Boomerang Australia Studies

GENERAL INFORMATION

Australia is a giant island bigger than the whole of Europe that will take your breath away as soon as you arrive!! She is the Adventure Land, the Land of Never-ending Spaces, the Land of Deserted Beaches, and the Land of the Dreaming... To sum up, the Land of Extremes and Wonders…

Australia offers visitors an amazing richness in all aspects of life: socially, culturally and environmentally. Australia is a rich country, heavily urbanized, with very modern infrastructure, a very cosmopolitan and friendly population, wild landscapes, and a climate offering the 4 seasons at the same time!!!

Australia is less than 23 hours flight away from Europe and the Americas. Nowadays flights are numerous and affordable!! If you plan to study in an English speaking country, don’t hesitate: choose Australia!!! You cannot only work but also will live a unique experience. Australian are extremely friendly and easy-going, you will meet students and residents from the entire world and discover what multiculturalism is about!! Australia is geographically very close to the Asian continent and you will benefit a lot from the privileged contacts you will make in Australia, especially in Sydney where 140 different nationalities live together! It’s a real melting pot, successful and harmonious that will take you unaware!!

To convince you that coming to study in Australia is an unforgettable experience, we will transport you to the 6 states and 2 Territories that form the Federation of Australia, sharing with you our experience and personal opinion. This is not really a tourist guide so if you need more detailed information, consult any travel guides specialized in Australia such as Lonely Planet…

If you wish to receive the best flight rates to Australia, please refer to our section Travel.

Find below all kind of information that will help you understand the Australian culture better!

- To know students' opinions on daily life in Australia as well as how to confront it, click here!

- To obtain general tourist information about Australia, click here!

- To become familiar with Australian slang, click here!

- To see unsual photos about Australia, click here!

NEW SOUTH WALES

This is the most populated state and full of contrasts: in the North (Byron Bay) you have summer temperatures nearly all year round and South, you have snow in the Snowy Mountains (boosting ski resorts such as Thredbo and Perisher Blue) The capital city is the beautiful city of Sydney, Host of the 2000 Summer Olympic Games Sydney, voted the Best Games ever by Samaranch!! Thanks to its magnificent and romantic harbour, you will never believe that over 4,5 million inhabitants live there! This is a city stretching along the Parramatta River (nearly 40 km long!), surrounded by 3 incredibly well preserved National Parks, whose skyline only spread downtown or CBD (Central Business District) and whose numerous surf beaches (Bondi Beach, Manly Beach to name a few...) make you permanently feel on holiday!!
The rest is purely residential, houses lost in lush green avenues or hills, a multitude of bays and surf beaches, cafés, restaurants, modern and traditional pubs…
To sum up, it is a city that meets all tastes and desires!! The climate is temperate and pleasant all year round; Sydney is the favourite destination for students: it offers everything a student needs: a wide range of study programmes at competitive prices (6 universities, 2 members of the Group of Eight, without counting Wollongong and Newcastle), work, high quality leisure (ports, bays and beaches open to all water sports possible, National parks for excursions…), active and varied nightlife, restaurants for all budgets, important public transport (bus, ferries, trains, trams…). However the cost of life has considerably increased since the Olympic Games in 2000 (especially the rent) and if you are on a tight budget, live either in the close suburbs or move to another city!!

Destinations not to be missed:
Bondi Beach and Manly Beach, the beaches cult in Sydney!
The Snowy Mountains and Jenolan Caves
The Hunter Valley vineyards
Byron Bay
Snowy Mountains Kosciusko National Park
Pambula
Jervis Bay
Warrumbungle National Park
Hill End and Broken Hill, nostalgic ghost towns from the Gold rush

VICTORIA

It is one of the greenest State, nicknamed the Garden State, the most populated after New South Wales despite its small size.
The capital city, Melbourne, is the most European city in Australia with a very strong Italian and Greek migrant population and recognized as the cultural city of Australia (for the cafes, shows, fashion...) Its charm is to be found in the lovely old and new trams that travel through the whole city and where it is easy to meet with the locals!! It’s a modern and cosmopolitan city where the climate can be extreme: suffocating in summer and very cold in winter.
The countryside is very green and rich with dairy farming and the beaches are untamed such as Ninety Miles Beach and the Great Ocean Road.
Melbourne is a city for indoor personalities, this is not a water city like Sydney: study programmes are varied (7 universities, 2 members of the Group of Eight), the cultural and artistic life is very varied, transport is easy, life style less hectic than Sydney, the costs of life are quite similar with Sydney but the climate can be a hardship for those sensitive to humidity and cold!!

Destinations not to be missed:
Great Ocean Road, Bells Beach (The cult beach in Victoria) and the 12 Apostles (there are only 8 left but it is still worth it!!
Penguins Parade (Phillip Island)
Sovereign Hill (Ballarat)
Ninety Miles Beach
Boggong High Plains and surroundings ski resorts (Mt Buller, Mt Hotham, Falls Creek, Lake Mountains)
The Grampians and Arapiles, the mecca for climbers
Yarra Valley and Murray Valley vineyards (Rutherglenn)
Ned Kelly country

QUEENSLAND

This is the sunshine state so famous for its barrier reef (The largest in the world), its tropical climates and white sand beaches (This is where was filmed the Blue Lagoon, you can imagine the beauty!!), and surprisingly, boosts 9 universities. The major cities are Brisbane and Cairns and the most famous coast: Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast . This is the favourite tourist destination after Sydney and the paradise for scuba diving and sailing.
The climate being tropical can be suffocating in summer, so winter is the most busy season with much more pleasant temperatures from June to October, when you can swim safely without any bad encounters with the infamous lethal box jellyfish present from November till May each year along the Barrier Reef.
Warning: Brisbane is not on the ocean side but along a river with the same name!! This is a city growing very fast but without the charisma and class of Sydney or Melbourne.
Gold Coast can be the paradise for all surfers, it can be easy to find a job but the ambiance is pretty superficial and accommodation can be quite expensive. It's not a surprise it has been called the Australian Miami!!

Destinations not to be missed:
Barrier Reef and its numerous islands (Magnetic Island, Hamilton Island, Dunk Island, Witsundays islands)
Gold Coast for its theme parks (Movie World…)
Sunshine Coast (Noosa) for its magnificent beaches
Fraser Island, the biggest sand island in the world
Daintree Forest and Cape York

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Located in the central North of Australia, it is the home of the most famous monolith in the world, Uluru or Ayers Rock, Kata Djuta or the Olgas, and the Red Centre, thousands of kilometers of red earth... Well, as you can feel, the centre for adventures and four wheel-drive vehicles!!! Darwin, the capital city of only a few hundred thousands inhabitants, is a different world of its own and surrounded by generous rivers where live a unique fish, the Barramundi and of course crocodiles! This is an experience not to be missed!
This could be the only state where you will meet Australian Aborigines and share their culture. Temperatures can reach extremes to 50 degrees Celsius in the sun but nights can be chilly in the desert. If Darwin is a city to explore, daily life there can be tough: you are far away from everywhere, very regional and not very suitable for a very long stay!!

Destinations not to be missed:
Ayers Rock, the Olgas and King’s Canyon
Katherine Gorges
Kakadu National Park, nominated among the 7 marvels in the world

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

This is the largest Australian State, facing the Indian Ocean, and its capital city Perth is recognized as the most isolated city in the world, considering that Adelaide and Darwin are the closest cities at a few days drive and at a 5-hour flight to Sydney!! The remaining parts are deserts and small farming, mining and fishing towns. The landscape is amazing, full of amazing geological rock formations and unique National Parks in the middle of nowhere with oasis and deep gorges.
Perth is a really beautiful charming and cheap city: international students are allowed discounts on public transport and nightlife is concentrated only in Fremantle, Costletoe Beach and North Bridge despite the presence of 3 universities!! The only problem is that if you really love exploring, everything is far away, transports are limited and you will need a car! Also beaches can be dangerous, sharks can often be seen around!

Destinations not to be missed:
The Pinnacles
Monkey Mia, residence of wild dolphins
Karijini National Park
Broome
Bungle Bungle, Arnhem Land
Margaret River vineyards and the south Coast (excellent surf)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Famous for its excellent wines and gourmet food festivals, this state is however little known from Australians and visitors alike. Adelaide, the capital city, is a charming small provincial city and the gateway to the Red Centre. It offers a very pleasant European atmosphere; it’s a very green city with so many parks and trees and looks like a peaceful haven with numerous beaches close to the city centre.
In 2005, we have voted this city as the most suitable for students after Sydney: the cost of life is the cheapest in Australia, it is a very clean and proper city, very Australian and friendly, very appreciative of young people to such an extent that this is the only city that organizes a welcome and farewell party for all international students in presence of Hon. Lord Mayor and Governor general!! Despite its small size, Adelaide boosts 3 universities. The cultural and artistic life is far more active and varied than it looks like and even if the beaches are not as attractive as Sydney’s ones, it gives a very pleasant resort feel to the city! Everything is close to everything, so the bicycle can be considered the best locomotion!!

Destinations not to be missed:
Adelaide’s beaches (Glenelg, Henley, Semaphore…)
Vineyards (Barossa Valley, Mc Clare Valley, Coonawarra, Adelaide Hills…)
Coober Peddy, the opal capital of Australia
Cactus Beach, the beach cult for surfers
Kangaroo Island
Flinders Ranges
Victoria Harbour

TASMANIA

This is an abandoned island at the bottom of the Bass Strait, so close to the South Pole that most Antarctic expeditions leave from there. Its picturesque capital city, Hobart, lies at the bottom of Mount Wellington and is the gateway to the wildest landscape and wilderness ever, dominated by winter rain forests (where vegetation and fauna fight for survival every day to reach the light), by snow peaked mountains, deserted beaches and violent climate.
Tasmania has never been very populated since its discovery (maybe due to its infamous past of convict prisons). Due to its overpowering isolation, Tasmania has retained its initial character and we feel like going back to the last century when faced with such a peaceful and layback lifestyle and so friendly people!! Like Darwin, this is a city to discover for the ones in love with nature and quiet life!!

Destinations not to be missed:
Arthurs Ranges in the South
Gordon River and Franklin National Parks in the West
Freycinet National Park and Port Arthur (historical convict settlement) in the East
Overland Track for keen bushwalkers

ACT

The Australian Capital Territory, created from nothing in 1901, includes the Australian capital city Canberra (remember, Sydney is not the Australian capital city!!) and its suburbs.
The new Parliament dominates the city and is easily recognizable from its super modern architecture!! Being close to Sydney, Canberra is a week end destination for lovers of history and arts, thanks to the presence of the National Art Gallery, National Library, National Museum, War Memorial…: the best arts exhibitions are held either in Melbourne and Sydney, or in Melbourne and Canberra!!!
This is too quiet a town and absolutely not adapted to young students!!

Destinations not to be missed:
New Parliament House
Old Parliament House
Australian National Museum
National Australian Art Gallery
Telstra Tower
War Memorial (integrates the Australian Armed Forces Museum: the story of the ANZACs)

ABORIGENES

The Aborigenes or indigenous Australians have been populating Australia for over 45.000 years, some researchers even mention the figure of 60.000 years. They are nomads and because of that particularity, Australia was annexed by the British Crown under the term of "Terra Nullius" (land without any inhabitants) in the 1770's. The Dreaming is their belief that defines their culture, past and link to the ancestors.

The European settlement as they call it, would change the Aborigenes' peace for ever and results into their disappearance, not to say extermination. Some states such as Tasmania don't have any Aborigenes left, Victoria close to none left since the end of the last century and the survivors are mostly out of view. You may meet some in Western Australia, Queensland, Northern Territories, Sydney and some part of NSW. However their art is admired and preciously supported and some paintings can be sold hundreds of thousands of dollars in art galleries around the world!!!

Trying to discuss with Australians about Aborigenes, and even worse about the Mabo case, is quite taboo. The reconciliation process is taking time to settle down and the life conditions of most Aborigenes are not improving rapidly either. The most curious is that because of lack of government support and funding, historians have not been able yet to define with precision the origins of Aborigenes, a people offering no racial and linguistic similitude with the neighbouring peoples. We advice you to read specialized books to understand better their culture and place in the Australian society. We have selected two of them that should be easy to find in your country: "Songlines" from Bruce Chatswin and "The secret Country" from John Pilger.