Travel and Lifestyle
Here’s Why I Chose to Live in Australia.
Introducing compelling reasons to live in this remarkable country
My First Travel and Culture Story
Enjoying various cultures and traveling, I chose to work in more than 35 countries, traveled to over 50, and lived in a few of them.
Even though I enjoyed the great features of several countries, I only felt at home in Australia for personal reasons.
Living in a country is, of course, a personal choice, but Australia has many great features as a developed and peaceful country.
I want to share a few highlights based on my experience in this story. I might sound a bit biased on some points, but they reflect reality.
Situated in the Southern hemisphere, the country is famously known as the land Down Under. It has opposite seasons and different time zones to most other geographies.
As I traveled a lot, one of my writing goals in 2022 is to post travel stories based on my observations and experiences.
So, starting from my home country, here is a glimpse of my experiences and perspectives of Australia and Australians under 11 broad headings.
1 — Laid-back Lifestyle
Australians are generally known as laid-back.
Of course, this is a generalization, but I also observed that most people in my social circles and at work are less stressed than people from other countries, especially Europeans and Americans.
“No worries, mate” is a typical Australian phrase. There is not a single day I don’t hear this phrase. And I use it myself sometimes subconsciously, even when dealing with family issues. This phrase is a valuable construct for my mental health.
Australians call Australia a lucky country for various reasons.
Apart from natural beauty, most people live in large houses in the suburbs. Only in three large cities is it possible to see apartments. In addition, the government supports unemployed and disadvantaged people.
2 — Friendly and Caring People
I find Australians very friendly and caring. I lived in Melbourne’s various suburbs and lived in other cities and small towns for work.
People greeted me in the streets. They offered help when I faced challenges, such as when my car broke down on the road.
I documented my serendipitous experience with a truck driver in this story: How Alberto Melted His Potbelly & Doubled Testosterone in a Year.
My neighbors are friendly and lovely. They constantly check up on us and ask how we are doing. When my wife had the Covid virus a few months ago, she experienced severe symptoms.
Neighbors impressed us with their support during this situation. I shared my thoughts and sentiments in this story: Reflections from My 14-Day Compulsory Isolation, Ended Yesterday.
Australians enjoy joking. And they love drinking, especially beer. While most Australians enjoy a low stressful life, they also enjoy playing and watching sports. Australian Rules Football (AFL), Tennis, Cricket, and Golf are very popular.
Like many Australians, I love sports centers and saunas. In these health centers, I met many friends like Algor, Janine, Maggie, Jennifer, Henry, Alberto, Eliza, Nancy, and Jeremy, who died on New Year’s night.
These wonderful friends, like many others, contributed to my health transformation, fitness, mental health, and well-being greatly.
3 — Large Land with Low Population
Even though Australia has extensive land, as big as Europe, the country has only around 25 million people.
The country is a continent itself. It has 7,617,930 square kilometers of land and is the world’s sixth-largest country.
For example, traveling from one end to another, such as from Melbourne, where I live, to Darwin, takes at least 40 hours of driving and five hours of flying. It is around 3,700 km.
I feel suffocated when I go to other countries such as the US, the UK, Indonesia, India, Turkey, China, and Hong Kong, even though I love those cultures too. As soon as I come back to Australia, I feel a huge relief.
4 — Great Transportation and Modern Roads in Parched Lands
The Australian government pays a special focus on transportation. It has a large budget. There are many freeways, highways, and some affordable paid roads as well. Traffic is only in two major cities, Sydney and Melbourne. The other cities have very light traffic and rarely experience congestion.
Despite great roads, Australia has strict traffic rules and speed limitations. The fastest allowable driving speed is 110 km.
Most suburban roads include around 60 km speed zones. Some citizens complain about it, but I like driving at a reasonable pace, tending toward the lower end of the speed spectrum.
When I was driving with a friend in Germany, I almost had a heart attack because of the excessive speed on an autobahn. My son loves speed. He wants us to have a driving tour to Germany as car enthusiasts, but I dislike the idea.
My favorite driving experience is in the desert with straight roads. The color of the desert is magical to me. Australian camels in deserts look exotic.
I love exploring the Red Centre in Alice Springs by myself. Uluru, aka Ayers Rock, is an enormous sandstone monolith in this parched Red Centre. It is 450km away from Alice Springs. It is sacred land for aboriginals.
When I drive in this unique land, I always connect with my higher self instantly.
5 — Diverse Wildlife, Great Barrier Reef, Desert, and Spectacular Scenery
Australia has diverse wildlife. The scenery in the outback is breathtaking. I experience a spiritual connection with nature in the outback. Listening to the enchanting sounds of the didgeridoo by local aboriginals takes me to another dimension.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most fascinating ecosystems in the world. I did not see myself but heard that it was observable from the sky. I did scuba diving on the reef with my family multiple times during our summer holidays, and we all loved it.
Sandy beaches and great barrier reefs attract local and overseas tourists. Therefore, the tourism and hospitality industry is highly developed.
There are many exotic and attractive species, such as kangaroos, koalas, emus, Tasmanian devils, dingos, and possums.
I used to have a dog mix of a dingo and a German Sheppard. His character was unusual. He was challenging to maintain but lovely in his approach. Unfortunately, I lost him due to an accident years ago.
Interestingly, while Australia has the deadliest and most gigantic snakes, the neighboring country New Zealand, another island, has no snakes. I have a slight fear of poisonous snakes.
Therefore, I felt more comfortable in New Zealand. I plan to share my experience in New Zealand in another story. It is my next favorite country from a livability perspective.
We also have other dangerous animals like box jelly fish, funnel-web spiders, and crocodiles.
While oceans and strong greenery surround the country in many parts, the middle of Australia has a large desert. Driving in the desert made me euphoric.
Eucalyptus trees are worth mentioning. The street where my house resides has gigantic old eucalyptus trees, which smell beautiful and fascinate me in all seasons.
The only problem is being attacked by black crows during the spring as they see humans as a threat. Once, a female bird attacked a woman wearing a black suit, and she fell severely and got injured.
We always wear light color clothes while walking during the spring.
6 — Low Crime Rate and Fewer Incidents
Australia has a relatively lower crime rate. We don’t have guns like other countries. Only very few authorized people carry guns. It is strictly controlled. My friends living overseas told me that they rarely hear about Australia in the news.
The most significant incident in Australia is bushfires. In 2019 and 2020, we lost thousands of hectares in bushfires and lost a few towns.
My heart bleeds for the thousands of animals and plants dying in these incidents.
The second noteworthy incident was a flood, mainly in Queensland. In 2010, I got stranded in a flood while driving in Brisbane. Our GPS took us to the wrong road, which caused us to live in a village for a few days.
We don’t have any major earthquakes, tsunamis, or volcanoes.
7 — Multiculturalism and Dual Citizenship
I am proud to be an Australian citizen. In addition, Australia allowed dual citizenship, which helped me travel better to Europe with another passport.
Even though entry conditions to Australia got stricter, Australia is a multicultural country with many migrants from various countries. So it is possible to meet almost every culture in Australia. The best part is all these cultures live in harmony.
I witness negligible racism compared to other countries. Except for aboriginals, all settlers have a migrant background.
So, there are no native Australians apart from the aboriginals. Most migrants are from the United Kingdom; therefore, the primary language is English.
8 — Aboriginal Life and Dream World
Australia is known as the land of dreams. It is a dream country from my perspective too. The original owners of the land still exist.
Even though they face many challenges from settlers, the government and citizens pay special attention to the aboriginals, respecting their rights.
I have many aboriginal friends who give me valuable insights into life. Their perspective of life is different from Westerners.
My favorite in their philosophy is dreaming in Dreamtime. Aboriginal people understand the Dreamtime as a beginning that never ends.
9 — Science and Technology Innovation Leadership
Despite a laid-back attitude, Australians are also diligent in science and technology. There are many research institutes and universities.
There are leading scientists in multiple branches published in peer-reviewed journals.
The Australian government offers research funds and encourages entrepreneurs. Schools are relatively cheaper than in other big countries. Therefore, one of the growing industries is education.
Thousands of students from Asian countries get their education in Australia. Some universities are world-class.
The government also pays scholarship grants to undergraduates and postgraduates. For example, I completed my doctoral degree with a scholarship from the federal government based on research on the country’s innovation agenda.
The annual cost of my degree was over $20K that I couldn’t afford at the time. So. I was grateful for this timely blessing like many other citizens.
10 — Mining, Agriculture, and Food
Australia has famous mining fields producing various minerals. According to this government site, “Australia is the world’s largest producer of lithium and a global top five producer of gold, iron ore, lead, zinc, and nickel.
Australia also has the world’s largest uranium and fourth-largest black coal resources, respectively.”
There are a thousand hectares of farms. Some are modern. Australia exports many agricultural and food products, especially fruits, vegetables, and meat.
Compared to other countries, meat is much cheaper. Organic and grass-fed meat is a bit expensive but still affordable.
Finding fresh vegetables and fish is not a problem. We can’t complain.
11- Life During the Covid Pandemic
Like many countries, Australia was also got affected a lot by the pandemic. Australia is a health-conscious country.
There is a significant focus on mental health too.
I shared my sentiments about the severe lockdown conditions in Melbourne in a poetic story titled: Melbourne Turned Out to Be a Depressed City: From the most to the least liveable city: what happened to us?
Despite challenges, Australia coped with the pandemic very well.
As of today, according to government statistics, 91.7% of the population over 16 years is vaccinated. And the lockdown is released.
Final Words
I enjoy living and working in Australia. Even though it has many advantages and great features, as I mentioned, like any other country, Australia has its own challenges.
Despite challenges, citizens are collaborative and optimistic about the future of the country.
This is my first travel story on this platform featuring one of my favorite countries in the world.
I’d appreciate your feedback for improvement. I look forward to writing about the many other countries and cities that I traveled to.
Here are my two recent travel stories. One is about Singapore, and the other one is about the Netherlands.
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I dedicate this story to a few online friends living in this country whose content inspired me as they did to other thousands of readers on this platform: Mike Broadly - Healthier Lifestyle, Aiden (Illumination Gaming), Tim Denning, George J. Ziogas, Britni Pepper, Maria Rattray, Celine Lai, Kim Petersen, Frank T Bird, Amy Marley, and Dr Kylie Harris.
Here is an interesting story with an Australian accent from my friend Mike Broadly - Healthier Lifestyle as an open letter to Aiden (Illumination Gaming).
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
As a new reader, please check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting my reviews, observations, and decades of experiments optimizing my hormones and neurotransmitters. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
Petechiae, ALS, Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Thyroid Disorders, Anemia, Dysautonomia, cardiac output, and urinary track disorders.
I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and other nutrients.
Disclaimer: My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.
As part of my creative non-fiction writing goals, I’d like to share a few stories that might warm our hearts with a bit of humor into weighty topics.
Sample Humorous Stories
Finally, After Burning Her House, Georgia Found Enlightenment
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Based on my writing experience and observations, I documented findings and strategies that might help you amplify your voice, engage your audience, and achieve your desired outcomes in your writing journey.
I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. My focus is on cellular, mitochondrial, metabolic, and mental health. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.
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