My First Weeks in Sydney: Whale Watching, Winter Chills, and Settling In

By Lucy Szczerba, University of New South Wales, Australia

My first few weeks in Sydney have been a whirlwind of activity and emotions, but all good experiences. Settling into a new place is inevitably going to be full of ups and downs, but these first few weeks have shown me that you adapt to new places faster than you might think.

In the first week, I did a lot of classic touristy Sydney activities: seeing the Opera House and Harbour Bridge from all angles, walking along the coast from Coogee Beach (the closest beach to UNSW) to Bondi, and shopping in the CBD and Bondi Junction.

The highlight of my first week was going swimming at the newly reopened North Sydney Olympic Pool with a view of the harbour bridge, and for free!

Another amazing experience was a whale-watching boat tour off the coast of Sydney. I got to see a couple humpback whales on their annual migration south, plus some dolphins that came right up to the boat! 

I think keeping myself busy by getting up early and going out has helped stave off feelings of homesickness. Equally, taking some time for yourself when you might feel a bit overwhelmed is important too. Making time to do something comforting, like reading, watching your favourite show, or doing a sport you like can make a new place feel a little more familiar. 

Here are some more practical tips for when you first arrive: 

• Don’t underestimate how cold Sydney can be in the winter. If you have enough space, bring that extra jacket or jumper you might be considering leaving at home — most houses and flats don’t have heating and it does feel quite chilly without enough layers. 
• If you’re going to UNSW, they offer a free shuttle bus that will pick you up from the airport and deliver you to your accommodation in Sydney. 
• For initial supplies like sheets, blankets, and other home essentials, Kmart, BigW, or Target are great for getting things cheaply. 
• Getting an Australian phone number quickly is really useful, especially for setting up a Tax File Number (which you need if to work). I got an eSIM from Felix mobile which is cheap and has good coverage on the Vodafone network. The other mobile phone networks are Telstra and Optus, which are a little more expensive, but offer wider coverage across Australia. 
• Australian bank accounts are easy to set up once you arrive in Australia. I opened with Commonwealth Bank and just had to visit a branch for them to verify my identify. Before ariving, I also got an international account with Wise, which allows you to hold multiple currencies on one card and automatically uses the right one for the country you’re in. 

Overall, the first few weeks have been quite full-on, with so many small logistics to figure out in a new place, but give it time, say yes to activities, and also make sure to carve out some moments for yourself. This is just the beginning and there is still so much of Sydney and the rest of Australia I’m really looking forward to exploring!