A Canadian backpacker who’s visited 60 countries has revealed the ‘niche’ thing Australia does better than anywhere else in the world.
Lucas Ungaretti has been documenting the ‘biggest culture shocks’ he’s encountered on his adventurous road trip Down Under.
One thing that really caught his eye is the epic playgrounds.
‘So this one might be really niche and something that Australians never noticed but I’ve talked to other foreigners and everyone seems to agree,’ Lucas said in his video.
‘You guys have the most elite playgrounds in the world.’
The traveller was particularly impressed to see that playgrounds in Australia were more than just slides and monkey bars.
‘I know this might be a really weird thing to notice but these things are the most elaborate structures – and you see them everywhere (in Australia),’ he explained.
‘They look like they cost millions of dollars to build and they’re so cool. You’ve got giant ship-like playgrounds and sometimes you’ll get these ziplines (flying fox) that you can just use – it’s super cool.
‘I swear in the rest of the world, all you have is like a slide and maybe some monkey bars. But here, it’s like a whole experience just to go to the playground.’
Lucas Ungaretti who’s visited 60 countries has revealed the ‘niche’ thing Australia does better than anywhere else in the world. One thing that really caught his eye is the epic playgrounds
Lucas said he wished he’d had the chance to enjoy Australia’s playgrounds as a child.
‘All I know is that if I was a kid growing up in Australia, I would have had such a good time just going to these playgrounds,’ he said.
‘You guys might take it for granted.’
He then added: ‘If you’re a kid watching this… Oh wait, kids are not allowed on TikTok anymore… But honestly, it’s such a good time. I really wish I had this when I was growing up.
‘Anyway that was a super random thought but definitely something I’ve noticed all over Australia. Enjoy your playgrounds.’
His video has been viewed more than 195,000 times, with many confessing they never realised how fortunate they were in Australia with free access to playgrounds.
‘We don’t even realise it… and now it made me think how cool it is and that we’re actually lucky,’ one said.
‘I just went overseas, and the playgrounds were so depressing compared to the ones I grew up with in Australia,’ another shared.
‘I’ve never noticed it before, just thought it was normal. Thank you for pointing this out. We need to appreciate it,’ one suggested.
‘As an American parent living in Australia, this is one of the things I love most about Australia. And there are parks and playgrounds everywhere,’ another added.
The traveller was particularly impressed to see that playgrounds in Australia were more than just slides and monkey bars. Lucas spotted a ‘super cool’ shipwreck-looking playground
Lucas has been exploring Australia, embarking on an adventurous road trip
Many agreed with his observation, with one mum saying: ‘Australian playgrounds deserve a louder shoutout.’
‘As an Australian, the park was a whole day thing for me. You’d set up a picnic and just play at the park all day,’ another recalled.
‘Our school playground was elite in Australia growing up. We had a huge rocket ship that you could climb all the way to the top and a slide to come down,’ one revealed.
‘Our playgrounds actually are really cool. There are so many good ones in almost every suburb,’ another pointed out.
Others confirmed their local playgrounds cost a fortune to build.
‘I work in open space and playgrounds and yes, they cost millions… OMG so much to upkeep but it’s worth it,’ one said.
‘Those playgrounds do cost millions of dollars and money well spent in my view,’ another shared.
‘They do cost the taxpayers millions of dollars to build and maintain, but if it gets kids out the house and playing, then it’s a yes from me,’ one explained.
‘I’m happy to see my council rates money going towards awesome playgrounds. Go us Aussies,’ another suggested.
With Australia’s new social media ban for kids under 16, perhaps children can now spend more time outdoors, enjoying the playgrounds Lucas never got to experience.
