Never sun bathe, find it incredibly boring to just lie there getting hot and sweaty (unless I'm having a little snooze) plus I don't like have to coat myself in suncream. I get a bit of sun on the way to the bus stop to work and back home again (about 2 mins of sun) and if I have my lunch outside a bit of sun then too. And that's enough to keep my skin from looking fluroscent white, so I'm happy.

Absolutely none. It's just not worth the cancer risk. You can get burned quite easily here just by being outside so there's no way I'd deliberately lay out in it.

When out and about here in Aussie, you can generally spot visiting Poms and Northern Europeans a mile away. They are the ones sitting in the full sun, either whilst eating or just relaxing, Whilst most locals will deliberately seek out a shady area to sit in.

The sun here is not only a killer but ages one dreadfully.

I spot the British tourists on the lookout... they're the ones who are lobster red, wearing a strappy vest or in the case of the men, no top at all, and they're still not wearing sunblock or covering up from the frying they had the day before. <shudder>
It's absolutely hideous.

I don't sunbathe here. I didn't do it in the UK either.

There's a resurgence of teenagers sunbathing now without sun protection and they just don't care about the skin cancer. Sadly they're going to be the victims of the future.

If I'm in the sun, I have sunblock on, usually a long sleeve cotton or linen shirt over the top, plus a hat. If I wear a vest top, I usually put a very fine cotton shirt over the top too ... plus sunglasses.
Paranoia is the way to go imo.

When I first got here my sis asked me on the phone 'did I have a tan yet?' ... to which I answered 'What for?'
It's fairly pointless when you live here. Be different... stay pale.

When we visit England next week I just know that the first question from a couple of different people will be along the lines of "so where's your tan?"

I've got one, but it's from doing the day to day walking about that I do here. It's a 20 minute walk to my daughters school, then the same back. I do that twice a day.

I went to the beach last week and spent about an hour sunbathing, this week i'm peeling all over I don't get that from just the day to day stuff.

Holidays to Greece I'd sit in it all day, but I think when you live in the sun, sunbathing just isn't important. I'd rather sit in the shade rading or drinking beer

We used to get that every time we got back from holiday here. Well, duh! It's Winter!

I haven't subathed ONCE in 4 years. I just don't do it.

It's not my thing.

My brother thought we would all be brown. I did get a tan from backpacking gradually but it was quite subtle and was acquired slowly.

I suspect that I've got slight 'colour' on my arms and face, but this is from walking the dog and running.... with hat etc. I am probably a lot browner than I ever have been, but won't know until I compare myself with my family. Certainly my arms are much darker than the lily whiteness of the rest of my skin.

Indeed - everyone - look under your watch bands. I'm doing it now and can see I do have a bit of colour, infact. This is from mowing.

I admit to not using lotion for a quick mow, but I wear a long sleeve shirt and Akruba. Anything more than 20-30mins like a big chainsaw session then I use lotion.

Photos of my brothers' visit show my face the exact same colour as his.

It's true, I don't sunbake but I have a lilly white patch where my watch goes. I reckon if I were to go to the UK tomorrow I'd look like Bob Monkhouse in comparison to the locals.

... or George Hamilton

Rather different for me. I use the local tanning salon for measured doses of sun to tan with and then use 30+ nuclear protection sunscreen when out and about and would never consider actually sunbathing. The sun is simply too strong.

For any in the UK please remember that the sun in Australia is incredibly strong even when compared to the week in Spain hols etc.

Australia may not be number one in everything but it is No 1 in the skin cancer incidences world wide......

Slip slap slop.

The sun here isn't the dapply gentle kind you get in the U.K...it is fiercer and you can feel it drilling into your skin within minutes. Sunbaking is frowned apon and thought of as foolish.....slip, slap, slop is the motto. Suntan lotion is sunscreen/block and eye cancer something I'd never even knew existed. The sun is the reason you don't see too many people out and about, and just as restricting as a freezing wet day. Alot of Australians have sun damaged skin....sagging jowls and patchy pigmentation...Think of the 'Wiggles' weird complections and you'll get the idea....I was shocked at how many skin cancer clinics there were. Instead of an umbrella and a cardigan 'just in case' you'll find you'll be taking sunnies, hat, a bottle of water and sunblock instead.

Jan

You do acquire a nice ambient tan just from day to day activities. I have got a sort of colour from being here a year. But like everyone else here is saying, skin cancer is rife! Thee is no way I am going to "sunbathe" This particularly hit home recently whilst visiting a dermatologist for another skin problem, and saw the horrific skin disfiguration some people have, even if they haven't actually got cancer. Got talking to one nice old guy, who looked in his 70's and turned out to be only in his late 50's, younger than me, and his right arm was a mess. This was due to years of truck driving with his arm on the window. I saw several people coming out with dressings on their noses, and the markings on the rest of their faces was awful. Not always older people either.
Yes one of the many reasons for coming out here was the climate, but appreciate that it can make life so enjoyable in many ways without cooking yourself to death.

We've been here just over 4 months and my 5 year old has got it sussed.He sais "Dad I'm going in the shadows"
One of my mates daughter was at the beach all day and didnt re apply the slop after swimming..Or wear shades.Her eyes were burnt..I mean the whites of her eyes.The next day she looked like she had gone 3 rounds with Mike Tyson..You gotta be carefull .