10 Ways in Which the UK is Better Than Australia

July 13, 2016

As my time of living in the UK nears the end, I think it’s only appropriate to give the country I’ve called home for the past 12 months some credit. I moan about the weather, the lack of ripe avocados and the funny Yorkshire sayings but amongst all that, a little love for England that I never thought possible well and truly blossomed. I’ll happily admit I was wrong about so much of this country, and there’s many appealing aspects to it that I had never imagined before. So here is my list of 10 ways in which the UK beats Australia:

1. They actually get all 4 seasons of the year

   Well… kind of. I’m still hanging out to see a peak of Summer, but if you call the odd day above 20 degrees and a glimpse of blue sky, then yes, the UK experiences all four seasons. Unlike Brisbane, which has Summer and…. a slightly cooler summer. I’m not complaining about constant blue skies and sunshine, but there’s something special about Autumn leaves, leafless trees in Winter and blossoming flowers in Spring that we just don’t get to experience back home!

   

   Glasgow, Scottland

   

   Hyde Park, Leeds

   

   Hyde Park, Leeds

2. You can buy alcohol in the supermarket

   It’s actually kind of mad now to think that I need to go to a bottle-o to buy alcohol when I go home. What do you mean I can’t buy beer when I go to the shops to buy my broccoli?! Why should I have to go to two different shops to buy my gin and tonic, a pair that obviously should just be sold right next to each other. The convenience is unbeatable!

3. Quaint pubs on every street are the norm

   Pubs in Australia… what’s to say about them apart from the classic Irish pubs you may find scattered here and there, and they’re always filled with slightly questionable people. In the UK on the other hand, pubs are a different story all together. They’re on every street corner, intricately decorated both inside and out, serve delicious pubgrub meals and are always a welcome shelter from the less-than-perfect weather. It’s incredible to see the amount of them that are built before Australia was even colonised.

   

   Lake District

   

   Skipton

4. Ice cream vans are also the norm

   So much the norm that I got a few too many weird looks as I paused to take these photos. “What, has this girl never seen an ice cream van before?!” … well yeah, I have, but I mean, this is a whole new level. As soon as the sun is shining (I use the term loosely) and the temperature hits double digits, the ice cream vans hit the streets and people from all generations are out licking an ice cream from Mr Whippy. It has a feeling of nostalgia, and a real sense of bringing people together!

   

   Leeds, UK

5. Cash withdrawals are free from every ATM, irrespective of your bank

   Nothing like the classic 1km walk down the other end of the shopping centre to find the ATM for your bank to avoid a $2 transaction fee. Well, this is not the case in the UK! There’s an agreement across all bank institutions that no matter which bank you are with you can withdraw cash from any ATM and avoid all transaction fees. A simple concept, but an advantage that should not be overlooked!

6. Beautiful churches christen every corner

   And not only are they everywhere, but they’re there for a myriad of uses- churches converted to university buildings, community centres, restaurants, even night clubs…and ofcourse the odd one is still a church!

   

   Skipton, UK

   

   York, UK

7. In Summer, the sun won’t set until after 9pm

   There’s something completely summery about having sunlight from 4am to 10pm despite the weather not warming up all that much. Although this means the winter can be horrendous, with the sun setting as early as 3:30pm, the long summer days make it all worth it!

   

   Leeds, UK

8. There’s an uncanny amount of “dollar shops”

   Well not quite $1 because of the exchange rate, but definitely 1£! From Poundland, to Poundworld, Poundshop, the 99p shop and Shop From a Pound, you’ll never find yourself being out of a 1 mile radius from one! Even better, they sell the legitimate brands of things not fakes. From sweets to bathroom products, meat/cheese to garden supplies- you can literally buy EVERYTHING…get amongst it.

9. You’re on Europe’s doorstep with flights available for less than 10£

   In my year in the UK I made weekend trips to Ireland, Denmark, Poland, Austria, the Netherlands, Morocco and Macedonia. That’s not even including my longer breaks where I had time to conquer almost every country in Europe. I’m no millionaire- this is all thanks to bargain budget flights connecting cities all around the UK to continental Europe. Click on the pictures below to see what Destinations I’ve been to across Europe!

   

   Copenhagen, Denmark

   

   Innsbruck, Austria

    

10. Big breakfasts cost less than the cost of plain toast in Australia

    I know everyone complains that Australia is really expensive, and actually after living in the UK I’m quite eager to dispute this, because many things are very similar in prices if not cheaper, with tobacco and alcohol being the obvious exception. But another thing that makes Australia look ridiculously overpriced, and I’m willing to accept it’s because of a cultural difference, is the cost of breakfast. Can someone remind me why I’m paying min $6 for a slice of toast with butter in an Australian cafe, when I can order a full English breakfast for the same price?

    

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