Ever since moving to Australia over 6 years ago I have been smitten with everything Aussie. But as we are approaching yet another Australia Day I started pondering what is it exactly that makes this country such a lucky place to live in?

So regardless of the debate over the correct date to celebrate Australia Day I wanted to celebrate my adopted country by listing my top 10 reasons for why anyone should move to Australia, pronto!

1. THE WEATHER

To me the summer is just endless. Living in Melbourne Australians often complain about the long and cold winter, but as someone born not far from the arctic circle, this is nonsense. It might not be only sunshine & summer all year long, but even in the colder state of Victoria, the warm spring, the hot summer and the mild autumn easily stretches to cover ¾ of the year, which to me is the right kind of balance.

Beach Boxes in Victoria, Australia

What I love most about the long summers is the light. Leaving the house in the morning without it being pitch black makes the early mornings so much more palatable. And the truth is that lovely weather also calls for more time spent outside. 

2. STUNNING NATURE

Queensland, Australia

To a foreigner Australia may seem a massive desert bordered by beaches. And while it's true that the central Australia is huge (in fact 70% of Australia is so dry it could be classified as desert) what has surprised me is the great variation in scenery.

The Great Ocean Road, Australia

In Australia you can find amazing natural beauty from rain forests and tall trees to the desert, mountains and beaches. You can even ski in winter! Nature Parks are plentiful and of course Australia can boast of several Unesco World Heritage sites such as the iconic Uluru or the Great Barrier Reef. Where ever you go you are guaranteed to be surrounded by stunning nature and breath taking scenery. Its a country made for road trips!

Typical looking road in Australia. 

3. CUTE WILDLIFE

If you have ever seen any of the Cockatoo Collection products (and you’re bound to, if you have come across this blog!), you can tell I’m fascinated by the Iconic Aussie animals.

And no, I don’t mean the venomous snakes and spiders (still don’t like them although I recognise they are pretty misunderstood creatures), but what other country can boast about fluffy koalas sleeping in tree tops? The sight of a wallaby hopping along the roadside still makes me stop and grab the camera. And don’t even get me started on the quirky wombat, resembling a giant guinea pig with a re-enforced rear!

The Australian animals are just cuter than anywhere else in the world.

4. LAID BACK ATTITUDE

Living in Australia is easy. And a lot of this is thanks to the friendly Aussies and their laid back attitude. Nothing is too serious or too much trouble. No wonder the Aussies have become famous for phrases such as ‘easily done’ and ‘no worries’.

Australians are easy to be around with. Even the most highflying CEO will turn up in shorts and sandals and call you ‘mate’– and the size of your house or financial status is just not that interesting. Aussies don’t stand for ceremony and you can as easily asks your friends for dinner at your home or invite them to join you for a BBQ in a park (or ’barbie’ to use the local lingo). It’s this easy going, laid back attitude I most love about Aussies and which makes it easy to settle in Australia.

5. THE OUTDOORSY LIFESTYLE

Aussies love the great outdoors, whether it is camping, surfing or just having a BBQ outside. Many people bike to work and I’ve never seen as many people jogging while pushing a pram as in Australia.

Surf boards at local Life Saving Club

Being outside is such a great gift to give your kids and a major motivation for our family to make Australia our home. I rather have a girl that’s learning water skills at the local Life Saving Club than one that’s hanging around in a shopping centre. This is also where the gorgeous weather comes in. It’s so much easier to spend time outside when you don’t need put on layer after layer of clothes just to collect the mail from your post box.

Girls on stand up paddle boards in Victoria, Australia

6. SIMPLY GOOD FOOD

Roadside fruit and veg for sale in Queensland.

Blessed with amazing fruit, vegetables and seafood all year around it’s not surprising Australia is called the lucky country. The mangoes alone were enough for my niece to pronounce she is considering moving to Australia when she grows up!

Fruit picking in Victoria. 

It is not only the superb fresh produce that has won me over though. The country is bursting with high quality restaurant combining different ethnic flavours and giving them an Aussie twist. You rarely get disappointed when you eat out, which is a massive tick in my book.

7. LIVABLE CITIES

I’m admittedly biased when it comes to my home city, Melbourne, but the fact remains that Melbourne has been listed as the most livable city in the world for the 7^th time in the row with Adelaide and Perth featuring in the top 10.  The international darling Sydney is not far behind coming up as the 11^th most livable city in the world in 2017. Australian cities generally score high on healthcare, education and infrastructure as well as stability, culture and environment.

Sydney

The weather, good public transport system, the art & creative scene, with international standard sporting events such as the Australian Open tennis is what makes Melbourne a top city for me. The Australian cities may not have the same scale as say London or New York, but they feel safer - and the air is fresher.

Melbourne

8. HIGH STANDARD OF LIVING

Although the cost of living may seem high to overseas visitors the employment rate and the Australian salaries are high and the economic recession of recent years have not hit Australia as hard as other parts of the world.  

The overall standard of living is high with excellent health care, good education system and public services.

9. MULTICULTURALISM

One third of Australian have been born abroad and the majority of people come from somewhere else – as long as you go back far enough in time. This makes Australia an easy place to live in with Australians being welcoming and friendly to foreigners. Australia is a melting pot of nationalities and especially in the cities you feel the cultural mix adding spice to the everyday life.

10. BEACHES, BEACHES AND MORE BEACHES.

Beach on the Sunshine Coast

Admittedly beaches could fall under the stunning nature headline. But the beaches in Australia are so beautiful they definitely need their own mention (and yes, I couldn’t stop at 9 reasons!). Did you know there are 10,685 beaches in Australia? You could visit a new beach in Australia every day for 29 years. And now it is even backed by science that spending time near the sea is good for your mental health. Need I say any more…

These are my top 10 reasons for why Australia is a great place to live. Have I forgotten something? Or am I looking through rose tainted glasses? Let me know your comments below.