Relocating to Australia – MPL’s Guide to Down Under

Often referred to as "Down Under", the continent of Australia is located in the southern hemisphere, to the north west of New Zealand and north of the great white continent of Antarctica. Australia is surrounded by numerous oceans and seas; to the west is the Indian Ocean and to the east lies the Pacific. Australia's southern coastline looks out over the Southern Ocean and to the north of the island you’ll find the Timor and Arafura Seas. The Tasman Sea is to the south east and north east is the Coral Sea.

The country is divided into six states; New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD), South Australia (SA), Tasmania (TAS), Victoria (VIC) and Western Australia (WA) and two major mainland territories, the Northern Territory (NT) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Most of the 22 million + population live along the south-east coast in the cities of Sydney, (NSW) with 3,832.000 and Melbourne (VIC) with 3,730,000, but other densely populated cities include Brisbane (QLD) with 958,500, Perth (WA) with 1,446,700 and Adelaide (SA) with 1,074,150. In the Northern Territory (NT), the most populated city is Darwin with just over 93,000 people.

Some of Australia’s most famous natural landmarks include;

1. Mount Augustus national park in Western Australia, which features the world's biggest monolith
2. The iconic Uluru or Ayers Rock in the Northern Territory
3. The Great Barrier Reef on Australia’s north-eastern coast
4. Shark Bay on the extreme western coast of Australia, which is famed for its large dugong population as well as dolphins, humpback whales, turtles and sharks.
5. The Horizontal Falls, near Talbot in Western Australia which have been described by David Attenborough as, "one of the greatest natural wonders of the world".
6. The Twelve Apostles in Victoria which are a group of natural Limestone and Volcanic rock formations, the tallest of which stands around 45 metres high. Due to the forces of erosion however, only 8 of the original 12 remain standing today. 
7. Lake Eyre, in South Australia; Australia's largest salt lake. It is dry through lack of precipitation and its bed glistens with salt deposits. The lake is famed as the site for various land speed record breaking attempts, most notably by Donald Campbell in his Bluebird Proteus CN7 jet car.
8. The Three Sisters, a rock formation in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. Legend has it that three sisters called Meehni, Wimlah, and Gunnedoo were turned to stone by the village Elder to prevent them from marrying outside of their tribe. Later, when the Elder died, it was realised that no one had the power to turn them back again.

Some of Australia’s most famous man made landmarks include;

1. The Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge (NSW).
2. The Q1 building (QLD), which is the second tallest residential building in the world.
3. The Eureka Tower in Melbourne (VIC) which if you measure to its roof is the tallest building in Australia.
4. The Swan Bells in Perth (WA); a set of eighteen bells hung in a purpose built 82.5 metre high copper and glass campanile.
5. Port Arthur; a penal colony within a penal colony. It was to here that repeat offenders were sent with very little hope of escape. Bounded on 3 sides by shark infested waters, its 4th side was a 30m wide isthmus known as Eaglehawk Neck which was criss-crossed by fences and guarded by prison guards and dogs. It became the final resting place for many a would-be escapee.
6. The Telstra Tower in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Perched on top of Black Mountain in Canberra, it is a telecom tower which is open to the public with fabulous views and a revolving restaurant.
7. The Anzac Bridge which is the longest cable bridge in Australia. The bridge spans Johnstons Bay and links Pymont and Rozelle (NSW). It has eight lanes for traffic as well as a pedestrian path and cycle lane.
8. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (VIC) is the largest sports stadium in the country accommodating up to 100,000 visitors. All sorts of sports and events are held here including Aussie-rules football, rugby, and concerts. Madonna once labelled the place “The G Spot” a term that has since stuck.
9. The Golden Guitar in Tamworth (NSW) was constructed in homage to Australia’s country music scene. Forty feet tall and built of steel, fibreglass and wood, it is a replica of the trophy awarded each year to the winners of Country Music Awards of Australia.

The Australian Lifestyle and Culture

Many choose to move to Australia because of the hot sunny weather and the great Australian lifestyle. With water on all sides it is not surprising that sailing, surfing and water sports in general, play a large part in the spare time activities enjoyed by the locals, as does swimming, sunbathing and all aspects of the outdoors lifestyle. One of the biggest draws to the waters of Australia is the great natural wonder that is the Great Barrier Reef.

The reef, which lies off to the north east of the island between the town of Cairns and Cape York is one of Australia's most remarkable natural sites. Comprising of over 3000 individual reef systems, it is home to an abundance of marine life and coral cays and literally hundreds of picturesque tropical islands with some of the world’s most beautiful golden beaches. Three of those islands have been highlighted here as must sees, if you’re in the area and are fortunate enough to be allocated “guest” status. Haggerstone Island, Heron Island and Bedarra Island are very special places indeed. These private islands deliver the ultimate in secluded hideaway luxury, in the middle of what is, arguably, one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Back on the mainland and the Australians love their sport. They love sports of all kinds including cricket and rugby as well as their own, Aussie rules football, a curious mix of football and rugby, played in an outfit that would not look out of place in a basketball arena. Up and down and all across the country from Sydney to Melbourne and from Brisbane to Perth and Adelaide, sport of one kind or another is encouraged, not just in the young at schools and colleges, but in the population as a whole.

Food is also a big part of Australian culture. Famous for their barbecues and excellent seafood, they also benefit from their proximity to Asia with all of the spices and exotic foods the Orientals bring to the table. Their restaurant menus are laden with mouth-watering goodies from all four corners of the globe and they have a wine list choc full of New World delights.

About Moving Partnership

At Moving Partnership we offer international removals to Australia and all other European and International destinations at the most competitive rates. Our extensive knowledge of the industry and our partnerships with removal companies across the world, mean we can demand greatly reduced prices for international removals to Australia, and pass those savings directly on to you the customer. Most of the firms we partner with are either members of the British Associated of Removers or FAIM accredited, enabling us to provide a high quality, reliable removals service every time.

MPL can offer international removals to all parts of Australia including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Canberra, Wollongong, Sunshine Coast, Hobart Geelong, Townsville, Cairns and Launceston.