Life in Australia

What it's like to live in Australia?

With its multicultural and welcoming culture, famous sites and laidback lifestyle, paired with its reputation for high quality education, it’s not hard to see why Australia is the third most popular destination for international students in the world.

Benefits of living in Australia

Australian culture

Australia’s warm climate, laidback lifestyle and vibrant cities such as Sydney inspire people from many different countries to visit, and even move here. This makes it a welcoming and diverse place for international students to live. It also means you can find a wide range of delicious food from around the world here. Australia’s population speaks many different languages including its own ‘Aussie’ slang. For example, ‘arvo’ means afternoon, ‘barbie’ means barbecue, ‘toggs’ means swimsuit, and ‘yakka’ means hard work.

City life

The capital of Australia is Canberra, but cities like Sydney are more familiar to most people. This international travel, business and culture hub offers something for everyone. Famous international artists perform on the stage at the stunning Sydney Opera House. You can be shopping in designer outlets in the morning before relaxing on one of the city's beaches in the afternoon.

World-class coastline

Some of Australia’s best-loved attractions lie around its 25,760 kilometres of coastline. If you feel like exploring more of Australia during time off from studying, you can tour the unique landscape of the Red Centre and Uluru, try out surfing at Cottesloe Beach in Western Australia, or take a scuba diving tour of World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef.

Aboriginal heritage

The indigenous people of Australia are known as Aboriginal Australians. They are reported to have arrived in Australia tens of thousands of years ago. Their way of life is highly in tune with the natural environment and very different to the modern lifestyle in Australian towns and cities. You can discover more about Aboriginal art and culture on trips to sacred sites such as Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Weather in Australia

Sydney is perfect for people who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle. It gets lots of sunshine and has mild winters and warm summers. The summer months are December to February, when average temperatures reach between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius. The water temperature warms up to a lovely 21 to 23 degrees Celsius too. The temperature drops a little during the autumn months, March to May, before winter arrives during June to August. Average winter temperatures in Sydney lie between 8 and 17 degrees Celsius, so it never gets too chilly. Temperatures begin to rise again during the spring months, September to November. 

Travel in Australia

Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport is the main gateway to Australia, which makes it the country's busiest airport. From here you can take domestic flights to destinations within Australia and international flights to countries all around the world. Train and bus services operate from the city centre to the airport, which is 10 kilometres away.

You can access the Central Business District (CBD) from the College's campus in under 30 minutes by public transport. Green Square is the nearest train station, a 7-minute walk from the College.

The NSW TrainLink runs affordable services from Sydney's Central Station to the Central Coast, Southern Highlands, South Coast, and Blue Mountains. Additionally, the new light rail has recently been added to Sydney’s public transport options. You can also catch the bus along the coast and to the Blue Mountains. Private companies run daily services from Eddy Avenue outside Central Station. 

It is convenient and easy to pay your fares on local buses and trains using the Opal card. You can find out more at opal.com.au.

Finally, cyclists are permitted on most roads in Sydney, and taxis are available through several operators.

Things you should know about living in Australia

Australia is a unique country, with a very specific climate and culture. Here are a few tips for you before travelling to your new home:

• Make sure you use sunscreen - the sun is very hot here, meaning you can burn easily, so don't forget to protect your skin or cover up before going out.
• Be aware of different species - most Australian wildlife is harmless, but it's good to know a bit about spiders because there are some dangerous ones.
• Say hello to locals - "g'day" (short for "good day") is the best way to say hello, and you'll definitely get a smile and a "g'day" in response.
• Get to know some essential slang - sunnies (sunglasses) and thongs (flip flop sandals) should be your first purchase on arrival in sunny Sydney.