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Hello, I hope this post finds everyone well. What are the differences in daily life between the U.S. and Australia? How are things different socially, meaning how do Australians view life as compared with attitudes in the U.S.? What are the differences in weather? I have always wondered what life is like in Australia and how it different it is from America. Thank you in advance for your time! Take care, lil red
Hello, I hope this post finds everyone well. What are the differences in daily life between the U.S. and Australia? How are things different socially, meaning how do Australians view life as compared with attitudes in the U.S.? What are the differences in weather? I have always wondered what life is like in Australia and how it different it is from America. Thank you in advance for your time! Take care, lil red
Such a hard question to answer as it depends on your own perspective of the world and your own needs. Like minibrings says, the answer is all over this forum.
Maybe just sit back one day and have a read of a few pages of threads. Even the ones with Subjects that might seem irrelevant. We often go off on tangents and start chatting about all sorts of unrelated things. Kinda like you do when you sit down with friends and start talking. Rarely do you stay on track That would be pretty boring anyway.
Briefly, from my own perspective, it's quite different to the US. On the surface you can see or think there are many similarities but there are heaps of big differences too.
Oz is a big country, like the US, so like the US there'll be regional differences although not as distinctly different as the US ... terrain, weather, food, accents, politics, people, etc.
Here, we'll have not much difference in terrain, for instance, for much greater distances, than in the US where you can go from mountain to desert to plains to canyons to sea in less distance than here. We just did a 2-week roadtrip through the Southwest in May and if we drove that same distance here in Western Australia (and we have) we would not experience as much variety - terrain, people, food, climate, accents. Neither have we enjoyed ourselves as much doing that here. Eastern Oz is more interesting terrain-wise.
That's just one example and it's from my own personal perspective.
Hmmm, what else? .... we're more sports-mad than you are. Drink more than you do. Are way more car-crazy than you. Don't have as much of that go-getter attitude like you. Have total crap customer service attitudes ("She'll be Right, Mate"). Our shopping sucks here. Our cost of living overall is higher. And we don't have Trader Joe's
I spent 6 months in Melbourne some years ago. I found the Australian life/pace to be more laid-back/slower than in the USA. I thought people more friendly than in the USA.
In Australia the social benefits are much than in the USA. Australia has a universal health care plan for its people and it is easier to get financial help from the government when one is on dole or a single mother with kids. In the USA, there is no universal health care, unemployment benefits are limited and there is no monthly pension for single mothers with kids.
Cost of living (groceries, cost of housing) a lot higher in Oz. If you google, Oz and NZ are up there for least affordable, based on average wages. Houses are not as well insulated as in North America, so you will most likely freeze your butt off in the winter and swelter in the summer. I did not have central heat or aircon in my house. Small population, large country so you will find a lot less airfare bargains (we are spoiled in the US). Medical care was good, but I've also experienced excellent medical care in the US and Canada. People are just as nice and friendly as in the US (right Vichel?.. you just got back from the US/Canada)... Great wine, cheese, seafood. I really miss Oz but I make so much more money in the US and with the lower cost of living here, I'm ahead financially.
Cost of living (groceries, cost of housing) a lot higher in Oz. If you google, Oz and NZ are up there for least affordable, based on average wages. Houses are not as well insulated as in North America, so you will most likely freeze your butt off in the winter and swelter in the summer. I did not have central heat or aircon in my house. Small population, large country so you will find a lot less airfare bargains (we are spoiled in the US). Medical care was good, but I've also experienced excellent medical care in the US and Canada. People are just as nice and friendly as in the US (right Vichel?.. you just got back from the US/Canada)... Great wine, cheese, seafood. I really miss Oz but I make so much more money in the US and with the lower cost of living here, I'm ahead financially.
Agree with everything, minibrings, and the bolded part too. I've always found Americans really nice, really friendly, great to talk to.
I am often amazed at the instant kinship between you Aussies and those of us roughnecks who live in Alaska, especially the southeast islands where I live. It's not uncommon for groups of you come up here during our summer and when you do you are instant lifetime friends. I work with the tourists, catering a wilderness seafood picnic for the guests on the cruise ships. Whenever there are Aussies in the crowd I go home with phone numbers, email addy's along with a sincere invitation to come visit.
You are a special breed and I thank you for your friendliness when you come visit our "back yard".
My friend recently moved to Australia from Wyoming. She's complained that the mayo is different texture, she can't find ranch dressing, taco seasoning mix or diet pepsi - her mainstays. She is terrified of riding in the car on the "wrong" side of the road, but she'll adapt. Her hubby is thrilled with his work. He was hired to oversee a group of drywallers and is being treated respectfully and feels appreciated, which he didn't feel that way here. They left everything behind and are starting completely over.
I am often amazed at the instant kinship between you Aussies and those of us roughnecks who live in Alaska, especially the southeast islands where I live. It's not uncommon for groups of you come up here during our summer and when you do you are instant lifetime friends. I work with the tourists, catering a wilderness seafood picnic for the guests on the cruise ships. Whenever there are Aussies in the crowd I go home with phone numbers, email addy's along with a sincere invitation to come visit.
You are a special breed and I thank you for your friendliness when you come visit our "back yard".
Thanks for that, GrammasCabin So glad to hear when my fellow Aussies behave themselves overseas and make a good impression. Unfortunately there are few morons who are the ones we hear about, and cringe. So this is a nice thing to hear about.
What an interesting line of work you're in. And in such a beautiful part of the world, too. Take care.
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That would be pretty boring anyway. 
So glad to hear when my fellow Aussies behave themselves overseas and make a good impression. Unfortunately there are few morons who are the ones we hear about, and cringe. So this is a nice thing to hear about.
