By Natasha Gros, Exchange student in Australia
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The weather here in August was rainy and cold, it was hard coming
from Canada’s summer, especially since I only brought a limited amount of cold
weather clothes. I was informed that it was one of Melbourne’s worst winters
but now it is spring and the weather is wonderful, so all is well!
The first week was very busy; there was
international student orientation as well as first year student orientation
which I attended as well. At orientation they guided us through some things
that we needed for our time here, what we should expect here in Australia, they
told us about their culture and teaching styles, and informed us of all the
services they provide for their students. In the first week I also set up a
bank account with ANZ, a cellphone account with Optus (they have awesome month
to month plans), and got a myki card which you can use for travel on all trams,
trains, and busses. Swinburne international also organized a bunch of events
during the first week so that you could meet up with all the other students as
well as enjoy some free food. They also organized events that allowed us to
explore the city and its attractions, such as the street art, laneways,
Chinatown, museums and art galleries. Swinburne also does semester trips which
go to the surrounding areas of Melbourne, I went on one to Phillip Island where
I got to see the little penguins, go sand surfing, and see some beautiful
beaches and cliff walks, they also do a trip to the Heallesville Sanctuary and
a surfing trip.
The city of Melbourne is amazing, they have
really awesome restaurants, shops, and cafes and although it’s a big city they still
have a lot of parks and gardens scattered throughout which are nice to visit
and get a break from city living. They have a big market in the city center and
I recommend getting fruits and vegetables there as they are much cheaper than
at the supermarket. Footy, AFL, or Australian League Football is a big sport
here and I recommend going to a game, even if you have no idea what is going on
it is still a lot of fun. Melbourne has a lot of teams so there are a lot of
games going on around the city. Hawthorn is the big team here and that’s the
team that most of Swinburne roots for. I also really enjoy Swinburne as a
school, I have all my classes at the Hawthorn Campus so I don’t know what the
other campuses are like, but Hawthorn is not too big (although it seemed huge
and overwhelming at first) and the teachers are really nice. I have found the
majority of people at school and around the city to be very approachable and
friendly, there are always the few that are not but I would expect that anywhere!\
For mid-semester break I went to New
Zealand’s north island with a few friends from school. We rented a campervan
and spent the week partaking in various activities. We visited Hobbiton to see
firsthand where part of Lord of the Rings was filmed, we went to a Maori
cultural dinner and were immersed in their culture, we also went white-water
rafting, caving, canyon swinging, and of course went on plenty of hikes and
enjoyed New Zealand’s natural hot springs. New Zealand is a beautiful country
and I would recommend travelling there, but the costs for activities can add up
quickly so make sure it’s within your budget!
The weather during the spring here is very
temperamental, one day it will be rainy and 15 degrees and the next day it will
be 28, it gives you a nice break from the hot days but do not expect to go to
the beach everyday as spring is considered their rainy season! However, if the
forecast for the weekend is supposed to be nice then I would recommend doing
the Great Ocean Road, which is a stretch of road that goes along the coast as
well as into the green hinterland. A group of my friends and I rented a van
from Melbourne and made a weekend trip out of it by renting a house at the
midway point of the Great Ocean Road. We spent a day driving all the way to the
end to see all the attractions like the Twelve Apostles, The Grotto, Gibsons
Steps, and more! And then we spent another day at the beach in Lorne, the water
was still a bit cold as it was the middle of October but when it’s hot out its
perfect to cool down in. I know that there are options to do a guided tour of
the Great Ocean Road but I would recommend getting a group together and doing
it in your own time. Most car rental places will only rent to 21 year olds or
older so that should be taken into account when planning your trip, and if
you’re worrying about driving on the opposite side of the car, on the opposite
side of the road, it’s weird at first but you get used to it!
At the beginning of November is the Spring
Racing Carnival, which is a huge week-long lavish horse-racing event, with the
main race being the Melbourne Cup Race. It is considered the “race that stops a
nation” and although I have never watched horse racing in Canada, I certainly
got into it here. You can get tickets to the Flemington Racecourse and watch
the race in real-life, but all the bars and restaurants are going to be showing
it as well. I opted for watching the race at Federation Square in the city
center, but next time I would have probably bought a race-day package that
includes food and drink, quite pricey, but worth the experience. If you plan to
go to Flemington for the races make sure you dress up, because in addition to
horse-racing the Spring Carnival is also big on fashion!
