A lot of people that travel to countries far away from their bed for the first time have to deal with some sort of culture shock. Most of the time, this happens with people that are traveling to a foreign country for the first time where there is much more poverty than in their own’s. But strangely enough, it was completely different in our situation. We had a culture shock when traveling to Australia.
A lot of travelers get culture shocks when they go to Asia or Africa for the first time, or maybe even South-America. But nobody ever expects to have a culture shock in Australia right? Well, we neither!
We are from Belgium, a small country in Western Europe, with a lot of inhabitants. And actually, Australia isn’t such a big difference compared to our country. Except for its size – and wild animals – of course, but that’s not the reason of our culture shock.
Well, what is it then?
Before coming to Australia, we traveled for almost ten months in a row through Asia. All the way from Central Asia through China to the beautiful Indonesian islands in South East Asia. And we had a fantastic time in whole Asia. It’s such a great, colorful continent with beautiful nature and people. But it was time for something new, a new adventure.
Knowing that we could easily live together on $30 a day in Asia, you’re probably already starting to get an idea of what we mean.
Yes, the money! Our carefully saved money, our precious daily budget, …
Everything changed from the minute we stepped foot on the tarmac in Perth.
Of course, we weren’t unprepared. We already knew that living and traveling in Australia would be way more expensive than for example in Vietnam. But still. We’re shocked about the price differences between the two continents. They lie so closely to each other but are so different from one another.
For example, we could have had a delicious dinner for two at a decent restaurant for less than $ 10, while here in Australia, a regular Big Mac Menu in McDonald’s already costs $ 10 per person. A bed in a modern dorm room costs $15 in Asia, while here, you’d pay $50 for that. That’s more than 3x the price we are used to pay!
This all means that if you don’t have some source of income, it’s almost impossible to travel around whole Australia. That’s why everyone comes to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa!
But that’s not the only thing that has changed.
During those 10 months in Asia, we can’t remember the last time we had to use our sweater. But when we got out of the plane here in our t-shirts at 8 pm, damn it was cold! We immediately had to search for our sweater in our backpacks before we got out of the arrival hall.
But that was our fault, of course, it was our choice to leave Asia behind and to come to Perth in May, just when winter is starting. The temperature difference is huge and we aren’t used to the cold anymore after such a long time.
Don’t get us wrong, we really love Australia, although it’s expensive and cold at the moment, we’re enjoying every second of it. We already encountered real Australian wildlife, are currently staying on a cattle farm and met tons of lovely and welcoming Australians.
A culture shock never lasts long, and we think that we’ll stay here for a while 🙂
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19 comments
Never really thought people could get culture shock here in Australia! Yes the prices of everything are absolutely ridiculous. Did you know the average home here is $1.1 million?!
https://www.bunnybernice.com/single-post/2017/06/03/How-I-Feel-About-Turning-21
Really?! Wow that’s just crazy!
Yep. Australians can barely afford Australia too.
Asia and particularly Thailand are certainly quite reasonable, specially when it comes to long-term travel. I’m not surprised you had a culture shock. As far as the weather goes, I prefer cool climates any day 🙂
Yes I love Australia but that is why at the moment, I have no plans to return. Given the £ at the moment, it would just be too expensive and as you say there are tons of other cheaper places to visit, that are on my list.
Australia is definitely one of the most expensive countries in the world. I notice it when I travel just about anywhere else, as everything seems cheaper (well, maybe not in Norway!) I’m sure if you had come from Belgium you may not have noticed such a difference.
Yeah I can definitely see the weather and cost being a culture shock after leaving SE Asia! Especially since you were there for 10 months prior. Glad you still enjoyed it anyways though! 🙂
Oh I can imagine that there’s a huge difference in prices and temperatures between SEAsia and Australia! 🙂
Same is the shock you get when you visit Japan. That is another expensive place. The cheap price in SE Asia is the reason why many expats live there.
I know Belgium, no need to explain. I also come from a small country (Czech Republic) so I am sure to have the equal cultural shock when travelling in large and exotic Australia!
I’ve never been to Australia, but based on my friends stories Australia is ridiculously expensive. Have a great time exploring the new continent.
After reading this it definitely feels like we will be in for a similar culture shock soon! We have spent 9 months in Asia and have only one month left in Indonesia before we arrive in Perth! Reading this will help us prepare I hope. The temperature though is something I’m looking forward to because it’s been far too humid over the last few months now!
I forgot that Australia has winter during “our” summer – that is quite a culture shock in itself! I’m glad you’re enjoying the journey anyway!
Just because Australia is closer to SE-Asia than Europe, does not mean that our economies will be on par. Australians enjoy a far superior quality of life and health status than the majority of people in developing countries such as the ones you visited, while the universal healthcare, social security, high wages, high employment, longevity of life etc that we have in Australia are a distant dream for many in SE Asia. Minimum wage in Australia is around $20 an hour, and our economy is based off our GDP, inflation, and wages so that the cost of living is in keeping with these figures. G.S.T is a tax on everything bought and sold in Australia, and that tax contributes to the building and upkeep of the massive amount of roads and infrastructure required for a nation this size. If you are happy to exploit the poverty and desperation of the SE Asians selling you goods and services at prices so low you know they have no other choice but to sell that low just to survive, then do so. Just don’t expect the same in a wealthy nation such as Australia, where the majority are not forced to live hand to mouth like the vendors in SE Asia are, and we have an economy much like your own in Belgium. One more thing, if you dislike the cold while you are here you only have to go North to find it is much, much hotter. Go up to Broome in Western Australia, visit the Ningaloo coral reef nearby where you can swim with dugongs and whale fish, and explore the many pristine beaches Western Australia has. If you can visit El Questro gorge in Western Australia the natural hot springs there are exquisite, but if you want tropical jungles then visit Queensland, where the Daintree is UNESCO world heritage listed, and unlike anything you will see anywhere else on earth. NSW and SE Queensland also have many, many beautiful rainforests, mountains, beaches and things to do in a climate that is still warm/hot in winter. There are so many unique places to visit in Australia too many to mention here, so enjoy your time here and remember that Australia has every type of climate and geography there is. If you like skiing and snowboarding then visit Victoria, Tasmania and NSW in winter where our slopes have miles and miles of unexplored back-country ski-fields to enjoy as well as uncrowded ski resorts. I hope this gives you a broader perspective on things and dispels the negativity you are feeling while in Australia. ‘Ave a good one! 🙂
Wow… I don’t believe you’ve really read this blog post in its actual context. We have absolutely nothing against Australia, or its economy. We wrote this blog post because there was such a big difference between Asia and Australia at the time, especially after traveling for almost a full year through Asia, and living on approx. $10 a day. So the first days we had to “acclimatize” to a new type of weather and way of living. Australia’s economy is much the same as Belgium so it was not hard for us to get used to it. We would have written exactly the same about Belgium if we would arrive there after a year in Asia.
We can honestly say that we absolutely love Australia, and still want to spend plenty of time in this amazing country.
Thanks for your suggestions of things to do! 😀
My wife and I were in Australia for Christmas and New Year for 20 days. We traveled 5,200 km by car. Yes, everything in the post is true. And more:
The Australian is not exactly cordial. It does nothing beyond normal to help you. The control of the State over the people is something other than the normal. That’s what makes it perfect. Nothing is allowed. And if they complain they make ugly faces or threaten you. Although beautiful, really wonderful country, never come back.
I recommend you visit Sydney and Melbourne for 3 days each and get out!
For me one of the biggest culture shocks was the absurd consumption of alcohol. I mean each year, the people of Australia consume 1.8 litre of alcohol per capita, and this volume consists of 44% beer, 36.7% wine, 12.5% distilled spirits, 6.8% other alcohol.
source:http://confiduss.com/en/jurisdictions/australia/culture/
I believe it is pretty ludicrous that people make such ill informed sweeping comments about Australia! To make comments comparing the cost of food and accommodation between Australia and Asia seems naive. I would advise that all travellers take time to research where they are travelling to and find the best affordable places to stay and to eat. As for the comments regarding the weather- Yes Australia does have Autumn and Winter. Most of Australia has a mild Winter – unless you travel to Tasmania, and in my experience never gets as cold as in Europe.
We already replied this on another comment: “Wow… I don’t believe you’ve really read this blog post in its actual context. We have absolutely nothing against Australia, or its economy. We wrote this blog post because there was such a big difference between Asia and Australia at the time, especially after traveling for almost a full year through Asia, and living on approx. $10 a day. So the first days we had to “acclimatize” to a new type of weather and way of living. Australia’s economy is much the same as Belgium so it was not hard for us to get used to it. We would have written exactly the same about Belgium if we would arrive there after a year in Asia.
We can honestly say that we absolutely love Australia, and still want to spend plenty of time in this amazing country.
Thanks for your suggestions of things to do! ?”