Arriving In Sydney: My Experience

By Joe Ashby, University of Sydney, Australia

The actual journey to Sydney was a long one, as to be expected, so it seems naïve of me to brush over the long delays and questionable in-flight meals, however, I think it actually highlights how impactful the arrival was, and how irrelevant the difficulties of getting there quickly become.

I won’t forget the feeling of flying over Sydney for the first time, as the rising sun illuminated what was to be my home for the next year. My flight landed at 9am, and by 10.30am, I was through border control. If you’re reading this, you may wonder what that feeling is like, to be stood in arrivals with all your belongings around you, unsure of what exactly to do next. To put it simply, it’s unique.

I decided it would be a good idea to sort out an Australian phone number while I was in the airport, so I headed for the Vodafone stand where an incredibly helpful local sorted me out in minutes with a fair student deal – If you’re after a SIM quickly I would definitely recommend this option. I then hopped into one of the conveniently located taxis which took me to my accommodation (Queens Mary Building) for around $40 (£20). I was made aware a couple days later that there is a train route pretty much directly to Camperdown where QMB is located, so in hindsight that may be a better option at least for money’s sake.

Sydney is +9hours ahead of London time, so the jet lag is pretty serious. By the time I arrived at the accommodation I was hanging on by a thread – to say the least. If you’re up for it, I would say it is a good idea to get your body onto the Sydney time zone as soon as possible, perhaps even during the flight there, although this is not the easiest of suggestions. Because I had arrived in the morning, my plan was to stay awake for the remainder of the day. I checked in, showered, and walked to Newtown Aldi (great spot) to grab some lunch. I specified that it was my plan to stay awake because the minute I got back to the accommodation I was out for the count.

Although the nap was needed, I would strongly recommend against it, as I really was beyond disorientated when I woke up late afternoon. I will write a separate blog specifically about Queens Mary Building, but in general, the best thing you can do upon arrival is to speak to people. The adrenaline levels were running at an all-time high, so it’s much easier than you may think to introduce yourself and get involved from the get-go. Less than an hour after waking up and questioning my physical ability to walk down to the kitchen, I had met an amazing group of people who would soon become my closest friends here.

At the beginning of the day, I was in New Delhi airport with a million questions and an equally overwhelming number of emotions, and by the end of the day, I was in Sydney eating dinner with my new friends; it works out just fine.