How to Distinguish
- The domain is .au.
- Cars drive on the left side.
- There are many eucalyptus trees, and utility poles are often made from eucalyptus wood.
- If "GIVE WAY" is written in black text, it is Australia. If written in red, it is New Zealand. (by plonk it )
- Australian bollards are not painted continuously on both sides like New Zealand's, making them distinguishable. (by plonk it )
- Road numbers like "M1" also exist in South Africa, but the font is different.
Signs you can find
Cars drive on the left side. . Vehicles travel on the left, and signs are also positioned on the left.
There are many eucalyptus trees. Utility poles are often made of green wooden eucalyptus or steel to protect against termites. ( Stobie pole)
Australian bollards typically have red reflective panels on only one side, and the red area is smaller. . Left: Australia; Right: New Zealand.
The font used for road numbers differs between Australia and South Africa. Left: South Africa; Right: Australia. South Africa road signs often include place names with “oo” or “ee” and tend to have a more angular design, making them easier to distinguish with experience.
In Australia, speed limits are often displayed on narrow white plates.
. In the diagram below, Left: Australia; Right: New Zealand.
Additionally, if “GIVE WAY” is written in black text, it is Australia
; if written in red, it is New Zealand.
Narrow down state/region
- Observe tree density and type:
- Dark green: Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
- Yellow: Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
- Green: Temperate broadleaf forests, etc.
- Pale green: Temperate grasslands and savannas
- Brown: Mediterranean forests and woodlands
- Beige: Deserts and arid shrublands
- Soil color can sometimes provide clues about the general region.
A broad classification of ecosystems near Australia. (Source: By Terpsichores - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons, accessed April 28, 2023)
The western region features reddish soil, characteristic of semi-arid environments. (from Wikipedia 『Durisol』)
The northwestern coastal region is particularly notable for its red soil.
Unique to the central southern coastal area?
Similar soil color to the western coastal region, but with different vegetation.
Utility Poles
- Utility poles in TAZ (Tasmania) have something green wrapped around them.
- Utility poles in QLD (Queensland) sometimes have a blue mark. (by plonk it )
- Utility poles in SA (South Australia) appear to be clamped between two plates. (by neckoluv )
- Utility poles in NA (Northern Territory) are made of metal and feature a distinctive ladder-like lattice structure. (by plonk it )
- Utility poles in WA and VIC (Western Australia and Victoria) often have a mountain-shaped structure.
Here are some GeoGuessr utility pole tips from the field!
— Daigo ʅ(･Θ･)ʃ (@Daig_O) May 4, 2023
Black-painted numbers, blue circular markers, and slightly tilted horizontal insulators are all unique to Queensland. Remember these! pic.twitter.com/Jbzg4WThyN
Signs and Bollards
- In Western Australia, yellow poles are used for signs.
- If you see a sticker with "VicRoads" on machinery or signs near traffic lights, it might indicate Victoria.
VicRoads is a government joint venture company in Victoria, Australia (from Wikipedia 『VicRoads』), but it’s unclear if it exists outside Victoria.
License Plates
- License plate colors might indicate the region, but they are often heavily pixelated and difficult to discern. (from Wikipedia 『Vehicle registration plates of Australia』)
- Christmas Island might occasionally appear as a location
Christmas Island.
- Google Cars are distinctive, and yellow license plates are common.
If there are many slightly reddish cars, it might be the northeastern or northern areas (Queensland).
By NJM2010 - Own work, GFDL, Wikimedia Commons
By EurovisionNim - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Other
- Area codes might indicate the region. ( Telephone country and area codes / Australian Government, Canberra). However, they are not commonly seen and are mainly in urban areas, making them less useful compared to Brazil's phone numbers.
- 02: New South Wales, Sydney, Canberra
- 03: Victoria, Tasmania, Melbourne
- 04: Mobile phones across Australia, no specific location
- 07: Queensland
- 08: Central and western regions, including Perth and Darwin
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