My Life: Shae Courtney, 19, Melbourne, Australia

I chose in September 2010 to move from East London to Melbourne, Australia, without my family, to ?further my studies and my career.

I am studying English and American Literature at the University of Melbourne. And I believe that, given my experiences so far, I want to stay on in Australia when I graduate.

It had always been an ambition of mine to live overseas and I saw Australia as a good move because it has a quality of life that is the envy of the world and impressive national economics to boot.

While the economy in Australia is strong, it is also increasing jobs. This, in part, made a move to Australia ?particularly attractive.

There was, however, something far more influential than pure economics that persuaded me to relocate.
Australians enjoy all these economic benefits and yet the country is not overworked, stress levels are lower than in other Western nations and there is an abundance of natural beauty to enjoy.

Uluru (commonly called Ayers Rock) the Great Barrier Reef, which is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the sparkling Whitsundays and the Great Ocean Road are just some of the highlights of this ancient landscape. Few countries boast such a plethora of opportunities to interact with nature.

In sum, Australia has got the balance between work and relaxation perfectly right. When the latter calls, the answer is an abundance of things to do and places to see.