Sydney is a great place to study. Here are 10 reasons why you’ll just love living here.
1. Sydney is beautiful.
Sydney is one of the most iconic cities in the world, set like a diamond on its gorgeous harbour and beaches. Sydneysiders (the people who live in Sydney) spend a lot of their free time outdoors. There are parks everywhere, many of them on the water, and most with free BBQs. Sydney is also surrounded by national parks on three of its four sides (the other side being the Pacific Ocean).
2. Sydney is one of the world’s most liveable cities
Sydney is a clean, safe, well-serviced and easy place to live. The city is well connected by an extensive public transport grid including trains, light rail, buses and ferries. Tourism and foreign student education are two of the largest export industries in Australia and Sydneysiders are happy to share their city with you. You’ll find them friendly, open and happy to converse with you whilst waiting for a bus (this is great for your English-speaking skills of course).
3. Sydney is multicultural.
This means visitors are welcomed and respected. They should be – almost one in three Sydneysiders wasn’t born in Australia. This means also that there are awesome restaurants, bars, clubs and community groups from all over the world. So, if you’re homesick you can find something or someone to feel less so (but don’t forget you have come to Sydney to speak English, not your native tongue).
4. Sydney has sports, culture and arts everywhere.
Why not immerse yourself in Aussie culture at a cricket match? Or how about rugby or Australian Rules Football? How about learning to surf or dive? Aussies spend a lot of time talking about sport (even if it is just watching it at the pub with their mates). If you want to start a conversation with an Aussie, a pub and stadium are some of the easiest places. Of course, Sydney also has a thriving arts scene. The nightlife is excellent also, whether it is a cosy pub or restaurant, a nightclub (some with swimming pools) or harbour cruise party, all year round.
5. Sydney has a great climate.
Some people go to the beach all year round, though surfers wear wetsuits from May to September as it gets a bit chilly. Even in the middle of winter (July) everyone still sits outside in cafes. It is mild but if you are coming in winter, bring some warm clothes as Sydney’s homes generally don’t have much heating (the Sydneysiders don’t consider it necessary as the weather is comfortable for most of the year without heating). It is rare for the early mornings to drop far below 10 degrees in winter, and it will usually get up towards 20 degrees in mid-afternoon in July, even on the coldest days. Summers are perfect for the beach or being outdoors (but don’t forget sun protection. Aussies take this seriously and everyone wears a hat and sunscreen at the beach).
6. You can get a job very easily in Sydney
As a tourism and hospitality hub, Sydney has jobs everywhere. Unemployment is very low in Sydney, which is great for you if you want to earn a bit of money and meet people, not to mention practice your English. Working whilst studying is fantastic for your English and cultural experience here and we’d encourage you to do it.
7. Sydney nature is pretty awesome
There are zoos and animal parks where you can pat a koala or a kangaroo, if you want to, or simply enjoy the natural environment. Sydneysiders are used to the beautiful sounds of so many birds like kookaburras, cockatoos, rainbow lorikeets, magpies and galahs providing their morning soundtracks. If you stay out in the suburbs, there’ll be kangaroos in many of the reserves (parklands where you can go bushwalking), possums in the trees and brush turkeys scratching the dirt in your garden.
8. You’ll love walking or running next to the beach and Sydney harbour
Even if you never go in the water, but just walk, or run along the beach (or cycle on the bike path), you’ll love it. Just walking the length of Manly Beach (from Shelley Beach to Queenscliffe) takes around an hour. There is an amazing coastal walk (again, around an hour) from Bronte Beach to Bondi Beach. Of course, your walk will take longer if you stop off at one of the numerous cafes along the way, which you’ll probably do. There’s also a bushwalk of several hours from the Spit to Manly on the northern side of Sydney Harbour. There are walks everywhere. Sydney has lots of parks, reserves (big parks) and national parks (the biggest parks) where you can walk, run or ride, just like the locals.
9. Sydney coffee and dining culture is not to be missed
There is seriously great coffee in Sydney. You’ll really appreciate the way Sydney does it, and soon enough, you’ll have your favourite cafes in different parts of town you regularly visit. Sydneysiders also eat out a lot, but most don’t really get into formal dining. You’ll find great casual dining everywhere; serving great food for breakfast, brunch, lunch, late-lunch, dinner and supper. The Hunter Valley (one of Australia’s premier wine producing regions) is close by and Australia is blessed with fantastic new-world wines which are affordable and go down well with or without food. And we must mention the fact that multiculturalism has given Sydney amazing Thai, Brazilian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, French, Italian, Spanish, and Middle Eastern food; cuisine from everywhere, really. Combine this with the quality ingredients like grass-fed beef and lamb, fresh fruit and vegetables, and incredible seafood. You’ll love a type of cuisine called ‘Modern Australian’ which combines these incredible ingredients with a blend of styles from around the world. It’s pretty special.
10. Sydney has so many places to visit!
There are over 100 beaches in Sydney, some on the ocean and some on Sydney Harbour and its many smaller harbours, all of them stunning. Of course, you’ll need to visit the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, The Rocks, Darling Harbour, the Queen Victoria Building, Taronga Zoo and of course, take a ferry to Watsons Bay and to Milsons Point/ Luna Park. But these are just some of the more popular tourist attractions. There are so many fabulous places to explore by foot, by bicycle (hire bicycles are everywhere), or by bus, train or ferry. There are many day trips (for example to the Blue Mountains or national parks, the Hunter Valley, small coastal towns up and down the coast) if you want to get out of town. Sydney is quite congested in the City Centre (called the Central Business District, where all the tall buildings are), but once you’re out of there, you’ll find space everywhere. Sydneysiders are quite tribal, and most think their suburb is the best place to live. So, you’ll want to explore the differences. Also, with Sydney’s great airline connections, New Zealand, Fiji, or the Whitsunday Islands, not to mention every Australian major city is just a couple or a few hours away.
Before coming here, do some further reading and maybe even make a ‘bucket list’ of the things and places you’d like to do and see during your studies! Enjoy!