Why this British expat is questioning Australia’s parking laws after a $272 fine

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.


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British expat fined $272 for parking mistake in Australia. Image source: Tiktok/Archoz_2025


‘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.’



Watch the full video below.


Source: Tiktok/Archoz_2025


Key Takeaways
  • A British expat was hit with a $272 fine for unknowingly breaking two Australian road rules while parking his rental car near a beach in New South Wales.
  • The man had parked his car facing the wrong direction, which is illegal in Australia, and blocked access to a fire hydrant, violating another road rule.
  • He was shocked by the fine, as UK parking laws differ, allowing drivers to park against the flow of traffic during the day, but he learned the importance of researching foreign road rules.
  • Experts explained that parking the wrong way is a safety hazard and could cause congestion, particularly when pulling out 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.
 

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Being aware of a countries road rules before visiting there is very important. Saves you looking stupid at some time during the visit.

On a tour years ago we were in a bus on an island where people drove on the right hand side of the road. One of the tourists on the bus, obviously used to driving on the left side, yelled out in a concerned voice, 'she (the driver) is driving on the wrong side of the road'.
🤣
 
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I don’t drive, never have, but being a passenger and seeing some of the stupid things done by drivers on the road, just confirms that I’d be a blithering wreck if I did drive……..It doesn’t seem at all logical though to park facing the front of another car…. I mean, if you are driving in the right direction and wanted to park facing the wrong direction wouldn’t you have to do a lot of reversing to park like that, the alternative being that you’d have to be driving in the wrong direction firstly, at least at some point. I think it’s only common sense, never mind the law, to not park in front of a fire hydrant, wherever you drive in the world and I’m sure you would be fined if caught ….
 
Just another reason we should not allow international licences on our road. At the very least you as would have to sit a driving question test prior to driving
 
A neighbour had parked his car facing the wrong way for over a week. What's more it wasn't registered.
Facing the wrong way meant the tail lights /reflectors were facing the wrong way. The fact it wasn't regostered meant it had no legally required 3rd party insurance. I called the Police. As far as I am concerned no registration and 3rd party insurance is a Government regulation.....Result - call the council. I rang the council about the car facing the wrong way - call the Police. Buck passing. Weeks later they received a parking fine for the vehicle parked the wrong way and for too long in the same place. No registration is not a council matter. It seems the 2 groups don't communicate either.
 
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A neighbour had parked his car facing the wrong way for over a week. What's more it wasn't registered.
Facing the wrong way meant the tail lights /reflectors were facing the wrong way. The fact it wasn't regostered meant it had no legally required 3rd party insurance. I called the Police. As far as I am concerned no registration and 3rd party insurance is a Government regulation.....Result - call the council. I rang the council about the car facing the wrong way - call the Police. Buck passing. Weeks later they received a parking fine for the vehicle parked the wrong way and for too long in the same place. No registration is not a council matter. It seems the 2 groups don't communicate either.
One answer to this is to abolish local councils. Full stop!
 

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