I live in Europe and just got back from Australia. How they live Down Under made me wonder if I had visited another universe
A young businesswoman living and working in Europe has revealed the culture shock she experienced when traveling to Australia.
Financial director and life coach Dafne Sartorio was surprised by the fact that the country seemed ’empty’, the early bird culture, the availability of public toilets – and the cost of living.
In a message to Threads, Ms Sartorio said: ‘I just got back from Australia and I wasn’t ready for the experience.
“There were the ten things that made me laugh, wonder if I was in another universe, and definitely rethink life in Europe.”
1. Where are the people?
The Brazilian national, who currently lives in Belgium, said the first thing she noticed about Australia was that it seemed “empty” due to its lower population and larger size, compared to many South American and European countries.
‘We kayaked all day in the [Noosa] Everglades, and I swear, there wasn’t a single soul around for about 45 miles.
“If this were Europe, you’d be silencing strangers just to take a decent photo.”
Dafne Sartorio said she was surprised by how different life is in Australia (pictured with her husband)
Coffee culture
She said the next most striking observation that struck her was that Australians seemed to absolutely love coffee.
“The Australian coffee game is strong. And I mean, strong. I thought I liked coffee, but these guys drink an average of 14 cups a week. I’m still recovering.’
The Australian attitude
Ms Sartorio noticed that “people are so nice” in Australia.
‘The staff smiles and talks to you. It’s like I’ve been living in a European customer service wasteland all this time,” she said.
“Australians are so friendly you wonder what’s going on with everyone else.”
However, not everyone was convinced, with some commenters saying it depended on the city you were in.
“As an Australian I have found the European and American wait staff much more polite and friendly than here,” said one local resident.
‘It’s just cultural, I’m not complaining it’s just different, much calmer, so I don’t know where you actually went.
“I would avoid making such broad statements, but look, I’m glad you had a good time in Australia.”
Another commenter said they had the same experience.
‘The best part is that they ask you how your day is going and are actually happy and excited when it goes well.
“It’s not just politeness, they really seem to care.”
Ms. Sartorio runs a life and career coaching company and is also a director of a financial company
IChilled atmosphere
“Life is so cold in Australia,” Ms Sartorio said. ‘Nobody seems to be in a hurry. People just seem… Calmer. Slower.
‘Meanwhile, I walk around as if I have seventeen places to be. Do they know something we don’t know?’
Ms Sartorio and her husband spent most of their time in Queensland, with some commentators suggesting this could be the reason.
“Sydney and Perth are moving much faster than elsewhere in Australia,” the person claimed.
‘Even Melbourne.’
How Australians get paid
Ms Sartorio said most Australians she met were paid weekly, which was very different from Europe.
‘They also pay subscriptions and rent weekly. I asked why, and people just shrugged.
“Maybe it’s because people quit their jobs like changing socks? Anyway, I’m low-key jealous.”
Some locals pointed out that retail and hospitality jobs often paid weekly wages, but corporate jobs were usually paid monthly or biweekly.
The cost of living
‘The activities are great… but so are the prizes.
‘Do you want to go snorkeling? Surfing? Even just book an Airbnb? Then be prepared to drop some serious $$$.
“Australia has some of the best experiences in the world, but on day two your wallet will be screaming.”
Most commentators agreed with this observation.
‘Yes, sorry about that. They have always been pricey and lately even more so.
“But of course it depends on where you are.”
Another raged about the cost of living Down Under.
‘It teases with the beaches and the nature and the fact that it is an English-speaking nation of immigrants, but when people come to live here they quickly find that they are just working to maintain their lifestyle and have no time or opportunity to do something different.
‘Surrounded by a materialistic, segregated society of unambitious cowards who think they can’t change anything.’
Ms Sartorio said she would like to return to Australia “as soon as her wallet is recovered”.
She said one of the biggest things that struck her about Australia was the cost of living
The diet
‘Everything is so sweet!
‘Bread, snacks, even the butter contained sugar. I don’t know if it’s a vibe or a conspiracy, but I came back with a serious sugar high.”
Some commenters said they found that surprising because they didn’t think Australians have sweet tooths in the same way as Americans.
Belgium, where Ms Sartorio is currently based, is known for its chocolate industry, a key pillar of its economy.
Most cocoa is produced in Central and South America and Africa, but Belgians, along with the Swiss, played an important role in popularizing commercial chocolate in the 19th century.
“I’m not sure what bread and butter you’re eating, but it’s not sweet here,” one commenter said.
“The butter part was a joke,” Ms. Sartorio said.
‘The butter was indeed very tasty, actually all the dairy products were super tasty.’
Early birds
Ms Sartorio said that during her time in Australia, ‘5am was the new 8am.
‘Do you think I’m joking? The places are buzzing. Coffee shops? Vol. People run? Everywhere.
‘Meanwhile, the coffee shops in Europe open at eight in the morning and wonder why no one is awake.
“I can’t even have coffee before I go to work, and there’s a business idea!”
Some Aussies said this was definitely not their experience of the culture.
“This clearly wasn’t Sydney,” said one.
‘That made me laugh. I don’t think it was Melbourne either,” said another.
‘Who gets up at 5 o’clock? Queenslanders? There’s no daylight saving time so it’s light earlier and it gets warm around noon,” a third agreed.
‘Most decent cafes don’t open until seven or eight in the morning. There are certainly early morning cafes, but they are usually not the best and they are people trying to maximize the day before a long day at work, not because they want to get up at 5am of course,” another argued.
“You were in Qld… that’s not really Australia… more like Texas… they do things early. The rest of the country wakes up at six or eight o’clock.”
The outdoor lifestyle
Ms. Sartorio said she noticed that “people are fit.”
‘So, very fit. Jogging, surfing, Pilates, wherever you look.’
But she added that there was also “the other extreme,” which was generally not as prominent in Europe.
“It’s like two extremes living side by side,” she said.
Uncomplicated
“Everything is clean and went smoothly,” Ms. Sartorio said.
‘Bathrooms. Water fountains. Clean streets? They are everywhere. I felt like I was in a utopia of a public toilet.
‘Besides, it just made sense. Even renting a car was no problem. Europe, take notes.”
Some commentators said her impressions of Australia summed up the country quite accurately, but some pointed out that ‘the grass is always greener’.
‘Ironically I’m back from Europe (Australia is my home country) and I absolutely loved it there, especially Denmark, Italy, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Maybe because the mornings are a little later and the food contains less and less sugar.’
