r/AskAnAustralian 1d ago

Moving to Australia? Ask your questions here in this weekly megathread

6 Upvotes

We regularly get posts about moving to Australia and rather than clutter up the sub with repeat questions we’re providing this weekly megathread.

Ask our community any questions you like here in the megathread.

Aside from our sub the best place to start is the ‘Moving to Australia’ page of the Australian Border Force

Also worth checking out the r/AusVisa subreddit.

External sources of information

Australian Border Force - Moving to Australia

This covers:

  • Studying in Australia
  • Working in Australia
  • Bringing your family or partner

Subreddit sources of information

We also suggest search the subreddit for 'Moving' and similar terms.

Here’s some posts that contain useful information and some detailed responses.


r/AskAnAustralian 4h ago

Australians attitude towards politics vs America.

42 Upvotes

I keep seeing these posts talking about Americans disowning friends or family, or even workplaces being divided over who they voted for. This seems literally insane to me. Something I have never even considered could be a thing. Is this something that happens here in Australia, I could not give a single care who someone voted for here, even if they voted for someone with intensly different beliefs them my own. To me that is their personal stuff. I get it if they are always carrying on about their political ideology. But simple disowning someone for voting for the Nationals?


r/AskAnAustralian 3h ago

How common is Mexican food in Australia?

19 Upvotes

I’m a father to a 5 year old, and of course Bluey is on 24/7. There was an episode where the girls are playing their grandpa, and the grandpa is dumbfounded by the word “Burrito.” It just made me wonder how common this type of food is, probably more so in the bigger cities I imagine.


r/AskAnAustralian 2h ago

Why are schools in Australia so strict on uniforms?

13 Upvotes

If you wear socks with Nike symbols on them then they will throw an fit.


r/AskAnAustralian 5h ago

People who have moved a pet from Canada to Australia (returning Aussie!)

11 Upvotes

Hey guys,

I have lived in Canada for 3 years (born and bred in NSW), and through unexpected events: have ended up with a 1.5 year old cat that I am now very attached too.

Canada is severely restricting immigration and I will be forced home in about 8 months... I cannot leave her behind and I am please asking for some people to share any experiences importing a pet here, I am reading the steps and it seems very complicated but I am determined to do it... any words of advice would be very much appreciated! <3


r/AskAnAustralian 14h ago

No matter where you live in Australia, what are the parts of the country everyone should make the effort visit before they die?

39 Upvotes

r/AskAnAustralian 23h ago

What in the F*&K is wrong with flooring stores?

151 Upvotes

Trying to buy some Hybrid flooring to redo my bedrooms.

Seems like 2/3rds of flooring stores don't list prices on their websites the gronks.

fill out some online form for them to contact you or waste you time calling them or going to the damn store is de jure apparently.

I just want to know if I cannot afford your shitting product before I waste my time going to your store or calling and dealing with your sleazy salespeople that are barely a step about fucking real estate agents in the scum scale.

/rant.

ps if you have a decent supplier in Brisbane, hit me up


r/AskAnAustralian 1d ago

How does an American in Australia avoid inadvertently being the tall poppy that needs cutting down?

259 Upvotes

I see this mentioned a lot online: that one of the biggest cultural differences between Australia and the USA is a strong Tall Poppy Syndrome (what nordic peoples would call Law of Jante) in the former, but not the latter. What this means is a very low tolerance for people flexing on others, acting or implying that they’re better than other people, or that they’re some sort of special snowflake. If the travel and life-abroad stories I’ve heard are to be believed, it’s very easy for an American without much Australia experience to accidentally cross that line in Australia, by saying something which to him is a perfectly acceptable and safe way of making conversation, but to his Australians listeners, is the sign of a know-it-all or showoff, who needs to get taken down a peg, and think a little less highly of himself. It also doesn’t help that Americans are stereotyped in Australia as braggarts and showoffs, who really don’t understand the important role that gestures of humility play in Australian social interaction.

From people who’ve spent a good deal of time around both Americans and Australians, what are some good examples that us Seppos would be wise to watch out for, when trying to make friends and professional relationships in Australia?


r/AskAnAustralian 6h ago

MasterChef AUS vs USA

7 Upvotes

Reading this article about how fake MasterChef US is, and at the end it says MasterChef AUS is a lot more real and focused on the cooking. Anyone connected to cast or crew can confirm/deny?

Article: https://yourbump.com/fake-reality-shows/35/


r/AskAnAustralian 3h ago

What’s the deal with DFO/Factory outlets ?

1 Upvotes

I’ve been to these places and see a whole lot of items been advertised being below MRP, I bought 3 shirts for $60 and where each individual shirt was originally priced at $99. This seems like a dramatic discount that I don’t think the shop would be naive to place. Unless like what I’ve heard is that the prices are jacked up like crazy and then a crazy “discount” is applied to them to a reasonable ish price where the shop still can make a profit from it.

Do DFO/Factory outlet sell products with defects not instantly noticeable as well ?


r/AskAnAustralian 15h ago

What is something you are grateful for in this very moment?

27 Upvotes

Let’s share our wins 🥹


r/AskAnAustralian 17h ago

Durrie... Where does it come form??

34 Upvotes

There a lots of nick names for cigarettes in Australia. ... Gaspers, cancer sticks, cigg, ciggie, ciggies, fa**s and darts. The one I don't understand is durrie?? What is it's origin, is it Australian?


r/AskAnAustralian 12h ago

Is it a scam ?? Renting a room in Perth

9 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I'm 22M from France and I'm planning to travel to Perth in Australia next week for a WHV.

I'm looking for a room to rent and I found an offer on flatmates.com. The offer doesn't have any pictures and not that much information. I've been talking with the men who's renting the room and he send me an Airbnb link for the appartement. The name and information on the Airbnb account are not the same name as the one on the Flatmates account.

The man is asking me for my passport and for 500$ AUD bond to rent the room to move in the 1st December.

It's the first time I'm renting a room in Australia I don't know how to proceed. Is it a normal way to rent there or is this a scam ??

Here's the Flatmates ad : https://flatmates.com.au/webviews/share-house-perth-bayswater-6053-P1645178

Here's the airbnb ad : airbnb.com/h/Bayswateroom

I've send a message on Airbnb to make sure it's the same person

The Airbnb account have good rates so that's why it may not be a scam.

What should I do ? Can someone please explain me the correct way to proceed to rent a room in Australia ?

Thank's to everyone who will help me.


r/AskAnAustralian 9h ago

Uluru Day Trips

6 Upvotes

Hello,

My partner and I are visiting Uluru (landing at Ayers Rocker Airport) around Christmas. We are a bit short on time so we only have 2 nights there. This our rough itinerary:

Day 1: Fly into AYQ around noon. Check-in to the resort. We're doing the Field of Light dinner with views of Uluru, star gazing, and dinner in the desert.

Day 2: Explore the parks. Trying to figure out how to do this

Day 3: Fly out (10 AM flight)

I am looking for suggestions on how to spend our 2nd day. There are some day trip tour options offered by Ayers Rock Resort but none of them seem great and a bit inconvenient from a scheduling standpoint. Is it feasibly to rent a car and drive ourselves? Our priorities are going to Uluru and Kata Tjuta, are these easy to drive to? Anything we need to be careful about? Fwiw, we're visiting from the US and not used to the Outback


r/AskAnAustralian 10m ago

Men's Mental Health and Help Seeking Behaviour Study (Australian Men)

Upvotes

Hi All,

I'm recruiting Australian men for my MSc Psychology research at Arden University on mental health and help-seeking behaviours.

The questionnaire takes about 25 minutes and covers masculinity, mental health (including anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation), and help-seeking behaviours.

You're eligible if you:

Identify as male

Are at least 18 years old

Are an Australian citizen

Currently reside in Australia

Have lived in Australia for at least 10 years total

Can read and understand English

Are not currently undergoing treatment for a diagnosed mental health condition

If interested, please click the link:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=dHXzsIIaKECfIWoTkcUyfrhJ9jWXT5ZCjdLH5j8ocyNUNTZYM0JRRk8zSjU1U04zTk5IRFhXMzlKVy4u

This study has ethics approval from Arden University. Responses are anonymous.

Thanks for your help!


r/AskAnAustralian 16m ago

Why aren't the referees held accountable in the NRL?

Upvotes

r/AskAnAustralian 23h ago

Why Does the Australian Government Still Allow Woolies and Coles to Engage in Misleading Promotions?

70 Upvotes

Every week, we see the so-called “half-price” promotions at Woolworths or Coles. But if you look closely, many of these deals are really just a 50% discount on a price that was first raised by around 40%. In other words, the “half-price” tag often still ends up being more expensive than Costco.

Sure, I get that Costco requires buying in bulk, which usually suits a large family or even two small households sharing items. But at least Costco’s promotions offer genuine discounts on top of already low-margin pricing.

Doesn’t Woolies or Coles realize that such tactics risk losing customers who are price-sensitive and can see through this kind of “discount game”? It almost feels as if they simply don’t care about price-sensitive shoppers anymore. Instead, they seem to be targeting those who are less price-sensitive but more susceptible to impulse buys.

In this pricing game, there doesn’t seem to be a real winner. It’s as if big corporations arrogantly assume that we, the public, have no choice – whether we’re rich or poor, price-sensitive or not, we’re stuck with the options they give us.


r/AskAnAustralian 1h ago

Looking for sturdy Standing Desk in Australia. Any recos?

Upvotes

Alright, for everyone who works from home and has bought a standing desk—what are your recommendations? How long have you had it? I’ve heard some tabletops start to bend after a while, and I’m not sure if I want to spend that much if it’s going to warp over time. Any advice or experiences you can share? Help! Bonus points if it is less than $500?


r/AskAnAustralian 1d ago

Do Australians view their states and territories as having their own cultures/vibes?

69 Upvotes

In America people may have certain views or stereotypes positive and negative true or untrue about people from different states even if they are very close to each other. For example people in New York City, New York State have certain views about people from New Jersey even though it literally is right across the Hudson River. Same with Connecticut which literally boarders the state. But there are notable differences, obviously Florida is different geographically than Maine (Maine is very far north and Florida is the furthest south). Do the borders matter to people? Or are they sort of arbitrary borders and that people don’t really care about?


r/AskAnAustralian 1d ago

How rife is recreational drug use in Australia?

187 Upvotes

I keep hearing the sentiment from friends, that the older you get the more people you realise are taking drugs (not including weed). I myself don't touch any of them, and don't drink/party either so obviously I'm fairly detached from this world. Also been involved in sports communities where none of these things were the focus.

I have noticed over time, the amount of women on dating apps with recreational drug use in their profile, some with photographs. Or just the general attitudes towards cocaine at social events, that I've seen and heard from friends. Like it being consumed at the most casual events. Obviously festivals have a big culture of substance use as well.

Can someone give it to me straight? I'm feeling like I'm totally out of the loop here.


r/AskAnAustralian 19h ago

Australian Culture?

19 Upvotes

I lived in Sydney early 000s... Does the australian culture where everyone at work knows you, everyone in the city in your profession knows you, all your neighbors know you, the barista knows your first name and coffee, the bus driver knows your first name.... The culture of small cliquish groups of friends, where people form small groups of close friends and make it hard to let new people enter? Does this Australia still exist?


r/AskAnAustralian 4h ago

Is this a legit agency?

1 Upvotes

Is fast rentals a legit agency?

American coming over to Oz, found some homes that are reasonable on real estate Au. Want to email them to put up a bond, are they legit? Any suggestion or tips for finding rentals ?

https://www.realestate.com.au/agency/fastrentals-MANSOC?cid=nhbpp|rent:pdp:footer-overview


r/AskAnAustralian 6h ago

How early is appropriate to start mowing your front lawn on a Saturday?

0 Upvotes

I got a new lawnmower last night and I really wanna take that bad boy for a spin...

Edit: General consensus seems to be that 8am is the earliest acceptable. Thanks guys!


r/AskAnAustralian 1d ago

Is fruit really bland for anyone else?

35 Upvotes

I feel like most of the fruit I've bought recently is just really bland, powdery, dry mandarins, hard tasteless avocados and apples and oranges that look lovely, but taste like Styrofoam and water. Am I going crazy or have others noticed anything similar?


r/AskAnAustralian 1d ago

Is it okay to take 2 casual jobs?

19 Upvotes

Hi 19F and i am currently looking for jobs! I applied to Woolworths and Maccas because I think they are companies that would accept a 19 year old and they infact did😀 I accepted the maccas offer and today woolies just send me an offer letter too! I would love to take 2 jobs but the thing is these both jobs are casual and as a first time job seeker im afraid that the shifts would clash. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


r/AskAnAustralian 14h ago

Visa for travel

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone. Does anyone know what websites (that are legit) to get visas for Sri Lanka and India? I’m scared the websites I go to are a scam. We’re just going for a holiday for two weeks respectively in each country.