Melbourne

Well after my culture shock by landing in Perth and my top ten things I’d noticed in Australia,  I’ve decided to go for another round or at least to lengthen the list somewhat.

11. Western Australia is definitely not representative of the entire nation. After 3 months in WA and now 3 months in Melbourne, there is a massive difference in the states. Perth and Western Australia is somehow like an island in Australia cut off from the rest of the country. Very different places indeed.
12. Coffee culture is absolutely massive here. If you haven’t had a flat white yet then you’d better get one.
13. People on the east coast are a tad snobby when it come to food and tend to pay over the odds for simple things. They also seem to place more emphasis on appearance than taste.
14. Australia really is a land of opportunity. There are many different cultures bundled into one nation and anyone who wants to make it, most certainly can in Australia.
15. Avocado and eggs are must have things at breakfast. Get used to certain things being staple parts of your diet here, such as avocado, beetroot and sourdough bread! All very delicious by the way.
16. Über has really taken hold here. Young people don’t use taxis anymore and everyone is talking about über. It’s definitely great to increase competition, but there could be some drawbacks in the future. For now let’s just enjoy the ride.
17. Aussie rules footie is the number one sport by a distance. Obviously in Melbourne it’s massive with almost every suburb having a top team, but even in the other states, rugby league or union and soccer fall far behind in support and numbers in comparison to AFL.
18. Active wear……..wtf…….even if you aren’t going to do any sports at all and simply walk to the local coffee shop you’d better not forget to wear your active wear. I saw two middle aged women sipping on a bottle of wine on a Saturday afternoon and I think they were neither going to nor coming from any form of sport. It’s really a virus that women seem to have contracted. Have a look at the parody video here to better understand: https://youtu.be/CYRENWT8lz8
19. Craft beer and brewing your own beer is the norm here. You’ll be hard pressed to find Bud or Heineken on tap here, but you will find lots and lots of local IPAs. To be a proper beer snob you can even start brewing yourself! Grow a bushy beard too and get yourself a plain white tshirt and ripped jeans #hipsteralert
20. Perth may have been full of Irish, but Melbourne seems to be another version of New Zealand. The Kiwis seem to have taken a shine to Melbourne and you’ll find All Black fans everywhere, isn’t that right cuz?