The Iglu Guide | Blog
Top 10 Reasons for Studying in Sydney
Thinking about going to ‘uni’ in Sydney? Here are 10 reasons to help you make up your mind.
- Beaches: Need a study break? Head down to one of Sydney’s beautiful clean beaches. For excellent surf, check out Maroubra, Coogee or Curl Curl. For people watching at its best, head down to Bondi or Manly. If it’s a long empty beach you’re after, try Palm Beach in Sydney’s far north, where the TV show Home and Away is filmed.
- Chinatown: Only a few minutes’ walk from Broadway in the south side of the city, Chinatown is the place to find Asian supermarkets, Sydney’s best Japanese, Chinese and Korean restaurants, as well as Paddy’s Market – where hawkers sell everything from chopsticks to T-Shirts and a whole lot more.
- Café Culture: You may not know it, but Australia has one of the most vibrant and developed coffee markets in the world. From busy Broadway to the backstreets of Bondi, you’ll never have to look far for a quaint little café where expert baristas (coffee makers) pump out perfect cappuccinos and a unique Australian version of a milk coffee we call the ‘flat white’.
- National Parks: When the hustle and bustle of the big city gets to you, escape on a weekend camping adventure to one of Sydney’s stunning national parks. There’s Kuring-Gai Chase and the Hawkesbury River in the north, the Blue Mountains to the west and the Royal National Park in the south – the second oldest national park in the world after Yellowstone in the US.
- Late-night Eats: If the city never sleeps then it can never stop eating, and in this case Sydney doesn’t disappoint. For kebabs, hamburgers and pizza, try King Street in Newtown or Elizabeth Street in the city. For noodles and fried rice, head straight to Chinatown. For traditional Aussie pies and chili dogs, check out Harry’s Café De Wheels next to Woolloomooloo Wharf – trading on the same spot since 1945!
- Sydney Harbour: Sydney is built around one of the world’s most beautiful harbour’s. See it for yourself whilst catching a ferry from Circular Quay in the city out to Manly or Watsons Bay. Swim in crystal clear water at Camp Cove or Balmoral Beach. Watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks spectacular form Mrs Macquarie’s Chair at the Botanical Gardens.
- Shopping: Sydney is a shopper’s paradise. From giant multi-story shopping centers at Broadway, Chatswood and Bondi Junction, to the up-scale fashion precincts of Mosman and Double Bay, to the weekend markets at Glebe and Bondi, there’s next to nothing on the shopping list that Sydney can’t provide.
- Nightlife: Need to let off some steam after your exams? Sydney is one of the world’s great nightlife destinations, with more pubs, clubs and bars that you could visit in a year. For an afternoon drink, duck into a genuine Aussie pub in the inner-city suburbs of Ultimo or Chippendale. For a classy cocktail or cheeky glass of wine, check out the small bars in Surry Hills or Darlinghurst. To dance the night away, head to the famous red-light district of King’s Cross.
- Year-Round Festivals: Sydney boasts an action-packed calendar of festivals. The Sydney Festival in January brings more than 1,000 performers to the city in January. The Winter Festival in June sees Sydney’s landmarks and city buildings lit up with psychedelic lights. And don’t forget the world-famous gay and lesbian Mardi Gras in March, where people of all sexual identities, races and religions celebrate freedom and diversity.
- World-Class Universities: Sure, Sydney knows how to party, but it’s totally serious when it comes to education. The city boasts five world-class universities offering globally recognised courses and qualifications in hundreds of different academic fields.
