Moving From The UK To Australia

In recent years, many people from the United Kingdom have gotten themselves an Australian visa and have moved into the country. This is not really that surprising, since it was the British who began the modern exploration of Australia more than a hundred fifty years ago. However, those moving in today might be quite surprised as how different Australia is from what you might expect. 

One of the most common notion that many British have is that Australians are very much laid back. This is true, but to an extent. Though the country is often presented outside as the idyllic vacation place, with plenty of sunshine and palm trees, it is actually more varied than that. And with regards to being laid back, the Australians are, but only on holidays, as they are also hard working.

The Australian's penchant (or, as some British see it, obsession) with the barbecue is also another point that many people coming from the UK are often confused with. Australians do love the barbecue (or the “barbie”) and will usually organize one with friends during the weekends. However, contrary to the notion of “barbecued burnt bacon for breakfast, barbecued burnt sausage for lunch”, Australians do, in fact, have a large menu apart from this.

Apart from these two, another common image of the Australian seen by many people for the UK (or the West for that matter) is the rugged outdoor enthusiast. This was popularized by such media personalities as the late Steve Irwin and Paul Hogan (known for his role as Crocodile Dundee). However, though this usually has a positive connotation to many, it also has evoked a negative picture of Australians as being backwards and not adept with city life. But, as many British who have been living in the country for several years have come to know, many Australians are, in fact, very comfortable with life in the city as is with the outback.

Some British also see Australians as being quite a loud mouth. However, once they get to talk to them, this notion can actually fade quite fast. Also, though Brits might struggle a bit with Australian English, this will usually not last for long. 

However, even with all the above perceived differences between Australia and the United Kingdom, many British still prefer moving into the country. This is mainly due to the fact that British and Australian culture are not really that much different. In fact, most of the Australian culture actually has its roots from the British that came to the country some two hundred years ago. Thus, for those who are going to the country, adjusting will actually be easy.

Sources:
Values Australia (Humor Site)
http://valuesaustralia.com/
Convict Creations
http://www.convictcreations.com/research/australianstereotypes.html
Up from Australia
http://www.upfromaustralia.com/sterausmal.html  

Image Sources 

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