well then dont complain, and be greatful that youre in australia. i find it hard to believe that out of the 200+ countries, Australia is the best suited for your circumstances. 'Bare minimum standards', 'mediocrity looks appealing', you have gotta be kidding! you cant complain about something that doesn't exist, in this case, a country free of racism.
I think what a lot of foreigners find intimidating is the way Australian's talk to each other and interact. For example, there were these awesome Asian blokes in a few of my classes who copped some shit (jokingly, of course) about being Asian, such as: sweat shop worker, rice field workers, parents getting angry about them not getting 100%. They laughed at it and knew we (our school was 90% anglo) were only joking. they gave shit back to us and we gave it back to them. everyone in our year loved them... why? because instead of being butt hurt and pulling the racist card all the time, they joined in on the joke and gave some back. Australians like people who like a joke and a fun time.
Of course, this is different from an aussie yelling at someone of a particular race out of the blue. I just think that racism these days is grossly exaggerated.