The whole family travels to Australia where Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) was conceived (and where his great-grandfather was from) and he wants to connect to his late mother and his heritage by visiting the country.
They find different excuses to leave the others so they can finish it, something that makes Gloria (Sofía Vergara) and Phil mad.
Phil gets stung by jellyfish, bitten by mosquitoes, has an allergic reaction after having a vegemite sandwich, and he even gets punched in the face by a kangaroo.
They spot one and Luke runs into the water to try and talk to her but a strong wave pulls him under and causes him to lose his swim trunks.
The topless woman sees that something happened and when she learns what it is, she offers to help him find his trunks saying that it will not be hard since the water is really clear, something that makes Luke panic.
The family reunites and spends the rest of their vacation together, having a wonderful time as they enjoy several activities including climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, scuba diving, and sightseeing.
[2] In the Australian broadcast, a 30-minute special aired before the episode, titled "An Aussie Adventure" with behind the scenes footage and interviews with the cast.
The last part of the half hour with all the clips of their adventures really just seemed like we were watching the actors on a real life vacation.
[...] By trying to push so much into the episode, "Australia" turns into a half-hour driven by situational jokes rather than insightful, character-based humor.