LIFESTYLE

Cliché it may be, but Australians in general do enjoy the great outdoors and most things to do with sport.

All Australian capital cities are close to beaches and national parks, so simple outdoor pleasures are readily accessible to even the most urbanised populations. Spending a day at the beach or a park with family, friends and a picnic is a common family day out.

As well as the obvious love for spectator sports, most children and many adults also participate in sports. Cricket, Australian Rules Football, Rugby and Netball are the most popular national sports, with a wide interest in soccer, volleyball, hockey and basketball.

They say Australians work to live. While this attitude may be under pressure in the twenty-first century, you will still find some national pride in a casual attitude to work which is characterised by the traditional "sickie" - a day off work officially due to illness, but could just as easily be due to a hangover or a sunny day.

With such a large continent, many Australians take their annual holidays within the country. Most Australians have travelled overseas, and with more than a quarter born outside the country, visiting family can often mean an overseas trip. But Australians also seem to have a strong desire to visit other countries, a curiosity which is probably heightened by distance and physical isolation.