A lot can happen in a year, particularly in a country like Australia where people are passionate and adventurous. To send 2018 off with a bang, we’ve pulled together the year’s biggest trends in food, events, and travel.

We’ve been extremely proud to be part of the everyday lives of the communities we operate in, whether riders are at home or seeking adventure elsewhere. Speaking of pride, more than 210,000 trips were taken on the first Mardi Gras since same-sex marriage was passed. In Perth, the busiest night of the year was the Pride Parade on 24 November.

Aussies are using Uber at home and abroad, with the adventurer spirit seeing Aussies take Uber trips in 78 of the 79 countries we operate in globally. The US, UK and France topped the list of the countries Aussies are using Uber in the most, but the country that Aussies need to add to their bucket list next year? Paraguay, no one from Australia used Uber in the country this year. While all Aussies love to travel, Australia’s most frequent flier hails from Melbourne and took 447 trips to and from the airport this year.

Being part of Australians’ special occasions and travel plans is exciting, but we’re seeing more Aussies use Uber as part of their everyday lives. One Melbournian took 1,219 trips in 2018, averaging more than three trips a day.

Sydney and Melbourne saw the launch of UberPool this year, and have proven that Aussies are eagerly adopting the concept of carpooling, with nearly three million kilometres shared in trips.

We know where we went, but what did we eat?

Some may say summer bodies are made in the winter, but there was a 149% increase in “healthy” searches from June to October. Safe to say we’re wanting to eat healthier – good on ya, Aus!

“Plant-based” cuisine saw a 283% increase from August to September. Carnivorous Aussies are swapping Wagu beef for leaner steak – steak seeing a 120% increase in orders while Wagu beef orders saw a 43% decrease. Sashimi saw a 20% increase in orders too!

Healthy beverages were all the rage in 2018. Kombucha saw a 27% increase from June to November but if you haven’t had matcha you need to order it stat! Matcha saw a whopping 523% increase this year!

While Aussies are increasingly more health conscious, we also love a cheeky treat!

Mexican might be the number one trending cuisine on Uber Eats but nothing compares to Australia’s love of McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. Aussies devoured more than 83 million nuggets this year! Sydney is the biggest nugget lover accounting for more than 25 million nuggets, with Melbourne and Brisbane trailing closely behind. But what order of McNuggets is complete without a side of hot chips? Hot chips were the most ordered menu item in all of Australia for the second year in a row.

Nuggets might be a delicious treat during the day but after midnight the country rallies behind a juicy cheeseburger.

If Sydney is the nugget capital, Melbourne might be the most adventurous when it comes to food. One eater ordered from 178 restaurants this year. Or they just know what they like — one hungry Melbournian ordered Uber Eats 658 times this year — almost two times day! As it turns out, Melbourne is the best mannered city, leaving the most “thank you” notes in the delivery instructions.

Cheers to an exciting year, Australia! Celebrate with a matcha drink and some nuggets, balancing the best of both worlds!