I got in my car the other day and it occurred to me that I no longer put the locks down as soon as I'm in. My job repping in London involved a lot of driving and I had made it my business to be safe. It got me thinking what else I do diffferently here and nearly all are positive. Here's my top ten. Will be interested to read other people's - good and bad

1. Don't lock car as soon as I'm in it

2. Get up a lot earlier

3. Do far more exercise

4. Go swimming every weekend (The local outdoor pool is heated to 29 degrees in winter!!!)

5. Watch far less TV - a) because it's shite b) have better things to do

6. Never ring anyone (or certainly Aussies) after 8.30-9pm at night. I rang someone once at 9.40pm, got the wrong number and got a mouthful of abuse telling me how late it was !!!

7. Don't do weekly 'big shops'. Tend to buy as we need things and shop at more independants. Big hater of Woolies.

8. Able save money rather than look at the overdraft grow

9. Eat more prawns

and the best of them all...the good old Aussie ethic....

10. Work to live not live to work

Sunshine Sarah
3 years here and happy as Larry

Thats a great post Sarah - Made me smile on a gloomy overcast day
Thanks for sharing

Lindsey

it is a gloomy overcast day with rain here too (Sydney)

I still lock the doors - not on every occassion, but still do it (did have someone try to open my door in London). There are car jackings in Sydney - now my car is not top range sporty thang, but don't want opportunistic thieves going for my handbag or sat nav whilst waiting at lights.

ok back to subject of differences:
during winter (at least in this rental) wear shoes or double socks (1 being thermal) inside.
shortening words - arvo, docos, ......
go to the park more (but then I do have another child)
go out (prob by beach) for Sunday brekkie
I have NOT been scuba diving (yet....)
take more care of being in the sun
phone rings less, but do skype chats/video
go throught red traffic lights - only if it is a left turn & says I can!
drive in the middle lane even if there is no traffic in LHS lane
have friendly chats with people I don't know

Appreciate and wish for rain
Avoid sun and find shade
Coat self in sunblock daily
Drive a bigger car
Eat thai and asian food more often
Marvel at how much healthy food like vegetables can cost
Look at overseas travel as a rare luxury
Run on a beach daily
Surf
Pay lots for medical/health/dental needs
Love the potato chips Red Rock RULE

Guess you must be loving today then!

See the sea every day on the way home from school
Go to a park by the sea at least once a week
Own a Boogie Board - and use it!
Have a bucket in my shower (to collect the water while it warms up to throw on garden later)
Go to church more than once a year (kids go to a catholic school here)
Hear a Kookaburra most days
See Koalas in the Park
Drive a 4WD (would never have parked one in the UK)
Pinch mysellf to make sure I'm not dreaming!
Do a lot less ironing (water softer here)
Read books - TV really is rubbish
Have BBQs at the beach
Get very suprised if I wake up and its cloudy!

Spray the house for insects & spiders,
Never do the garden,
Always check my sunvisor,
Shake my boots and clothes,

Yes but its mid summer here should expect this then shouldn't I
Lindsey

You should come somewhere warm and sunny in winter like Melbourne! (we sat outside for lunch both days this weekend).

Buzzy

Don't understand this absolute obsesion with the sun. Yes its hot but for god sake chill out. Walking to your car from the front door does not require a head to toe dose of factor 30.
My wifes family live in dubai and if you think the sun is strong here you should live there, you wouldn't go out in daylight.

Raining all day in brisbane.. but first rain we've seen in weeks. Be glad if it adds a few cms to the pool level.

Mow alot more grass!!

Live a semi-rural life in a house (compared to a city life in a flat)

I do alot more work at home around the house - and a lot more community interaction - in a city it was more bars, the singles scene etc.

I'm married, now, with 2 kids. It hit me today that some factors of our life are dictated by babies - and yet I still like it here. It can only get better as in some ways we are limited in what we can do by them.

You can see that my life is as different as can be - which is one of the reasons I cannot complain - as I can't in some ways compare.

I don't think I would have liked to have kids in the UK.

I agree with this, I use a moisturiser of 15 if I remember(!) for just going to work etc. I rarely stand in the sun and am not a beach person- I haven't sunbaked once in 4 years. I wear a hat for mowing and will apply cream if I am going to be outside...if I remember.

The reality though is that over 40 years plus that exposure will count.

As migrants we've actually avoided most of the damage and exposure already, and when you look at the sun-ravaged over 50s they were around before the early 80s campaigns. It will be interesting to see what 20 year olds will look like in 40 years time.

Some??????

Buzzy