It’s a comparison you hear often (“Australia: a combination of the best parts of California and England”), and it’s not unfounded:
- Both are warmish—by Anglosphere standards
- Both are informal—by Anglosphere standards (insert “by Anglosphere standards” in all the following)
- Both are outgoing and friendly according to their own self-perception
- Both prioritise a relaxed lifestyle
- Both promote a beach culture
- Both have discovered winemaking
- Both have had (at least historically) a sense of optimism about the future
- Both got established through gold rushes
Having lived in both, California is still much closer to the American norm than anything in Australia, and I think the similarities are on the superficial side. For example, both are outgoing and friendly, but I still found Californians to be too in-your-face for me.