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Hey guys! So I have now been in beautiful Australia just over a month! I know I usually write about self-development topics but while I'm travelling, I thought it would be cool to do some travel-based posts too. I really feel that travel links in with self-development anyway but we can cover that cross-over in another blog post.. Today I'm going to be writing about my good, bad, and weird first impressions of Australia for anyone that might be considering coming out here or just for anyone that's curious! DISCLAIMER: This impression is based on Brisbane. Australia is a very large place and every city is likely to be quite different from the next, if not very different.
A Little Background Info...
The idea of Australia came to me first as a whisper around a year and half ago, then it proceeded to get louder and louder until something was tugging at me internally. Something that was telling me 'I don't know why you need to go there Jade, but you need to go' and I'm a firm believer in following gut instincts. So, I saved up, I did my research, applied for a visa and booked a flight (it was a lot more complicated than that but I won't bore you with the details.
I'm currently on a working holiday visa, which entitles me to live and work in Australia for up to a year. With this visa, I can leave and re-enter the country as many times as I wish but I cannot work for the same employer for longer than six months. There is a lot of info already available online if you wish to find out more about the visa process or requirements to live/work in Australia if you wish to do more digging.
THE GOOD
- The pay is good (GBP equivalent to £9.70-£13.70 p/h)
- The weather is amazing
- Public transport is good
- There is a Brisbane Friendship Group for girls on Facebook (if you're travelling alone and want to make friends)
- There are lots of events and even FREE events
- There are electric scooters EVERYWHERE that you can hire via an app on your phone
- There are countless amounts of bars, restaurants and cafes to explore
- There are hipster coffee shops wherever you go
- The wildlife is insane
- It's a very health conscious, active atmosphere (great if you want a bit of motivation to change your lifestyle!)
- Laser hair removal is super cheap out here (if that's your thing)
- You can cuddle a koala
THE BAD
- Hostels can be pretty gross and provide terrible nights sleep
- Beaches are a little bit of a trek
- Being able to drive is a huge advantage when travelling, getting Au Pair jobs and regional work (this is on my bad list because I can't drive but that might be a good thing for some of you!)
- Things are a little more expensive out here (but relative to average wage)
- A lot of coffee shops are to-go style which means poor ambience for lap-top work in many places
- There are bugs, big bugs and more bugs
- Jobs are very competitive! (employers tend to not want to hire WHV holders)
- Two in three Australians get skin cancer. The sun is STRONG
- Their summers are extremely hot. Temperatures reach up to 40 degrees (if you come from a cold country like the UK)
THE WEIRD
- A lot of cafes and coffee shops shut at 3-4pm (Starbucks shut at 8pm in the uk!)
- A lot of food/ coffee places are shut for the weekend
- The green man says its safe to cross the road but cars can still veer too (I still don't understand this logic)
- The Aussies seem pretty indifferent to 'Pommies' (I thought they'd be either excited that I was english or hate the english)
- Fruit squash pretty much doesn't exist!? (the stuff you add to water)
- Any fast-food you can get in England DOES NOT taste the same here. Don't even bother, trust me. (Nandos, McDonalds, Dominos)
- Australians drink hot coffee in hot weather
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