What Is It Like to Live in Australia
Do you regret moving to Australia? I don't. This postal service was written when I moved back to Australia in 2017, after beingness abroad for three years. I'chiliad not inviting anyone to concord or disagree with them – it's a personal perspective.
I would like to commencement this post by making something very clear.
I do not hate Australia or living in Australia
I also don't really demand any aspect of why Australia is the way it is mansexplained to me. I've lived here for about of my life. I'm fluent in how this country functions.
In that location are certain elements of living hither that aren't great. Even so, you could say that about any land of the globe. Australia is not the "best damn country in the globe" as some may claim, because nowhere is perfect.
After living abroad from the country for a spell of time, or coming to live here in the first identify, you may regret moving to Australia.
I personally think life Downward Under is pretty good, virtually of the fourth dimension. Withal, I practise remember in that location are things most Australia that could be improved.
These are some aspects of life in Australia that those living here have to deal with. You may not necessarily regret moving to Australia but you should know what you lot're signing up for, well in advance.
The Internet is pretty awful
There was once this dream of having fibre optic Internet in Australia. It was an ambitious idea, equally Commonwealth of australia is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world (in terms of population density there are around 3 people to every square kilometre).
This dream tanked when the conservative Federal Government instead chose to salve on costs by continuing using decades-quondam copper phone lines for Internet connection, having called a fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) strategy.
This was due to be completed in 2016. It's 2019 as I write this, I live in the 2nd largest city in the state and I don't yet have access to the National Broadband Network (the NBN). Fun times.
The most irritating matter is, somewhen we will accept to catch up to everyone else and supersede the links with fibre optics, taking the investment way beyond its initial calculated price of AU $45.6 billion.
We're currently ranked 62nd for Net speed in the globe, which is pretty abysmal for a country with an economy as advanced every bit our own.
The not very funny punchline of this joke – Nosotros INVENTED WIFI.
At to the lowest degree Australia's mobile cyberspace speeds are at 5th, globally. Port off your phone, perhaps?
Read more: 20 Creepy Australian Urban Legends
It'southward isolated, both geographically and metaphorically
Australia is a very self-contained place. This makes sense when y'all call up about how isolated we are geographically – hanging out on the lesser of the globe, taking hours to get beyond the country, let lonely get out its shores.
This sense of isolation is perpetuated by our media. Commercial networks don't give most every bit much airtime to world events (depending on where in the earth it's taking place), tending to study generally on what'south happening within the country's borders.
Information technology's nice in some ways, every bit you can experience quite safe living here, which is something that should non be taken for granted.
On the other, we should care about what's happening in the world, quite simply because we are a part of information technology.
Travelling abroad is an expensive and fourth dimension consuming try
I didn't pace foot outside Australia until I was twenty years old and I'm not lonely in this.
Most of my friends were in the same boat, unless they went on substitution, saved upwardly to travel during University breaks, went to Bali for their end of school celebrations, or had their families take them abroad on vacation.
And those who did get overseas, by and large had just travelled to cheap destinations in Asia or New Zealand.
European friends on the other manus, who waltz through countries and languages on the regular, are surprised past this. Simply whilst you can travel from say, London to Rome for £9 return trip, you're not going to run across the same for Sydney to Bangkok.
Plus, an eight 60 minutes flight to a destination from Australia is considered to be on the short side. Unlike Europe, it'due south not similar yous can only jet off to Singapore for the weekend (well, you could simply it would be a waste of fourth dimension and money).
Travelling inside the state is likewise quite expensive
And so, why not stick to travelling within the country, so? This is what many Australians tend to do, however the price of doing and then can be alarming.
In the 90's, Australia was considered a budget destination for backpackers and people who were my age now (30's) could actually afford housing in the urban center.
Times have changed and travel inside the state is at present equally or more expensive than travel overseas. I've seen flights to Auckland from Sydney that have been cheaper than flights to Perth. Truth.
And if you lot're wondering well-nigh costs for visitors, here is a breakup of the cost of a month's travel in Australia.
Our public transport infrastructure badly needs work
Another oft-discussed government dream is the placement of a high-speed train upwards Australia's Due east Coast, linking Melbourne to Brisbane, with Sydney and Canberra in between – much like the Shinkansen in Nippon.
A high-speed rail could be a wonderful solution, enabling population to spread out beyond the big cities, revitalising communities up and downward the coast.
For now, it'southward a very expensive piping-dream, that doesn't look to happen within this generation.
In the bigger cities, governments are throwing money at big-scale infrastructure programs… but they're throwing it at our roads, rather than public ship.
Take the Westconnex in Sydney, an aggressive 8km long tunnel that'south causing 1 headache after another. Aye, there'south the light rail too, merely that's had its bug, as well.
Melbourne too has invested billions in recent road send projects – the urban center nonetheless has no train line out the airport (scheduled to change in time, but come up on).
Australia is one of the most machine-reliant nations in the globe and information technology seems like nothing will exist done to combat this someday soon.
The cost of living has risen considerably
Australia'south booming economy has had its drawbacks, with the cost of living rising considerably over the last couple of decades.
The median house price in Sydney has been AUD $1 million for years, finally dipping this yr.
Immature adults detect themselves having to live at home well beyond a length of fourth dimension that both they and their parents notice tolerable, in order to survive.
In that location'southward a very existent chance we are heading into recession, which we were lucky enough to avoid during the Global Financial Crisis of 2008.
There are interesting and unnerving times ahead, for sure – enough to perhaps make y'all regret moving to Commonwealth of australia.
Racism… Well, information technology's hither but and so it'southward everywhere
How-do-you-do to the elephant in the room. Is Australia racist? Information technology'due south a flake of a tough question to answer.
I would say yep, at that place are racist people in Commonwealth of australia. Yet, there are besides many people living here who are friendly and inclusive.
Information technology's not really fair to paint an unabridged state with the one castor, especially when many other countries are also prone to similar crappy behaviour.
I can only actually utilize my ain experience every bit an example. I'm a dinky di Aussie – born and bred, going dorsum generations on my Dad'due south side. I'grand 100% fluent in "Strine" and am sitting here, typing this out in my trakie-daks and ugg boots.
I'yard also not white. My peel is a lovely honey-chocolate-brown colour. My ethnic background? Why, it'due south none of your business so don't fifty-fifty ask, simply I do regularly get asked "where" I come from and sometimes get told to "become dorsum" to wherever that is. Like I said, I was born here, so – Disruptive, much?
There are racist people in Australia. Certain. They're everywhere and probably enjoying their fourth dimension in the light at the moment.
I retrieve a lot of it has to do with the aforementioned isolation, a fear of the unknown and rapid alter. Australia has changed a lot recently. The globe has, really.
But, simply a tip in general – if y'all get-go a sentence with "I'k not racist simply…" – y'all've probably already lost the statement.
Australian politics kinda suck
If you lot're even slightly into politics, you'll either find Australian politics the well-nigh interesting affair e'er, or a cause to cry into your pillow every dark.
Twelve years ago, with the ballot of Kevin Rudd and his Labor Government, it certainly felt like Proficient Things ahead. We survived the Global Financial Crisis. We were going to get super fast cyberspace. We were enjoying an age of affluence. Life in Australia was pretty sweetness.
Then, things fell autonomously. Rudd'due south popularity drastically vicious and he was replaced by our start female person Prime number Minister, Julia Gillard. Say what y'all desire about Gillard (without resorting to misogyny, thanks), but she pushed through more than legislation than whatsoever other PM in Australian history.
From 2013, the opposition Coalition Government played musical chairs with the Prime Minister's seat, giving u.s. three more PM'south in five years. They shockingly won the near recent election, despite having a pretty piss weak climate action plan, wasting money on a referendum to legalise same sexual practice marriage, committing constant human rights violations in offshore detention centres and approving a coal mine in Queensland that would cause severe harm to the local biodiversity and harm the already endangered Great Bulwark Reef. I could continue, but it wouldn't be skillful for my blood pressure levels.
Oh, but they pulled the budget back into surplus, apparently. Yes, that would be great, if we were talking about running a business organization, not a country.
In general, we seem to be moving backwards as a country, rather than forrard. Ironic, when you consider our national emblem, which features an emu and kangaroo on it, animals chosen for their inability to walk backwards.
The handling of the Offset Nations population could be a lot better
It is or should be well-known knowledge that the treatment of the Indigenous population by the British was horrendous. Families were ripped apart, through attempts of assimilation, which led to the Stolen Generations, where children were forcibly taken from their families, some never to see each other once again. Civilisation was decimated. In that location were massacres of Offset Peoples and the spread of European illness within communities. It's awful history.
Much of this is living memory, with many Aboriginal Australians living today still having memories of life on missions operating as recently equally the late sixties.
Today, there are many misconceptions about life equally an Aboriginal person in Commonwealth of australia. Some mistakenly believe that the First Nations peoples receive authorities handouts – sorry, not truthful. In fact, the Federal Government spends more coin per head on non-Aboriginal people.
In that location are many Australians who identify as beingness Ancient or Torres Strait Islander. However – Asking them how Ancient they are or why they don't "look" Aboriginal is sadly common, merely extremely offensive. If someone says they are Outset Nations People, then they are. End of story.
And for Australians of other backgrounds, interaction with Aboriginal cultures can exist limited, which is sad. They're fascinating and ancient cultures that should be preserved and cherished.
The weather can be really quite upsetting
Australia is a land of extremes.
In some parts of the country, the seasons tin can be described as such: hot, actually hot, encarmine boiling, really hot.
The summer of 2017 for example, was ane of the worst I accept ever experienced. Farthermost humidity, with the temperatures going over forty°C every third day or then. My bedroom had no air conditioning, which made the nights really fun.
Nevertheless, it does go properly common cold in the winter, peculiarly downwards south and specially in Tasmania, where the climate is more than European. Or, more like New Zealand'south.
In the northern parts of the state, they have just 2 seasons – the wet and the dry. The dry is during wintertime, when the temperatures are manageable (think mid-late twenties, early thirties).
Commonwealth of australia likewise is a state liable for natural disasters. Cyclones, floods, bushfires, drought – all things that Australians have to fence with.
These events are scary. They impale people. With a changing climate, it's a bit worrisome to think about the hereafter, where extreme weather condition events are concerned.
You may not want to go out
Wait, this is the worst point on this listing. Because, for all its faults, Commonwealth of australia is too a pretty darn fabulous place.
It's undeniably beautiful. It feels safe. The food is fresh. The air is less polluted than in other parts of the world (Tassie has the cleanest air of ANYWHERE). It's relatively make clean.
The people are among the friendliest that I've at least met anywhere in the world.
There's something about Oz. It grips your heart and it will never permit you go.
Other relevant posts
Here are some tips on what NOT to exercise when visiting Australia, similar littering and aggravating the local wildlife.
Want to get further off the beaten path? Here are ten places to visit in New S Wales.
Summer is the worst time to visit Australia. Here'south why. And detect out the best time to visit, here.
Want to blend in seamlessly with Aussie locals? I accept some tips on how to do just that.
Australian slang can exist mega confusing. Hither's an introduction to some popular words and phrases.
Australia is pretty amazing to live in, at times. Here's why.
Just… it'south also pretty weird, as these facts will demonstrate.
Here are a few reasons why Sydney is a better city than Melbourne. Team Syd fo' lyfe.
Check out some of the all-time places to travel to in Commonwealth of australia.
And finally, here are some general travel tips for Australia.
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Source: https://www.birdgehls.com/downsides-living-australia/
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