Expats abroad: Ben Cook in Melbourne

He spent last Christmas on a beach in Queensland in 86F(30C) heat.

"This was obviously very different to previous Christmases in the UK," he says.

"This year will be a bit different, as I'm off to Tasmania to meet my girlfriend's family for the first time and have Christmas with them. It won't be your typical British Christmas, though, as apparently it will be too hot for a big roast dinner with all the trimmings and everyone will be wearing shorts and flip-flops."

When he lived in Newport, Ben was keen on off-road driving, and he says that was a big influence in him deciding to make the move.

"This is the four-wheel-drive capital of the world and most of the companies manufacturing and supplying the world with four-wheel-drive accessories are located here," he says.

"I arrived in this big country with no job lined up, nowhere to live, no transport, no family and virtually no friends.

"I also had only six weeks to find a job and somewhere to live before my shipping container arrived from the UK with all my stuff and my beloved Land Cruiser 4x4."

Ben says it has been hard work, but with a lot of determination and a fair amount of luck things have worked out well for him.

"I'm now well settled, very happy and I'm leading a life that wouldn't have been possible in the UK," he says.

"Having spent the last 10 years prior to coming over here working around Shropshire as a carpenter, I'm now working for a four-wheel-drive accessory company designing and making things for 4x4s. I'm also attending college in the evenings in order to get my welding qualifications."

"For my first Christmas over here, last year, I was able to get five weeks off work and Danny Roper, one of my close friends, came over from Newport," says Ben.

"We did a huge road trip from Melbourne straight up the East Coast. We had a truly amazing trip."

• Now meet the rest of our Shropshire expats celebrating Christmas abroad