Australia is different--a vast island-continent with distances so great
that the capital of Western Australia is closer to Singapore than it is
to Sydney. The landscape embraces magnificent tropical rainforests and
deserts the size of several European states; temperate areas that
sustain a flourishing wine industry, making Australia the world's fourth
largest wine exporter; a sixteen-thousand-mile coastline of breathtaking
beaches; and its unique fauna is testament to the country's
"down-underness." Indigenous Australians have inhabited the continent
for more than fifty thousand years, yet European settlement is just over
two hundred years old. Since the end of the Second World War the country
has opened its doors to a hugely diverse immigrant population and slowly
shaken off the mantle of British influence, transforming what was
perhaps one of the dullest nations into one of the most stimulating. The
Australians' old settler mentality--regarding themselves as "battlers,"
and embarrassed by their lack of sophistication--has given way to a new
national confidence. The achievements of Australia's artists,
sportspeople, entertainers, scientists, and businesspeople puts them on
the global stage. Despite the diversity of ethnicities there is a
pervasive homogeneity among Australians: a generosity of spirit and a
forthrightness, sometimes disarming for the visitor. A sense of fairness
and equality is valued, as is the ability not to take oneself too
seriously. Culture Smart! Australia introduces you to a young nation
with one of the world's highest standards of living, "where people work
to live" in order to enjoy a lifestyle that many across the globe covet,
and in which Australians take great pride (and don't mind telling you
about).
