Oz Dating

Still on the subject of surveys about Aussies' dating and relationship behaviour: Another online study has confirmed that there is great variation between the states. For example, West Australian women are the most marriage-minded; blokes in Tasmania seem to be the most romantic; and women in Canberra have a pretty low opinion of the men there.

The survey was conducted by online dating site Red Hot Pie, which is certainly not the only large Australian dating site to have conducted such a survey lately. Not only is this an innovative use of the vast membership such sites enjoy; it's also a very clever promotion method, since mainstream media outlets eagerly lap up the data they collect.

Aussie blokes have been stereotyped as sexist, beer-swilling yobs for ages. I think that while it was never quite as pervasive as it was made out to be, this image was much more valid decades ago. Of course, if you go looking, you can still see lots of Aussie men like this. However, the stereotype does seem to be getting less and less relevant as the years go on.

A recent survey, conducted by the popular website Ask Men, confirms this. It found that Australian men are actually quite romantic.

It seems that Aussies are huge fans of communication via text messages. A third of them prefer it to other methods of communication.

But while it's a quick and easy way to keep in touch with someone, it's also quite easy to mistakenly SMS the wrong person. That's why so many people deceiving their partners have been caught out.

Several months ago a fascinating fellow called David Glasheen was profiled in the media. He's a former Aussie high-flyer who got sick of the rat race and retreated to a desert island. Pining for female company, he put an ad on RSVP, one of Australia's most popular dating sites.

While he got a lot of interest as a result, it seems he's still looking.

There have been many reports that the online dating industry has grown during the world economic downturn, or at least remained strong. Adult texting seems to be similarly immune to the economic forces sending many other businesses bust, if the lavish party thrown by this West Australia-based entrepeneur is any guide.

I would have thought that "bootcamp" style dating workshops were not something Aussies would get into. They seem like such an American phenomenon. But there is clearly a demand for them, as this site attests.

Sometimes completely free dating sites can be very profitable. Hook Me Up, an Australian website, is a good example. Not unlike Plenty Of Fish, it makes its money from Adsense and affiliation with paid dating sites.

It has become so successful that its creator is now developing a site catering to the US market.

Every now and then there is a burst of stories in the media about drink spiking in pubs and clubs throughout Australia. They paint a picture of countless predatory men determined to get young women intoxicated by stealth so they can take advantage of them sexually. Young women are warned to be vigilant, and keep an eye on their drinks (and those of their girlfriends) at all times.

Yet it seems that fear of this occurring is largely unfounded. A recent study conducted in Western Australia concludes that it hardly occurs at all. The excessive intoxication experienced by young women is usually due to their own drinking and drug taking, it seems.

Being an elite sportsman has many great rewards. But it must be a very stressful existence as well. There's the constant pressure to perform, as well as all that time spent away from loved ones.

That's why Cricket Australia's decision to offer relationship workshops to its top players seems like a wise one.