While many of us travel for relaxation, adventure, or good old-fashioned tourism, some folks board planes, trains, and automobiles because they are on their way to their new home. As it often happens, you only really learn what life is like in a new country after you’ve spent some real time there.
People who have moved to live in Australia as well as Aussies share the challenges they encountered and the things they ended up disliking. From unexpected hurdles to new social norms, people share their examples, so get comfortable as you read through, upvote your favorites, and comment your thoughts below.
#1

Image credits: McGee_McMeowPants
#2

Image credits: anon
#3

Image credits: war-and-peace
Bored Panda got in touch with Minute-Masterpiece98 who shared one of the original posts about the difficulties of moving to Australia and they were kind enough to share some more thoughts. Firstly, we wanted to know why they made this post.
“In short, going through the immigration process from start to finish is exhausting. It can be very taxing on one mentally and maybe sharing our experiences helps us to deal with it, as well as feel like we are helping the wider immigrant community. Misconceptions vary depending on where an individual comes from. I've noticed that many British citizens are led to believe that Australia is this paradise of endless sunshine, free of hardships simply because the average wage is higher.”
#4

Image credits: Dazzling_Paint_1595
#5
FridayNightSodomy:

Image credits: anon
#6
WhatEver405:

Image credits: ieatdirtforbreakfast
"In my experience, the reality is that the overall quality of life is about the same, there are simple trade-offs in certain areas. For example, temperatures during Winter are warmer than in England but then residents end up feeling colder because the homes are so poorly built, with little insulation. The one takeaway that I would like to add is that after 7 years of living here, I've come to realize that Australia operates less of a migration system and more of a "visa-selling business". Profit is ultimately the top priority, with things like workers' rights being the least of their concerns."
#7

Image credits: thisisdatt
#8
OoFymm:

Image credits: tehnoodnub
#9

Image credits: anon
While many of us think of Australia as a place Britain would send its criminals to, that practice died out a long time ago and since then, it has become a pretty desirable place to stay, despite the plethora of things that can kill you. Indeed, these days, Australia is synonymous with spiders, snakes, and scorpions that have all collectively been participating in a sort of arms race. This is unfortunate, as, otherwise, Australia boasts wonderful beaches, a high quality of life, good food and generally friendly people. Yes, you might have to do battle with the errant giant spider now and then, but it’s all part of the package.
#10

Image credits: daveshuffles
#11
ExarchKnight01:

Image credits: mythridium
#12

Image credits: cravingpancakes
These days, Australia is a unique melting pot, combining an ancient, indigenous tradition with British culture. Since the Second World War, US influence has been growing, while the 70s saw a wave of immigration. The result is a place that is both culturally and geographically unique, although this comes with some drawbacks, like the cost of imported goods and slow internet.
#13
tejedor28:

Image credits: ScruffyPeter
#14
Briphone:

Image credits: Hoppy_BionicLeg
#15

Image credits: Win_an_iPad
It’s not hard to see why people would want to live there, particularly if you are from an English-speaking country. But, as the examples here show, Australians might be relaxed, but that doesn’t seem to apply to their bureaucracy. Somewhere along the way, regulators and lawmakers decided that a mountain of paperwork was, somehow, the solution to every problem.
#16

Image credits: floofygiggle
#17

Image credits: Bogus_2018
#18

Image credits: JoeSchmeau
#19

Image credits: Bowl_of_chips
#20

Image credits: Relevant-Mountain-11
#21

Image credits: Galadhurin
#22
#23

Image credits: Minute-Masterpiece98
#24

Image credits: enzedmaori
#25
#26

Image credits: camchambers
#27

Image credits: vulpecula360
#28

Image credits: vulpecula360
#29

Image credits: freshlyfreya
#30
yeet_and_defeat:

Image credits: creztor
#31
#32

Image credits: suupaabaka
#33

Image credits: Minute-Masterpiece98
#34

Image credits: anon
#35
#36
#37

Image credits: damascustreking
#38

Image credits: whippinfresh
#39
#40

Image credits: Goeegoanna
#41
#42
#43
#44
#45
#46
#47
#48
#49
#50
insurgent_dude:

Image credits: insurgent_dude
#51
#52
#53
#54
#55
#56
#57
#58
#59
#60
#61
#62
#63
#64
#65
#66

Image credits: jhaars