Why this British expat is questioning Australia’s parking laws after a $272 fine
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A simple parking mistake led to a jaw-dropping fine, but it wasn’t just any error—it was a collision of cultures and road rules.
What seemed like an innocent parking spot for a British expat in Australia turned into an expensive lesson in local driving laws.
The surprising outcome highlights just how different rules can be when it comes to parking, and how easily a tourist could fall foul of them.
A British man got an unexpected lesson in Aussie road rules when he was slapped with a hefty $272 fine during a beach day in New South Wales.
The expat, who recently moved from the UK to Sydney, had parked his rental car at a beach spot along the South Coast.
Thinking he’d scored a prime parking space, he was caught off guard when he returned to his car and found a parking fine.
‘Here’s one for ya, never heard of this before,’ he said in a social media video.
‘Parked at the beach all day, checked where we parked and it didn’t say anything about no parking, come back and I’ve got a ticket.’
Puzzled by the fine, he spoke to locals to figure out where he went wrong.
It quickly became clear, especially to Aussies, why the parking violation was issued.
The Suzuki was parked facing the wrong way, head-to-head with another car.
‘I’ve literally never heard of it, in the UK you can pretty much park how you want as long as you’re allowed to park there,’ he admitted.
‘I suppose it does make sense though!’
However, the man had also unknowingly breached a second road rule.
A red fire hydrant sat on the footpath next to his car, and blocking access to it is a violation.
In Australia, it is illegal to park within one metre of a fire hydrant, ensuring emergency access is always clear.
The Shoalhaven City Council issued the ticket, with the fine to be sent by Revenue NSW.
‘So just a little tip if you’re coming to Australia and you do rent a car, this has probably cost me 100 quid,’ the commenter said.
Parking in the wrong direction in New South Wales can result in fines of up to $136.
The same penalty applies for stopping near a fire hydrant, which means the British man could face a combined fine of $272 for his two mistakes.
In the UK, parking against the flow of traffic is legal during the day but becomes an offence at night, and enforcement tends to be lax.
NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury explained that foreign road rules can vary and drivers need to research them before hitting the road.
‘You don’t really need to know why they’re there — you just need to abide by them,’ he said.
He continued: ‘You take a risk by driving in a foreign country and not understanding the road rules so we always encourage people to do their research before they go and drive in another country because there are these sorts of inconsistencies.’
‘So you can park facing the other direction in the UK, you can’t in Australia. Why? It doesn’t really matter, that’s the law you’ve got to abide by it.’
Khoury noted that parking the wrong way could be linked to safety concerns, such as drivers potentially entering oncoming traffic to park.
NRMA road safety expert Dimitra Vlahomitros also highlighted the risks of parking the wrong way.
‘Parking on the wrong side of the road is never a good idea, particularly at night when visibility is reduced,’ she explained.
‘It can add to congestion, when motorists are forced to pull out of their parking space into oncoming traffic.’
Have you ever been caught off guard by a surprising driving law in a foreign country? Share your experiences in the comments below.
What seemed like an innocent parking spot for a British expat in Australia turned into an expensive lesson in local driving laws.
The surprising outcome highlights just how different rules can be when it comes to parking, and how easily a tourist could fall foul of them.
A British man got an unexpected lesson in Aussie road rules when he was slapped with a hefty $272 fine during a beach day in New South Wales.
The expat, who recently moved from the UK to Sydney, had parked his rental car at a beach spot along the South Coast.
Thinking he’d scored a prime parking space, he was caught off guard when he returned to his car and found a parking fine.
‘Here’s one for ya, never heard of this before,’ he said in a social media video.
‘Parked at the beach all day, checked where we parked and it didn’t say anything about no parking, come back and I’ve got a ticket.’
Puzzled by the fine, he spoke to locals to figure out where he went wrong.
It quickly became clear, especially to Aussies, why the parking violation was issued.
The Suzuki was parked facing the wrong way, head-to-head with another car.
‘I’ve literally never heard of it, in the UK you can pretty much park how you want as long as you’re allowed to park there,’ he admitted.
‘I suppose it does make sense though!’
However, the man had also unknowingly breached a second road rule.
A red fire hydrant sat on the footpath next to his car, and blocking access to it is a violation.
In Australia, it is illegal to park within one metre of a fire hydrant, ensuring emergency access is always clear.
The Shoalhaven City Council issued the ticket, with the fine to be sent by Revenue NSW.
‘So just a little tip if you’re coming to Australia and you do rent a car, this has probably cost me 100 quid,’ the commenter said.
Parking in the wrong direction in New South Wales can result in fines of up to $136.
The same penalty applies for stopping near a fire hydrant, which means the British man could face a combined fine of $272 for his two mistakes.
In the UK, parking against the flow of traffic is legal during the day but becomes an offence at night, and enforcement tends to be lax.
NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury explained that foreign road rules can vary and drivers need to research them before hitting the road.
‘You don’t really need to know why they’re there — you just need to abide by them,’ he said.
He continued: ‘You take a risk by driving in a foreign country and not understanding the road rules so we always encourage people to do their research before they go and drive in another country because there are these sorts of inconsistencies.’
‘So you can park facing the other direction in the UK, you can’t in Australia. Why? It doesn’t really matter, that’s the law you’ve got to abide by it.’
Khoury noted that parking the wrong way could be linked to safety concerns, such as drivers potentially entering oncoming traffic to park.
NRMA road safety expert Dimitra Vlahomitros also highlighted the risks of parking the wrong way.
‘Parking on the wrong side of the road is never a good idea, particularly at night when visibility is reduced,’ she explained.
‘It can add to congestion, when motorists are forced to pull out of their parking space into oncoming traffic.’
Have you ever been caught off guard by a surprising driving law in a foreign country? Share your experiences in the comments below.
