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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Jordyn Beazley

You have got to be kidding me: this year’s standout April Fools’ gags

Joke picture of a police officer riding a camel on the beach
A solution to rising fuel costs and carbon footprints: in an April Fools’ joke post, Victoria police said a new unit would ‘be staffed entirely by wild rescue camels’. Photograph: Ariane Citron/stock.adobe.com

Did you hear about Melbourne’s latest tourist attraction? The lord mayor, Sally Capp, has announced a massive winter water slide that will operate in the city’s CBD, depositing thrill seekers into the murky Yarra River.

And after a big day of water sports, kick back and watch one of the many new Australian shows airing on streaming service Amazon Prime.

These include the new reality series, The Real Parking Inspectors of Inner Sydney. It’s a drama-filled look at the lives and loves of a group of competitive ticket-bandits who wander city streets.

With a glut of April Fools’ jokes testing the gullibility of Australians, Guardian Australia has wrapped up the best and worst of the yearly pranks.

The joke that hit us where it hurts

Prime Video Australia has all your worst nightmares come to a screen near you, announcing a suite of new Australian Amazon Original series about to begin production in Australia.

These include Swooping Places, a horromcom (horror/romance/comedy) about a bloke who is terrorised by a magpie. Plot twist: after a little magic, the hapless bloke ends up swapping bodies with the aggressive swooper.

Also greenlit is a musical about Australia’s favourite bird, the white ibis, called Bin Bandits.

But the ratings hit will be Real Parking Inspectors of Inner Sydney. The docusoap follows the lives and loves of a group of inspectors, battling to stay on top in the cutthroat world of Sydney parking.

Joke picture of ticket inspector under the title Real Parking Inspectors of Inner Sydney. A sign on the picture says, 'The signs say 2 hours. But these inspectors have no limits.'
Prime Video Australia’s new show – a ratings hit? It could have been, if it wasn’t an April Fools’ Day joke. Photograph: Prime Video Australia

Animal jokes never get old

Worried about the climate crisis? Fuel prices? Well so are Victoria police. They’ve come up with a solution to reduce their carbon footprint, reduce costs, and overcome the “humps in every day policing”. They’re expanding their mounted operations with a new caravan of camels.

“The new unit will be staffed entirely by wild rescue camels,” said East West Specialist Operations Inspector Bactrian Camelus said in a Facebook post.

“Unlike much of Australia, Victoria doesn’t currently have an issue with introduced camels, so by bringing them here and providing them with a meaningful role within the community we are doing a favour to our interstate peers.”

Joke picture of a police officer riding a camel on the beach
In a Facebook post, East West Specialist Operations Inspector Bactrian Camelus announced Victoria police’s new camel-back unit. Photograph: Ariane Citron/stock.adobe.com

In other animal news, the Australian Reptile Park has posted a picture of Elvis the Saltwater crocodile frolicking in the waves off the Central Coast at Terrigal Beach.

Joke image of a crocodile at the Terrigal Beach, Central Coast

There were the jokes people kinda wished were true

And the PR stunts you love to hate

Want the chance to book a 3-hour session to scroll through your TikToks on the big screen? Influencers would be rushing to take up this opportunity.

Is this an April Fools joke?

Finally, there were the things you wished were April Fools jokes, but are really just a reflection of the world we now live in.

Like the advertisement for the Dyson Zone – a pair of headphones that tackles noise pollution and air pollution in one hit.

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