Thinking about visiting Australia for the very first time? Odds are you’ll have an amazing time while you’re there, but there are a few things that you should know before you actually embark on your trip.

More specifically, every first time visitor to Australia should know these 4 things:

• Australia is a big, big place

If you were intending to spend a week and travel across all of Australia – think again. Frankly speaking, Australia is really very big and there are so many sights to see in every corner that you’re not likely to be able to cover them all. Assuming you’re visiting for a week or two, you may want to focus on one area (or possibly two) and explore the sights around it.

• Be cautious around wildlife

Generally Australia is notorious for its dangerous wildlife – though there’s really no reason for concern if you exercise a bit of caution. Also you should remember that kangaroos, wallabies and other ‘cute’ creatures are actually wild animals, and should be treated as such. If you stick to the cities, you probably won’t encounter much in terms of dangerous wildlife.

• It can take a while to learn the lingo

Most people are aware that Australia has its own unique slang, but many are unprepared for the fact that it extends far beyond the all-famous “G’day mate”. Honestly it can take a while to get used to Australia’s unique slang, particularly when someone is speaking fast and with a thick accent on top of it.

• Don’t take food with you

If you were thinking about packing some snacks or other food as gifts – don’t. Odds are it won’t get past Australia’s strict bio-security regulations and if you don’t declare them you may even end up having to pay a large fine. With that in mind it is best to just avoid bringing food (or any other plant or animal products) with you.

Of course there’s a lot more that you should find out about Australia, more specifically about the area you intend to visit, how to get around, and how much it is all going to cost you. Additionally you should also figure out whether you require an Australia ETA visa or eVisitor pass. Once you take care of all those bases however, you should be able to plan out your trip and enjoy every second of it.