Brits Opinion on Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, and Tasmania Compared
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 เม.ย. 2024
- Brits' Opinions on Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, and Tasmania Compared
We are a British couple who moved to America (Las Vegas) who have recently travlled to Australia and thought we would give our honest opions on the locations we visited
We are back!
Now we have been to Australia we thought we would do some follow up videos, sharing what we thought about Australia as a place to potentially live.
We are going to do a video on our ultimate opinion on whether we would choose to move there but first we thought we share things we learnt, what we liked, didn’t like, what was as expected or different about the places we visited.
Everything we are going to say is based on being there for only 2 weeks, spending 9 nights in Melbourne, 2 nights in Hobart and 1 night in Sydney.
We are going to talk about what we thought of each city…
We realized that everyone that has been to Australia has varied opinion on where they like. We met people that prefer Melbourne and others that prefer Sydney.
Melbourne:
• Culture/ Lifestyle:
o Diverse, multicultural - lots of Asian and Indians
o Ant liked the architecture - wide variety of style from European, Victorian to contempary
o Melbourne not really busy, not in comparison to other cities - heard it was busier before the pandemic
o Nice blend of being a city, and having local beaches, access to wineries within an hours
• Food: We were told by everyone that it is a great place for food, and we would agree. Lots of great food options, from Breakfast to Dinner, and Coffee
o Surprisingly generous in their portions!
o Price: Food much cheaper than US
Paying at Restaurants was different - casual food was often paid at the counter versus the more fancy places where they bring the card reader and you pay at the table
Tips are not expected
Surcharge is common for paying with cards, and eating at weekends and on bank holidays.
• Transport:
o Driving in Melbourne was a bit confusing
o Public transport: CBD was a great spot to stay with tram system - really liked it. Was free and easy to use.
• Weather :
o is here there and everywhere - hot, cold, wet, grey
Coffee: this could have its own video
• Coffee was amazing!
• We never had a bad coffee. I even had great coffee at the hospital.
• However there were some differences and we had to learn how to order coffee
• We learnt coffee is very customizable.
• You have all the standards, latte, flat white, cappucine, espresso. They also have a piccolo which we had not heard of before.
• Coffee would come out not that strong and barely warm.
o We learnt you had to order cappacini “strong” and hot
Tassie: Hobart
• Every said how nice it is
• It is very scenic there. We stayed in one of the nicest hotel with the best views we ever had.
• Hobart was great for cocktails, gin, food
• We were lucky with the weather
• A great place to visit
Sydney:
• Culture: hard to express as we were only there for a day
o Beach attire, everyone ready to workout, keep fit
o Hanging out at coffee shops/ bars
o Outdoorsy
o social
o Nothing like Melbourne
• Food:
o Cant comment as we were not there long enough but seemed like lots of options.
o Good coffee
• Transport:
o Lots More traffic
o Good Public transport
o Have commuter ferrys - we used this to go to one of the bays. Watsons bay.
• Weather:
o felt different
o More humid
• Saw spiders
Australia general:
• Language - more like how we speak, lots of abbreviations, brekky, tassie. Did not need to adjust how we speak
• People - more like us
• Safety -
• Social outlook - more seemingly similar to UK
We really enjoyed our trip and would happily return. As for whether we would choose to live there. We are going to save that for our next video.
Thanks for watching
US coffee is pretty grim. Once I was in the old part of downtown LA and walked into a coffee shop. Expected the usual. It was surprisingly good. So I said to the server it was great,.I'll have another one to go. The barista heard me walked over shook and 'Thanks mate, glad you liked it.' A Melbourne boy. We.had a great yarn.
Hospitality workers under law are paid 25-50% more on top of their ordinary hourly wage for Saturdays, 50-75% on Sundays and 125-150% for public holidays. I guess the 10-15% surcharge is to cover this.
Yep! That’s what I was about to comment!
Anyway great video guys! Glad you enjoyed your time here.❤
You are absolutely right - unions fought for these rights to compensate families for being away from family and friends over weekends and public holidays
Yep, highway robbery.
yep , just what i was going to say . we don`t mind , because the workers have to be covered and they are working on the weekend or public holiday . 💖💖
The restaurant surcharges reflect Australian wages, which are higher on weekends and holidays. Tipping is optional, pay rates are not.
As a born and bred Aussie I can say without any hesitation… there is so much to see here you can spend a lifetime and never see it all.
Glad you enjoyed Oz. 😎
2 weeks is really not enough time to KNOW any City.
Hope you enjoyed your time.
Cheers from Melbourne. 🇦🇺
YAY! I'M FROM MELBOURNE TOO😊
100% agreed! This is just our views on our short time there.
@@ANTSELyou really need to come back and spend at least a month in each state lol
@@ANTSEL😂I'm Tasmanian from North ( Launceston )
Ok so you went to Damn Hobart You need to see the whole state it's so diverse terrain is different every where you go I hope you enjoyed your visit here in Tassy
Workers are paid more at weekends and public holidays, so the surcharge is to cover the extra costs. Not all restaurants charge extra.
You were in Melbourne during the Autumn equinox which is when the weather is very changeable. The same during the Spring equinox in September. It can be very hot in Summer and cold in Winter. We are at the most southerly point of the continent and are subject to southerly winds from Antarctica.
What about Tassie? That would be similar but more so.
No it's Melbourneian heavy breathing.
Melbourne actually has the largest population of people who have Greek heritage outside of Athens.
Too many on benefits but generally living in Greece. Bludgers.
I think Thessaloniki has recently moved into second place, however Melbourne is still top three at the very least and an awesome place because of it - Love Melbourne!
Much respect from Sydney.
@Dobuan75 we both share the same patron saint.
Do you know there is twice as many Italians in Mel than greeks?
The credit card charge - actually you've always paid it every time you've used a credit card, and outside Australia you're also paying it if you don't use a credit card. Confused? Credit Card companies force merchants to pay a fee every time a credit card is used - however merchants are not allowed to charge credit card customers separately for it (meaning all customers end up paying the fee). In Australia that rule was over-ruled: merchants are free to charge for credit cards separately if they choose (and if they tell customers about it) - up to a certain limit. So while you may not have seen the charge before, it's just in Australia you've actually been told what the charge is, and given a choice to avoid it, if you choose.
Agree with what you said but like taxes it is an overhead a business has to deal with and should not be an extra in charging. There are costs to a business in handling cash also so there is no necessity for these charges to be charged directly to consumers. If the business needs to raise their price level to cover it then so be it.
@@MrSouthernlord You're right but it was overturned when cash was still prominent. Like the Americans with their old school credit card in the book thing, it's a glitch from another time.
@@MrSouthernlordTrue... but at least it's not as bad as in the US where you have to figure out taxes and add those to the prices advertised.
In my little shop even though we could charge a CC processing fee we just don't. Many do and I generally make a point of not shopping/eating at those places again if I can help it. A 1.7% processing fee on each sale is something I see as just one of the (many) costs of being in business.
Just changing our eftpos (card processor) away from the bank we used to use dropped that cost by almost 3%.
More common is to charge a fee if the sale is below a threshold (I don't do that either).
@@zybch That's really interesting! Personally, I don't pay attention to the charge, where it exists... but I've always wondered if my attitude is influenced by what I know about the background to the charge (which I think is a good thing). Sounds like you just view it as a charge not worth bothering with - which is understandable!
One spectacular thing you missed is the 300ft cliffs overlooking the ocean at Watsons Bay. Just 200m through the park, unbelievable.
I believe that is called "The Gap" famous for people leaping to their death (suicide)
Adelaide has beautiful beaches and great weather and not as busy
I live in Sydney, but Perth is my favourite city. Adelaide is my second choice ;)
good to know
Yep, I love my city. Nice and quiet. I live near the Barossa Valley so love it.
The Weather in Aus is better than the UK because winter is not as miserable. You can have an outdoor lifestyle all year around. And pristine nature to enjoy outdoors.
Fully agreed!
We love people like you guys visiting us!! Come back!! Next time you absolutely need to visit the hot parts of Australia! Queensland, Western Australia (Perth?) and Adelaide in South Australia. I'm from Tassie - you definitely need to come back here and check out more of the state. The NATURE!!
Can't believe you guys spent 9 days in Melbourne and didn't see The Great Ocean Road. It's truly breathtaking. It's also the largest war memorial in the world.
We know! We really wanted to do it and mapped the journey out. The probably I had was having to work and not having enough time. Sel x
Who recommended not staying in Sydney city??? 😱😱 The city centre is a perfect base for minimum 4 day Sydney visit. Days 1 and 2 explore the City/Quay/Rocks/Harbour/Opera House areas; Day 3 head east to the beaches and set half a day aside for the Bondi to Brontë walk; Day 4 hop on the ferry to Manly.
Typically, I don't tune into travel reviews like these, but it was quite comprehensive and your straightforward, relaxed demeanour was very much appreciated and really hooked me from the beginning. I'm actually from Australia and contemplating moving states... a fresh perspective was surprisingly beneficial!
Thanks a bunch
Now listen here you people. If you don't like Melbourne's weather......... wait 20 minutes. 😹😎🦘
Haha! Very true!
@@ANTSEL 😎
Or even 10 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Wonderful video! Thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Excellent review. Thank you...
Glad you enjoyed it!
You have to pay more for restaurants on weekends and public holidays because they have to pay their staff more. Often double amount per hour. The 10% other 15% percent is very modest in comparison to what the restaurant owner must pay to their staff for working on these days 😊
Great vid just come across your channel 😊
Great video! You've got to visit Perth on your next trip. The perfect blue sky. Got everything just quieter.
Everything is a stretch for Perth lol
@@Littleyeti7 Perth sucks
Thank you and hopefully next time!
Hi guys, I've quite enjoyed your videos and I hope you can enjoy Australia again in the future. I was born and raised in Melbourne and our weather obviously seems quite normal to me 🙂 Our weather does change from day to day, fortunately, as it feels better to have a change to me. Recently we had three days in a row of 39,38 and 39. Then we had 3 days in the mid to high 20's, which was a great relief. Going to bed with the temperature at or over 30 at night isn't much fun if you don't have air conditioning 🙁and going to bed when it's 21 is a welcome relief. People in Sydney seem to be very dismissive of Melbourne weather, but the average yearly rainfall in Sydney is 1175mm compared to 649mm in Melbourne. 😄 Anyway, glad you enjoyed your stay here and as I was told in a town called Toad Suck in Arkansas, "Y'all come back now!"
Thats the thing I always hear from Melbournians........ Difference is in Sydney can bucket down for a day or Two... Melbourne spreads rains over MORE days... 4 seasonal in one day........... So easy Stats can be easily picked ...LOL
Loved your honest well spoken post on my country, please come back and see more of this beautiful land. Take care come back soon.
This is a lovely comment, thank you! We definitely want to come back.
Loved your videos, hope you return soon and stay longer.There are lots of other locations I'm sure you you will find different, and will enjoy. Cheers.
We hope so too, thank you :)
You might be interested that the city of Perth on the Western coast of Australia has the perfect weather from an English perspective.
In fact it has the highest proportion of British expats than any other Aussie city.
Only one problem, it's just a bit shit
Did not know that, in terms of the number of british expats. We hope to visit Perth next year.
Awesome video guys!!!🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤
Thanks!
Really enjoyed your video. We have lived in Melbourne since 1980. The best choice we ever made 🏴🇬🇧🇦🇺. It was great to see your review of our city through different eyes. Thank You 😊
Ps Were you having coffee at Eastland SC Ringwood ? If you did I remember you gave me a lovely smile 😊.
So glad that you enjoyed your stay in Australia! Hi from a couple of Melbournites. We've lived here all our lives. Personally I always find it amusing when people criticise our weather 😀 I just look at the weather app to see what to expect, what to wear and where to go on our trips in Victoria. We rarely go to the city but get loads of stunning days to take our cameras out to see amazing wildlife in our beautiful state. 😊
Hi! Honestly the weather is still much better than the UK. It was just odd how much it could change within the day itself.
We look forward to coming back.
Such lovely people 😊 So interesting to hear your views. Come back anytime !
Great video guys ... really balanced views about life here in Oz. Maybe next time come up and see us in Queensland, sub-tropical and the humidity is higher but we have a few nice spots up here. Hey, I'm a Pommie expat from the frozen wastes of Manchester so if I can hack it anyone can haha. Looking forward to more vids .. keep ujp the good work :)
😂 7mins in and I am clicking the like button 😂... Love when people discuss our AUS👍🏽...... Cheerio from Down Under 🌺
Pronunciation: Melb'n.
Weather: four seasons in one day.
Major shame you didn't get to see Sydney longer.
Agreed!
We are Aussies, we shorten everything, including the payment system in restaurants 😂. Aussies thanks to our immigrants 👏👏👏 have developed a refined taste in coffee. You would be hard pushed to get a bad cuppa in Oz unless you went to Starbucks, which no Aussie with any concern for their tastebuds or sugar levels would enter.
Shame you didn’t have more time in Sydney, there are far better beaches to be had than Bondi.
Pleased you enjoyed the Ferries on the Harbour, those and the Rivercats are a brilliant way to get around.
Hope you manage to come back and give Sydney and other parts of Australia your time 👍🇦🇺
Still thinking about that coffee... We will definitely return, hopefully next year for a longer trip.
Slowly working my way through your Australia trip videos thought I'd cut the line quickly and then jump back! Sounds incredible, definitely on my list of places to visit!
Only thing that put me off a permanent move down under years ago was all the stories of snakes and spiders haha 😆
The stories are highly exaggerated, particularly if you live in the city or suburbs. I’ve lived in Melbourne all my life and never had a problem.
Can agree that the stories about venomous snakes and spiders all over Australia are just an urban legend. Not gonna lie, they are definitely existing somewhere in the desert, but the likelihood you encounter one is definitely zero.
@@k.vn.k we live on a wetland in south west Melbourne and see them occasionally on our walks, but we leave them alone and visa versa. Over hyped.
The dangers are greatly exaggerated.
We do have some of the most venomous snakes and spiders in the world, but venomous and dangerous are two quite distinct things. Almost all of our snakes are active hunters, rather than passive ambushers (vipers), and actively avoid humans too. There are snakes everywhere there’s water in Australia, including in the middle of major cities, but you’ll rarely see them. The cause of almost all of the very few cases of snakebite in humans here is people trying to stop a poor innocent snake from biting the person’s pet that’s attacking it.
I don’t think any of our big spiders are seriously venomous. Huntsmen are the big bois you’re most likely to encounter indoors (because they seek out shelter when it’s going to rain) but they won’t hurt you. We have beautiful big Orb Weavers too - also harmless, with magnificent webs (and they don’t venture indoors). Redbacks are potentially dangerous, but they don’t move around much so as long as you remember the cardinal rule ‘don’t put your hands where your mouth can’t see’ you’ll be fine. (Though do always check the toes of shoes before you put them on. Or store them in sealed box.) Funnel webs and Trapdoors are ambush hunters, so wear gloves (and shoes) if you’re gardening and you should be fine. Like with the majority of wildlife: don’t bother them and they won’t bother you.
If you’re from the US they’re just the normal precautions you’d take whilst camping, with the added benefit of not needing to worry about scorpions. We have plenty, just none that have any real venom to speak of. They might give you a nip, but their pincers aren’t venomous! Also no bears or big cats.
Lol. Australia definitely has a bad reputation when it comes to that. It seems that everyone living in Australia claim it is not so bad.
Highly recommend visiting Australia.
Thankyou, you pronounced Melbourne correctly ❤❤❤ The surcharge is to cover the workers higher pay-rate on a weekend and and public holidays. It’s quite a hefty pay increase for the workers (which is good) but, a lot of the smaller places would not be able to open if they had to cover the gazetted pay rise. So the compromise is the surcharge.
Loved your video. I used to work snd live on the Sydney area so I’m extremely biased. Sydney is gloriously beautiful! Hopefully you may get back one day. Public transport’s the way to go, and you can walk most sightseeing places.
Thanks!
I have surfed in morning, snowboarded in Arvo in Hobart
I personally would recommend at least 4 weeks for anyone visiting our great country Sraya and even then you really won't get to see a great lot as it's such a BIG country...I really enjoyed your review especially as you only spent two weeks here and covered so much about Melburn , Sydney and Tassie...Something funny I have to tell you, here in Aus it is normal to get in the front passenger seat of a taxi or uber...Some years ago I was in London which is where I originally grew up and I hailed a black London taxi, it stopped for me and I automatically tried to get in the front seat, I opened the door and as you know there is no seat just a place to put luggage, the driver yelled at me "What do you think your doing" and just drove off...lol
Glad you enjoyed our review. 100% agree we needed a month in total at least. We definitely tried to do as much as we could with the time.
I did not know that about sitting in the front of the Uber! Good fun fact to know.
Sydney is the photo, Melbourne is the book.
On a muddy river as compared to one of the best harbours on the planet🤨
Sydney is the beauty, Melbourne is the beast.
Melbourne always trying to be noticed..Victorians have a complex it seems
Nice analogy.
Goose
Melbourne is pronounced "Melb'n". Glad you enjoyed it here. It's a great city. As for the weather, you just have to check a weather app twice a day and adjust your wardrobe accordingly. Easy peasy 😅 And don't worry; Aussies from interstate find driving in areas with trams confusing too!
Thanks!
Layers! Melbourne dressing is about layers 😂
Great video
Next level public transport is not Melb or Syd.. it is Japan/Korea.. and the best thing ever is respect for fellow travelers.. no talking on 'PHONES'.. considered super rude. Japan takes cleanliness and punctuality beyond.. they really get a lot of social niceties perfectly!! .. and another word to consider... 'Bullet Trains'. Just amazing. Hope you guys had an awesome time in AUS.. please come back again :) I am from Melb
Iv lived all over Australia. I believe the coffee is good everywhere. I think the comments about Melbourne might be from some pride about the coffee culture there. It is good and it if plentiful there but I think the rest of Australia has caught up.
Coffee is generally good in most places in Australia, but in Melbourne it is REALLY hard to get a bad coffee. Quite simply if yiou do bad coffee in Melbourne, you go broke.
If you do bad coffee in the USA you set up a massive franchise and make a fortune.
I think it’s because u find Greeks in Sydney and Melbourne has Italians and Italians know how to make there coffee well that’s why people like Melbourne coffee in Sydney u find a lot of Greek takeout places
@@user-ut3dy5jz6s Both Melbourne and Sydney have a lot of Greeks and Italians, but many came quite a long time ago. Melbourne claims to have more Greeks than anywhere else except Athens.
There are newer immigrants recently because both Italy and Greece have been having economic problems, but Australia has changed the rules and you need more qualifications to get a working visa and permanent residency.
Really? ‘Coffee is good everywhere in Australia? I’m in Adelaide and 90% is mediocre or poor.
I have to drive a long way before I can get a good coffee
I’m positive they’re not trained here plus mass production is preferred to quality and cleaning the machines
@@nurse580 You are judging by Australian standards.
I agree there is not top coffee everywhere, but compared with what you get in the UK or the USA it is nearly always superior. Even by continental standards. French short black which is their standard coffee is nearly always acceptable, but anything outside that, which they consider "special" and extremely expensive, usually sucks.
In the USA coffee is almost without exception appalling. In the UK you need to hunt out good cafes, usually run by Aussies and Kiwis They are improving but most British think Starbucks is good coffee.
Great video. Port Melbourne is a sleepy part of town.
When there’s a hot day, people go to other beaches, not Port Melbourne. Mornington Peninsula beaches are where everyone goes.
I have a feeling you both would absolutely LOVE the Gold Coast. A must on your next trip!
Next time!
so glad you got to tassie. such a beautiful place
Us too!
I'm going to be controversial and say Canberra has some of the best weather. It has four distinct seasons which no other Australian capital city really has, lots of sun, a moderate amount of rain fairly evenly distributed throughout the year and generally low relative humidity. While summer days can be hot, nights are almost always pleasantly cool and air conditioning is rarely required. In the last decade or two the climate has noticeably warmed, so winters, while cold by Australian standards, are really not that bad. It's the only city along with Hobart where you can sometimes see snow on nearby mountains.
Yeah, but Melbourne has all 4 seasons in one day, bonus!
Melbourne does get snow in the Dandenongs, and sometimes in the lower suburbs too. But Canberra does famously have properly cold winters. I have cousins there, and have always wanted to visit.
I lived in Sydney and now the Blue Mountains. My wife and I love Canberra. If I couldn't live at Wentworth Falls, I'd live in Canberra. The cold weather is my thing.
I agree, Canberra has amazing weather! I live for the four distinct seasons, so special and Mother Nature's Gift that money just can't buy imho. Food for the soul. 2 hours to the beach and 2 to the snow. People say oh it's sooo cold. Well, compared to what? No where close to most major cities globally e.g. London, Paris, NYC, Chicago, Vienna, Toronto etc. now THAT is cold!!!! More winter days than not are clear, crisp and sunny. Sit in front of a north facing window and soak up the sun with a cuppa is just so divine. And bonus is I love a winter wardrobe e.g cool boots and jackets etc. I find it interesting that most northerners bang on about fantastic weather when southerners are experiencing 'our' winter for a few short months, yet while they're living in their 'hot soup' summer weather (with destructive cyclones) for a much longer length of time they're all suddenly quiet. In the end, love where you live, and that is a different thing for each of us. Overall, we're very lucky.
@@barbararowley6077 Occasionally the nearby Canberra hills and mountains will be cloaked in a winter wonderland white. Makes for a spectacular sight. Sadly it used to be more common but it still occurs.
It’s very normal to be cashless in Australia. Far more than the US. None of my local cafes have weekend surcharge. Just public holiday surcharge.
Employees in retail or hospitality are paid time and a half on Saturdays, and double time on Public Holidays unlike in America.. We pay staff quite well here in OZ so a surcharge is not unreasonable.
Awesome 🏖🏖
On weekends and bank holidays employee's earn time and a half and double time, that explains the surcharge (you can earn over $65 per hour waiting tables on a sunday). In london i constantly had a 30% or 20% service charge put on my bill written so small on the menu, 2 coffees and a simple breakfast costing over $75 AUD. Cafes' pass on the bank charges in OZ to the customers, hence the bank charges
I loved this , my new favourite travellers 😄if you come back you have to go to Queensland, the weather is amazing on a next level , far north Queensland rainforests are the most beautiful places you'll ever see , western Australia is also stunning but a long way from everything
Thank you! :) We really want to come back and visit Queensland.
Most visitors to OZ either stay in Sydney or Melbourne there is another great city that surprises everyone and that is Brissie which is a beautiful place with great weather if a bit humid mid summer but with beautibul beaches and very scenic views a few miles out of the CBD just an amazing plce to vist and enjoy. They have the same coffee counture and beaut resturants overlooking the Brisie river quite and eye opening experience.
awesome video guys, cant believe you've been on YT for three years, posted 280 videos and only have 3k subs WTF???
Thank you! It has definitely been a slow grind but we keep going :)
You guys should try Adelaide! Dry heat, great food and coffee, and English, Irish, Scottish based, wine etc.
Definitely sold Adelaide to us :)
A shame you couldn't spend more time in Sydney, it is a magnificent city. We are from Melbourne but have family in Sydney and get back there as much as possible.
An old saying in Mebourne, if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes.
The city is still quiet after covid as many still work from home.
Sydney? Melbourne? Both great cities, come back again.
Thanks!
Yes, Melbourne road signage is woeful. When I drove down from Toowoomba to get on the ferry to go to Tasmania, the ferry was still leaving from the old place. I was in the left hand lane desperately searching for a sign to let me know which lane I had to get into for the ferry. I spotted the one and only sign just before the right hand lanes split but unfortunately there was a car right next to me & I was literally forced to take the left exit into Melbourne. Ahead of me I could see the Tollway through the tunnel & the opportunity to get off at the next set off lights. Luckily for me I had driven taxis in Melbourne in the mid '90s & my sense of direction helped me to head back under where I had just been to the docks where the ferry was berthed.
Glad it is not just us!
This was great. Thanks guys. Interesting though about humid weather. I simply hate humid weather. I'm from back east USA and summer time there is the bits. Now I live in western Canada and humidity, though present, is not as oppressive as the eastern side of North America. So, I would not like it Sydney in their summer. I would go when it hits summer in North America, which means it going into fall/winter in Australia.
So ...Melbourne, eh? Okay. Cheers you two!!!!!! :)
The weather in Melbourne is usually appropriate to the seasons. Melbourne has actual seasons. Just dress in layers. Summer is fabulous because when it gets really hot, a cool change is usually on the way. I've been the the UK several times, I can honestly say the weather in Melbourne is far, far better even on the worst days than in the UK. We never get weather as cold and miserable as it gets there.
Good video and review ,If you come back you have to check out perth ,brisbane ,Adelaide is quieter has great museums lots of beautiful churches and parks .And as an ausie that worked in construction and have lived and worked in every state except tassy adelaide ,when i was there is the cleanest town i have ever been in,come again,maybe you might like to visit townsville Q.L.D. P.S KEEP YOUR CAR LOCKED.
Thanks for the tips!
good overview. pretty accurate take on everything. sydney is the best and so much more to see there, just keep off the roads
Next time you come to Australia, check out the Gold Coast and Brisbane 😊
Brisbane is really underrated. Beautiful.
Will do!
On weekends, Australians usually get paid more as part of the penalty rates. Usually large corporate businesses will cover this cost for their employees, but for small to medium businesses such as cafes and restaurants the operating cost is too high for the busier days so they will ask the customers to help with the operating cost. It is legal, and there will be a notice to inform customers before hand. The 15% surcharge of public holiday is also due to the penalty rate but it is also an extra incentive to the employees to work the public holiday as in most businesses it is a voluntary work day. It is based on the work-life-balance idealism that Australians have.
You have to pay more on weekends and public holidays because we pay staff properly. This is also why shops aren't open longer, everyone deserves time off. You really need to spend more time in Sydney ❤
Great intelligent video. The credit or debit card charge annoys me too. Also businesses often round up the bill which annoys me.
Melbourne weather is similar to London but bit hotter in summer and bit less cold in winter plus a bit more sunshine overall.
In my younger years there were quite a few "Poms" in our friend group. After a couple of years in Sydney and travelling around a bit, they'd get homesick, sell up and return to England. Within six months or so, they'd realise why they'd gone to Australia in the first place, so once again they packed their bags and made the trip back to Oz. 😎🇦🇺
Haha! thanks for sharing
Happy and Blessed couple!!
Thanks!
The weather in Melbourne is fine. You must have had poor 9 nights. I'm a Brit and live north of Melbourne our weather often have blue skies. Best coffee in the world.
Come on in Melbourne you can have 4 seasons in one day 😊 but its a great city love Melbourne from Queensland
The weather definitely was bad all days. We had 2 days that were really nice but it was also very varied, and mixed even on one day. The biggest adjustment was the grey skies. Since moving to Vegas we get blue clear almost everyday. Agreed on the best coffee!
For some reason, don’t ask me why, there is a Sydney versus Melbourne rivalry. I have lived n Melbourne all my life but holidayed and worked in Sydney and loved my time in Sydney and never noticed any difference in people or culture except after deplaning in the middle of Winter once, a taxi driver was wearing shorts. Next time you come, do more time in Sydney but also check out Queensland. Australians are made up of around 300 ethnicities so accents are no problem for us whereas our fast spoken vernacular is really strange to visitors with the “Gday” or “AvaGday” being a good example. I had never seen a hand gun until I was 22 and that was on a police officer and although I had grown up in a family of hunters and sports shooters, the only time I saw a rifle was when they were being cleaned by my father and brothers. My family took safety so seriously that the rifles were always kept in a broken down state in the roof cavity and ammunition was stored at my grandparents home where there were no rifles . Rifles were never seen as “weapons”, just sporting equipment. If an Australian was to hear explosive sounds they would be more likely to think it was a car backfiring than assume it was a weapon being fired.
Born and bred in Sydney, have lived in Melbourne since the late 80's. I love both cities. Both have their charms. Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. Melbourne has a different culture, a mad sporting culture and very artistic/cool.
All Aus Capital cities are great, including Darwin and Canberra. Each has its various attractions and histories. I’ve just left Sydney after living there for 55 years. I lived in Melbourne for 4 years, North Fitzroy. Loved it. Lived in Canberra in winter for a while. Visited all the other cities and States. New South Wales and Sydney are unique because they were the European Foundation Colony and township, from 1788. Hobart shares a Georgian history with Sydney. Other States were established in Victorian times.
Thanks for sharing. We have 100% learnt there is a Sydney vs Melbourne rivalry which we had no idea about.
We definitely want to explore more in Sydney but other places in Australia too. Great place with great people.
@@ANTSEL Be aware that Sydney and Hobart started as penal colonies. This was on advice from Sir Joseph Banks, after Britain lost its American colonies. Melbourne was never penal.
@@anEyePhil And? Dont forget it was almost called "Batmainia" Now thats way more important ! ;)
I’ve been to five states in the USA. For an Aussie the coffee is undrinkable unless you can find an Aussie barista in New York it might be passable. I did find a drinkable coffee at one place in Portland, but honestly you either need to detox before you go or take your own with you and hope customs lets you in with it.
There are now Australians owning restaurants in New York and they are doing a roaring trade because of the quality of their coffee.
We have yet to have a decent coffee anywhere in the USA yet. We make our own bean to cup coffee at home. It is the only way to get good coffee. We need more Austalians to move here and teach Americans how to make the best coffee in the world.
@@ANTSEL You should have grabbed a bag of coffee beans from Aldi in Australia. Their coffee was just voted the world's best for a major store chain.
Noted for our next trip, thanks!
I only ever had 1 good coffee in the US, surprisingly a place in Savannah, Georgia. As we were waiting for the coffees to be made, the owner looks up at us from behind his laptop after hearing our accents: "You guys Aussie?" in his own Aussie accent. He was from Melbourne.
Why would Melbournites go to Port Melbourne on a hot day? We flock to gorgous, pristine ocean beaches along the Great Ocean Rd, or Phillip Island or a dozen other places!
So many people come here and say it’s expensive but they aren’t comparing it to a similar city in their country.
Casual worker rates are $30 an hour + half again on Saturdays and double on Sundays hence the surcharge.
Such an important point. What many visitors (and sadly some Aussies) don't recognise is that our pay rates are a reflection of our approach to life; everyone, including casual workers, are entitled to a fair financial reward for their eforts. We appreciate well run businesses amd resent those who measure success by how "cheap" they are in recognizing worker rights.
Restaurants/cafes have to pay their staff extra penalty rates on weekends and public holidays which can mean double and triple time. That can result in a huge extra cost to small business owners. So they pass the cost on to customers. And I think thats ok. If you decide to come back here for another visit to see more of Sydney consider giving yourself some extra time to travel out of the cities into the country. As far afield as Uluru or up to the tropics Cairns the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree. Like in the UK the cities are way different to the country and our outback.
Thanks for the tips on places to visit.
Melbourne is renowned for 'four seasons in one day'. We also love our coffee.
we definitely experienced that!
You can’t judge Australia in two weeks…
How come you didn’t go to Brisbane and Gold Coast…
I agree we have great coffee…
Melbourne is known for 4 season in one day…
You need to go up north…
Melbourne weather depends on time of year. Spring is changeable, winter cool and wet, summer is really good for the most part, autumn often lovely and mild. I've never been able to understand the weather obsession people have with Melbourne. It's actually pretty good, but worth remembering that it actually has four seasons.
Our Huntsman spiders are our friends because they won’t hurt us and eat the nasty bugs we all hate like cockroaches, flies and ants. They don’t build webs because they hide in wait for a meal to come by! Sometimes they stay on your wall or ceiling, looking down to search for bugs, then they can move very rapidly to get closer and lie in wait or slowly stalk the unsuspecting cockroach! The channel ABC Science is great, especially when Ann Jones is hosting the video! (Australian Broadcasting Service)
I guess it really does depend on what a person likes, for example Melbourne is that place that feels like New York and London if u like that kind of artsy hip style New York has but also combined with that modern like architecture that looks similar to London but has its own uniqueness, Sydney feels like a breath of air that’s the only way I could put it as
Your reaction to the restaurant process is how I felt when I first started going to Cape Town. Much cheaper at high end places for both food and alcohol.
Surcharge is to cover higher worker wages because there is an Award rate.
I find driving in Melbourne more stressful than driving in Sydney.
glad it is not only us!
25:00 If you ever head to Brisbane do the same thing with the ferries, set a third of the day to just ride the ferry up and down the river.
Thanks for the tip! Many people recommending we visit Brisbane, so it is definitely on our list for next time.
Great commentary. Move here you’ll LOVE it.
North Hobart is also food hub. A whole long Main Street with nothing but restaurants
Come to Mt Gambier in South Australia..we get 10 months of winter every year,you would feel right at home.😂😂😂❤❤❤
The restaurant at Watson’s Bay is Doyle’s Seafood! The fish, chips and salads all prepared any way you prefer!
We were going to eat there and then changed our minds! Next time!
Give me Melbourne and Hobart weather over Sydney any day. Hate the humidity. As a Tasmanian, I think a week minimum is required and ten days is even better. We have beautiful scenery, World Heritage wilderness, stunning beaches and wild coastlines, museums, convict history, wineries and distilleries to explore. I think your observations on each city and life in Australia were very accurate.
Agreed can't stand hot weather 😂
@@AUSTRALIAN19953 They'll hate Brisbane then!
@@peterbreis5407 don't mind brissy in September but that's it 🤣 and Cairns in June or July
Thanks!
I think as we live in such a dry state, we now really appreciate anywhere with humidity. We definitely needed longer in Tassie and Sydney,
@@ANTSEL Keep in mind that with humidity comes a LOT of rain! Sydney gets more than twice as much rain as London. (By comparison, both Hobart & Melbourne get less rain than London)
Sydney is gorgeous! It’s subtropical weather. Very different climate to Melbourne but you only have to go to central Victoria and the weather is much hotter than Melbourne. For me to travel from Bendigo 2 1/2 hours ( 150 kilometres ) away from Melbourne it only costs me $6 return trip . It’s extremely cheap on public transport.
top quality video
Thanks!
You guys should to check out the goldcoast next time your here
Absolutely!
Sydney is a great place, as is Perth, which is a bit of a flight but weather is mint. Here in South Australia, where I am, weather is mint as well a little slower town, Queensland is awesome too. Melbourne is 4 seasons in 1 day...
It’s usually much hotter in Melbourne but this summer is part of a cool cycle that comes and goes every five or six years. February most days over 30.
Year round Melbourne only averages 2° less than Sydney, that's mostly because winter and early spring months are about 3° colder but summer is almost identical in both (Melbourne just has less humidity in summer).
@@JesusManera well said mate. Melbourne is often hotter than Brisbane because people mistake humidity with temperature.
The flight time isn’t that long. London to Sydney via Singapore is 18 hours total and LAX to Sydney is 13.5 hours so not as long in terms of flying hours but door to door is a different story!
18 hrs? No way ..sunrise direct Sydney to London will be 22 hrs when it starts ..Perth to London direct takes 17.5 hrs
what a great video
Glad you enjoyed it
Staff get paid double or more on public holidays, so the minimum wage on a public holiday is around £25 per hour.
I’m American and was in Sydney for 10 days right around the same time as you guys (late Feb/early March) and absolutely loved it. I live in Los Angeles and it’s in a broad sense an alternate reality version of LA where things are actually clean, quality of life is high, food is amazing and public transport ruled. I did stay in the CBD and thought it’s a great place to stay as you have the best transport access there
Completely completely agree on the safety issue and I don’t think a lot of Americans really get it
Thanks for sharing! You were lucky as you got to spend much longer there but like you we loved it for all those reasons.
Its funny how you refer to Las Vegas as Los Vegas lol , anyway , We're in Perth over from the UK, we've been here for two weeks, hired a car via No Birds, driving here is a breath of fresh air , and the Malls here are amazing , everything here weather especially is so much better . Perth has been 30c+ everyday since we arrived , and its a dry climate no sweating its so beautiful, the beaches are incredible . we are definitely coming back.
Thanks for sharing. Perth sounds amazing too.
We pronounce it "Los" as that is the way is said. We used to say "Las" but adjusted to the local way of saying it, like we have since learnt to say Melb'n not Melbourne :)
Great comments from a delightful couple.
On language differences, I also find some Americans are disoriented by an Australian accent, even when not using any local slang. What is weird is that I've never had any issues talking with English-speaking Germans (which is most of them). My sister married a Brit with a southern English accent - which sounds quite 'posh' to Aussies. But sometimes it works both ways. A good friend of mine was an environmental biologist, a Scouser who had worked in the Caribbean and the USA, had picked up bits of each accent along the way, and talked very fast if excited about almost anything. Listening to her was like decoding a scrambler.
Just on Sydney's weather - Feb and Mar are the hot and humid months. November to January are hot, but drier. Sometimes you will get a cycle of increasingly hot days (north westerly winds from the hot desert interior) with a refreshing (sometimes dramatic) southerly change that drops temperatures and often brings storms or rain for a while. It never snows in coastal Sydney, but does on parts of the Blue Mountains (think scaled down Grand Canyons covered with forest) during most years. I think the best months in Sydney are April and May; cool clear mornings that turn into delightfully warm days.
One thing I often get asked about (I have an emergency management background) is bushfires. They are a natural phenomenon and a largely seasonal thing. For example, their peak risk moves like a wave from north tor south each year. So in northern Australia it is around mid year (dry season), it then moves through Queensland around Sep to Nov or so, Sydney peaks around Christmas time, and it moves on to Victoria in Jan and Feb. Local conditions can lead to variations, and particularly dangerous years are usually associated with El Niño and positive Indian Ocean Dipole conditions. (This is all very over-simplified) They are a very real risk that can produce tragic losses; but they are also often over-stated, particularly in overseas media. So (in 2019/20) "all of Australia is on fire" meant that (in the worst affected state), about 6 to 7% of its area was involved (still a historically large figure).
I've travelled quite a bit in the USA. Not had any issues in country areas, but some cities do feel edgy. But, for me it's not a guns thing (only one I saw was a friend who drove me around remote places in her native state of Alaska, mainly for the wildlife - she had 'incident's' with bears on two occasions, one while she was changing a flat tyre). To me the big danger seemed to be fentanyl - a fair number of people spaced out and difficult to predict. Really sad. I checked the stats later and apparently it kills about three times the number of people as guns. Seems odd that it doesn't get more attention. Tipping annoys me in the USA, but I go along with the gag. I found TSA rude and aggressive (though immigration was OK), but most Americans are really friendly. They will easily chat with you, unlike in London where everyone seems terrified of the concept.
@michaelrogers2080 Yeah I know. I've been to both and walked extensively in the Blue Mountains.
Grand Canyon is about 4000' deep mostly, and up to 6000' in places. The rim is typically around 7000' - Highest point in the Blue Mtns is under 4000' - Most of my walks from a valley floor to the top of plateau were about 1500-2000'', Biggest low to high I've done was on the Six Foot Track (about 3000').
They are both very impressive in different ways, but if I hadn't said 'scaled down' there would have been a few Americans having a justifiable sook.
I'll grant them bragging rights on altitude. Last year I drove on a US four lane interstate highway (I-70) that topped out at 11,000' (and that was inside a tunnel!)
Lots of the flora in the Australian bush actually REQUIRES fire to maintain the beautiful plant life.
staff are paid more for those times when the surcharge is applied. My daughter did weekend work in a cafe while she was still in school and as a result to make more than if she had just worked on a weekday after school.