Living in Australia

The Lucky Country

Australia is a vast country with lifestyle choices to suit all tastes. Whether you are interested in moving to Australia to gain professional experience, improve your quality of life, or just have a fun-filled working holiday, we are sure to have the ideal option for you.

Australia is a diverse, modern, sophisticated, yet affordable country. The multicultural population has provided a huge choice of affordable restaurants specialising in a variety of international cuisines. And, as eating out in Australia is only about half the price of UK restaurants, you can afford to treat your tastebuds regularly!

With lively music scenes, pubs, hotels, movie and arts industries, there is a range of entertainment for all tastes. Being a nation of sports fanatics, there is a plentiful supply of quality sporting venues - offering the choice of participation or spectating.

With climates ranging from tropical to temperate, there is sure to be an ideal location for you, whether that involves surfing at one of Australia's many beautiful beaches or snowboarding down a ski slope!

For nature lovers, Australia offers vast areas of national parks, filled with uniquely Australian native plants and fauna. And, with a population density a fraction of the UK, it's very easy to find a quiet spot when you want to escape the city life.

Currency

Australia uses a dollars and cents system of decimal currency with 100 cents in a dollar. The bank notes in use are $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. Coins used are the silver coloured 5 cent, 10 cent, 20 cent and 50 cent and the gold coloured $1 and $2 coins.

Food & Wine

Australia is one of the most exciting destinations for ‘foodies’ in the world because of its culinary innovation and novel, healthy and fresh approach to food preparation. Australian cuisine owes its reputation to access to fresh and high-quality produce; rigorous training and pride in the service and hospitality industry; the influence of Asia’s diverse cuisines; and the multitude of ethnic groups represented in Australia.

Southern Europe has combined with Asia and the Pacific for new flavours and tastes. Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Thai, Malay, French and Vietnamese restaurants are common, particularly in the country’s capital cities. Middle Eastern flavours are emerging in greater abundance, with Moroccan and Lebanese flavours being used with local ingredients in mainstream cooking with notable success.

Traditional Australian ‘bush tucker’ is also being used to great effect in the cities’ best restaurants—chili kangaroo tail, sweet yam gnocchi and lemon myrtle linguine are just a few examples. Menus also incorporate Indigenous Australian wild foods such as bunya nuts and Kakadu plums with specialty meats such as crocodile and Northern Territory buffalo.

The Australian wine sector is recognised internationally as producing a full range of wine styles and varietals to match any dish, from full-bodied reds and deep fruity whites, to sparkling, dessert and fortified wines. Australian wines are sold in more than 100 countries and found in the finest restaurants the world over.

Language

In Australia over 200 different languages and dialects are spoken, including 45 indigenous languages. The most commonly spoken languages (other than English) are Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin.

Climate

Any day, anywhere you will find the right climate conditions that will make your Australian experience unique and memorable. The Australian summer from Dec-Feb is warm and sunny and you can enjoy lazy days on the beach and typical Aussie meals cooked on the barbecue. Summer is the rainy season in our tropical regions in the north that brings our lush rainforests to life. Spring and autumn are mild and are the best seasons for bush walks and discovering nature. The Australian winter Jun-Aug is generally mild, but offers snow on the snow fields in the southern mountain regions. At the same time our northern states have balmy 24 degrees Celsius temperatures. The Australian sun can be quite strong, so it's best to wear a shirt and put on a hat while enjoying the great outdoors. Sunscreen containing SPF30+ coverage is recommended.

Recreation & Lifestyle

We live in a country of wide-open spaces with a good climate that makes outdoor pastimes easy to enjoy. Sport and outdoor recreation are a way of life to share with family and friends; a way of life that is a healthy balance between work and play.

We live in a country of cities with theatres, museums, sports fields and galleries; where people can meet to enjoy sports events and artistic shows. We are a land of people who have come from other countries and brought their music, dance, art and other fun parts of their culture with them.The recreation and cultural pastimes on offer to us are many, diverse and are too many to list here.

Information websites by State

New South Wales - www.visitnsw.com.au or www.sydney.com.au
Victoria - www.visitvictoria.com.au or www.melbourne.vic.gov.au
Queensland - www.qttc.com.au or www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
Western Australia - www.westernaustralia.net
Southern Australia - www.southaustralia.com
Northern Territory - www.northernterritory.com
Tasmania - www.discovertasmania.com.au

A great source of information is the ‘Beginning a Life in Australia’ booklets which welcome newly-arrived migrants to Australia. Information is provided on the types of settlement services available and advice on where to go to for assistance. This information is available in English and is translated into 24 community languages for each state and territory.

Go to http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/settle-in-australia/beginning-life/index.htm