Advance Australia Fair

I am almost certain that I have answered this exact prompt before, or at least one very like it. Still, I am always happy to indulge in a bit of wishful thinking. So, why Australia?

First and foremost it’s the outdoors lifestyle for a family. When we lived in Australia for just over a year while I was doing my degree, we were very cash poor, but the trains were cheap, the beaches were free, the weather was excellent and the children loved our trips out. The school we sent our children to was excellent and, if we had stayed there, each one could have followed their educational passion because they actually have secondary schools which specialise in specific subjects. To add to that the school system has one set of exams at the end, not the constant testing of this country which makes children and parents dislike education so intensely. As a place to bring up children it’s so much better than the UK.

The culture of sports is amazing. I have been a fan of Australia in the cricketing realm since 1989 when an amazing team came over to the UK and won back the Ashes. From that series onwards, I have supported Australia against England in every competition from T20 to Test Matches. When we were over there, my younger son was able to spend a season playing baseball because sport was accessible, relatively cheap and absolutely inclusive. Even if you lacked talent you could find a way to get involved as there were teams at all levels. Cricket takes place on beaches and if a game is going on pretty much every time you can join in if you want to. When we were over there I swam at least two or three times a week in the Sutherland Leisure Centre pool which was cheaper and infinitely better than any public pool in the whole of the UK.

The scenery in Australia is amazing, ranging from pristine beaches to ancient forests and incredible mountain views. These places are accessible and relatively cheap, although they were definitely getting more expensive when we returned a couple of years ago, allowing most people the opportunity to experience them. Parks are numerous and well kept with room to play sports, have picnics or just walk around. One of my favourite parks is Stanwell Park in the Sydney area which overlooks a beach and which makes for a brilliant base for a family day out.

Of course, no place is perfect, and Australia has very high prices for groceries compared to the UK, but Australia for me anyway pretty much ticks all the boxes as the best place to live anywhere in the world.