A tourist has revealed his confusion over a unique feature found in Australian men’s public urinals, with his confusion leaving locals and fellow travellers.

The visitor shared on Reddit his awkward encounter with a urinal grate, which sits over the base of the urinal and which is designed to be stood on while urinating.

‘I visited your beautiful country and had a wonderful time,’ he began. ‘But I didn’t know how the f*** to p*ss on this thing.’

The post quickly sparked a flood of responses, with Aussies chiming in to explain the purpose of the grates – and why they’re vital for keeping bathrooms clean.

One fellow tourist admitted he too was bewildered by the design when he started his  trip to Australia.

‘I was in Australia last month. I didn’t realise you were supposed to stand on the grate and [use the bathroom],’ he wrote.

‘I stood back on the tile, and another fellow came in and stood on the grate. I said, ‘I meant no disrespect, sir. I didn’t realise you were supposed to stand on the grate.’ He said, ‘That’s okay, mate, I’m just jealous of the blokes who can stand back there’.’

The hilarious exchange prompted more Australians to shed light on the mystery of the grates.

The visitor shared his awkward encounter with a urine grate on Reddit , a common but puzzling feature of public urinals Down Under

How do you use a urine grate?

‘The whole point of the grate is so that errant streams and drips don’t end up on the floor,’ explained one Reddit user.

‘See the drips on the ground? That’s what standing on the grate is supposed to alleviate.

‘Obviously, others who have used this urinal also don’t know how to use it. Stand on the grate.’

Others pointed out that while the grates are meant to keep bathrooms cleaner, they aren’t always foolproof.

‘I’m a cleaner and can 100 per cent agree that it doesn’t matter where you go because it just ends up on the floor anyway. Hope this helps,’ joked one commenter.

The discussion also revealed that similar grates exist in New Zealand, although they remain equally perplexing to some Kiwis.

‘I have no idea,’ admitted one New Zealander. ‘We have these in New Zealand, and I’ve always just gone in the bushes.’

Despite the initial confusion, the original tourist praised the locals for their laid-back attitude and sense of humour

Despite the initial confusion, the original tourist praised the locals for their laid-back attitude and sense of humour.

‘What a wonderful bunch of people,’ he added.

Women were also happy to join in on the hilarious exchange.

‘As an Australian woman I have no idea if some of these answers are true or just taking the p*ss (pun intended) out of the foreigner.’

‘I’ve never been happier to be a woman,’ another echoed. ‘Why does that look so disgusting?’ 

For travellers heading to Australia, the message is clear: stand on the grate and aim carefully, and you won’t leave behind any evidence of your visit.

Or as one commenter put it: ‘It’s not rocket science, mate – but it’s definitely an Aussie science.’