"A bird's a bird, but a mate's for life." So goes the Australian man's motto. In her opinion, Schilling puts it down to a lack of self-confidence and chivalry. "We have very much a pack mentality in Australia. You will see groups of guys and girls, and never the two shall meet," she said. "It's also something to do with traditional Australians and how we see ourselves, compared to Europeans and Americans. I'm speaking in general, but in most cases Australians are not encouraged to take on gentlemanly traits. They are ridiculed for acting as gentleman. We don't encourage men to behave in that gentlemanly fashion." But it's not just the guys. Women are known to sit back and let the men do all of the hard grafting, with a recent study showing that 90 per cent of communication between eHarmony members is initiated by men. It also showed that men (49 per cent) are more likely than women (19 per cent) to make first contact, initiate the first kiss (39 percent of men compared to 12 per cent of women) and plan a second date (46 per cent of men versus 11 per cent of women).

In Mel Schilling's opinion, a lack of dates is down to a lack of self-confidence and chivalry. What can you do to get on more dates? "People are saying they are finding it hard to meet. They are saying there is a 'man drought' and a 'woman drought' – but it's not about the numbers – it's how we date. We need to learn those skills," Schilling explained. Schilling's Healthy Dating Pyramid illustrates how people can go on more dates. Credit:Mel Schilling She encourages men and women to get out there and be more active with their dating lives and came up with The Healthy Dating Pyramid to better illustrate her tips and tricks:

Investing in yourself: "You need a positive relationship with yourself before you can develop a relationship with someone else. Self-respect, self-esteem and being really comfortable with who you are," Schilling explained.

"You need a positive relationship with yourself before you can develop a relationship with someone else. Self-respect, self-esteem and being really comfortable with who you are," Schilling explained. Positive dating mindset: "Leave the pain in the past and learn from those lessons. Your internal dialogue should be a positive one," she added.

"Leave the pain in the past and learn from those lessons. Your internal dialogue should be a positive one," she added. Personal dating brand: "This is something I see Australians being confused about. They should ask themselves: 'Who am I?' and 'What do I want from dating?' Show your values form the inside out. It's about your approach to dating," she said.

"This is something I see Australians being confused about. They should ask themselves: 'Who am I?' and 'What do I want from dating?' Show your values form the inside out. It's about your approach to dating," she said. Authentic dating strategy: Become "strategy rich" and put yourself in the pathway of potential interests. If one of your values is health then sign up to a swimming or running club where you will find potentials with similar interests.

Become "strategy rich" and put yourself in the pathway of potential interests. If one of your values is health then sign up to a swimming or running club where you will find potentials with similar interests. Positive communications: Don't stress when it comes to a first date. Easier said than done? Sure. But try and think of it like you are going to meet a friend. Stress hormones are a turn-off.

Don't stress when it comes to a first date. Easier said than done? Sure. But try and think of it like you are going to meet a friend. Stress hormones are a turn-off. Date tactics: Leaving a day or two to reply to messages or turning down dates because they didn't give you enough notice will get you nowhere. Schilling described this approach as "superficial", that is, don't go there. Using Tinder to date Sara-Jane Keats found love in WA with fellow Brit Joshua, who she is now married to. They have a son, Xavier, 13 months. Credit:Sara-Jane Keats The good news is that times are a-changin' and you can thank the likes of Tinder for taking the stigma out of dating and encouraging singletons to get out there and take the bull by the horns, so to speak. But the dating expert warned that although it has its positives, the app really is for those looking for casual sex. "Tinder is great and provides another option for people, but it's for people with short-term relationship goals. The problem is when I see people using mobile apps for long-term relationships – that's a problem," she added.

Now we are on the subject of S-E-X, what is the protocol to waiting? Is sex OK – even before the first date? "What about sex when you first meet, like, even before a first date?" one Date School pupil asked timidly. "Can you have sex with someone and still expect a long-term relationship? "I'm asking for a friend," she added to a gaggle of giggles. Schilling explained you need to think about what you want out of the dating experience: "If you are after sex, that's fine, and step into that scenario in a safe way, but if you are looking for a long-term thing, you need to play the long game," she said.

"There is a common view that if a man sleeps with a woman on the first date, he calls her his 'Saturday night girl' rather than 'Sunday morning girl,'" she said, elaborating that the former is someone he wouldn't bring home to his parents. "He probably thinks she does it with everyone, but that's completely double standards. Do what you feel is right." Two success stories, one still looking for love Sydney single Daniel Mills, 28, agreed with many of Schilling's points when it came to dating in the Harbour City, particularly when it comes to the pack mentality – as someone who is rarely seen without his Newcastle clique. "In my social circles, that is probably true, you don't really see men and women integrating on nights out. Even at our age, I don't see that social connectedness," he said.

Opening up about his own experiences, he said he would not usually be willing to just walk up to someone who caught his eye on a night out because she's surrounded by intimidating friends. "There have been instances where it has happened," he said, adding, "You would need to know before you go over if it is worth it. "It's not the fear of rejection, it's the lack of interest that they might have. "Plus, you are not going to get someone one on one, because they are with their friends and they are also judging what you are doing. It's not about trying to talk to the person you like, it's also about the people they are with." Coming from England – the land of gentry – Sara-Jane Keats, 31, found it wasn't as easy to meet people when she first moved to Perth in 2013: "I didn't find it as open here to dating, like home."

She was also put off by the "single, young local guys who only went out with guys in groups". After four months, she had been on only one date when she was introduced to her now-husband through friends. Travelling the whole way across the globe, Joshua Keats turned out to be a fellow Brit, who had moved with his family Down Under about eight years before. "He wasn't shy to show his feelings to me or about me to others. He was open and played no mind games – I'm too old for mind games," she said, laughing. Now based in WA, the pair were married in December 2014 and their son, Xavier, is almost 13 months old. The Australian dating experience has been an entirely positive one for Irish nurse Emma Smyth, 25, who came Down Under to travel in November 2014 and fell head-over-heels in love with a Blue Mountains local just a month later. In comparison to Ireland, she said she "found it so much easier to date over here".

"I find that in Australia, the guys, well my boyfriend anyways, are way more comfortable and relaxed to talk to and, when it comes to dates, there are just so many more options and things to do. "After a week or two together, we were very comfortable around each other and it felt like I knew him for years." About to celebrate their one-year anniversary, she is now living with her beau and their dog, Dutch, in Bathurst, rural NSW. What's your Australian dating experience?