What to expect, hygiene advice, your funny
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AUSTRALIA
Australia is a developed country and you
should find sanitation here fairly first
rate. And unlike Europe you almost nevr
have to pay to use public toilets. Even
at major events there may be queues but
the "loos" are generally free.
In outback areas where water is not available
or it's too remote for a flush system you
may find somethign different to what you
are used to. Some toilets may appear normal
to all outward appearances but use sawdust
to help decomposition instead of water.
There will be usually instructions telling
you how to apply it. In other areas toilets
may simply be a seat cover ovr a pit and
can be smelly. Bush loos are quite famous
in Australian folklore and books, poems
and humour are developed around them. Many
foreigners might not quite appreciate it,
but in Australia the bush loo is an institution.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand rates the same as Australia
in terms of hygiene and services in cities
and metropolitan areas. In rural areas and
campgrounds expect something a bit more
basic.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
The styles and scale of hygiene seems to
vary around the country and will depend
largely on where you stay and what you do.
In all hotels and resorts there are western
style, clean, modern facilities. In private
homes in the capital Port Moresby people
will have the same. However the villages
outside the capital will change. In the
houses over the sea, toilet practices are
just the same - over the sea. In onland
villages they may just have a squat toilet
over a pit, hopefully in a shed or shack
for privacy. It may be a good idea to buy
the traditional strapless dress the local
women wear to bathe in if there is no private
area for washing. They can strip down beneath
and then wash themselves under the cloth.
PACIFIC ISLANDS
The scale of toilets and hygiene varies
somewhat on the islands of Oceania. Squat
toilets will become more common and the
smell and sewerage might as well! You will
often find that big cities use the modern
flush toilets but even half an hour out
of a capital like Port Moresby (Papua New
Guinea) they will just have holes in the
ground. Be flexible!
