Living in Australia

The Unwritten Rules

What Nobody Tells You About Living in Australia

by Bella · First Edition · 2026

A$ 30

Nobody hands you a list when you arrive. There is a visa, a flight, a suitcase, and then you are standing in a supermarket at nine at night trying to work out why everyone says “you right?” instead of “hello”.

The Unwritten Rules is the guide Bella wishes someone had handed her when she moved to Australia at thirteen. It is not a visa guide and it is not a tourist brochure. It is the social operating manual: how people actually behave, what they mean when they say things sideways, and the practical admin that makes the first year far easier if you do it in the right order.

Written by someone who has made most of these mistakes personally. General information only — not legal, migration, financial or medical advice; the book points you to the official sources for anything that matters.

Instant PDF download

23 pages

Yours to keep

What's inside

Twelve social rules that cost you the most — why you sit in the front of the taxi, why “yeah, nah” means no, and why nobody expects a tip
Money and admin in the order that actually works: tax file number, bank account, health cover, superannuation, and everything to photograph before you sign a lease
Your rights at work — the minimum wage that applies whatever your visa says, payslips, and casual versus part-time
A decoder for the language: phrases that sound rude but are not, phrases that sound friendly but are not, and fifteen shortened words you will hear on day one
Everyday life: the sun, swimming between the flags, coffee, transport, driving and groceries
A thirty-day checklist you can work through in order