Little Things You’ll Notice When Moving To Australia

As a potential expat in Australia, you may want to search the internet for an array of blogs and articles about what to expect when moving to Australia, and let us say this; most of them will be very useful.

They’ll be about communities, jobs, families, cultural changes and the like. You know, the important stuff that will either make or break your adventure Down Under. But none of them note the ‘little things’. There’s an abundance of little things you should be aware of when moving to Australia and so we’ve assembled the top five here to help make the transition a smooth and relatively stress-free one. Okay they won’t shake up your world but it’s nice to know about them before you don your sunnies and slip on the thongs.

1) Australians aren’t as mad on bottled water as Brits. Water from the tap is clean and many Australian families keep a jug in their fridge. Okay so perhaps other countries are leading the world on environmental issues (for example, it seems bizarre solar power in Australia is only a recent development) but the decision to shirk the endless plastic bottle production is a great step forward.

2) Tipping is nowhere near as important in Australia as it is in the UK. In many restaurants, cafés and bars across the UK, waiting staff will try to bump up their tip by making conversation, regularly checking in and perhaps even offering up the odd compliment. Australian patrons for the most part don’t want this nor expect it. They want to be served food and drink and left alone. Sometimes they will tip, sometimes they will not. It’s not mandatory.

3) The heat does not automatically mean people in Australia convert their homes and offices into fridges. In the UK, we tend to complain about those severely oppressive days in summer when it feels like we can’t do anything. Okay we complain about weather generally, that’s our thing, but when we feel we can’t function in the humidity, we tend to whack the air conditioning right up. However don’t assume that’s what Australians do. They have a much more laidback and sensible approach to the heat given they’ve had to deal with it all their lives. So expect nice cool environments rather than frosty receptions.

4) You’ll notice insects and arachnids are bigger in Australia but nine times out of ten they are no more dangerous than the insignificant itsy-bitsy ones you used to gather up and flap out with a duster back in the UK. Sure there are more poisonous and deadly creepy-crawlies out there but the last time someone died from a spider bite in Australia was 1979. You’re more likely to die swerving out of the way to avoid a cute little quokka.

5) Vegemite is everywhere and you will probably consume a thousand tubs in the first two weeks. Resistance is futile.

Another way of making your transition a smooth one is to talk to Seven Seas Worldwide about affordable and convenient relocation. Take a look at the website for the best options for a comfortable house move!

Visit sevenseasworldwide.com.au for more information.