Nine Things You Should Know Before Moving to Australia

Weather

The rumors are true. Australia has some of the best weather in the world!

It starts getting warm and kicking into summer around November, then starts cooling back down in April. Peak summer is December, January, and February, which also ties in with the storm season. Follow the Bureau of Meteorology to get up to date warnings of any storms in your area.

Depending on the part of Australia you’ve moved to will depend on the kind of winter you will experience. Brisbane winters are generally dry and mild, early mornings and nights can be crisp, with averages sitting at 11 - 21°C (51.8 - 69.8°F). Melbourne and Sydney are both frequently cold and cloudy, with most rainfall occurring overnight. While Melbourne can get colder than Sydney, they are both around 6.5 - 14.2°C (43.7 - 57.6°F).

All year round you will need to look after yourself when going outside, whether it’s a sunny day or a cloudy one, the sun is powerful. The ozone layer is a lot thinner over Australia, and as a result, the sun leaves a painful sting, if you’re not careful. Sunscreen and aloe vera will be your new best friend, especially in the summer months.

We're a bit opposite in Australia.

Our seasons are opposite, and so are our cars and roads. In Australia, we drive on the left side of the road, and drive on the right side of our vehicles. Our indicators are also a little bit different. They’re usually on the right side of the steering wheel. If you need to turn left you to flick it upwards, and downwards to turn right, bit trippy hey?

Also as a handy little tip, if you’re a bit slower on the road, pop in the left lane, this lane is our designated “slow” lane. If you stick to the right lane expect some hothead Aussies flipping you the bird for slowing them down on their morning commute.

Coffee

After all those beeping horns you may need a calming cup of joe so you can get on with your day. One of the best things in Australia is the coffee culture. It’s a rich and fantastic culture, and as such, you’ll need to learn how to order your morning coffee to avoid those awkward looks.

Firstly you can’t just order a “coffee,” we use espresso shots, and then do fancy things with our milk to create a flavor sensation! If you’re accustomed to drip coffee, I would stick to a weak long black. Otherwise, step out of that comfort zone and grab a latte, it’s coffee and milk with a bit of foam on top—what could go wrong? You’ll also find a cafe on just about every street corner, and because Aussies love their coffee so much it’s guaranteed to be a good cuppa!

Aussie Slang

Now you’re refreshed, and wide awake from that delicious cup of coffee, and ready for the day ahead you’ll need to learn a few words. Otherwise, things could be a bit confusing!

Here in Australia, we like to shorten just about everything, including your name, so make sure you’re prepared to get a nickname your first day on the job. Here are a few words so you’ll get to know the lingo and speaking like an Aussie in no time:-

• Arvo = afternoon “See you this arvo mate!”
• Avo = avocado “Can I get some avo on toast?”
• Maccas = McDonalds “Nothing better than a Maccas burger.”
• Brekky = Breakfast “See you in the morning for brekky.”
• Cuppa = Cup of tea or coffee “Would you like a cuppa?”
• Footy = Football (AFL/NRL) “Want to watch the footy tonight?”
• Devo = devastated “I’m devo they cancelled my show!”
• Bottle-o = Liquor store “Let’s go to the bottle-o later.”

Money

You’re talking like an Aussie now, and you’re ready to hit the shops and buy something, but, everything is so expensive! That’s true, things are quite costly down under, but it’s comparative to where you go in the world as well as within Australia itself.

Sydney and Melbourne are a lot more expensive than Brisbane, due to the market of people and the cost of living. Our cars are more expensive, but that’s because they are imported across the ocean, along with our big name cosmetics. Our locally grown produce isn’t expensive, and is a lot tastier than anything that gets imported. Our fuel is also comparatively lower than other countries, we currently have the 16th least expensive petrol, with the average price per litre sitting at $1.41 (AUD) when it comes to affordability we’re in the top ten. So yes it’s pretty pricey down here when you first look at it, but when you step back, you’ll see it’s all comparative to exchange rates and type of products.

Rent

You’ve sorted out the money situation, you have some cash squirrelled away for savings, and you’re left with the money you need to pay the rent.

In Australia we pay rent weekly, now this can be quite daunting at first, as it feels like you’ve just paid rent and you need to pay it again already! But in most jobs, you'll be paid weekly, so this should make it all a bit easier to organize.

Melbourne and Sydney have some of the highest rent prices in Australia, on average in these two cities rent for a house are around $400-550 a week and apartments are around $395-$530, this is due to housing supply not keeping up with population growth.

Brisbane is on the lower end of the spectrum. Rent for a two bedroom house is around $450 and one bedroom apartments are at about $390 a week. Make sure you shop around with your homes, so you get a good deal. If the place isn’t up to scratch too you can ask for a reduced price, landlords are likely to accept your lower offer a lot more if they don’t have many people interested. Get in early and try your luck.

Australia’s Many Critters, Small and Large

It’s five PM, you’ve finished work for the day and are headed home to your new rental house, and you might be thinking what deadly animal will I cross today? Australia has many dangerous animals some very small and some large, but the majority are harmless here's a mix of hazardous and docile to curb your fears.

• Cockroaches, though they are disgusting and can be very large in some parts of Australia they don’t do any damage. They’re just there to eat your crumbs off the ground, give them a quick spray of mortein, and they'll be ready to transfer to the bin in no time.
• Flies, these guys are particularly annoying, especially in summer! Be prepared for them to fly up your nose, in your ears and mouth. As with the cockroach, they’re harmless and are just trying to get a bit of your meal.
• Magpies, these are the ones to watch. These silent assassins come out in breeding season from late August to mid-October. Watch the sky above you when walking under trees as they love to swoop their prey. If you’re a cyclist be particularly wary, I would suggest putting googly eyes on your helmet, as they'll be less likely to swoop when you're looking directly at them.

Trading Hours

I’m not sure about you, but a bit of retail therapy always makes me feel better after a magpie attack. The downside to that though is that in regional cities the shops close at five PM. Grocery stores, Target, and Kmart, stay open a bit later until nine to 10 PM depending on where you are. A quick tip is to try to save your shopping adventures until Thursday night. Thursday are late night in Australia, with all stores open till about nine PM. In the major cities’ stores stay open a little bit later, otherwise, wait until Friday night, and you can shop till late after work. In cities like Melbourne and Sydney are open a lot longer all throughout the week too.

Australia is huge!

The last message I’ll leave you with is that Australia is one big country! In most cases, it’s not a “quick” drive down the road to grab some ice cream for dessert. Public transport is unreliable, even during the day, so I wouldn’t expect a bus to get you anywhere promptly in the evening. The best way around this problem is to get a car or bike. Otherwise, you could try out those new scooters that are on the sidewalk, for a cheaper more environmentally friendly option. Australia is very far across the pond to every other country, so it would be wise to factor that in when thinking of going on a holiday. Why not travel around the country first? There’s a lot to see, and you’re an Aussie now, road trips are what we do, grab a car and start adventuring!

Look forward to meeting you in your travels!