The most common verbal greeting is a simple “Hey”, “Hello”, or “Hi”. Some people may use Australian slang and say “G'day” or “G'day mate”. However, this is less common in cities. Many Australians greet by saying “Hey, how are you?”.
“G'day, mate!” (mostly used by men though, not so often by women.)
Greetings are usually informal, with first names often used in initial introductions. A handshake is the most common greeting when meeting someone for the first time or in professional settings. Handshakes should be firm and accompanied with direct eye contact throughout the greeting, especially in business contexts.
Pointing: Australians point with their index finger, however it is considered rude to point directly at someone. Instead, they should be indicated to verbally. Obscene Gestures: Raising one's middle finger or making the 'V' sign with one's palm facing oneself is considered very rude in Australia.
Australian customs & etiquette basics
Greetings: Shake hands, say hello or introduce yourself. It's common and perfectly polite to address people by their first names (even your boss or people older than you). People often call each other “mate”.
The "two-fingered salute" (also "the forks" in Australia) is commonly performed by flicking the V upwards from wrist or elbow. The V sign, when the palm is facing toward the person giving the sign, has long been an insulting gesture in the United Kingdom, and later in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
As you almost certainly know already, “Hello” and “Hi” are the most popular greetings for informal situations.
Australians respect people with strong opinions, even if they don't agree. Avoid discussions about the treatment of the aboriginal people. Don't comment on anyone's accent. Accents often distinguish social class.
Elevators. Australians call them both elevators and lifts (just to mix it up) but the rules are simple. It's polite to hold elevator doors for people who are approaching the elevator.
While some Australian speakers would pronounce “no” as a diphthong, starting on “oh” as in dog and ending on “oo” as in put, others begin with an unstressed “a” (the sound at the end of the word “sofa”), then move to the “oh” and then “oo”.
It surely sounds strange to those who are familiar with American or British English, but it is a very common expression in Australia. G'day is a shortened form of 'Good Day' and it is the equivalent of 'Hello.
Good Morning/Good Day/Good Afternoon/Good Evening
These are general polite greetings that can be used in all situations and are used at particular times of the day (like good morning when you greet a colleague or manager as you enter the office in the morning.)
'Hey' one of the most common greetings in the US that can also be used in the plural, as in: “Hey guys” and “Hey ya'll” (ya'll is used in many of the southern US states as a plural “you all” form).
You can use “hey” and “hi” to greet someone instead of “hello.” Both are particularly popular among younger people. While “hi” is appropriate to use in any casual situation, “hey” is for people who have already met.
In some cultures, including Australia, Greece, and the Middle East, the thumbs-up gesture can be considered obscene, equivalent to “Up yours!” In many Western cultures, the thumbs-up emoji enjoys a wide range of use in text messages, social-media posts, and other forms of digital communication.
It's a gesture of admiration, gratitude and saying goodbye to someone you love. The sign is made by pressing your three middle fingers of your left hand to your lips and then hold them out to the person, or people, that you want to show respect to.
In Australia, we generally wear our wedding ring on our ring finger on our left hand as there is a vein that leads from this straight to the heart! This represents the deep love and closeness you have with your partner (it is also called a ring finger for a reason!).