Hello there!
In response to the first part of your question regarding work-life balance. I think this is quite a tough one to answer because with lots of things in teaching there are a lot of determining factors, such as: colleagues, leadership team, students, parents and so on.
Personally, I've found teaching in Victoria to be a pretty mixed bag. Some experiences I'd equate with my East London comprehensive teaching, i.e pretty tough! And others have been an absolute dream. I now teach at an academically selective school, where the students are outstanding but very demanding and so, a new set of issues arise.
Teaching will be teaching in that respect, you do as much work as you allow yourself to do. However in Australia I've found that when I pack up to leave at 4pm, I don't feel guilty. And if I happen to arrive after 8am, my commitment and professionalism aren't called into question (some of my experiences teaching in the UK). My school puts a lot of emphasis on maling sure the staff are happy - which is mightily refreshing.
Hope my ramblings help somewhat!