Sydney

City Guide

Overview

Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and is located on the east coast of Australia. With a population of over 5 million, Sydney is the largest city in both Australia and Oceania. From its stunning architecture to its expansive coastline, this city is the most popular in Australia for good reasons. The city has become famous for its beautiful waterfront, Sydney Harbour, which include Sydney’s main tourist attractions, the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.

With Sydney’s beautiful climate, exciting city lifestyle, and endless nature surrounds, it is no wonder that international students enjoy claiming it as their Aussie home.

Fast Facts

  • Largest city in Australia
  • Capital city of New South Wales
  • University of Sydney is the oldest university in Australia

 

 

What to Expect
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Weather Forecast

Sydney makes good use of a climate that never feels a day below freezing and boasts a temperate maritime climate that averages annually from 12°C to 23°C. With such great weather, Sydneysiders have their choice of activities that includes walking the harbour front or lying on the grass at the Royal Botanic Gardens, one of the many large parks in the city.

Spring (September – November) 11°C to 23°C
Summer (December – February) 18°C to 25°C
Fall (March – May) 14°C to 22°C
Winter (June – August) 8°C to 17°C

You Are Here
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Getting Around Sydney

Getting around Sydney is easy as there are many options. To use public transport including buses, trains, ferries, and light rail in Sydney, you need to purchase an Opal card. You can get this card at the airport, convenience stores, grocery stores, or post offices.

The City Circle is the train network that runs a loop around the city, which is the easiest way to get around the city centre. Sydney also has a handy bus system for travelling through the suburbs and to the beaches.

Depending on the neighbourhood you choose to live in, it may be useful to purchase a bicycle to save some money—one of the perks of city life!

What Others Say
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What to see and do in Sydney?

So what do OzTREKK students say?

See the Sydney opera house! Go see as many beaches as you can because they are beautiful! Visit Tasmania if you get a chance because it has its own charm.

Blue mountains, the beaches, the CBD

The food is great. Explore the city, go try new places (e.g., the zoo, the Sydney Opera House, etc.) and go with other international students and experience new things together!

Depending where you are, I would just recommend going out into the many natural parks and camping or hiking. There is ridiculously beautiful nature everywhere you look, and most of it is highly accessible. For example, if you are in Sydney, you can literally take a train out to the Blue Mountains and access some gorgeous hikes very easily.

Beaches and national parks with amazing hiking trails.

Bondi Beach—one of the best beaches I’ve been to in my life! Figure 8 pools are pretty cool to check out. Strathfield has awesome KBBQ.

The Coogee to Bondi coastal walk.

Byron Bay skydiving.

Take the ferry or public transport on SUNDAY. Make it an adventure.

A road trip to Brisbane while spending most of the time in Gold Coast. There are some breathtaking beaches on the way.

Get out and explore everywhere you can! Go camping! Buy a surfboard! it’s worth it.

Go out and explore everything while you have time! Icebergs at Bondi, Gordon’s Bay, North Sydney, the Rocks, Surry Hills, Cronulla, Blue Mountains…

Manly-split walk in Sydney. Hunter valley wine tour is also really good.

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If you’re like us, you might enjoy those gorgeous travel blogs, interesting podcasts, and social media influencers who test things out to let you know if they’re worth the money.

Here are a few people to follow:

 

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