The thing about Australia is that it’s just like Britain, except completely different. And if that sounds paradoxical, bear with me. So the Sydney suburbs could be Britain. Architecturally, there are similarities: the small parade of shops near where my son lives in Bronte are just like the row of shops in West Finchley in North London where I grew up. There are neatly manicured grass verges, we all speak the same language, and the sense of humour is just like being home.
But then it is all different. The soundscape is as different from the UK as possible. Screeching kookaburras are like nothing else, in fact any amount of birdlife: the ibises, exotic parrots, cockatoos are just species you do not see (or hear in Blighty). The flora and fauna is tropical. And as we all know Australia, with its plethora of deadly spiders, snakes, sharks and crocs, can be a dangerous place!
