A popular destination for British relocators, Australia offers virtually year-round sunshine and a relaxed way of life.
In terms of land mass, Australia is enormous. At 7.68 million square kilometres, it’s comparable in size to the whole of Western Europe or the USA, but its population is less than 20 million.There’s a reason for this: much of the interior of the country is harsh, uninhabitable desert, so the vast majority of people live within 20 kilometres of the coast. The population is most densely concentrated in the southeastern corner where Sydney and Melbourne are situated.
Other major cities are Adelaide on the south coast, Brisbane on the east, and the isolated city of Perth, on the west coast.
Politics and economy
Australia’s government is a democratic one, headed by the prime minister John Howard, in office since 1996. A federal state system, Australia still recognises the British monarch as soverign, although today this is a relatively symbolic gesture. The Australian economy has taken a battering in recent years with its tourist industry badly affected by the SARS epidemic and its business sector hard hit by the collapse of several major companies.Yet the economy has remained stable, supported by residential and commercial construction. Australia is a moderately safe country, but drugrelated burglaries are a problem in the cities, althoguh violent crime is rare, and it is generally safe to walk in the cities late at night.
Climate
The climate varies significantly, from tropical in the north to temperate in the south. Most places are agreeably sunny for much of the year. Sydney, Melbourne and Perth all have hot and sometimes humid summers. Adelaide has a milder climate and is popular with British immigrants for this reason. In Darwin and the “top end”, the seasons are restricted to hot and wet, or hot and dry.
Education
Australia has one of the highest standards of education in the world, with about 80 per cent of school students going on to higher education. Forty-two per cent of the working-age population has a university degree, diploma or trade qualification. Generally children start school at about five years old and, by law, have to remain in education until 15 years old. Primary education usually lasts six or seven years, and secondary education begins in “Year 7” and ends in “Year 12”, with a Senior Certificate of Secondary Education (the precise name varies between states). Roughly equivalent to A levels, this covers a broad base of subjects and is a mix of classroom studies, ritten assessments and exams.
Healthcare
Australia has an advanced public healthcare system called Medicare. British nationals, and people from many other countries, are automatically covered under reciprocal agreements, so it’s not strictly necessary to purchase private health insurance, although it is available. Medicare is funded by the Medicare levy, a 1.5 per cent income tax.
Lifestyle
The relaxed “beach and barbie” lifestyle is what attracts many people to Australia, and once immigrants have settled in, it’s easy for them to while away the weekends relaxing with friends. It’s a very active country offering many outdoor pursuits. Hiking through the wilderness, or “going bush”, is popular, as are watersports, such as sailing and scuba diving. Surfing is for many a way of life. Australians are fanatical about their sports, particularly cricket, rugby league and Australian rules football.
Food and drink
Although Australia doesn’t have much of a cuisine it can call its own, the multicultural influx means that there are restaurants catering for every taste in even the smallest towns. Eating out is cheap and relaxed. Most restaurants allow you to bring your own alcohol – known as BYO – and the corkage charge, when levied, is normally less than a dollar. Australian wine has really made its markinternationally in the past decade or so. There are many wine-growing areas in southern and eastern Australia, which provide ideal growing climates. Prices for wine start at just a few dollars a bottle from the local “bottle shops”.
Expat communities
Of course, a big draw for British and Irish migrants is the fact that English is the native tongue, thanks to Australia’s British colonial history. But modern Australia is a multicultural place with more than a quarter of the population fluent in a second language. It’s an easy society into which to integrate (the majority of Australians are a mere generation or two removed from their European roots), and although “pommie-bashing” is a popular pastime, it’s usually good-natured.
Pets There are stringent quarantine procedures for pets going into Australia. Dogs and cats from the UK must go into quarantine for 30 days.You will be liable for all quarantine costs, (the cost does go down for additional animals) although you will be liable for any additional veterinary care that may be required. Certain breeds of “dangerous” dogs, including pit-bull terriers, cannot be taken into the country.Your pets will have to be microchipped and you will have to provide vaccination certificates for a range of common diseases. Animals may arrive in Australia only via Sydney, Melbourne or Perth airports.The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (www.affa.gov.au) is responsible for all matters.