THINKING OF MOVING AND LIVING IN AUSTRALIA

Let’s be honest, Down Under has always seemed to have this mass appeal and many of us think it’s simply amazing. We each have our own images when we visualise Australia; the beaches, the laid-back lifestyle, the incredibly cute wildlife, friendly neighbours like the ones who live on Ramsey Street… I could go on. We remain forever envious of their weather. I mean, how wonderful would it be to actually have a BBQ on the beach on Christmas Day. Granted, the novelty would wear off eventually but come on, surely it’s an experience that must be tried and fully appreciated. Compare that to the vast majority of our drenched and soggy summers and you can understand why there seems to be a constant shift of Brits wishing to re-locate to Oz.

Australia is a phenomenal country. It’s breath-taking, unique, magical, vast, and there are so many mind-blowing, wacky and wonderful facts you’ll struggle to get your head around:

• Did you realise that if you visited a new beach over there each and every day, it’d take you over a staggering 27 years to see them all
• Brisbane hosts a cockroach racing world championship
• The Aussie Alps get more snowfall than Switzerland
• For the serious gluggers among you, there’s about 60 designated wine regions that churn out nearly one and a half trillion bottles every year
• It’s home to 21 of the world’s most 25 venomous snakes
• It’s HUGE, pretty much the same size as the mainland USA
• The Great Barrier Reef has its own post office box
• An Aussie guy once tried to sell New Zealand on eBay (I don’t think he got very far)
• There’s three times more sheep than people
• Canberra means woman’s cleavage in Aborigine and was named that because the city is cradled between two mountains
• Oz hosts a mountain called Mount Disappointment, dubbed that because the view from it was so… disappointing
• Kangaroo meat, which is widely available, is known for its low fat content
• Melbourne and Sydney argued over who should be the capital city, so the job went to Canberra
• Most Australians live relatively close to the coast, not surprising really as you would be wanting to make a beeline for there wouldn’t you
• There’s a few pink lakes, coloured that way due to a type of algae and Halobacteria

There’s just a wealth of information to love and learn about it. No wonder it’s a favoured holiday destination and is always swarming with tourists who are more than content to brace the 22 hour flight. You’ve got to love the beautiful coastlines, the bush and the outback, the hive of activity emanating from the cities, the suburbs…

If you’re wondering about what it could possibly be like to live there, or are giving it serious consideration, make sure you do tons of research into every aspect of life and what you can expect. You should absolutely give some thought to things such as:

• It’s size. Here in the UK it’s all so densely populated and definitely not an understatement to say we’re living in each other’s pockets. Down Under is HUGE, make no mistake. It’s arguably the entire size of Europe. That’s right, you can fit Europe into Australia.
• The sun doesn’t have his hat on all year round and sometimes it will snow (remember I mentioned it having more snow that Switzerland). When the sun comes out it can get really hot, like in excess of 40 Degrees. To adapt to live in this sort of climate you’ll have to make very good friends with sun cream, and prepare to protect yourself with hats and clothing if you want to stay safe. On average you will see 3,000 hours of pure sunshine each year. There’s four seasons, like in the UK; summer is December to March, autumn is March to May, winter is June to August, and spring is September to November.
• Like the NHS, Australia has a free health service called Medicare, which you can access if you have a permanent residency. Some visitors, such as the UK, can also access it.
• Be careful if you feel the need to jaywalk because it’s a criminal offence and you can get fined $70, so using a zebra or pelican crossing is a must if you don’t want to fall foul of the law.
• Don’t be fretting about any nasty creatures out to kill you. There’s only two species of deadly spider and the anti-venom is available and there hasn’t been a spider-related fatality since 1979.
• Australians are mad keen on celebrating the rights of workers. They’ve got a 40 hour working week and the highest minimum wage (about a tenner per hour) so they know how to look after their workforce. Taxes aren’t as high as in other countries when it comes to the lower earners.
• Buying a house can be expensive so you will need sufficient funds for a deposit before you contemplate moving out there. Renters might find it difficult to get a foot in the door if you’ve no history there and agencies will insist on Australian references so you can see how tough it can be. Renting an apartment will probably be cheaper than in London.
• Looking at living costs and getting by on a daily basis, the good news is the reliability of public transport and monthly season tickets for travel are cheaper in Oz. Groceries are around 17 – 24% more costly in Australia and you can only buy alcohol in separate bottle shops, you won’t find any on the supermarket shelves.

So there is some food for thought if you have an eye on making Down Under your home and are tempted by all that it has to offer. You might just have an interest in learning more about this multicultural and diverse vast island which is part of our commonwealth.

Taking it further if you are planning a little recce over there sometime soon, it’s important to have a list of all the practicalities ticked off. Things such as visas, accommodation, luggage (travel as light as possible and if you make the move, you can find a reputable overseas company), having enough cash to support you for however long you’re there, an itinerary of what you want to do and where you want to go, any people already living there who can vouch for you, job searching, etc.

Whatever the reason for your interest, it’s a stunning country, oozing with adventure and enough tourist spots and unrivalled natural beauty to keep you going a fair while. It’s worth considering and imagine the memories you could make over there.

Is there any topic you would like me to cover? I’m here to try and educate, inform, reassure and spread a bit of light and love in a world that at times can feel dark and despairing. We all need the positivity and to raise our vibration. There are different ways that you can reach out to me. Follow my page on Facebook, One Life, One Skin. I also have a One, Life, One Skin group you can request to join. I keep my R U OK podcast up-to-date and add regular topics and themes. You can check out my website www.ashleycahill.co.uk which list my treatments and products. Do get in touch. I’m open to hearing your opinions and answering your questions. I love helping people be the person they were born to be.

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