Planning to move Australia? Here are 16 things that you probably didn’t know.
Australia, the smallest continent in the world, serves the largest island with a lot of water and land activities. The people, culture and diverse environment make Australia the ultimate destination for many people from all over the world. The diverse array of attractions and activities are meant to give you an expatriation or a holiday experience of a kind.
Here are things we think you should know before planning the big move to the land of spectacular beauty, Australia.
1. It is absolutely huge!
Although Australia is the smallest continent in the world (5.2 % of the total land area on Earth), it is very massive if you put it in the perspective of a country. The whole land area is over 3 million square miles; hence it is almost the same size as Europe, which takes around 6.7 % of the total land area on Earth. It will cost you a lot of energy and time to see the whole of Australia.
2. There are frequent bushfires
Since the vegetation is dry in most parts of Australia, bushfires are common, especially when there are strong winds and the temperature is high. On average, there are over 50,000 bushfires every year in Australia. To reduce the risk of your house catching fire, you should make sure that the area around it is debris-free.
3. The healthcare options are amazing
As long as you have permanent residency in Australia, Medicare will cover for all your medical expenses. Temporary visitors from the UK and New Zealand also have access to Medicare. For a more customized medical plan that suits your needs, you have the option of choosing a private medical cover.
4. There are numerous ski locations
From the Australian Alps to the southeast region’s snowy locations, such as the Perisher resort, a ski holiday in Aussie is worth a try. Keep in mind that the snow levels in Australia go down each day; due to the rising temperature menace, so there will be a time when snowfall will be a thing of the past.
5. Don’t worry about the wildlife
Instead of worrying about wildlife, which from statistics poses close to zero risk to humans, you should be concerned about other serious issues such as bushfires and the scorching sun. Australia, wildlife attack on humans, is rare considering that most of their habitats are protected and highly regulated to prevent escapes into the human space.
6. Kangaroos are not worth the hype
Although kangaroos are an icon for Australia, they are not so special here. They frequently devour the pastures of many farmers, causing huge losses, not to mention that they cause regular crashes on the roads as they jump all around. Actually, the Aussies try to reduce the menace Kangaroos cause through the controversial annual culls.
7. Australians have great love for meat
Did you know that the average meat consumption in Australia is 93kg per person every year while the global average is 30kg per person? This simply means that no other country in the world consumes more meat than Australians. Common meat types are beef and chicken, but you can also find menus with kangaroo, emu, crocodile and possum.
8. Barbecues are a way of life
The barbecue culture is so important in Australia that there are actually free barbecue centers across the country. Barbecues are a great way to meet other families and friends in Australia.
9. Proper artisan coffee matters
The Australians like to know every detail about their coffee and hence it is hard to compromise the quality to run a booming business. Australia is also known for inventing a number of modern coffee types, including long macchiato, flat white and short black.
10. It is extremely expensive to smoke
Australia’s $0.7 tax per cigarette is one of the highest tobacco duties in the world. The tax rates which are meant to curb smoking in this country are increasing each day, making a packet of cigarettes to cost around $40. With these kinds of measures, it would help if you left your smoking behavior before moving to Australia.
11. Value and respect the workers
Australia was one of the first countries to implement the 40hr/week and also pays the highest minimum wage in the world. On average, a worker in Australia will be paid around $9.54 per hour. This, plus the greatly reduced taxes on low-income workers, shows how Australians value and respect their workers.
12. Learn the slang
Although English is the official language in Australia, you should teach yourself at least the basics of the slang used here. Start by learning how to chop the last bit of words and adding an ‘o’ or ‘y’—examples: ambulance- ambo, afternoon- arvo and U-turn –yewy. Also, learn some of the words with bizarre meaning, including ‘Manchester’ that means ‘bedsheets’ and ‘bogey’ that means a ‘swim’.
13. Aussies really love sport
Australians are serious sports lovers. The most loved sports here are rugby, cricket, horse racing, football and AFL. The popular and immensely loved Melbourne cup (an annual horse race) ensures that everyone gets a public holiday. All these activities, in addition to water sports, make Australia a sports hub.
14. There is more to life in the cities
Australia is not just about cities such as Melbourne and Sydney anymore. Life is seriously getting amazing as you move out of the cities. There are numerous national parks with beautiful sceneries waiting for you to visit outside the cities. Nowadays, a visit to the relaxing and calm Uluru-Kata Tjuta is being preferred to the noisy and busy cities of Aussie.
15. The Weather varies a lot
The weather changes rapidly here and it’s quite unpredictable to determine what the next day will offer regardless of the weather that day. In general hot and cold climates alternate between the northern and southern parts of Australia.
16. Beware of the scorching sun
The summer sun can get really hot in some parts of Australia, with highs of over 40◦C now being recorded. The reason behind the scorching sun in summer is the extremely thin ozone layer (meant to bar the UV rays of the sun from reaching the surface) that is directly above Australia. This was idea behind the 1980s ‘Slip Slop Slap’ campaign meant to help people understand that to stay safe from the UV rays of the sun, they had to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat in that order.
