Hello Aussie friends! @DaveO276, @guru, @Jedly, @Tom81, @Poncho69, @Lightman, @Aeofrik, @stevie-f, @w0tn0t, et al.

A friend of mine is emigrating to Australia from England soon. She is excited and a little apprehensive at the same time.

Then I spotted the following question posted on Quora:

If I'm going to Australia, what should I learn before I move there? Do Australians have their kind of "social behavior" that should be learned so I can adapt well there?

One member answered, as below, which seems liked by many Aussie members. Is there anything helpful you can add to it? I'll pass it on to my friend shortly. Thanks!

I have only been here for a few months so I probably shouldn’t answer but I couldn’t resist sharing the first few things I noticed since arriving. So you always split the bill. It doesn’t matter if you are going out with your boss or team member, when it comes to paying for drinks, each person picks up a round of drinks. Unlike back home where the senior most team member paid for the group and charged to the company or not. Even for birthday parties, if you are going to a restaurant, expect to pay your dues. Going without a gift is ok but you still pick your share of the check. I find it really odd to go without a token or something, but some Australians might actually feel uneasy if you carry like a huge expensive gift. No ostentatious show of money.

Australia is actually a mix of cultures so I think everyone is trying to learn about one another and I find that very welcoming about this place. People are inquisitive, laid back, fun and funny. They take their health very seriously. You will find people fitting a run in their lunch break as well. And then you will also find some who are not so healthy. So what I am trying to say is that you get to be the person you want to be as long as you don’t get in the way.

I hear mixed reviews about driving here. In the time I have spent here, I find people to be good drivers overall. But maybe because the expectations are so high from the drivers, I end up hearing some people complain. It is getting worse in major cities around peak hours, but otherwise driving here is a breeze as long as you adjust to driving on the left side of the road.

I love how people value their “me time”. Be in terms of following sports, playing themselves, taking vacations or whatever it maybe for different people, I really appreciate people making the effort. I am a lazy person so all I enjoy is 16 hours of sleep on a weekend and I have made my peace with that. Now I am working towards making a world record in longest sleep at a go. Maybe I should first search what the current record is on quora. Enough of my rant. Australia is great as long as you are open to new experiences. Good, bad, ugly. You will leave here richer for having experienced life.