I Just Got Back From Australia. Here’s What Shocked Me.
It’s not what you think.
The last time I visited Australia, I didn’t know if I’ll ever come back again.
The honest answer to this is money.
I saved about $1300 back then, excluding $650 tickets from my salary, which was under $900 a month. I went to visit a close friend.
Now, I went to that same friend’s wedding.
I don’t know how much I’ve spent on this trip and I don’t really care because I’m not big on spending. It’s just food that I love to try out at various places.
This time I saw a unique part of the country which wasn’t limited to cities and a shoestring budget. Living in the countryside and long road trips.
Also, the airfare has increased to nearly double of what I paid last time!
Here’s what shocked me in the 2 weeks I spent there.
Junk Is a Choice
Since I spent a lot of time in Sydney, which is the most expensive city in the country, everything felt expensive.
Which also meant that eating junk was a choice here.
Healthy food costs the same as junk. So whether I wanted to eat a salad ($24) or a burger with fries (also around $24), it cost the same.
Unlike America, where I’ve heard junk is far cheaper than healthy food, you’ll see in a few points below that Australia takes health really seriously.
Everyone Is Running
I observed this last time too.
Even in peak afternoons, people are running. It was towards the end of our holiday that we got to know from my husband’s aunt, who’s been living in Australia for over 30 years, that it’s common for folks to use lunch breaks for a quick run.
Offices have showers. So people run, shower, and get dressed again.
I asked her, “So when do they eat?”
She told me they carry healthy smoothies or meals that they eat at their desks later.
I love this.
Another incident was when I was walking by the beach on Gold Coast. I saw a mum of three who was so incredibly fit. She had two kids running ahead and was pushing a stroller where her toddler was asleep.
I told my husband, Jai, that I’m probably a decade younger than her, but she’s way fitter than me.
He pointed out that even with a stroller, she was walking faster than both of us.
Smoking
I love this.
Also, I dislike smoking.
I dislike it even more when I’m passive smoking because others are allowed to smoke.
As somebody who has travelled to Europe extensively, this was a pleasant surprise. Even bars with outdoor seating are not obvious smoking zones. There was also no concept of a smoking room being a thing in all indoor pubs. It’s a thing back home, though.
Another law I respected was that one can’t casually walk and smoke on the streets.
I think this is a great way to be healthier together because in Europe, I’ve seen parents smoking with their kids next to them.
Access to Beaches
This is a no-brainer as most population resides in the coastal towns and cities of the country.
I went to the beach on my first day. Jai’s cousins live a 15-minute walk from Dee Why Beach in Sydney.
There were lots of restaurants close to the beach and the beach was scarcely populated and with plenty of surfers.
His cousin told us that every Sunday, he and the kids spend their day at the beach.
In India, because of the tropical weather and lack of infrastructure, we limit our source of fun to eating and drinking out.
It felt so wholesome imagining it — to have your life close to nature, and to just relax at the beach at your convenience.
I really don’t admire my indoor lifestyle, and listening to this made me feel I wish it were that way here, too.
Amount of Indians!
When we were on Gold Coast, I had one of the biggest shocks I’ve had while travelling.
I belong to the state of Punjab in India. Those men you see with turbans? Yes, that one. We have the same culture and religion (Sikhism).
In Gold Coast, all I saw and heard was:
- Punjabi music
- Lots of Sikh families
- Pubs full of Indian men
- Club lines full of Indian younglings
- Loud music + fancy cars taking rounds on the same streets
I felt like I’d come to Punjab, really.
The last point especially, the capital of Punjab, Chandigarh, is known for university students blasting loud music and driving on a particular route just for fun.
I saw that happening in Gold Coast.
We see more foreigners on the beaches of India compared to the lack of foreigners we saw on the Gold Coast.
We later got to know from Jai’s cousins that Sikh Games are taking place in Gold Coast, and so Sikhs from across the world have come for it. We also learnt that Australia is home to plenty of Sikh farmers.
‘Late’, LOL
Most restaurants shut at 9–10 pm.
Some say ‘open till late’ on the door, only to shut at 10 pm.
I realised that 10 pm means late here, as most people eat dinner early.
In Delhi, most places shut at 1 am, and ‘late’ stands for places that shut at 3–4 am. That’s especially when it’s weekend or ladies’ nights that the party goes on till 3.
It took a bit of adjusting to reach everywhere by 8 pm and eat a hearty meal because if you miss it, it’s mostly bar snacks or kebab places that you’re left with.
Finally
If I visit Australia another time, I hope to spend more time in the countryside and vineyards.
I stayed in one this time, and the experience is so peaceful and calming.
But it’s also such a long, long flight from India which is a bummer.
I have more articles planned about my experiences in Australia. I hope you enjoyed reading this one.