Rory Gibson: What you should really reflect on this Australia Day

There’s a lot of talk about dates and history at the moment but this is what celebrating Australia should really be about, writes Rory Gibson.

Australia Day must be imminent. The din about dates and history is building to its annual crescendo.

Thankfully, most people don’t give a rat’s rectum. They just get on with it and enjoy the holiday and do what we do best, which is wear Aussie flag thongs and terry towelling hats, chill out with good friends, good food, good music and a coldie.

Because Australia is such a welcoming place, you bump into people from all over the world who have moved here to make a new life for themselves. I always ask them what they like about their adopted home. Here’s a sample:

From a Kiwi mother - “Life in bare feet. It’s a bare-foot country. And its landscape is full of bold colours.”

From a South African father - “I feel safe. I moved my family here after a gang tried to carjack us at some traffic lights in Cape Town. They fired three bullets into the car but thankfully no one was hit. We came here with nothing but I can’t thank Australia enough for giving us the opportunity to start again.”

From a French golfer - “I love the space, the fresh air and the weather. And there’s no bullshit.”

From an American software specialist - “You don’t know how lucky you are not to have to shovel a metre of snow off your driveway and scrape the ice off your windscreen every morning just to go to work.” From an Indian petrol station manager - “Australia is a country with so much opportunity to work and provide for your family. And the beer is bloody good!”

From a Sudanese taxi driver - “It is amazing to live in a country where if your child is sick you can take her to the doctor for free. And she can go to school!”

From an English musician - “No class (chuckles). I don’t mean you’re not classy, I mean there is none of that working class versus upper class bollocks. I love it that everyone treats you as an equal.”Let’s join with our friends from abroad and celebrate this fantastic country.

[e-mail]: officialrorygibson