"If you're too dumb or idle to read the travel advisories ... then you ought to take responsibility for your own behaviour," says former Australian foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer.

And, he has a point. If you roll the dice, you have to be ready to lose ... even if you get lucky sometimes.

Australian tourists outside their homeland have been getting into trouble lately – be it because of stolen bar mats or travel to war-torn countries. It's hard not to respect any sense of adventure, but part of growing that testicular fortitude is knowing that you're on your own. Downer was shocked to learn that he was "responsible" for every Australian abroad ... not to mention being responsible for "their own stupidity."

Downer says that Australians overseas are subject to special laws ... and they are not laws from Australia. The lesson from down under applies anywhere. Leave your home turf, and you really should understand the laws of the land you're about to explore.

Filed under: Oceania, Australia