Differences between Australia and the UK: British mum Maisie Crompton lists biggest culture shocks
A British mother has listed five culture shocks she experienced while traveling Australia for two months with her family.
Maisie Crompton, who is currently visiting Down Under with her partner and five-month-old daughter Elsie, was ‘confused’ by several key differences with the UK.
The 21-year-old was left scratching her head at the traffic light system, “lack” of toilets in certain cafes and the taste of Aussie chocolate.
In a video posted to TikTok, she warned fellow Brits of what they “should know” before venturing to Australia.
British mum Maisie Crompton, who is currently visiting Down Under with her partner and five-month-old daughter Elsie, was ‘confused’ by the Australian culture shock
The 21-year-old was left scratching her head at the traffic light system, ‘lack’ of toilets in certain cafes and the taste of Aussie chocolate
‘First of all, traffic lights. They go from red to green. There’s no amber to get you started… I wasn’t prepared,” she said in a video posted to TikTok.
Unlike UK and European cities, Australian traffic light systems don’t work in the same way.
In the commentary section, Maisie was frustrated because the Aussie lights don’t give the drivers enough time to prepare.
“It makes so much sense (especially as most of us drive manual in the UK) that you can put the car in gear and make sure you’re ready to go,” she wrote.
Maisie also finds it “weird” and “confusing” that some cafes don’t have en-suite bathrooms.
‘This one is the worst. I feel that in the UK wherever you go, if there’s a cafe, they’re more than likely to have a toilet for you to use,” she said.
‘In Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane they have cafes and they just don’t have toilets there.
“Or you ask about a restroom and they give you this weird set of keys and instruct you to go through a weird alley to the restroom.”
In Australia, toilets must be available to customers if the venue sells alcohol, but pubs are only required to provide toilet access within 80 meters of the premises.
Subsequently, Maisie was also confused by the “lack of trash cans” on the East Coast, claiming to “never be able to find a trash can.”
“When we’re out I swear I’m always looking for a bin and I don’t know what people do, they just have to take their rubbish home because there’s not much litter in Australia really. It’s a very clean place.’ she said.
One culture shock that she says should have been “obvious” is the fact that Aussie chocolate tastes different from British chocolate.
Because of this, she “doesn’t like the taste” of Australian chocolate because it contains the ingredients shea butter and palm oil.
This is to ensure that Aussie chocolate has a higher melting point compared to confectionery in the UK and US.
And finally, Maisie also noticed the beeping sound at pedestrian crossings at intersections – to signal that it’s safe to cross the road to assist visually impaired people.
The one-minute video has since been viewed more than 96,000 times in 24 hours, with Aussies and expats alike agreeing with Maisie’s list in the comments.
“Sydney has zero rubbish bins,” one wrote, another added, “I totally agree with the bins, I always take my rubbish home with me.”
A third wrote: “The toilet thing is driving me crazy.”
But others in different parts of Australia away from the east coast can’t say the same about the bin and toilet problem.
‘Waste bins and toilets do not apply in South Australia. Lots of rubbish bins and always a toilet in a cafe,” one person wrote.
“As if one in ten cafes has no toilet, I don’t know which cafes you go to,” added another.
So far, Maisie and her family have mainly traveled along the east coast of Australia
It comes after the young mother recorded her reaction when she first visited Kmart.
Maisie was amazed to see the wide variety of products at the popular retailer, along with the budget prices.
The 21-year-old went to Pacific Fair on the Gold Coast and shared a short video on TikTok with her 161,000 followers.
“I NEED A Kmart in England!!!! It’s all my favorite stores in one,” she captioned the clip.
It comes after the young mother recorded her reaction when she first visited Kmart
“I went to Kmart for the first time and this was my reaction.
“I was literally so jealous. It is a mix of B&M, Primark and Ikea. I was just in my element, I like places like this.’
She explained that if the price of a $3 product were converted to pound sterling, it would only cost £1.50.
‘Are you joking? What a bargain!’ she added.
Maisie was also pleasantly surprised by how ‘nice’ the mall looked and went to other stores including Cotton On.
The video has been viewed over 289,000 times and Aussies were quick to comment on their love for Kmart.
“We love Kmart as a single mom, it really helps the budget,” one woman wrote.
“I always go to Kmart thinking I won’t buy much, but always buy way more than I thought,” said another.
“Pacific Fair is a gem,” added another, and a fourth said, “Kmart is life for us.”
Others said they wish certain UK and US retailers were in Australia.
“It’s so funny when you guys say you guys are great because of Kmart, we wish we had Walmart, US Target and Primark!” one wrote.
Another said, “Don’t forget to also check out the TK Maxx stores when you’re here.”