Australia is the sixth largest country by total area in the world, and while there are millions of people who live in the big cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, there are plenty of people living in rural and regional parts of the country.
But, for whatever reason, some people have never ventured north, south, east or west enough to properly explore these places. Sure, the big cities have everything you need and it's all some have ever known; however, life is certainly different once you travel into the sparsely populated areas.
One person has asked the good Aussies of Reddit what it's like living in the country, and they've been overwhelmed with responses. User Maldevinine writes: "Directions are given based on places that don't exist anymore. The pubs open at 7am. There are people drinking. There's nobody between 18 and 35 in town. Having to stop at traffic lights is rare enough to be exciting. The line-up of the sporting teams depends on who is off shift."
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Another person commented on the traffic light situation, saying: "I remember when we got our first traffic lights. I was surprised and felt we were getting really big."
In 2008, 89 percent of the population was listed as urbanised, which dictates an area that has a population of 1,000 or more people. User Aussie-Nerd says they grew up on a street with just six houses, with the next properties being a few kilometres away. They add: "Knew everyone and everything. You think privacy is at risk now? Try living in a small town. Who's fucking who, who's died, who failed some test.
"If you needed help with fucking anything, you got it. From a cup of milk to a five hour drive to the 'big smoke'. Everyone drove, young and illegally. My brother was driving the farm flatbed truck into town at age 11."
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Others talk about how once you're in town (for those who live on the land), everything is a five-minute walk from anywhere. They also boast how cheap decent-sized houses are, less stress and the quiet lifestyle.
But nowhere is perfect, and several Redditors admit that the prevalence of drugs, in particular ice, is much more noticeable in rural and regional areas. There's also the case of fauna that sometimes appear out of nowhere, like 'big fuck-off huntsmans' and 'fucking brown snakes'. Others add it's also harder to get a root and there aren't many job opportunities.
However, despite those small issues, most of the people who lived in the country wouldn't have it any other way.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Australia