Making friends in Australia

Australians are friendly, but friendly isn’t the same as friends. Most newcomers find real friendships take a year or more, and come from doing the same thing with the same people every week.

Last checked 2 Oct 2026·Information, not advice

In 30 seconds

Expect a honeymoon, then a dip a few months in when the novelty wears off and the UK feels far away
Regular, repeated activities beat one-off events: sport, parkrun, surf clubs, school and volunteering
Meet people from online groups in public places, and keep a set time to call home that suits both time zones

The first-year curve

Many people describe the same pattern. The first weeks are busy and exciting. Then, once the paperwork is done, there’s a dip: work colleagues go home to their own lives, weekends feel long, and family birthdays happen while you’re asleep. It usually eases as routines form. Knowing the dip is normal makes it easier to push through it rather than read it as a sign the move was wrong.

Say yes to every invitation in the first six months, even the dull-sounding ones
Suggest a specific plan (“coffee Saturday at 9?”) rather than “we should catch up”
Australians often socialise outdoors and early: weekend sport, a beach swim, a barbecue

Where friendships start

Where	Why it works
parkrun	A free, timed 5km walk or run every Saturday morning, organised by volunteers, with coffee afterwards. Junior parkrun (2km) is on Sundays. Volunteering is the quickest way to get to know the regulars
Surf life saving clubs	Volunteer clubs that patrol beaches. NSW alone has 129 clubs and about 75,000 members. Adults can train for the Bronze Medallion; children can join Nippers
Local sports clubs	Cricket, Aussie rules, netball, touch football, hockey, tennis, sailing: most welcome beginners and have social teams
School gate and kids’ sport	For families, the main way parents meet. Offer to help at the canteen or a working bee (a volunteer clean-up day)
Work	Join after-work drinks and social clubs early, but don’t rely only on work
Volunteering and community groups	Councils, libraries and charities list opportunities: a good way to meet locals rather than other newcomers

Online groups

Social media groups for British people in each city, neighbourhood groups and apps such as Meetup are useful for practical tips and meeting people in your first weeks. Treat advice in them as opinion, not fact, and check rules on official sites. They work best as a bridge to local friendships, not a replacement.

Meeting people from online safely

The eSafety Commissioner’s advice for meeting people you’ve met online:

Screenshot their profile before you meet, so you can report them if needed
Meet in a busy public place, and tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back
Keep chats on the app or group rather than moving quickly to private messages
Be wary of anyone who pushes for personal details, money or intimate images
Report abuse to the platform, to eSafety, or to the police. In an emergency, call 000

Distance and the time difference

Australia has three main time zones, and only some states use daylight saving (NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT). Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory don’t. The gap with the UK changes during the year:

Period	Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart	Brisbane	Perth
4 Oct to 25 Oct 2026	10 hours ahead	9 hours ahead	7 hours ahead
25 Oct 2026 to 28 Mar 2027	11 hours ahead	10 hours ahead	8 hours ahead
28 Mar to 4 Apr 2027	10 hours ahead	9 hours ahead	7 hours ahead
4 Apr 2027 until Australian daylight saving starts again in October	9 hours ahead	9 hours ahead	7 hours ahead

Adelaide is half an hour behind Sydney all year. In practice, your early evening is the UK’s morning, and your early morning is the UK’s evening. Pick a regular call slot and stick to it. For flights home and keeping your UK number, see Phone, internet and staying in touch and What people wish they’d known.

If loneliness doesn’t lift See a GP, who can refer you for support. Lifeline (13 11 14) is open 24 hours.

What to do next

Find your nearest parkrun or club and go this weekend
Say yes to the next three invitations you get
Agree a weekly call time with family in the UK

Sources

Last checked 2 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change, so check the official source before you act. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@theglobalocal.com.