10 Things - Australia vs. Canada

Here are 10 things that are better in Australia compared to Canada (in no particular order):

1.  Sensible Traffic Rules and Road Design:  Australia has many roundabouts, very few stop signs outside of the big cities, 110 km/h speed limits on both major expressways and secondary highways, lots of red light cameras and speed cameras (photo radar).  At smaller intersections where there is no roundabout, there is no need for a stop sign or even a Yield sign - drivers approaching the through street know that they have to yield without a sign telling them to do so.

2.  Interesting Wildlife:  Wouldn't you rather look out your window and see this:

rather than this?

3. Prices: All prices displayed include all taxes.  What you see is what you pay.

4. Minimum Wage:The minimum wage is $17.70 per hour,  In Canada, minimum wages range from $10.72 to $15.00.  The tradeoff is that prices for most things are higher.

5. Tipping: No tipping is expected in restaurants, bars, taxis or anywhere, mainly because of the higher wages.  Of course, this changes the server-customer dynamic as you don't get as much attention from servers in restaurants.

6.  Impaired Driving Prevention: Police can randomly stop cars and require a roadside breath sample from drivers.  Unlike in Canada, no "reasonable suspicion" that the driver has been drinking alcohol is required.  Also, the legal limit is 0.05 mg/100 ml compared to 0.08 in Canada.

7. Public Toilets: Towns and cities are required to have public toilets open for people to use.  As a result, restaurants and other places open to the public are not required to have toilets for their customers, although many do.

8. Public Parks:  Many public parks and beaches have gas barbeques, usually free, for the use of the public.  You only need to push a button and the flame ignites (or in some cases, an electric element) under a flat plate (with a slight slope to a drain hole for the grease).  This type of setup means people do not have to bring charcoal and will not leave burning barbeques unattended when they are done.  The heat source automatically shuts off after 15 minutes or so, but can be restarted if there is a need to continue cooking.  They are typically cleaned daily by the local council or whichever group manages the facility.

9. The Climate:  Yes, I know that much of Australia is tropical or sub-tropical, but even the areas that are closest to the latitude of southern Canada (Melbourne is about 37 degrees south of the equator and Point Pelee, Ontario is about 41 degrees north) are a whole lot nicer.  But the harsh climate areas (i.e. desert) of Australia are just as inhospitable as the frozen north areas of Canada, although you will likely die of frostbite faster than you will die of thirst or heat stroke.

10.  The Beaches:  This goes hand-in-hand with Australia's place on the globe, but almost everywhere we went along the coast had fantastic beaches (if you don't mind the sharks or jellyfish stingers).

Now, 10 things that Canada does better than Australia:

1.  Winter and Winter Sports:  'Nuff said.

2. Maple Syrup: Needs no explanation.

3.  Seasons:  In Australia, they seem to have only two seasons: hot and dry, hot and wet.  The change of seasons in Canada brings new sensations 4 times per year and makes you appreciate summer so much more.  And as a bonus, our northerly latitude gives us incredibly long summer days.  Nothing beats a Canadian summer night when there's still light at 10 p.m.!

4.  Beer: although Australians might disagree.

5.  Acceptance of Immigrants:  The above video is also a good example of Canada's role in accepting people from all over the world.

6. Niagara Falls:

7. Canadian Bacon

8. Politics:  Canadian politicians are usually boring and are content to just govern the country well.  Every so often, a fringe party or candidate makes some noise, but Canadians inevitably settle for more of the same.

9. Bilingualism:  It's not without its conflicts, but it generally works.

10. Coffee and Doughnut Shops:  Australians (and Europeans, for that matter) seem to think that espresso-based coffee is the only one to serve.  You can't even find a cup of filtered coffee there, at least in our experience.

     Despite these differences, both countries are great.  The world would be a boring place if everything were similar in all countries.  We love experiencing new things and hope that you have enjoyed this tongue-in-cheek review.