Interesting Things To Know For Those Who Plan A Move to Australia

It is perfectly understandable why Australia is among the most popular fantasy destinations,  shoulder to shoulder with New Zealand. It doesn’t have the Hobitton, but, quite frankly – it doesn’t need it.

If you’re planning to move to Australia, you should know that this Land Down Under has a magnificent culture with a lot of variety. Think skiing and surfing in the same day, for example. And not only the weather is colourful and exciting – wait to see the wildlife. To sum up, there are some pretty interesting things to know before your big move.

Before You Go

Yes, we know – ‛before you go’ is usually the last paragraph in an article. But we’re certain that all the interesting things ahead will make you take a leap of becoming naturalized Australian right away. So we’ll just take a moment to remind you that you’re gonna have to deal with some legal issues before becoming an Australian citizen. This won’t take long.

First of all, you need to be at least 16 years old or have a qualified parent, but we presume that people under 16 don’t read these articles. Second, you need to choose the type of visa for permanent residency. Okay, maybe not choose – rather check if you qualify. Third, you need to decide if you want some help with applying procedure. There is actually nothing much to think about – having trusted and experienced immigration lawyers on the job will help you evade the bureaucratic maze because they know the difference between the route it’s worth taking and the one that isn’t. After that, all that’s left to do is simply to stay for four years, brush up your English and get to know the Aussie culture.

There, we promised we’ll be quick. Now that the legal part has been taken care of, let’s plunge into fun facts.

1. Free Health & Barbecues

It’s funny to mention these two together, especially since too many barbecues can have the negative impact on your health. It’s important to know that healthcare is free, and obviously, that barbecues are, too. What’s interesting though, is that ambulance rides are not. The barbecue culture is almost equally important to Australians as their health. There are free BBQ stations around every park across the country, and they function as communal facilities. This means that the easy way to meet other people is simply to wait while they finish their cooking.

2. Forget About Spiders

Watching all those shows and adventure movies can make you think that Australia is crawling with deadly animals waiting to get you.  Well, you can forget about this stereotype right away.  Before you start to talk about a large number of venomous spiders, you should know that the number of deadly spider species in Australia is – two. And there is an anti-venom for both. If you ’d want to check the statistics, you’d find that 1979 was the last time an Aussie has died from a spider bite.

3. But Think About Magpies

While spiders are mainly a hype, the Magpies are out to get you, at least during spring. If you think we’re joking you should know that these birds can become pretty aggressive and they tend to dive bomb for the sky, about 80 meters high. To experience their beaks can be quite painful, and that is why cyclists are attaching those googly eyes to their helmets which make them look completely ridiculous. What makes it really funny is the fact that there is a Magpie Alert website with a live map of their attacks. And what makes it absurd is that you’ll be encouraged to use a stick as a self-defence, although you probably won’t be able to use it since Magpies are a protected species from 1992.

4. Kangaroos!

You’ll be the only one to shout this with excitement. Although Kangaroo is an icon of Australia, their relationship with these animals is rather complicated. Yes, they are cute and bouncy, but there’s also 50 million of them hopping around, creating pretty much damage to the ecosystem. Farmers’s pastures are frequently devoured by them, and they tend to leap randomly in front of vehicles, causing regular road crashes. They’re also present on the menus. Aussies love their meat, while we’re talking about animal predators.

5. Snowy

All Aussies love to ski, and they will tell you that the Australian Alps get more snowfall than Switzerland the moment they meet you. Most of their ski locations are in the southeast and the Perisher Resort is the most popular. It is located on the Snowy mountains, right between the Snowy Plain and the Snowy River. Those are the actual names, and they’ll soon sound even more silly with Australian snow levels gradually falling.

6. Choose Your Beer Carefully

You may have some difficulties with ordering your beer. Would you like a horse (140ml), a butcher (200ml), a pot (285ml), a schooner (450ml), a pint (570ml), or a jug (1140ml)? If you don’t want to order more than you can handle, it would be smart to visit bars with an Australian friend who’ll order for you.

7. Ha-ha

If you get the feeling that your new Australian work colleagues hate you, don’t worry – they’re just messing with you. Australian humour is very different, and it usually consists of relentless insults to everyone, including themselves. The plus is that they can find a funny side of any situation, no matter how unpleasant.  So hit them right back – it’s ok.

As you can see, there are many peculiar things waiting for you out there. We’ve already taken care of ‛before you go’ part, so just go.