Before I moved here, a lot of people said: “Sydney is just like London, but with better weather and beaches.” That idea suited me just fine, but now I’ve arrived here, I wouldn’t say that was strictly true; the lifestyle is way more laid-back than London, and neighbourhoods seem a lot quirkier than your regular Lambeth or Wood Green – it’s great! And the beach thing… yeah, it’s pretty damn cool, especially having arrived in the summer. (Obvs, the whole place names, actual history of Australia thing does make it a little like London, but ya know, different point.)
There are a few other little bits you should look out for on your journey in and around the city, and throughout life here, some of which I have collated below.
I’ll keep adding to the list during my time here.
1) Tap on and off the bus
Unlike London, don’t forget to tap off – something a cheery driver reminded me in my first week. Public transport is cheaper here than in London, which is a Godsend when you want to explore but you’re still on the job hunt. Also, on Sundays, all public transport, including ferries, caps at $2.80, so you can go far and wide for cheap!
2) Stand on the left of the escalator
Practically one of the seven deadly sins back home, but alas, standing on the right will earn you a look of disdain, and maybe a tut, if they’re feeling a particularly London level of passive.
3) Have a print out of your visa to hand
Being on the working holiday visa, I found you’ll need one when applying for a bank account, Medicare and other important shiz (that you don’t need to worry about until you’ve secured a job). I printed mine before I left the UK, but you can also print cheaply at the State Library of New South Wales in the CBD; they’ll give you a little card to top up, which you can use for scanning too.
4) You can use your contactless for up to AUD$100 (roughly £50)
And, even after that, you can still touch it, but then it asks you to put your pin number in after.
5) ‘Welcome to country’ has nothing to do with country music
As I learned at the Fire Fight Australia charity concert, it is actually an opening ceremony-type ritual that highlights the significance of a specific Aboriginal clan’s heritage in the area.
6) Amazon delivery takes yonks
Unlike London and the US, where there are huge warehouses in the country, amazon.com.au products are mostly shipped from the US. Ain’t no next day delivery sitch here!
7) Coles is like a ‘big Tesco’…
… while Aldi is like a Tesco Metro (it’s better than Aldi’s offerings in London, in my opinion) and Woolies (RIP UK Woolworths) is like Sainsbury’s.
8) They’ve got the good crops
Let’s just say, the aubergine emoji should be replaced with the salad onion emoji here; that shiz is GIANT. Once you’ve eaten a week’s worth and still not made a dent in the bunch, turn your attention to other dishes…
9) The mayo tastes like salad cream
And I am a big fan.
10) The watermelon here is banging
As my favourite fruit, I am pretty close to taste bud paradise right now. I’m talking watermelon spritzes at The Bucket List in Bondi, watermelon slushies at Organism on Crown Street, (which also does a banging breakfast comprising egg, bacon, maple syrup, avocado, apple, rocket and crispy bread,) and various margaritas and smoothies at Mexican and Thai restaurants.
11) Video calling is life
So, make sure you’ve got good Wi-Fi or data. In my first week, I got a great SIM from Aldi, and I’ve not looked back. I’ve managed to watch Queen and Adam Lambert perform live with my mum, despite there being 10,000 miles between us, catch a bit of the 35th anniversary EastEnders ep and even play poker with my brothers.
12) They don’t sell alcohol in the supermarkets
Being too lazy to walk those extra minutes to the bottle-o after your shop means you’re actually healthier in the long run, as you pair your dinner with water. Or, if you’re like me, means you order all the watermelon martinis when you’re in a bar cos #withdrawal.
13) Mosquitos can bite through clothes
I seethed as I admired my bitten legs in April, despite having a consistent COVID lockdown uniform of leggings.
14) Seeing leaves turn orange and fall in April doesn’t stop being weird
Between knowing it’s April and feeling the sun on your skin, it’s so strange. I’m like, where are the pumpkins? When are the rogue Guy Fawkes fireworks going to start going off? Can I hear the faint bells of Santa’s sleigh? Nope, because it’s not late October.
15) It does get cold during Autumn/Winter
Don’t be like me and scoff: “I’m from the UK; how cold can their cold be?” Central heating radiators are not that common, so when it dips to 11 degrees, you will feel it. Generally, in the direct sun, it is warm enough to wear just a cardi, or even a t-shirt, if you’re exercising, however, out of the sun, on cloudy days, or at night, it’s chilly. On a similar note, boy, does it rain. I arrived while the bushfires were starting to calm down, and the week of rain that followed my first day was needed. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I silently seethed at every other downpour that followed. It seemed to happen in packs of three to four days at a time.
16) The spiders aren’t that bad
And that is coming from someone who hates them and all their legs. Sure, we had two huntsmans in Sydney, but then I stayed in the Blue Mountains near the bush for six weeks and saw fewer spiders than I did in my last central London flat. It’s the fruit flies you’ll see multiple times a day, taunting you as you walk, swimming in your drinks, flying into your MOUTH that you have to worry about…
17) Chips are far better in Oz
Or 'hot chips', as they're called here, as like in America, 'chips' mean ‘crisps’. They often put some sort of seasoning on the ‘hot chips’, like chicken salt; KFC chips are the king of fast-food chips, which is something I’d never say back home in the UK.
18) There are so many UK and Australian locations with the same name
Cardiff, Newcastle, Richmond, Hyde Park... the list goes on and on and on. Of course, this is rooted in Australia's dark British history.
19) The Aussies do Asian food really well
I was told this before I arrived, and boy, were my friends right. There is a large Asian immigrant population here, and the quality of the Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Malaysian food I’ve eaten surpasses that in the UK. Even tiny vendor sushi is something to rave about!
20) Be wary of the gym contracts
I won’t go slandering companies here, but the gym I signed up to was not very accommodating. Apparently, being jobless, practically homeless (well, staying with friends) and leaving the country amidst a global pandemic isn’t extraneous circumstance enough to get out of their contract without hefty fees. Of course, a contract is there for a reason; but I stress to others to learn from my mistake - unlike when you’re at home and know for sure you’ll be somewhere a year later, pandemic or not, opt for a shorter contract when first moving abroad.
More to come…