I'm Australian. AMA

[TwistTwoo]

I live in Australia and would be happy to answer any questions you have about it. Things like:

• The weather
• Housing
• Schooling
• Healthcare
• Politics
• Dangerous animals - are they that dangerous and do you come across them often?
• Jobs
• etc.

I got so sunburned in Australia despite usual routine when abroad… do you all use something stronger?!

I'm Australian. Just need to point out that the Bryson book was published in 2000. It describes Australia in the late 90s.
Australia is huge with diverse climate regions and wildlife.
I lived in Melbourne through one of the world's harshest lockdowns. It was tough but we knew we were following science and saving lives.

@WonderingWanda

If you had to move to another country where would you choose?
England, actually. We could have this opportunity for a while due to my DHʼs work. Iʼve always wanted to travel around there.

What's the best thing about Australia?
I can find quiet when I need it. My home is quiet. The only thing I can hear right now is birds - no cars, no people, just birds.

What's the worst thing about Australia?
It is so far away from other places.

Who is your favourite Australian celebrity or public figure?
I do have a soft spot for Chris Hemsworth.

Do lots of men have a mullet haircut?

Do lots of people have a pool in the garden?

Was Prisoner Cell Block H popular in the 80s - I remember watching it in my uni house late at night?

If she makes enough noise when she walks and wears sturdy boots that cover her ankles, she should be okay. Iʼm guessing that she wears gloves too as sheʼs rescuing bats? That helps too.

@BusySittingDown

It seems like every Neighbours episode had someone saying 'rack off' 😂

Does water rotate around the pothole in the opposite direction?

Not every wedding, but itʼs a popular song by ʼThe Angelsʼ that whenever itʼs played - wedding, school disco, 21st - the unofficial lyrics are yelled out happily. Everyone knows them. (And they are very sweary.)

From Wiki -

ʼA live single was released in January 1988 as the lead single from Live Linee. The live version features the expletive-laden audience response, "No Way, Get Fucked, Fuck Off". This chant has been described by The Guardiann's Darryl Mason as "one of the most famous in Australian rock history". The single peaked at number 11 on the Kent Music Report.ʼ

Normal!

We have roast ham, turkey, prawns, a few different salads, garlic bread, Christmas pudding with brandy butter and pavlova, and then swim it all off in the pool.

I use 50+, wear a hat and try and cover my body as much as possible when exposed to the sun. Water also increases the chance of sunburn.

I can comment about schools sun policies. My daughter is 3 years old and attends an ELC centre at a school. They must arrive at kindy wearing sunscreen and shoulders must be covered. Teachers will help them reapply sunscreen throughout the day and they are not allowed to play outside without a hat.

The junior school has similar policies and sunscreen is available around the playgrounds. High school doesn’t enforce the hat policy but still has sunscreen freely available and signs informing students of the UV risk for the day and peak hours.

A lot of parents I know are very strict with being SunSmart from a young ages. Kids were hats, sunscreen, covered shoulders, and sunglasses. Most will avoid playgrounds/outside play at peak sun times. Swimwear for young girls is usually a one piece with long sleeves and boys other wear a rashie with long sleeves.

Mullets arenʼt that popular, no.

Pools are reasonably common but I wouldnʼt recommend one. Our pool, while lovely, is such a problem to keep up my DH wanted to fill it in. The pump is always having some kind of issue, then there will be a chemical problem. Then, of course, someone needs to clean on a regular basis year-round, and they are rarely the right temperature for swimming.

I think Prisoner was popular in the 80s - I remember my Mum watching it.

It does!

@muggart

Then again, I suppose if the totalitarianism isn't obvious to you that probably tells us why it's been allowed to flourish. Are most people like boiling frogs and not really bothered or has there ever been a significant anti authority movement protesting and trying to push back?

Please research ʼtotalitarianismʼ. Watch some historial videos, even. This was not totalitarianism - not even close.

@Lostsadandconfused

Maybe 2.20-2.50 for milk, 15 quid each for a decent pub meal.

You may very well may be correct. It was getting late so my conversions could have been off. Thank you.

Why are tattoos so popular or is that just MAFS?

We live an hour drive north of Sydney in a coastal town/tourist hub and we bought a large modern 5 bedroom house with pool in 2019 for £620,566, it is now worth £1,034,277 so prices have skyrocketed close to Sydney.

Mullets are ridiculously popular with teenage boys. Just about every teenage boy in my area has a mullet. I have to specifically ask my 4yo ds' barber to NOT give him a mullet when I take him to get his haircut. 🤣

Also, I know it's not my thread, so sorry OP, but I find Australia very racist and misogynistic, on the average. I suspect partially due to our aging population. Particularly toward our own indigenous population. A lot of Australians like to defend the subjugated in other countries, without looking at how we treat our own.

Tattoos are popular with some sectors of people. My DD has some arty ones, but my two grown DSʼ donʼt have any.

@tessellated2

Also, I know it's not my thread, so sorry OP, but I find Australia very racist and misogynistic, on the average. I suspect partially due to our aging population. Particularly toward our own indigenous population. A lot of Australians like to defend the subjugated in other countries, without looking at how we treat our own.

All good - maybe itʼs the area you live? I did say I thought older people generally can be racist, and I find they tend to believe what they read on the internet - so they find echo chambers with those views and repeat them without critical thought. But this could be the same with older people in other countries, too.

Iʼve considered the second question a bit more and probably the most concerning thing Iʼve seen is the drowning of my elderly neighbour in her backyard pool. I had to pull her body out of the pool and try to revive her, but I was unable to. It left me with a fear of pools for many years.

I'll bite on this one, I've lived in Sydney for 14 years.

When Covid hit Australia we were about 3 weeks behind the UK. We watched from afar as it spread across the UK and many many people died.
Australia shut down its borders and we had a short 6 week lockdown in Sydney. We then pretty much opened up and in Sydney we were back to normal until December as the country was at Covid 0. Melbourne had a few outbreaks and people died but the numbers were nowhere near the rest of the world.
The lockdowns in Melbourne were tough, and they had an impact on mental health in a big way. I had colleagues who found it really hard, especially those who were single.
When everything opened back up it was when the population was 80% vaccinated and the death rate was way lower than it could have been if we'd gone with Boris's "let it rip" option.
Obviously there were mistakes made and some things could've been done better but on the whole I think Australia did a good job at preventing catastrophic harm.

Djokovic was an arrogant arsehole who decided that the country's rules didn't apply to him.

Can I be cheeky and add?

• our sunscreen is more effective than European as has higher standards
• everyone seems to have tattoos and mullets (the young ones)
• Our Covid management protected us (I work in health and am British so know from colleagues how lucky we were) It wasn’t totalitarianism it was good public health

while there is whinging our quality of life is awesome and I think it’s easy to forget.

@TwistTwoo they live in the garden? Just....chilling and minding their business? 😐

I'm semi-seriously considering Australia as an emigration possibility in 10 years or so because my job is very in demand there and I am a heat-seeking creature. I'm not suited to the British climate at all. I'm (visibly) mixed race so I do have some concerns about the reputed racism - though its not like Britain is exactly Paradise on that score. I guess I need to get over the stick insect thing though!

Is there a shortage of men’s socks?

Wow! Are you sure? 2L milk is around $3 on Perth which is £1.50! £ is extortionate!
And a meal for 2 around $60 or £30