zealand

Let's start with the flags. Currently, in February 2025, both flags have a small Union Jack flag of Britain in the top left corner. Both have the four stars of the Southern Cross on the right.These stars are seen in the sky from both countries. But Australia's  flag's stars are white, with many points whilst New Zealand's have five points with white borders. Australia has an extra large white star on the lower. left. Like Texas, How do you remember which is which? Australia is bigger, more points and more stars.

LAND

Next lets look at the land masses. New Zealand has lots of islands. North Island. South Island. Little islands. The third most populated island, pretty, hilly Waiheke. The Bay of Islands. 

Australia is not considered an island but a continent. It's huge. Off the southern coast is Tasmania.

ANIMALS, BIRDS 

The wildlife, symbols and toys are different.

Australia has kangaroos and koala bears.

Australia has laughing kookaburras.

New Zealand has sheep. (also cows, goats,horses.)

New Zealand has and flightless kiwi birds, with long beaks. Also kias which attack car windscreen wipers at ski resorts.

FOOD

Pavlovas

Both countries feature pavolvas, large donut shape white hard meringues with a solid base in the middle supporting mixed fresh fruit. Both countries were visited by the by the British ballet dancer Pavlova and her troupe.

Australians use passionfruit. New Zealanders use green kiwi fruit.

Lamingtons

Both countries sell Lamingtons. Cubes of pale coloured sponge covered in a thin shell of brown chocolate covered in white shredded coconut.

Lamington in New Zealand. Photo by Angela Lansbury.  Copyright. 

ACCENT

Australians and New Zealanders speak English and can understand British English. 

Australians speak louder and you will recognize Australian if you think of Oss- try-lee -er.  The word today sound like to die. This can be unnerving when you are asked what you are intending to do to die.

New Zealanders speak quietly with their teeth closer together.

You can recognize the New Zealand accent if you think of asking a New Zealander a question and getting the answer yiss and hearing the number seven as siven..

NATIVE PEOPLE

Australia has Aboriginies. 

New Zealand has Maoris.

NATIVE LANGUAGES

Australian words you may recognize include

boomerang

Maori words you may recognize include 

kia ora. - greeting familiar to visitors because it is used as a brand name for a drink

Drink to buy with Maori greeting as brand name.

. JEWELLERY SOUVENIRS

Australia has opal jewellery.Opal is the national gemstone. From Coober Pedy.

New Zealand has paoa shell jewellery.

Useful Websites

Australia

https://www.pmc.gov.au/honours-and-symbols/australian-national-symbols/australian-floral-emblem
New Zealand

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_symbols_of_New_Zealand

What To Eat At The Cosy Cove Cafe Waipu, New Zealand - savouries rather than sweets - and prices should be shown!

The Cove Cafe is a convenient stopping place on your journey from Auckland on your journey to the islands, in fact there is not much else en route.

It is a jolly, busy place. A handy large car park alongside contains toilets. And you can see across the road to the beach and the breaking waves and surfers.

I suspect the savouries are better than the sweet dishes. 

My husband was happy with his coffee and the prices.

Lamington

I tried a Lamington, because that is a favourite food unique to Australia and New Zealand (like pavlova). A Lamington is a cube of sponge cake, coated in a thin layer of chocolate and rolled in coconut.

Priceless

I had trouble making a choice because there was a large display of cakes, which was good, but no prices displayed. This caused me confusion. Maybe I should opt for two if they are cheap. Pick the cheapest if they are dear. Indulge myself in the dearest cake as I'm on holiday. 

My stress level rises. How do I know it's not a con to charge me extra, double because I'm a foreigner and don't understand the value of New Zealand dollars? How do I know it's not an item containing unseasonal fruit, or alcohol, or saffron or truffles, which makes it legitimately, or illegitimately, ten times the standard price of a piece of cake? 

The plus side of seeing price is that the price might tell me it's the one delectable item I ought to take. There's half a dozen Ferraris and Porches parked outside in a regular club rally. I bet they would pay more, so something must cost more to satisfy them. 

The cashier has a list of prices on her computer screen which is hidden from me and says she can tell me the price of whichever item I want. But I can't ask the price of every one of the thirty items. 

I am surprised that you have to ask. In England it's a legal requirement to display prices. 

When I told the young server that in England it was a legal rquirement, he said that he was not aware of any such law in New Zealand.

He said the food is fresh every day, so they can't write up all the prices. 

However, the same applies to meny restaurant's chef's menu of the day, where a menu changes daily. Also most supermarkets stock fresh goods, bakery, as well as fruit and veg, which are replaced each morning by a huge lorry which we see parked outside Tesco supermarket. 

If it's the law, you have to do it. You cannot charge the customer what you fancy. What you think they will pay. Nor only tell them after they have chosen when they are too embarrassed to change their mind.

I asked AI, and received this result -

Yes, it is a legal requirement to display food prices in the UK, New Zealand, and across Europe, 

with the UK's "Price Marking Order" requiring retailers to clearly display the selling price of products, including unit prices for loose items; 

in New Zealand, mandatory unit pricing for grocery products came into effect on August 31, 2023, 

and in Europe, the "Price Indication Directive" mandates clear and accurate price information for consumers. 

Disregarding the price, what about the food?

Neither I nor my husband liked the Lamington. Not because of it being sponge with chocolate and coconut. I love chocolate and coconut.

I'd had a Lamington previously, the same month, in a restaurant, and it was wonderful. Were other customers happy.

However, our friends who live in Auckland wo had recommended that we stop there hadenthused about The Cove Cafe and its savoury dishes. They don't go for desserts. So maybe I shall try something savoury, something different, if I ever go there again.

UK Price legislation for food consumption on premises and take away food

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/2253/contents/

New Zealand has similar rules regarding display of prices in two places, near the entrance for rpospective customers to decide whether to enter and in each room where customers are ordering

https://legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/1975/0051/9.0/whole.html

https://www.hygienie.org/a-brief-history-of-uk-food-safety-law UK Natasha's law covers listing ingredients of allergens in food such as sanwiches made on the premises.