When it comes to a foreign country there is always some misconceptions about it. Australia doesn't break the rules. Here is a list of the top 10 misconceptions about Australia I have found when I talk to travelers and that I heard before I came to this country.

 

Kangaroos are like pets, they hop around in every house backyard

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Well, I saw a lot of dead kangaroos and wallabies on the side of the road before seeing one alive! Kangaroos are wild animals so they don't like being around us humans and it is most likely you won't find them in the backyard.

 

There is no public health care so if you are sick you need to pay

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If you are a foreigner, like in most countries you will not be covered (unless you have a private insurance), however, if you are an Australian resident or part of the countries Australia has an agreement with, you will get full Medicare cover, which is the public health system. All public hospital treatment are free of charge, however a private insurance will give you the freedom of choosing your doctor and the waiting time will be shorter. I have found that living in regional Australia gives public patients the same treatment as private patients (no waiting time and sent to private hospital free of charge in case of an emergency).

 

There is no social pension given to elderly people

There is a private retirement system but there is also a public

retirement system which helps elderly people to live and be able

to pay rent and food.

 

There is deadly wildlife everywhere

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Most of the deadly wildlife (think crocodiles, stingers, spiders,

snakes...) is located where there is hardly no one in sight and

they run away from humans. It is very unlikely you will get stung

or eaten by wildlife especially of you are aware of it. Let's say there is a river infested by crocodiles, you will probably avoid going for a swim!

 

Australians love their Vegemite and eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner

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It is like everything else, some love it, some don't. Personally I can eat Vegemite but I wouldn't buy it. It is worth the try.

 

                                                                   It is summer time all year round in Australia

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                                                                   I think the misconception comes from the fact that you always                                                                     see pictures of Australians celebrating Christmas on the                                                                               beach. Whilst December is certainly summer time, winter runs                                                                     from June to August and it can get very cold in the Southern                                                                       part of Australia, it even snows in the mountains and there are                                                                     ski stations in Victoria and ACT.

 

                                                                   

 

Australians are all blond with blue eyes and of course nicely sun tanned

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Australia's history refers to the British convicts, since then there has been a lot of dark hair nationalities settling down, such as Greek, Italian, Japanese, Thai, Indian and Chinese. So, not everyone is blond. Now, about the tan, the sun is very bad for the skin (second highest rate of skin cancer in the world, just after New Zealand) due to the hole in the ozone layer, therefore if you go to the beach (or if you go for a walk) you can get burnt within 15 minutes so always make sure to wear sunscreen and to avoid long exposure to the sun. Most Australians are actually quite pale.

 

There are more jobs vacancies than workers so I will find a job within the snap of a finger

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That might have been true a couple of decades ago. With the recent influx of migrants (like me lol) and with the number of foreigners coming on a working holiday visa increasing each year, it is becoming harder to find a job very easily especially in populated areas nearby the sea (think Perth, Sydney and Melbourne areas). In saying that, if you look around hard enough you should always be able to find a job.

 

                                                                   Aboriginals are everywhere because it is their home land

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                                                                   The first time I saw Aboriginals was in Cairns, after spending                                                                       11 months in Australia. So they are not everywhere, but                                                                               mostly in their own communities and most of them reject the                                                                        white people" lifestyle.

 

                                                                   Australians are all fit, just by looking at those surfers on the                                                                         beach and they do well at the Olympic Games

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Nearly two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, with the proportion of obese adults continuing to rise. I have found the majority of people living in the cities to be quite fit, the rest of the population, not so much.

 

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