Relocating to Australia can be pretty overwhelming for a lot of folks, and for British expat Robyn Turner, it’s been no different.

Ms Turner has been living in Melbourne for the past five years and has encountered plenty of changes in her lifestyle.

To share her experience as a 'newbie' to this part of the world, she took to TikTok to list the five most shocking things she's come across thus far - which we think are all really quite funny.

A Brit who's lived in Australia for five years reveals some of the unexpected aspects of life Down Under. Credit: Pexels/Hugo Heimendinger.

To begin with, Ms Turner said she was taken aback to find that people in Australia often go barefoot, even in public places, something she wasn't used to in the UK.

'People walking around the supermarket or any other store in bare feet shocked me,' she said.

'You would never catch anyone that wasn't on a beach with bare feet in the UK. It doesn't appeal to me, but I mean, you do you; I just won't look at the floor.'

Not only that, but Ms Turner also noted that the alcohol sold in Australian supermarkets is slightly different to what she was used to back home, as it isn't located in a separate section.

'I had no idea this wasn't a thing,' she said. 'I was first like, “Where do I go and buy some wine from?” and someone was like, “the bottle-O”, and I was like, “What's a bottle-O?”'

'I had no idea, and it shocked me to the bones.'

According to Ms Turner, she was taken aback by how scorching the temperature can get in Australia. Credit: Pexels/Lukas.

Filtering through her list, Ms Turner - who is currently working as a personal trainer - also expressed shock at some of the scorching temperatures she's endured in Australia (we know all too well what that feels like!).

'When I first lived here, I lived in Sydney, and it wiped me out,' she said. 'Absolutely killed me.'

And despite the surprises and shocks, there was one thing she absolutely loved: the iconic lemon lime and bitters.

'This surprise was in the best way possible,' she said.

'Thank you for introducing me to lemon lime bitters. That is amazing stuff; it's like liquid gold. You (Aussies) are the ultimate gatekeepers, not letting the rest of the world know about it.'

​

Ms Turner also mentioned that she had acquired a particular taste for espresso martinis, a delectable cocktail she says she never encountered back in the UK.

'It's so good,' she said.

'I'm pretty sure you can get espresso martinis in the UK, but I'm from a small coastal town, okay. I had never seen them before I came here over five years ago.'

Key Takeaways

• A British expat has listed the five biggest culture shocks she experienced since moving to Australia.
• These culture shocks include people walking with bare feet in public spaces, the lack of alcohol aisles in supermarkets, the scorching hot temperature, lemon lime bitters, and espresso martinis.

Robyn's video has been viewed over 600,000 times - and it's not hard to see why. Even if you're not an expat, it's a great reminder of how different cultures can be and the importance of embracing each country and its unique customs.

Members, it seems there are plenty of aspects of Australian culture that stand apart from the rest of the world. Did any of the points made by Ms Turner ring true for you as well? If so, let us know in the comments below!

 

[Ian1]

Relocating to Australia can be pretty overwhelming for a lot of folks, and for British expat Robyn Turner, it’s been no different.

Ms Turner has been living in Melbourne for the past five years and has encountered plenty of changes in her lifestyle.

To share her experience as a 'newbie' to this part of the world, she took to TikTok to list the five most shocking things she's come across thus far - which we think are all really quite funny.

View attachment 11211

A Brit who's lived in Australia for five years reveals some of the unexpected aspects of life Down Under. Credit: Pexels/Hugo Heimendinger.

To begin with, Ms Turner said she was taken aback to find that people in Australia often go barefoot, even in public places, something she wasn't used to in the UK.

'People walking around the supermarket or any other store in bare feet shocked me,' she said.

'You would never catch anyone that wasn't on a beach with bare feet in the UK. It doesn't appeal to me, but I mean, you do you; I just won't look at the floor.'

Not only that, but Ms Turner also noted that the alcohol sold in Australian supermarkets is slightly different to what she was used to back home, as it isn't located in a separate section.

'I had no idea this wasn't a thing,' she said. 'I was first like, “Where do I go and buy some wine from?” and someone was like, “the bottle-O”, and I was like, “What's a bottle-O?”'

'I had no idea, and it shocked me to the bones.'

View attachment 11212

According to Ms Turner, she was taken aback by how scorching the temperature can get in Australia. Credit: Pexels/Lukas.

Filtering through her list, Ms Turner - who is currently working as a personal trainer - also expressed shock at some of the scorching temperatures she's endured in Australia (we know all too well what that feels like!).

'When I first lived here, I lived in Sydney, and it wiped me out,' she said. 'Absolutely killed me.'

And despite the surprises and shocks, there was one thing she absolutely loved: the iconic lemon lime and bitters.

'This surprise was in the best way possible,' she said.

'Thank you for introducing me to lemon lime bitters. That is amazing stuff; it's like liquid gold. You (Aussies) are the ultimate gatekeepers, not letting the rest of the world know about it.'

​

Ms Turner also mentioned that she had acquired a particular taste for espresso martinis, a delectable cocktail she says she never encountered back in the UK.

'It's so good,' she said.

'I'm pretty sure you can get espresso martinis in the UK, but I'm from a small coastal town, okay. I had never seen them before I came here over five years ago.'

Key Takeaways

• A British expat has listed the five biggest culture shocks she experienced since moving to Australia.
• These culture shocks include people walking with bare feet in public spaces, the lack of alcohol aisles in supermarkets, the scorching hot temperature, lemon lime bitters, and espresso martinis.

Robyn's video has been viewed over 600,000 times - and it's not hard to see why. Even if you're not an expat, it's a great reminder of how different cultures can be and the importance of embracing each country and its unique customs.

Members, it seems there are plenty of aspects of Australian culture that stand apart from the rest of the world. Did any of the points made by Ms Turner ring true for you as well? If so, let us know in the comments below!

I was going to suggest to her that her problem is she lives in Melbourne! She should live in Sydney, but I see she’s already tried that! Actually though, it’s the same the world over. We all have our idiosyncrasies that tell us apart, and make us unique in a way. In general she must like living here, because she still is!

 

[Sunshine45]

They say travel broadens the mind, she should have done more research. I wonder if she ever crossed the channel and found out other people speak a different language and eat different food!!

 

[Thecheesequeen]

When we arrived here nearly fifty years ago we weren’t prepared for the culture shock. Coming from the UK we expected the lifestyle to be similar to what we were used to, but it wasn’t. Things like poor public transport, different foods, people driving everywhere instead of walking, such cheap meat (yay!), long distances between places, the threat of bushfires, white Australia. It just had a different feel. We also weren’t prepared for the extreme heat in summer. While my husband settled quickly, it took me a good ten years.

 

[Caroline257]

Relocating to Australia can be pretty overwhelming for a lot of folks, and for British expat Robyn Turner, it’s been no different.

Ms Turner has been living in Melbourne for the past five years and has encountered plenty of changes in her lifestyle.

To share her experience as a 'newbie' to this part of the world, she took to TikTok to list the five most shocking things she's come across thus far - which we think are all really quite funny.

View attachment 11211

A Brit who's lived in Australia for five years reveals some of the unexpected aspects of life Down Under. Credit: Pexels/Hugo Heimendinger.

To begin with, Ms Turner said she was taken aback to find that people in Australia often go barefoot, even in public places, something she wasn't used to in the UK.

'People walking around the supermarket or any other store in bare feet shocked me,' she said.

'You would never catch anyone that wasn't on a beach with bare feet in the UK. It doesn't appeal to me, but I mean, you do you; I just won't look at the floor.'

Not only that, but Ms Turner also noted that the alcohol sold in Australian supermarkets is slightly different to what she was used to back home, as it isn't located in a separate section.

'I had no idea this wasn't a thing,' she said. 'I was first like, “Where do I go and buy some wine from?” and someone was like, “the bottle-O”, and I was like, “What's a bottle-O?”'

'I had no idea, and it shocked me to the bones.'

View attachment 11212

According to Ms Turner, she was taken aback by how scorching the temperature can get in Australia. Credit: Pexels/Lukas.

Filtering through her list, Ms Turner - who is currently working as a personal trainer - also expressed shock at some of the scorching temperatures she's endured in Australia (we know all too well what that feels like!).

'When I first lived here, I lived in Sydney, and it wiped me out,' she said. 'Absolutely killed me.'

And despite the surprises and shocks, there was one thing she absolutely loved: the iconic lemon lime and bitters.

'This surprise was in the best way possible,' she said.

'Thank you for introducing me to lemon lime bitters. That is amazing stuff; it's like liquid gold. You (Aussies) are the ultimate gatekeepers, not letting the rest of the world know about it.'

​

Ms Turner also mentioned that she had acquired a particular taste for espresso martinis, a delectable cocktail she says she never encountered back in the UK.

'It's so good,' she said.

'I'm pretty sure you can get espresso martinis in the UK, but I'm from a small coastal town, okay. I had never seen them before I came here over five years ago.'

Key Takeaways

• A British expat has listed the five biggest culture shocks she experienced since moving to Australia.
• These culture shocks include people walking with bare feet in public spaces, the lack of alcohol aisles in supermarkets, the scorching hot temperature, lemon lime bitters, and espresso martinis.

Robyn's video has been viewed over 600,000 times - and it's not hard to see why. Even if you're not an expat, it's a great reminder of how different cultures can be and the importance of embracing each country and its unique customs.

Members, it seems there are plenty of aspects of Australian culture that stand apart from the rest of the world. Did any of the points made by Ms Turner ring true for you as well? If so, let us know in the comments below!

I must admit - I agree with the barefoot in Public places - seems disrespectful and unhygienic to me

Lemon lime and bitters is an awesome drink on a hot summer’s day - I had no idea it wasn’t a global drink

 

[Galeforce]

I love going barefoot around the house but in public places is so wrong in my opinion. You don't know what walking on
I lived in the US for a while and asking for a lemon, lime and bitters would get some odd looks

 

[HappyPam]

I

Relocating to Australia can be pretty overwhelming for a lot of folks, and for British expat Robyn Turner, it’s been no different.

Ms Turner has been living in Melbourne for the past five years and has encountered plenty of changes in her lifestyle.

To share her experience as a 'newbie' to this part of the world, she took to TikTok to list the five most shocking things she's come across thus far - which we think are all really quite funny.

View attachment 11211

A Brit who's lived in Australia for five years reveals some of the unexpected aspects of life Down Under. Credit: Pexels/Hugo Heimendinger.

To begin with, Ms Turner said she was taken aback to find that people in Australia often go barefoot, even in public places, something she wasn't used to in the UK.

'People walking around the supermarket or any other store in bare feet shocked me,' she said.

'You would never catch anyone that wasn't on a beach with bare feet in the UK. It doesn't appeal to me, but I mean, you do you; I just won't look at the floor.'

Not only that, but Ms Turner also noted that the alcohol sold in Australian supermarkets is slightly different to what she was used to back home, as it isn't located in a separate section.

'I had no idea this wasn't a thing,' she said. 'I was first like, “Where do I go and buy some wine from?” and someone was like, “the bottle-O”, and I was like, “What's a bottle-O?”'

'I had no idea, and it shocked me to the bones.'

View attachment 11212

According to Ms Turner, she was taken aback by how scorching the temperature can get in Australia. Credit: Pexels/Lukas.

Filtering through her list, Ms Turner - who is currently working as a personal trainer - also expressed shock at some of the scorching temperatures she's endured in Australia (we know all too well what that feels like!).

'When I first lived here, I lived in Sydney, and it wiped me out,' she said. 'Absolutely killed me.'

And despite the surprises and shocks, there was one thing she absolutely loved: the iconic lemon lime and bitters.

'This surprise was in the best way possible,' she said.

'Thank you for introducing me to lemon lime bitters. That is amazing stuff; it's like liquid gold. You (Aussies) are the ultimate gatekeepers, not letting the rest of the world know about it.'

​

Ms Turner also mentioned that she had acquired a particular taste for espresso martinis, a delectable cocktail she says she never encountered back in the UK.

'It's so good,' she said.

'I'm pretty sure you can get espresso martinis in the UK, but I'm from a small coastal town, okay. I had never seen them before I came here over five years ago.'

Key Takeaways

• A British expat has listed the five biggest culture shocks she experienced since moving to Australia.
• These culture shocks include people walking with bare feet in public spaces, the lack of alcohol aisles in supermarkets, the scorching hot temperature, lemon lime bitters, and espresso martinis.

Robyn's video has been viewed over 600,000 times - and it's not hard to see why. Even if you're not an expat, it's a great reminder of how different cultures can be and the importance of embracing each country and its unique customs.

Members, it seems there are plenty of aspects of Australian culture that stand apart from the rest of the world. Did any of the points made by Ms Turner ring true for you as well? If so, let us know in the comments below!

I am still adjusting to things here too. My worst faux pas was to take some plates with us when we were invited to our first party - the invite said "bring a plate" - so I did - no food, just plates. I thought they were short of dishes!

 

[DrChip]

Relocating to Australia can be pretty overwhelming for a lot of folks, and for British expat Robyn Turner, it’s been no different.

Ms Turner has been living in Melbourne for the past five years and has encountered plenty of changes in her lifestyle.

To share her experience as a 'newbie' to this part of the world, she took to TikTok to list the five most shocking things she's come across thus far - which we think are all really quite funny.

View attachment 11211

A Brit who's lived in Australia for five years reveals some of the unexpected aspects of life Down Under. Credit: Pexels/Hugo Heimendinger.

To begin with, Ms Turner said she was taken aback to find that people in Australia often go barefoot, even in public places, something she wasn't used to in the UK.

'People walking around the supermarket or any other store in bare feet shocked me,' she said.

'You would never catch anyone that wasn't on a beach with bare feet in the UK. It doesn't appeal to me, but I mean, you do you; I just won't look at the floor.'

Not only that, but Ms Turner also noted that the alcohol sold in Australian supermarkets is slightly different to what she was used to back home, as it isn't located in a separate section.

'I had no idea this wasn't a thing,' she said. 'I was first like, “Where do I go and buy some wine from?” and someone was like, “the bottle-O”, and I was like, “What's a bottle-O?”'

'I had no idea, and it shocked me to the bones.'

View attachment 11212

According to Ms Turner, she was taken aback by how scorching the temperature can get in Australia. Credit: Pexels/Lukas.

Filtering through her list, Ms Turner - who is currently working as a personal trainer - also expressed shock at some of the scorching temperatures she's endured in Australia (we know all too well what that feels like!).

'When I first lived here, I lived in Sydney, and it wiped me out,' she said. 'Absolutely killed me.'

And despite the surprises and shocks, there was one thing she absolutely loved: the iconic lemon lime and bitters.

'This surprise was in the best way possible,' she said.

'Thank you for introducing me to lemon lime bitters. That is amazing stuff; it's like liquid gold. You (Aussies) are the ultimate gatekeepers, not letting the rest of the world know about it.'

​

Ms Turner also mentioned that she had acquired a particular taste for espresso martinis, a delectable cocktail she says she never encountered back in the UK.

'It's so good,' she said.

'I'm pretty sure you can get espresso martinis in the UK, but I'm from a small coastal town, okay. I had never seen them before I came here over five years ago.'

Key Takeaways

• A British expat has listed the five biggest culture shocks she experienced since moving to Australia.
• These culture shocks include people walking with bare feet in public spaces, the lack of alcohol aisles in supermarkets, the scorching hot temperature, lemon lime bitters, and espresso martinis.

Robyn's video has been viewed over 600,000 times - and it's not hard to see why. Even if you're not an expat, it's a great reminder of how different cultures can be and the importance of embracing each country and its unique customs.

Members, it seems there are plenty of aspects of Australian culture that stand apart from the rest of the world. Did any of the points made by Ms Turner ring true for you as well? If so, let us know in the comments below!

Where do they find these people? Shocked to the bone about bare feet! Wait till you have kids and inlaws

 

[Gaena]

When we arrived here nearly fifty years ago we weren’t prepared for the culture shock. Coming from the UK we expected the lifestyle to be similar to what we were used to, but it wasn’t. Things like poor public transport, different foods, people driving everywhere instead of walking, such cheap meat (yay!), long distances between places, the threat of bushfires, white Australia. It just had a different feel. We also weren’t prepared for the extreme heat in summer. While my husband settled quickly, it took me a good ten years.

In the first few years that we were here, in 1972 my Grandmother came out for a holiday, she was shocked at seeing so many bare feet in the terminal as she disembarked, her comment was that she had no idea there were so many poor people in Australia!

 

[RobD]

I lived in post (just)Thatcher England, post military deployment, to have easier access to travelling through Europe! It was a surprise being cold for most of the year, but you get used to it! I chose to emigrate to a foreign country because I knew it would be different and NOT Australia. I certainly would not whinge on social media, if it had existed then!
These people complaining that things are not like home on social media, are only seeking validation. They live in a fantasy world where everything is rose coloured and perfect!

 

[oilsfromoz]

I find lemon, lime and bitters too sweet so I use Soda (water not the American soft drink) instead of the lemon

 

[Thecheesequeen]

Well, personally, I wasn’t complaining, just observing.

 

[Wendy]

On our first trip back to the UK some years ago, I asked for a lemon, lime and bitters and after some thought, they served me a bitter lemon squash. I tried to explain but they just looked at me as if I was talking gibberish. On later visits we bought the ingredients and made our own, tried to convince folk that it is the best ever drink in hot weather, they were not convinced though. Their loss.

 

[Vinylted]

I must admit - I agree with the barefoot in Public places - seems disrespectful and unhygienic to me

Lemon lime and bitters is an awesome drink on a hot summer’s day - I had no idea it wasn’t a global drink

Maybe we bathe our feet more often oops

 

[Penny4]

I love going barefoot around the house but in public places is so wrong in my opinion. You don't know what walking on
I lived in the US for a while and asking for a lemon, lime and bitters would get some odd looks

US root beer is nice. A bit different from our Sarsaparilla.

 

[RobD]

Well, personally, I wasn’t complaining, just observing.

Good to know! Not everyone complains tho, we just see a lot more of it these days because of social media. Some people will whinge about anything if they have an audience!
I had the misfortune of sharing a bus in Spain, with some English tourists. Their complaints were that no one spoke English and they couldn't find any decent fish and chips. It was a commuter bus and everyone aboard heard them!!!! They had a captive audience!

 

[Penny4]

It was not uncommon in primary school for some boys to not wear school shoes at the school I attended.
Girls always did.
Of course that all changed when boys attended.
Plus, I recall being in London in 1990, and my husband and I asked for a cheese & tomato sandwich at a local sandwich bar in the middle of London. Got strange looks & was told it was an odd request.

 

[Trevor21]

She may mock things here but the thing that was strange to me in England is "queuing" Go to the local deli and you could be queued out the door even though there is space inside. It's everywhere you go, you must que.

 

[Penny4]

The thing is, we don't have to move overseas to feel everything is a bit different.
Aussies move interstate & feel the new state they are living in is unfamiliar & not like home with the comforts they were used to.

 

[Julia TH]

I lived in post (just)Thatcher England, post military deployment, to have easier access to travelling through Europe! It was a surprise being cold for most of the year, but you get used to it! I chose to emigrate to a foreign country because I knew it would be different and NOT Australia. I certainly would not whinge on social media, if it had existed then!
These people complaining that things are not like home on social media, are only seeking validation. They live in a fantasy world where everything is rose coloured and perfect!

She wasn't complaining, just commenting on the differences which anyone moving to a new country would notice.