The Sandspur

Issue date: 10/21/05 Section: Life & Times

Media Credit: Dani Picard

Prior to traveling to Australia, I purchased several travel guides of the city with every great intention of studying them to make sure I knew exactly what I wanted out of this study abroad experience (beyond the actual studying part, of course). Nevertheless, my great intentions fell quite short of actually opening the guides at all. In fact, glancing at a brochure I picked up in the arrivals lounge while waiting in line for customs was the first time I glanced at any guide to Sydney.

Therefore, when my host-mum asked me what sights I planned to see around the city, I just stared blankly. Thankfully, she put this down to overtiredness, and then suggested I spend my first afternoon at some place called Bondi Junction. Alas, this meant I would have to figure out how to get back to middle-of-nowhere Kingsford, and so I realized that being too lazy to open my Sydney books was very much a failed plan of action. Note to all students: travel guides are most useful when you open them before visiting your destination.

Of course, travel guides only ever give very brief and rather useless descriptions of places to go. More often than not, these are the same places that every other tourist is reading about in their travel guides too, and so the place is usually clogged entirely with other non-Australians, enough to give any attraction the effect of a Disney World without the rides. This is possibly not the Sydney-experience worth seeking after traveling from Orlando.

I do not recall any travel guide mentioning of Newtown, the local hangout for Sydney Uni students, "Have you ever been to a suburb where people dye their hair to match their outfits?" Not to worry though, there are alternative means to truly experiencing life like the locals. Here, in particular, the daily local newspapers, particularly the entertainment ones handed out by the main bus station each day, list activities for students occurring in all of the local suburbs. Likewise, there is a useful on-campus newsletter, The Bull, focusing entirely on club meetings, activities, parties, and events happening on campus that particular week. In addition, for those traveling in Europe as well as Sydney, Backpacker companies, for instance, STA travel, Oz Experience, or even youth hostels, are great resources of information for local activities. Often the latter will even provide a subsidized rate for some events or organize a group of people to attend together (not as weird as it sounds-I promise!).

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