fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3099 ]

[ SECRET POST #3099 ]

⌈ Secret Post #3099 ⌋

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I'll be living in Sydney for studies. I'm not sure I'm comfortable giving specifics, but does anyone have general advice for people new to the city/country? Practical stuff or how not to be That Obvious Foreigner?

If not, feel free to share/vent about anything related to your experiences moving for whatever reason.

As someone who has never been to Austalia, I can only give you advice from what I've seen on TV. And that is: DON'T. TOUCH. ANYTHING. It is probably poisonous and/or able to kick you in the groin.

OP

Haha, I have no idea what the pest conditions are like where I'll live, but I've been thinking about what kind of insect repellents I might have to buy.

Maybe try here? http://www.reddit.com/r/australia/

And search for things like "student" "visiting" "moving" (limit search to /r/australia).

OP

I completely forgot to check reddit, thanks for pointing that out!

In Sydney? Be careful in gardens in the North Shore district. That's the homeland of our most dangerous spider. (Our second worst however is everywhere but Tasmania.)

But I have my doubts that cheap accommodation would be available in the North Shore, they're old rich suburbs.

Sydney has a lot of people there for jobs, school, etc., so there are foreigners galore. I wouldn't sweat it.

Hi. *waves*

I am willing to answer any questions you may have about Sydney, anytime. It's my closest city so I'm there often and currently about a third of my high school friends are living there for study/work opportunities so I'm pretty familiar with unis up there, and sometimes they have good music stuff on.

What I can tell you about the city is that you will need a map. You will probably need a map even when you've lost count of the amount of times you've been around it. I still sometimes need a map. There's even a meme about it, and it is accurate.

Don't feed the birds. Ever. Even the pretty ones.
Don't stand under trees in parks, because they either have possums or flying foxes, and both of them pee.
Don't get comfortable with buses. They change routes and times so often you're better off just asking the driver if they're going to a certain place.
Don't go exploring in the bush unless you bring a compass and can navigate. No joke, they will never find your body.
Don't hitchhike. Ivan Milat was only one of the crazies.

Do visit pancakes on the rocks, ASAP.
Do find a cheap pub you like near campus.
Do be rich and willing to be scabby and cheap. Sydney is expensive as all hell.
Do prepare yourself for the possibility of living in a rental slum with 12 other starving students.
Do drink in moderation, because you will likely be left passed out in public places by your new Australian friends. Sometimes we are too laid back. Sorry.
Do swim between the flags on patrolled beaches.
Do read all warning signs.
Do wear sunscreen and hydrate.

There's so much more. If you want to PM me, feel free. I have plenty of specific advice for Manning campus or creepy old UNSW, and suburb-specific advice like "you will probably want to live in Newtown, but nobody actually lives in Newtown. Just live in Stanmore and tell people you're living right near Newtown."

da

Don't stand under trees in parks, because they either have possums or flying foxes, and both of them pee

I didn't know what a flying fox was and I kind of expected it to be squirrel-like or something, but I just found out that it's the largest bat in the world. Holy shit

If you stand outside at sunset, they all fly overhead at once. If you're drunk in the park and you play theme music, you can be lord of the bats.

I mean, I'm too mature to have ever done this obviously. *cough*

They're pretty cute, but they stink so bad.

Oh man, I was only in Sydney for a while and I have to agree with all of this.

Along with:

Don't fuck with spiders
Don't fuck with snakes
Don't go into the bush by yourself, but there are a bunch of hiking trails that are perfectly suitable for day hikes and they take you out into the bush safely in case you want to experience that

DO go eat a seafood platter at the Sydney Fish Market IMMEDIATELY. Bring at least three friends.
DO go out for Malaysian food. Holy crow.
DO visit the art gallery. It's lovely.
DO see the zoo, as it's one of the nicest facilities I've had the pleasure of touring.

Taronga zoo is pretty good. Mogo used to have lion cubs behind the desk at the reception, which is probably highly illegal but I got to feed one so I don't care.

They're planning to rebuild around the fish markets, Herpy! I'm not sure if they're closing temporarily or moving, but a lot of locals are really mad about it.

Noooo but where will all the pelicans go to be mean assholes who try to bite tourists who try to take selfies with them!?

Re: Moving (to Australia)

belladonna_took - 2015-06-30 02:46 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Moving (to Australia)

herpymcderp - 2015-06-30 07:29 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Moving (to Australia)

belladonna_took - 2015-06-30 11:00 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Moving (to Australia)

herpymcderp - 2015-07-01 04:00 (UTC) - Expand

Taronga Zoo has some of the best views of Sydney Harbour. This fact amuses me because it means the ones who get those views the most are the animals.

OP

When I checked Google Maps, I wondered if I was just that easily confused by roads and it looked perfectly fine to other people. Turns out not.

Thanks for all the tips :) And thanks for the PM offer, I might in the future if I have more specific questions.

No worries! Don't google map NSW on zoom ever. We have some creepy sounding places. Worlds End is an actual place, and it's here. :/

In the car with my best friend driving and me trying to navigate, we ended up unnecessarily crossing the bridge 4 times. As in, we missed the turn off and went over the bridge, turned around and did exactly the same thing again. Did I mention there's a toll? This is why I prefer the train. It's not as good as London if you're familiar with the tube over there, but you can use the cityrail trip planner online and it will tell you if there's trackwork scheduled. We've just started using a similar swipe card system to London, too.

Don't hesitate if you need anything or have any questions! I'm sure you'll make friends and figure out where you're going quickly.

My hometown is Sydney, although I'm living in Asia right now! Here's some advice:

1. Never buy anything from a convenience store/gas station unless it's an emergency. Everything is ridiculously expensive. Supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths are your best friends when it comes to grocery shopping.
2. Public transportation is really unreliable. Always check the Sydney Trains website for any information about delays/trackwork. Also, buses often either don't show up on time, don't show up at all or keep going because they're too full to take on more passengers. If you have the money and a driver's license, you might want to buy/rent a car, depending on how long you're planning on staying. Just watch out for parking meters, it's also expensive to park anywhere in the main city area.
3. Alcohol is also expensive unless you drink beer, and cigarettes are INSANELY expensive. If you smoke, you might want to cut down/quit.
4. Try to learn some Australian slang - people often use it without realizing that it's not widely known in other parts of the world. You'll know what I mean when you get there.
5. Don't go on about how wild animals/reptiles/insects can kill you - you're unlikely to come across anything like that in any large cities like Sydney, unless you visit a zoo!
6. If you're into clubbing, there are certain rules about what time you can enter a nightclub (I think lockout, meaning NO ENTRY, is at around 1 AM, if I recall correctly). Oh, and there isn't much in the way of transportation in the middle of the night, either. Taxis are expensive, trains stop running (you can look into hourly night trains if you like, I've never used them but apparently they exist?) and, as I said, the buses are extremely unreliable. Plan your night accordingly (ie. ask someone to give you a lift home beforehand, crash at someone's place or be prepared to stay out all night).
7. ATMs often have expensive fees, depending on what bank you belong to. If you make a bank account, try to scout out the ATMs that belong to your bank in your local area to avoid paying $2.50-$3 per transaction.
8. In recent years, the weather has been really crazy recently, so it can get a little colder than expected at night depending on the season.
9. Related to driving, petrol (Australian for "gas") is also quite expensive. They say Tuesdays are the cheapest days to fill up, but it changes. If you can, shop around to get a general idea of the average price per liter.
10. You'll most likely encounter a lot of people who are non-native speakers in shops or over the phone. Please bear with them, they are trying their best! (And I'm not trying to be condescending, I'm just not sure what part of the world you're from or what kind of experience you have with ESL people.)
11. Everyone hates Tony Abbott (the Prime Minister).

I hope all of that helps! Feel free to ask more questions. :)

OP

Thanks for the advice :) Definitely going to start studying the public transport and nearby ATMs.

I don't have any other questions right now, but thanks again for helping!

As someone who is from Australia and lived in Sydney for a year as a student, I agree with everything people have said so far.

Extra tips:
- Re: public transport, I used the Sydney trains app and it was pretty useful and accurate. But you should also keep informed about trackwork. Buses were less reliable - but I would still regularly catch the bus to uni, but would have to give myself some leeway if it didn't come or if traffic was bad. I don't drive anyway, so it wasn't too bad - but if you're used to driving or come from somewhere with a really good public transport system you may find it frustrating to get used to.
- Bush walking by yourself is a no. But there are some gorgeous coast walks and just generally beautiful scenery in Sydney that you should take advantage of - it doesn't get regularly voted one of the most beautiful cities in the world for nothing.
- If you're a coffee drinker, you may become confused and amazed by how great Australian coffee is, even if it's just from a coffee stand on campus. It's easy to get addicted, and at $3.50 on average for a standard cup might strain a student's budget. But there's nothing better to take the edge off studying than looking over a gorgeous campus in Sydney with a delicious cup of coffee... (other than a cold drink at the campus bar on a sunny afternoon, that is)
- Sydney has pretty great food, especially Asian (and by Asian I don't mean generic Asian, I mean basically every Asian country's cooking is represented, and well). American diner style food is the really big thing at the moment though, so if you want fancy (if expensive) burger you are moving to the right city. If your budget can handle it, take yourself on a gastronomic tour of Sydney. It will be worth it.
- Australians are generally pretty friendly, but we're also pretty laid back, and can be blunt at times - I feel like especially if you're American, it might not be so obvious how friendly people can be. But if you ask, people will help.
- Take advantage of your uni's Study Skills centre if you need to. At least work out what services are offered - because there's a whole range of ways they can help you, especially as an overseas student.

- On the negative side: I'm not going to pretend there isn't racism in Australia, because there is. And the whole 'laid back' thing means that some people feel like it's okay to basically say a racist remarks casually. E.g. you might hear people complaining about 'the Chinese buying all the property in Sydney, taking over'. Most people are lovely, but some people are dicks. And some people who seem lovely come out with this crap as well. Like a lot of places, really. But if you're mostly going to be hanging out with other uni students you probably won't notice it as much.

I don't have an account but I do check FS pretty regularly, so if you gave any other questions or need any more advice feel free to ask in GC again :) (I can provide specific 'where food is the most delicious' tips)

OP

You've all been so helpful, I appreciate everythng that's been mentioned!

I don't drive but I'm used to living somewhere with usually punctual public transport, so getting familiar with the buses/trains is a priority for me. And I don't see myself wandering off into the bush alone, but I will check out the coast.

I'm really looking forward to however much good food I can fit in my budget. And I am a coffee drinker.

Yeah, I've heard things about the racism. I probably will be mostly around uni people at least at first, but...well, there's nothing much good to say about the matter except that I believe most people are not huge dicks in everyday life.

I will post again if I have anything more specific to ask. Thanks again!

Restating it because omg so many foreigners do it: don't go camping, hiking or even a day trip by yourself! Don't! Your body won't be found for months and everyone will be sad. Don't go with other foreigners. Go with at least 3 locals. And not locals who have never left the city.

Do go on student pub crawls

Do visit the zoo

Do quietly call the police if someone goes on a racist tirade at you (grab your local police number for non emergencies)

000 for all fire, cop and ambulance

If you do decide to go get lost in the bush, 112 and 106 are alternative emergency numbers.

Aldi is also your cheap food friend

Go to all your uni introduction weeks and grab all the information packs, especially for your renting rights.

You're going to hear the word cunt a lot. Including in parliament arguments. Also casual racism is everywhere. Coon is a type of cheese. You're going to have some culture shock it is ok

Australians like to shorten words and add "o" to the end. Ie ambulance is ambo and my friend Robert is robbo. Do. Not. EVER. Refer to an aboriginal person as an "abo". Basically the n word and I will forever be disappointed in you. Look up Aussie history, aboriginals are multicoloured.
Maccas is a McDonald's. Learn the slang. It'll help.

Also check out Chinatown if you're ever craving dumplings.

And yeah be patient with the ESL.

Pick a footie team and fast. Pick one not involved in any recent controversies and you'll be right. Possums are assholes don't feed then and leave them alone.

OP

Many thanks! I should see this highly recommended zoo. I put everyone's pointers on a list for myself.

Re: quietly call the local police if someone goes on a racist tirade at me, what kind of racist tirades call for this? I assume it's if someone's violent or making threats?

And by footie team I guess you mean APL and not anything else?

I was thinking afl and the upcoming grand final. If you don't pick one someone will for you. XD

Re: police. If someone is screaming abuse at you on the train or hell at someone else on the train you are completely within your rights to call the police. 000 will forward you through to the local police if it's not an "emergency". Doesn't have to be just violence or threats, standing and yelling slurs and that people need to leave the country also counts. Due to disruption etc.

Just saying cause idk if you're American or Indian or Chinese or what. If you said so I missed it so covering bases :x

The zoo is very cool.

Edited 2015-06-30 11:51 (UTC)

Totally agreeing with this. If you google "racist tirade australia" you'll probably find a lot of articles about recent incidents in which some crazy people have been randomly deciding to yell at foreign-looking people about their race on public transport. As an Australian living abroad, it really makes my heart hurt to hear about things like this. :(

Oh and read up on swooping season

http://m.wikihow.com/Keep-Safe-from-Swooping-Australian-Magpies

This is a plover, keep your distance.
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/conservation-the-environment/spur-winged-plovers/#.VZKEulLXfCQ

Good luck and I hope you check in on us! We'd love to hear how you're going and answer future questions. You'll do fine!

Re: Moving (to Australia)

(Anonymous) - 2015-06-30 13:22 (UTC) - Expand

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