Ten Reasons Why Moving to Australia is so Worth It!!

Even after 5 years of living in Australia, when I go home to Jamaica to visit, my mother still asks me, “So why did you choose to migrate so far away?” I can hear the frustration and a tint of sadness in her voice, as she laments the distance of her first born child.

The fact that I can’t come home for Christmas every year still pains her.

My having to explain why I chose to immigrate to Australia comes up often in conversation with, not just her but, literally everyone I speak to when I visit. I get that same look of bewilderment and fascination when I say that Sydney is now home too.

A barrage of questions about that choice always ensues.

I’m tempted to walk with a power point presentation that explains why: even though my move as a single young woman to the other side of the planet, has been challenging, it’s been so bloody worth it.

Here are my top ten reasons for choosing Australia, that range from simple conveniences to major life-style upgrades.

(Just a little note, I’ve been living in Sydney the past 3 years, so many of these points relate specifically to life in that city.)

10. Buses with Seats and Schedules... Anybody from a third world country knows the deal, you go to a bus stop and wait and wait…the bus might come in two minutes or in two hours, only God knows. When you finally catch one, it is busting at the seams with passengers. But the driver still stops anywhere on the road to pick up more.

VS

I often hear Australians complaining about their public transportation systems, but they have no idea how lucky they are. Buses in Australia have timetables and there is an actual effort to stick to them. What’s more is that there are dozens of transport apps that you can use to track your bus and predict the exact minute it will get to your stop.

9. No Charge Docs… Australia has this wonderful system of universal healthcare called, Medicare. “UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE” ... hmmmm....don’t you just love the sound of that?!! That means that as Australian citizen or permanent resident, I can see a bulk-billing GP with no out of pocket expense. I've also never waited longer than twenty minutes to see a doctor. (Bulk-billing means the clinic bills the government, not me directly). How good is that? How much better is your quality of life, if you can see a doctor and not to wait in line for hours or have the added stress of a bill?

8. It's Safe... If you’re from countries likes Colombia, Venezuela, South Africa you can relate to this one. In Jamaica, there is the constant weight of worrying about personal and property safety. When I park the car, I have to use a wheel lock. Coming home late at night, I have to watch that no-one is lay waiting me at my gate. Our house is barricaded with bars and grills. In 2015, Jamaica had 45 murders per 100,000 people.

Meanwhile in Australia, I could sleep with my door open.

Australia’s homicide rate has continued to decline every year since 1990. In 2014, the murder rate was 1 per 100,000 in 2014. And it’s not just murders; between 2013 – 2014 the number of victims for the majority of offence categories decreased.

7. The Beaches... I am from a tropical island known for white sand beaches. But the reality is that to get to the closest one from my house in Kingston, I would have to drive for at least 45 minutes. In Sydney, I live within a 5 km radius of 6 stunning beaches, many of which boast views of the harbour.

[My local, Bondi]

6. No Traffic ... Well, not relatively. Yes, it might take you an hour to get from one side of central Sydney to the other in peak hour. But at least the traffic moves! If you’re from cities like London, Milan, Paris, Bangkok, Los Angeles, you will have experienced “spending on average a full work week in traffic,” says Jim Bak, author of the INRIX Traffic Scorecard. No city in Australia comes even close.

5. Access to the East... Years ago I only dreamed of going to Bali. But it was always too far away and too expensive to get to. But last year, I popped over for a quick holiday and it didn’t break the bank. I’ve also been to Vanuatu and the Cook Islands. Dreaming of that exotic South Pacific or Asian holiday? It’s now within reach.

4. The Weather... Twenty six degrees on a winters day? Going to the beach on Christmas day? The major cities in Australia all boast an average of over 185 sunny days per year.

3. Outdoorsy Lifestyle...The great weather means that doing things outside is just what you do. Which combats one of the challenges of living in Australia, the high cost of living. The fact that I can entertain myself with free activities like going to the beach, hiking trips and picnics means that I spend a lot less money on lifestyle entertainment than I would have in soggier, more but popular migration nations, like the UK.

2. It is far away... Now this might be a personal pick for me. I do like that it is 14,000km away. I resonate with the spirit of the pioneer and the sense that I am charting my own course of conquest in a distant land.

1. Opportunity... This a rich but complex reason. Access to opportunity is one of the main reasons people immigrate. I’ve had my challenges with finding work in my field (media) since I’ve moved. But in the meantime, I’ve had some cool and interesting stints that I wouldn’t have gotten to do otherwise: working in property sales, recruitment, business coaching and on Superyachts as a Stewardess. Plus, I believe that when I do get my break, it's going to be so good.

My being able to wrestle open this last golden box of opportunity will decidedly make this move so bloody worth it.

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