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I'm Australian, I'm most familiar with Brits (both the tons that live and travel here, as well as having visited). I've visited the UK, US and New Zealand.
Short answer: no, on average they're not. We're just like most first world countries. There are friendly and unfriendly. I'd say most Aussies are fairly 'decent' though. Friendliest would be country areas, but some country folk are suspicious. I feel Australia has grown less friendlier over time, like people don't say g'day while walking as much anymore.
I'd say Brits tend to be the most reserved on average (varies a lot on a lot of factors, though), while Americans vary a lot. I find Kiwis in the South Island friendly, probably friendlier than most of Oz. I've met some Americans and Canadians here and I actually found young Americans a little more standoffish than Canadians.
I don't think we are more friendly to strangers than other Anglo countries, but maybe not significantly less so either in my experience. That's not to say we are rude, or wouldn't assist when approached.
I don't think we are more friendly to strangers than other Anglo countries, but maybe not significantly less so either in my experience. That's not to say we are rude, or wouldn't assist when approached.
I've found Americans to be the friendliest.
Depends on what region in the US. The North and East Coast has the least friendly and the South is very very friendly. West Coast is variable.
I have always found Aussies to be very friendly - good folks to have a beer with (unless you get in a argument). As an American abroad, I am quite stand-offish to other Americans - not really sure why but I find that many other Americans are like me - when we meet we just nod to each other.
If you are talking about the anglo people who travel or live outside of their original countries, I don't see a big difference in friendliness between Australians, British, Irish and Americans. When in overseas, all the above mostly talk with any random people of different nationalities if they all speak English.
I got used to it after a year or so but at first it really irked me that no one in my Brisbane suburb would say hello or even make eye contact even though I would see some of these people regularly while walking my daughter to kindy - so I knew that they knew that I was their neighbor. If you ignored the existence of your neighbors in Philadelphia the whole neighborhood would be talking about what an a-hole you are.
I also found shopkeepers to be far less chatty - even at places where I was a regular. I made a lot more connections with other expats who barely spoke english than I did with Australians. Anyway, I wouldn't say that Australians are unfriendly. They are, for the most part, friendly. It's easy to make friends at work or school. I'd just say that they're not especially cordial or outgoing.
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West Coast is variable.
