WEATHER
Let’s start with the most obvious thing: the weather. Everybody knows that the UK is not exactly famous for having warm and summery weather. I don’t know about you, but we appreciate sunshine on our bodies from time to time; a bit of vitamin D doesn’t hurt anybody. Some cities, like Perth or Brisbane, are known for being the sunniest cities in Australia. The statistics speak for themselves. Annually, Perth racks up around 3,200 hours of sunshine vs. London’s 1,481 hours.
WILD LIFE
Australia hosts high biodiversity. Compared to other regions in the world, it has unique wildlife. Kangaroos, koalas, quokkas and many more native animals are waiting for you.
The squirrels in London’s Hyde Park are adorable, but would you miss the opportunity to meet kangaroos, hug koalas or take a #quokkaselfies with the happiest animal in the world?
You may have seen a few videos of snakes coming out of the toilet or spiders coming to say hello in Australia, but you can trust us when we say this is a rare occurrence. If this happens to you, you can take the opportunity to post a video, go viral and be famous!
People seem to think every animal in Australia wants to kill you, it’s simply not true – Australia has so much diverse wildlife and yes, some are dangerous – but they are generally far away from the cities, and they are more scared of you than you are of them.
OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE
Surfing, swimming, kayaking, cycling, camping or hopping around with kangaroos. Australians don’t have enough time to enjoy all the outdoors activities that they have at their fingertips, whereas an Englishman’s interpretation of outdoor activity is enjoying a couple of minutes of sun per day (they’re lucky if that’s without rain…).
It is very common for Aussies/students/working holiday visa holders to hire a van and do a road trip across the beaches, deserts, and rainforests.
This is definitely the best way to see what this massive country has to offer in terms of wildlife and landscapes, with poor phone signals… a real Aussie adventure!
Travel The Big Lap, The Great Ocean Road, Perth to Ningaloo or Cairns to Cape York. The list of cool itineraries goes on and on!
AUSTRALIA IS ABOUT 32 TIMES BIGGER THAN U.K.
Imagine how many new places you will get to know! You will go back home full of extraordinary experiences to share with your loved ones. One day, your grandchildren will proudly say:
“My grandfather rented a caravan and toured Australia!”
Doesn’t that sound a bit more interesting than: “My grandfather tasted a real carrot cake!”?
Australia is spectacularly beautiful, and the cities are very different from each other, so you will have a wide variety of destinations to choose from. Do you like nature and the outdoors? Perth is waiting for you! Are you a big city lover who can’t live without good coffee? Then Melbourne is your best choice!
HIGH RATES OF EMPLOYMENT
Australia has a strong economy and a low unemployment rate, which means that international students who wish to work in Australia will have little to no difficulties in finding a job. You will also earn more per hour than in the UK. In London, you will earn a minimum of $13.82/hourly, whereas in Australia you earn $18.93/hourly. Some UK travellers work all week only to have their room and board covered – what a rip-off! Working Holiday Visa Holders in Australia can work full time, and student visa holders can work 40 hours per fortnight in Australia.
In Australia, you can get a job within weeks of arrival, so you will be able to save money and travel in no time. On the other hand, if you choose the UK, you’re more likely to live day-to-day as the competition for a job is so intense. Some parts of Australia, such as Darwin and Perth, are literally begging for people to take on jobs that are waiting to be filled.
AUSTRALIA IS FAR. LIKE REALLY, REALLY FAR AWAY!
If you are from Europe you can take a plane from the UK and go back home easily – it will only take a couple of hours, or even less, before you’re there. Having your comfort zone so close can be very dangerous because you might feel the need to go back to your mum without having your once-in-a-lifetime experience. But, if you are reading this, it means that you are already brave enough and don’t need anyone to solve your problems for you! This is good; living in Australia will make you grow and mature as a person and turn you into an educated global citizen.
DIVERSITY OF NATIONALITIES AND CULTURES
Australia is well known for being a multicultural and multiracial country. We boast about the fact that it has 100 religions and 300 ethnic groups, making it the most ethnically diverse country in the world, with 28% of the people born overseas – a quarter of its population! While it is true that there are many foreign people in the UK, only 14% of them were born in a foreign country.
In Australia, you get to meet people from literally all over the world and learn about different traditions, customs, food, and lifestyles – Being close to Asia we have excellent Thai food, but we will admit the UK does a great Curry!
CHRISTMAS IN SUMMER
Can you imagine celebrating New Year’s Eve on a beach paradise while building a sand snowman? It’s not a bad plan, is it? Imagine your next Christmas in Australia’s warm weather; a day full of sunshine with a game of cricket or two and some cold beers!
Australia’s seasons are at opposite times to those in the Northern Hemisphere, so if you are lucky enough, you can have two summers in a row. In fact, summer is possible 365 days a year in Australia; the tropic of Capricorn goes through the middle of Australia.
AUSSIES ARE FRIENDLIER
Aussies are friendlier than the British – sometimes even too friendly. Some say it’s the weather, others say it’s the carefree attitude – the Aussie motto is “she’ll be right” which means “don’t stress, it’s all good”.
In Australia, you’re someone’s “mate” until proven otherwise; this includes your boss as well as your neighbour. You will be amazed by the welcoming and laid-back nature of the natives. Are you ready to only talk about the weather with everybody in the UK?
COFFEE VS TEA
If you are a coffee lover, you should know that Melbourne is the coffee capital of Australia, and it regularly makes it to the top ten of the best coffee destinations globally. Drinking coffee is linked to a decreased risk of premature death, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer and, even though tea is said to be a healthy alternative, the caffeine content in coffee is way higher. Let’s admit it, coffee is also tastier than English tea. We have time to drink tea with biscuits at 5 pm when our energy is on the decline, but while we are in Australia, we can get our palate around all the delicate coffee flavours. I’ll give you one more reason:
CHRIS HEMSWORTH LIVES IN AUSTRALIA – Enough said!
