“Are you from Canada?”

When Aussies pick up on your “North American” accent, they will likely ask if you’re from Canada, not if you’re from the U.S. This is partly because they run into more Canadians than Americans, but mostly it’s because they know Canadians are sensitive to being mistaken for Americans, while Americans don’t care.

As for Americans: when asked that question, don’t be offended, it’s a great opportunity to strike up a conversation. Outside of tourist areas, Americans are a novelty.

Beer

Australia is famous for beer—drinking it, as well as making it. Amongst some social classes, beer is almost a religion. Beer drinkers tend to be loyal to their brew.

One major misconception is that all Australians drink Foster’s. Chalk that one up to advertising—in America. Fact is, you rarely see Foster’s, except in Queensland, though you see a lot of Foster’s products: VB (Victoria Bitter), Crownies (Crown Lager), Carlton, Sterling, Cascade, etc. The Foster’s you get in North America is actually made in Canada (read the label, mate).

Other major beers are XXXX (called 4X) from Queensland, Swan Lager from Western Australia, Boags from Tasmania, Tooheys from New South Wales, Victoria Bitter (VB) from Victoria, and many more. There are many smaller brewers, like Western Australia’s Little Creatures and South Australia’s Coopers, plus micro breweries, like Feral, Bootleg, and Mountain Goat. Hundreds of boutique breweries have sprung up throughout the country, each making their own brew to their own recipes, served fresh to locals and tourists.

Domestic beer isn’t cheap—about twice the U.S. price. You can expect to pay A$30–50 for a carton (case), or A$12–15 for a six-pack, depending on the brand. If you hanker for the taste of home, Budweiser, Miller, and Corona are available as expensive imports, along with many beers from Europe. When it comes to a good brew what’s a few dollars? Besides, one doesn’t buy beer; one just rents it for an hour or so...

Australian Time Zones

Sydney and Melbourne are two hours ahead of Perth and one-half hour ahead of Adelaide and Darwin. (Yes, there are half-hour time zones.)
During Australian Standard Time, late April to late October (exact dates vary from state to state):
When it’s 12 noon in Sydney, it’s:
12 noon in Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, and Brisbane,
11:30 a.m. in Adelaide and Darwin,
10:00 a.m. in Perth.
During Australian daylight savings time, October to April (exact dates vary from state to state):
When it’s 12 noon in Sydney, it’s:
12 noon in Melbourne, Canberra, and Hobart,
11:30 a.m. in Adelaide,
11:00 a.m. in Brisbane,
10:30 a.m. in Darwin,
10:00 a.m. in Perth.
Obviously, this gets confusing. It’s possible for it to simultaneously be eight-ten in Darwin and twenty minutes to nine in Brisbane.

Egalitarianism

Egalitarianism is a belief that all people are equal. This is an underlying attitude in Australia and the basis of the fair go. A white Australian might complain about the “aboriginal problem” or about the influx of migrants from the third world, but then include several of each as friends. This is because the Aussie tends to take each person on his or her own merits and character. It’s said that it doesn’t matter how much money a man makes, what counts is whether he’s a good mate and can spin a good yarn at a party.
This egalitarianism is most evident along the foreshores. Australians love the water, and everybody wants to live next to it—be it a brook, river, bay, or the ocean. Now this might be a bit of a shocker, but with few exceptions, in an Australian city you cannot live on a beach, bay, or river.
You can live across the street from the water, but there will always be a road in front of you. There are a few exceptions: some very old blocks (lots) established before the zoning laws changed, manmade canals in waterside developments, and property far from a city—but in ninety-nine percent of Australian urbanized areas, you can’t build directly next to the water.
Why? Water features are considered public property, and institutional egalitarianism mandates access for all. The government has eliminated the possibility of having a wall of rich people’s houses blocking ordinary folks from the water, as has happened in California and Florida.
This makes for an odd juxtaposition. You can buy a million-dollar block along the coast, build your million-dollar dream house on it, and as you sit on your veranda watching the sunset, sipping your chardonnay and nibbling beluga, some poor battler without a pot to piss in can drive up in his rusted old Ford Falcon, park across the street blocking your view, stumble barefoot down to the beach, beer in hand, and enjoy the same sunset. That’s egalitarianism.

Attitudes about Americans

Living outside the U.S. but constantly observing it gives one an international perspective. What strikes one is how inwardly fixated the American people are. They seem to ignore what’s going on beyond their shores unless it intrudes directly and obviously—such as the 9-11 attack. Like Narcissus staring at herself in the mirrored pool, Americans see international realities as something out of focus, floating in the background of their own reflection.
Australians generally like Americans. They watch our movies and TV shows, listen to the music, and read the books, but they don’t quite get why Americans work so hard and are so over the top: hyperactive, aggressive, and determined to boss the world around
Aussies are more relaxed. The prevailing attitude is “she’ll be right” and the answer to any question is usually “no worries.” Personal freedom is the most important issue, and anything that compromises that is a hard sell.

“You’re on your own, mate.”

Australians are very independent people. They don’t like to meddle in other people’s business and they expect no one to meddle in theirs. This is part of the Fair Go attitude that is deeply ingrained in the Australian psyche: everyone deserves a chance, a “fair go”. A fair go is an opportunity to succeed or fail on your own. It’s yours; a gift from the Australian people. Good luck with it.

The down-side of this is, don’t expect people to offer you help or advice—you’re on your own, mate. If you do ask for help, people will generally be glad to assist—in a reserved way—but part of your problem as a new arrival is that you won’t know which questions to ask, or even that there is a question. Keep this book handy. It’s the Operator’s Manual for Australia.