Australia/New Zealand
Indigenous rights, this being a country that shares our sordid history as a colonizer (only it's a more fraught topic Down Under).
Don't bring up the settled-byconvicts thing. "It's old, not appreciated, and not entirely accurate," says Donna Thomas of New Zealand Travel.
Gay rights: Australia’s closer to the United States than Europe on these issues, with a variety of opinions, and there is a federal ban against same sex marriage.
Don't inquire too deeply into personal wealth or money matters—on this, Australians can be surprisingly reserved.
Confusing New Zealand with Australia. The differences are important to both, especially to Kiwis.
Diversionary Topics - Australian football; and the casual openness of its people.
