“There's an ease that I have living in Australia. The best things about Sydney are free: the sunshine's free, and the harbor's free, and the beach is free.” - Russell Crowe
With endless beaches and amazing cultural and artistic attractions, Sydney is a crowd puller. Quality of life matters a huge amount to your average Aussie, and so Sydney is as laid back as it comes. The natural beauty of the city, weather, amazing food, and fun-loving nature of the locals make for a city that is sure to capture your heart.
Life in Sydney as a Student and Young Professional
Living
Photos of Sydney nearly always see it bathed in sunshine with crystal blue seas and golden beaches. It’s a big part of the draw of this stunning city. What makes Sydney really unique is the Australian way of looking at life.
English is the language, but it’s Australian English. The Aussies have found all sorts of ways to make their sentences short, so they’ve got more time for fun. Expect your first few weeks to be full of wondering what exactly the slang term you just heard means.
The subway, bus network, trains, light rail, and ferry services combine to make inner-city travel easy and convenient. If you’re heading to the outer suburbs you may need a little forward planning so you know where to change.
The Australians rate family time and sport as the best ways to spend time. Socialising is done either at home or at one of the local parks and their public BBQ areas. There are free-to-use BBQ sets here, you just need the fuel and the food. The beach is popular too but can get super hot in the summer.
Eating
Aussies have made an artform of quick and tasty food. They use fish in masterfully simple ways and their sweet treats (if you don’t try at least one Timtam you’re missing out big time) are particularly fine examples.
Working
You’ll find that Australians often like to get an early start, 8:00 or 8:30 is normal, even earlier sometimes. Generally, Australians work more hours than their European or American counterparts. Because of this, lunchtime is often both flexible and optional. This type of flexible working means a lot gets packed into working hours – they really focus. The results of all this hard work are that personal time is golden; no checking email from home.
Aussies also value a ‘can-do’ attitude. Even if they are already pressed for time, most will say “no worries” to some extra work and just get on with it. Since time is so precious, you’ll hear “doco” (document), “spreadie” (spreadsheet) and “presos” (presentations) as word shortenings. Smart casual is the norm in most companies, only 11% of companies demand professional dress.
Our local favourites
Shark Island
Shark island is a part of the Royal National Park and a real getaway from the city. You can only get to it by boat (or kayaks if you’re brave, and fit), so it’s pretty remote. The hidden grottos (hand-built) and rock pools are a mini adventure all in themselves.
Wendy’s Secret Garden
Built by the widow of local artist Brett Whitley, just after he died in 1992. Wendy’s secret garden is a touching and beautiful tribute to the man she loved. Exotic flowers, weeping willows, and statues make for a fascinating tour round. The bonus is the small bench with a majestic view of the harbor. Just sit and soak it all in.
Internships in Sydney
Thriving economy, spectacular harbour views, and glorious weather. Sydney offers the perfect backdrop for work experience in Australia.
