Why You Should Never Go To Australia
Home of the kangaroo and koala, Australia is a beautiful country with unique ecosystems and landscapes, blazing, incessant heat, and some of the most breathtaking beaches on the planet. A heavenly paradise, one might think.
Wrong!
The truth is that there are some very convincing reasons not to visit this huge island-continent in the South Pacific. This article will go over many of them, leaving you to make an informed decision about whether or not Australia is a place you still want to visit.
It’s far away and takes forever to get to
How long does it take to get to Australia?
If you are traveling from North America or Europe, getting to Australia will take 22-28 hours, though depending on the airline company and the amount of stopovers involved, you could easily be looking at 2 days of travel time!
This is because of the distance between Australia and other continents. They don’t call it “Down Under” for nothing, you know. It’s literally on the other side of the world.
It’s expensive
…both to get there and to survive when you arrive.
Travel and accommodation
The average cost for a round trip economy ticket to Australia starts at US $1000 and rises considerably. This doesn’t include accommodation, which can set you back north of US $70 per night in a standard, 3-star hotel.
Food and leisure
You’d better bring plenty of cash with you if you decide to visit Australia, and don’t expect to have any left when you return! Australia is one of the most expensive countries in the world, with GQ ranking it 16.
With regards to food, this article from The Daily Mail found that food in Australia is nearly 25% more expensive than in London, a pricey city in its own right. Even locally grown and abundant food will cost an arm and a leg in Australia.
Sweltering heat
To say that Australia is hot is the understatement of the century!
In the Australian summer months (December – February), it’s not uncommon to see temperatures reach as high as 35°C/95°F. In December of 2019, however, in South and Western Australia, the temperature reached a whopping 49.9°C/121.8°F!
This means that you’re at greater risk of heat rash, heat exhaustion, and serious sunburn.
Prone to cyclones
Due to the tropical nature of the continent, just like its other South Pacific neighbors, the coastal regions of Australia are prone to cyclones and tsunamis.
The most recent tropical cyclone to hit the country was Cyclone Seroja in 2021, which affected the mid west section of Western Australia.
Everything is larger and more poisonous
If you’re someone who’s afraid of insects and snakes, you should stay as far away from Australia as you can, because this beautiful paradise will soon become your worst nightmare!
You’re probably used to small, non-lethal spiders that dwell in corners and run as soon as they see you. Even these are terrifying. So how do you think you’ll fare when you come face-to-face with the famous, bird-eating Hunstman spider, which can grow to a heart-attack inducing 30cm?!
Snakes are in abundance across the continent, with some 170 land snakes living there. They’re also more venomous and deadly than any you will find elsewhere. Some of the poisonous snakes you’ll find include:
the eastern brown snake – which kills more people in Australia than any other snake; mainland tiger snake – responsible for the most snake bites after the eastern brown snake. It hangs around in metropolitan areas, so you’re likely to encounter it in the city.
For a list of the top ten deadliest snakes in Australia, check out this article by Australian Geographic.
Poor living conditions and ill treatment of indigenous people
If you’re someone who hates injustice and can’t stand seeing it, then you might want to skip a visit to Australia. Due to colonialism, Aboriginal Australians live in some of the poorest parts of the country, in some of the most dire conditions.
They are also regularly subjected to brutality from the police, and are often denied the same rights as others.
Your sleeping pattern will be disrupted
Due to the time difference between the country you’re traveling from and Australia, plus the time it takes to get there and back, you’ll have severe jet-lag (not just the regular kind).
Australia can be anywhere from 10 – 14 hours ahead of the US, and 7 – 11 hours ahead of the UK. Factor in your journey time, and you’ll need several days each way to get back to a regular sleeping pattern.
Police carry firearms
This might not be an issue if you’re coming from a country like America or some countries in Europe where this is common, but for those who aren’t, then you might feel uncomfortable seeing police officers walking around with guns.
Stopovers in places with strict laws
As there are no direct flights from the US/UK to Australia, you’ll be required to stopover in at least one country in order to catch a connecting flight. This in and of itself is a hassle, and can be made worse if you happen to unknowingly break a law in said layover country’s airport.
While you’re in their airport, you must abide by their rules, and some of these can be very strict. For example, in Qatar, a regular stopover destination when traveling to Australia, you can’t kiss in public, and there are rules governing how much flesh a woman can show.
You’ll thus have to know all the rules for any stopover countries in order to avoid breaking them unwittingly.
If you’ve seen one city, you’ve seen ’em all
If you don’t intend to trek through the Australian outback, snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, or go on an Aboriginal cultural tour, but you instead plan on spending the duration of your trip in the city, you might as well save your money and stay put.
All major cities look and function the same; they have the same shops, same types of people, same eateries. Whether it’s Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, you’ll have seen it all before.
Alternatives to Australia
Australia, as with every country, has its own, unique qualities, and you can’t simply swap it out for another, similar destination. But if it’s good weather, reasonable prices, and lots of natural beauty you seek, why not consider:
The Caribbean
Friendly people, fresh, cheap food, and clear blue seas are as standard. From the US, flights won’t be nearly as long (you can get to Jamaica from Miami in just a couple of hours), and the wildlife won’t be as deadly.
Barbados, St. Lucia and Antigua are just some of the luscious islands in the Caribbean that you should consider visiting.