11 fun things i learnt about aussies

It’s been exactly a month since I arrived in Australia and ditched the script of my everyday life. I’ve adjusted quite well and feel like I’ve always been here (much to my surprise). I didn’t experience any culture shock or feel unwelcome either. Suffice it to say that I feel right at home and don’t want to leave anytime soon.

During the past month, I have written quite a bit about the natural beauty of Australia and tried to capture it for you. However, what makes a place worth living is not just its location but its people as well. So I thought I should write one about the people who make Australia beautiful. Here are almost a dozen fun things I learnt about them up till now.

Disclaimer: These are in no way generalizations. Just some things and behaviours that I noticed. You can not put a continent worth of people into one box. Take it easy and enjoy! 

1. Aussies really have the manners thing down

That is the first thing I noticed within the first week of arriving in Australia. There is an overall friendly and happy go lucky vibe going around. You get asked “Hey, hows it going mate” by random people walking on the streets. On my first day trip to Austinmer, Wollongong, I took a lot of photos and if there were people passing by they wouldn’t try to rush ahead quickly or take a detour and walk behind you. They would stop, ask you how the photo came along and then move on. It’s a small thing but it shows courtesy and consideration.

In another instance, we were hiking in the Burleigh National Park in Gold Coast and there was a school trip of around 40-50 kids. Each and every one of them said Hello, Good Morning to us like it was mandatory. One kid even came back to correct himself and said sorry it’s past noon now so Good Afternoon. If they’re teaching their kids to be nice in the schools I’d say they’re doing this world a great service.

Also, it translates into great customer service everywhere you go!

All smiles. Resharing because I love this photo.

2. Early to bed, early to rise

Coming from a country where life starts after 7 pm, this was peculiar for me. Even in Sydney which is a big happening city, most of the businesses close by 6 pm. The roads go quiet and you can hardly see any people on the streets. It is one of the reasons why I have adjusted well here because my battery goes out by 8 pm max. In the morning, the roads become alive before the crack of dawn. Living on the 7th floor by a highway, the fast moving swoosh of the cars has become my alarm clock. It helps me wake up, start the day early, and keep my morning person badge.

The usual evening jam before everyone heads home.

3. Who needs shoes?

Ah, Aussies. Simply plain folks. They have really embraced the close-to-nature borderline hippie lifestyle in some parts of Australia.  I witnessed this phenomenon in Gold Coast. They don’t care much for wearing shoes there be it malls, grocery stores or cafes (mostly in the areas closer to the beach). Everywhere you can see people walking barefoot. I don’t know if it’s because of the going casual/minimal thing or the connecting to the Earth thing but it certainly, adds to their persona. The best part? No one cares, no one gawks. Plus, you save a fortune usually spent on buying shoes all your life.

I didn’t have any pictures of people walking barefoot so I shared mine.

4. Aussies love the word “Warehouse”

Want to open a business in Australia? Insert the word warehouse with whatever you’re selling and you’re good to go. Bunnings Warehouse, Chemist Warehouse, Nutrition Warehouse, Book Warehouse are only some of the examples I can remember. Who needs frivolous business names anyway? The simpler the better.

I’ve become close friends with this signboard. It’s right across the road and says Hi to me several times a day from my window.

5. Kangaroos vs Wallabies

No discussion about Australia is complete without a mention of Kangaroos. But do we know them when we see them? I have been an ignorant fool all my life. Not every upright hopping creature you see is a kangaroo. I learnt that after I visited the Toranga Zoo and confused them quite a few times on face to face encounters. One of the more obvious identifiers is the height. Kangaroos are taller with longer legs designed to give them speed. Wallabies are shorter and in my short experience furrier, usually found in forests. You can read the detailed identifiers here. Try guessing if it’s a kangaroo or wallaby.

Deep in thought.

6. Love Thy Environment

This is what I looove about Aussies. They care deeply about their environment and do not take it for granted. They have a whole continent full of nature but they work to preserve each and every bit of the ecosystem. There are rules, laws and road signs reminding you, again and again, to be vigilant in this regard. Not to mention the boat loads of research they’ve done to actually make the environment work in their favour. You turn on the radio and there is at least one channel that is discussing some sort of environmental issue. And it all pays them back beautifully; clean, fresh air to breathe and heavenly scenes to behold. Nature is kind that way.

Hinze Dam was built for the sole purpose of protecting the ecosystem, the fish, and the wildlife in surrounding areas. 

7. If it’s Aussie made, flaunt it

Businesses take pride in being Australian. Pick up any local product and it says something like Australian made with Australian grown ingredients in bold lettering. This goes to show that the average consumer prefers and supports the locally made products instead of imported ones. Must do wonders for the economy. Something we can learn and implement back home in Pakistan.

8. The next Melting Pot

From what I’ve experienced or the places I’ve visited, Australia is turning out to be an epitome of multiculturism. Sydney, especially, is loaded with cultural diversity. You can spot more Asians, Indians and Arabs in the city than Australians themselves (not to say that the immigrants are not Australians). Apart from business and trade, one of the major reasons for this diversity is the fact that Sydney has some of the world’s most prestigious top ranked universities. Students from all around the globe have found their academic homes here. For me, it adds so much more beauty and flavour to the city and leaves so much more to be experienced.

Circular Quay Train Station, Sydney.

9. Fast and Furious

Quite a bunch of Aussies like their cars and bikes loud. You know the turbo charger thing that feels like the Divine Trumpet has been sounded? More often than not you’d spot a biker boy dressed in full gear and helmet flying on the road. Gives me major Pindi Boy flashbacks. It feels like I never left home. Of course, back home we just like to remove the silencers of CD 70s and fancy ourselves riding Harley Davidsons.

Living the life.

10. Country Music

Country music seems like the go-to feel good genre for Aussies. If you’re visiting a cafe, mall, grocery store or just tuning into the radio in your car, you’re sure to catch some country music playing. I have to say it certainly adds to the mellow, happy go lucky vibe that goes all around.

11. Let’s talk Dogs

This isn’t something new that I learnt but the experience was definitely new and slightly unnerving. People walk their dogs around in public places like we walk our kids around back home. While I love dogs and think that they are adorable little things, I am yet to learn how to get close to them without experiencing half death.

Thank God for me most of the people (at least in the cities) I’ve seen walking their dogs around own smaller, fluffier breeds. I’ve heard that it has something to do with the slant towards minimal lifestyle (the smaller the dog the less space it occupies) but I’m not sure. I’m proud to say that I’ve progressed from freaking out to just flinching a little when that happens.

Whattay cutie!

That’s where my knowledge of dogs ends along with this list. I’ll make sure that I observe more and share more with you guys soon. Until then I’ll try to get more used to people walking their dogs past me and not having a mini heart attack every time.

Poodles. (See what I did there?)

Comments

  1. Awesome observations and excellent articulation. I don’t completely agree with your first point though. I have observed those manners more in the US.

    • The Hamster Ball

      Thank you! May be so, I’ll have to visit the US to experience it 😀 Thanks for reading.

      • Haha. Keep going

  2. Good observations & nice reminder for Sydneysiders how blessed they are compared to most of the world. Multiculturalism is mostly great though fast growing population in the 2 main cities is causing congestion. The friendliness goes out the door when competing for parking, boarding a peak hour train, confronted with slightest of delays inconvenience or below par service. It’s so relative how you feel in a certain environment, your circumstances, your background, been here for long or just a visitor etc. Keep enjoying 🙂

    • The Hamster Ball

      That’s true. Human beings by default are not perfect. A lot of how we see the world depends on our own experiences. Consider this an outsider’s view 😀 Thanks a lot for reading.

  3. Wow beautifully described, would plan soon to visit💚

    • The Hamster Ball

      You’ll love it! 🙂

  4. Once again a very good read. Enjoy your tour.

    • The Hamster Ball

      Roger that 😛

  5. Again an extraordinary write up. The ease with which u describe small little happenings arround you and make something special out of it is indeed your special talent. It seems with your desciption that all the qood qualities of good human beings and a healthy society which are teachings of our religion they have adopted and no wonder why they are far ahead.
    Thanks for keeping us in Australia along with u.

    • The Hamster Ball

      No society is perfect, everything has its flaws and merits but the kind of simplicity I’ve experienced here is what we read in books back home. Thank you for your praise and support it keeps me going 🙂

  6. Love Australia. Dying to visit. Great post.

    • The Hamster Ball

      Thanks for stopping by! 😀

  7. Sounds like a lovely place to visit. The no shoes thing is a little weird for me, I’d be scared of getting athletes foot lol. I guess it’s probably so hot and dry there it doesn’t spread.
    Other than that, it sounds great! I’ve always wanted to visit.

    • The Hamster Ball

      Thanks for reading Sara 🙂 Haha I’ve heard that walking on the sand barefoot is actually beneficial for health 😛 But yes must require some getting used to.

  8. Good writing! I love Australia. My brother lived there for a while and we have family there but I never found time to visit. Thanks for sharing your experience with us 🙂 Great Post ✨

    • The Hamster Ball

      Make time my friend and get on it ☺
      Thank you for reading.

  9. Just loved it. You write so well !!! And that compilation is fab.. 👍👍👍

    • The Hamster Ball

      Thank you! Stay tuned for more ☺

  10. Beautifully written…..it took me by surprise how much Australians care about environment especially at this starting stage when it is still greener than most countries….we must take initiative and try to learn from them and improve our environment here in Pakistan….loved the picture which said take ur rubbish back with you ☺

    • The Hamster Ball

      Yes, it’s definitely a lesson for us. 🙂 Thanks for reading, do share with your circle 🙂

  11. I’ve got to say this is a mostly accurate portrayal of Australia and the Aussies! Along with some excellent vocabulary and sophisticated writing skills to further add to the highly depictive observations! However, as I have spent my entire life here, you do experience some of the country’s downsides, such as the increasingly extortionate price of goods, services, real estate etc; over the last couple of years. In the contrary, us Aussies do take a lot of granted and things such as our health system and education is amongst the top in the world ! Australia is a wonderful and unique place to visit and we will welcome you with open arms!

    • The Hamster Ball

      Globalization has its worldwide effects. While it enriches cultural diversity it can bring some problems for the natives. Hope the economy sets itself straight 🙂 Thank you for reading. Come back for more!

  12. Hey mate..how are ya..Agree with your inputs.
    Warehouse and early bed..see ya..

    • The Hamster Ball

      Thanks mate 😛

  13. Your description of Australia would make anyone want to come visit. I would love to visit at least once.

    • The Hamster Ball

      Thank you 🙂 Stay tuned.

  14. Hmmm…this is an urge-on on my bucket list of visiting Aussie. Nice article

    • The Hamster Ball

      Thanks for reading Jessica 🙂 Come back soon.

  15. Aussies are considered to be the issues of exiled criminals sent to this continent (an open jail) by Britishers as punishment–going through the beautiful description one is convinced that Aussies hv converted this jail into a paradise and now this “once open prison cell” has become the preferred destination of the immigrants. Lots of interesting facts about the Aussies and their land. Keep smiling 😊

  16. Love the photos and your writing! I absolutely love dogs, I’d be in my element!

    • The Hamster Ball

      Book a ticket now sister! Hehe. Thanks for reading <3

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