Category: Australia

Submitted by Matt Sternheim on the 2024 Winter BUAD program in Sydney, Australia…

As I entered my third and final full week here in Sydney, I started to get thoughts of leaving. However, still with time left, I knew that I could not waste any of it, and that I should make the most of the time I have left; and that is exactly what I (and my group) did. The last seven days were filled with amazing times that have given me lasting memories. This week, adventures and happenings of note include finishing up my internship and celebrating with my coworkers, visiting Wentworth Falls and The Blue Mountains, celebrating Australia Day on a cruise, going to the beach, and trying lots of new food. My favorites were definitely our hike to Wentworth Falls and The Blue Mountains and Australia Day aboard a cruise. Through all of these activities, I have had tons of conversations with the locals, and have truly gained a broader view of Australian culture. With only a few days left in Sydney, I am upset to see it go, but extremely happy to have gotten this opportunity, and I know that the next few days will be filled with even more adventures and new experiences! (Submitted on January 28, 2024)

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Well, unfortunately, the time has come for me to head home from my study abroad experience in Sydney. The last four weeks have truly been life changing, and I could not be more grateful to have this opportunity. It really is hard to put into words all of the things I did and what effect they had on me as a person. I like to look back on myself before coming to Sydney, and I can definitely say that it has changed me for the better. I have gained different perspectives on so many different aspects of life and gained invaluable work/professional experience. My last week in Sydney was filled with new adventures, beach trips, goodbyes, and more. For as long as I can remember, I have had a love for traveling, and I find that this experience has enticed me to travel even more, for longer periods of time in the future. Before coming here, the longest trip I had ever been on was no longer than ten days, and that was inside the US. The fact that I just spent an entire month, not only outside the country, but on the opposite side of the world, still blows my mind to this day. I do not know when as of now, but I will certainly be returning to Sydney and Australia sometime in my future. Australia as a whole was such a fascinating experience, and although my time here has run out, I know I will be back one day and will be looking forward to it until that day comes! (Submitted on February 4, 2024)

Submitted by Lauren Stagnitti on the 2024 Winter BUAD program in Australia and New Zealand…

On The Road Again: Sydney, Australia

On the third week of my trip, my group and I traveled to our third and final program location, Sydney, Australia. This is our longest amount of time in a single location and there are so many sights to see. Sydney feels much more urban than New Zeland, and it gives me a sense of being home. 

On our first full day, we did a walking tour of the Opera House and learned about the history of it being built and the story behind its shell design. We saw and learned about the different theater styles and how they are built differently depending on what kind of show it is. For example, the opera theaters are built to have good acoustics and carry sound with an area in the floor for the band. I was lucky enough to see a show during my time here. We saw Gatsby and it was phenomenal and unlike any show I’d ever seen before.

We also were lucky enough to be able to do the Sydney Harbor bridge climb as a group. We learned a lot about how it was built including that it was built from both sides and met in the middle. We did the climb at sunset so we watched the sunset over the Opera House from the top of the bridge. We then got to see the whole city skyline lit up. This was such a great experience and I felt such an adrenaline rush from being so high up.

We visited Walkabout Park and were able to see all different kinds of animals. We got to see (and pet) koalas and kangaroos. The kangaroos are free range on the property and it was very interesting to see how they just wander about and are not really bothered by humans. We also got to see Tasmanian devils, ducks, snakes, and more. Some kids from my group even tried eating termites (I passed on that). This was such a cool experience and we got to experience Australian wildlife. 

Lastly, we’ve spoken to many business speakers as well as visited many different company sites. To highlight a few, we spoke to Merlin Luck from Salesforce and he gave us lots of insight on career advice, management advice, and overall life advice. We also got to experience on site visits with 3M and Cochlear. It was very interesting to see the labs and the behind the scenes of the day to day process of making their products. 

Overall, Sydney has been such a great experience so far, and I can’t wait to see what the last week here holds for me. (Submitted on January 25, 2024)

Final Days Down Under

In our final week in Sydney, our group heard from lots of important business speakers and soaked up our last moments in the sun! We were lucky enough to be able to visit 3M and meet with multiple prominent workers there to learn about their business process and to explore their wide variety of products. We got to tour the lab and try out different products to see how they work and how/why they were developed. Similarly, we visited Cochlear with the finance ud abroad group and we got to tour their facilities and speak to managers there. We learned a lot about how their implants work and the vigorous process that goes into creating an implant. 

As one of our final group excursions, we went lawn bowling on the coast. We got to learn about what the game was and how to play it, and we spent the afternoon in the sun playing against one another. It was really fun and a great experience to bond more with the group and spend time together, outside of the classroom.

We also got to celebrate Australia day in Sydney on January 26th! It is a holiday similar to the fourth of July, and it was really interesting to see how it is celebrated, and to be immersed in the culture. We went to the harbor by the opera house for a firework show on the water. It was so beautiful and it was so cool to be a part of a celebration like this one. 

For our free weekend, a couple of my classmates and I had booked a trip to the Great Barrier Reef to snorkel, but due to weather, we had to cancel it and instead we traveled to Melbourne for the Australian Open. When we got to the airport for our trip to Melbourne, our flight was canceled, and we had to quickly scramble to get on another one. Overall, this weekend taught us a lot about traveling and how to adapt and be a good sport when things go wrong. Despite all of the ups and downs of the weekend, we still had a great trip and it was so cool to be able to go to the Australian Open for the final. I’d never seen a live tennis match before so it was really interesting to experience tennis culture and to see such important matches in such a huge tournament. 

The rest of our free moments in Sydney were spent at the beach, together as a group. We all were very sad to leave Sydney, but we knew we now had 30 new friends coming back to Newark for the spring. I am so grateful for this trip and all that it taught me and I can’t wait to travel more in the future. (Submitted on February 5, 2024)

Submitted by Allison Dolce on the 2024 Winter NURS program in Sydney, Australia…

My first week in Australia has been incredible. I have learned so much about the culture of Australia, and I have met some wonderful people on my program. We started off our week by learning about the history of Australia as a prior British colony. We took a tour of the historic Rocks District, which is a lovely area with lots of character. The next day we took a tour of the New South Wales Office of Health and Medical Research, learning all about the Australian healthcare system. As our program is all nursing majors, it was fascinating to learn about the free healthcare system throughout Australia. It is quite different from the U.S., with higher salaries in the nursing profession and much smaller medical bills in all parts of Australia. Later in the week, we toured the famous Sydney Opera House, learning about the fascinating architecture and history of the building. My personal favorite activity was our Aboriginal history tour in the Rocks District. Australian citizens have a great found respect for Aboriginal people, but it was insightful to hear perspectives from the other side. British settlers controlled Aboriginal land without permission, and up until the 1970s the Australian government had permission to remove Aboriginal children from their families. As Australia became more industrialized, more Aboriginal communities were at risk of being destroyed. I learned that even the infamous Sydney Opera House was built on a former Aboriginal community landsite. Learning about the Aboriginal people really gives insights into the history of Australian culture and the traditional landowners that we must pay respect to. I also learned about the social lives, food preferences, and typical daily activities of Australians, especially during the summertime. I even had the opportunity to try kangaroo at a restaurant! I look forward to spending another week in Sydney and immersing myself even more in the Australian lifestyle. (Submitted on January 24, 2024)

Submitted by Megan Gewert on the 2024 Winter NURS program in Sydney, Australia…

I’m not going to lie, the thought of being 20 hours from home is scary. I had my fair share of nerves when on my final leg of travel to Sydney, Australia for the winter 2024 semester. There are 15 people on this trip and all of us are a part of the NURS Sydney, Australia program. With such a small group, it was easy to get to know everyone. With about 3 weeks in Australia, we had a jam packed schedule ahead of us. 

Week 1 gave me so much insight into the healthcare system here in Australia. As a group we visited the Sydney Eye Hospital, the MINT, and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. We were able to meet with various individuals in the healthcare system who were able to show us what they do each day. A huge emphasis of this abroad experience is comparing and contrasting the Australian healthcare system to the United States. A significant difference that I noticed was how healthcare isn’t completely privatized; rather it is a combination of both public and private services. As nurses, it is eye opening to see how other countries work in terms of their health services. 

Not only did we get to see Australia’s healthcare system but we were also able to gain insight on Australian culture. On the first night, the group had a welcome dinner where we were given the chance to try kangaroo (a delicacy in Australia!). Over the course of the week we learned about the British settlement in Australia through guided tours. On the other hand, we also heard the aboriginal perspective of British settlement in Australia. Both stories were completely different and served as a unique contrast. One of my favorite days during the first week was visiting the Walkabout Wildlife Park. The group was introduced to various species of animals and got to directly interact with kangaroos and emus! During our trip here we also took a walk through the bush and viewed original aboriginal art.

While week 1 in Sydney comes to a close, I am eager to see what week 2 has to offer! Being in Australia has taught me about a culture that is so diverse and that has so much to offer. I have learned so much in just a few days and cannot wait to see what comes next! (Submitted on January 24, 2024)

Submitted by Kayla Haynes on the 2024 Winter ENGL program in Australia…

Last week, we visited the Museum of New and Old Art in Tasmania. Different than the museums in the United States, the Mona has a way more provocative vibe, showing a special perspective on what we would usually consider inappropriate. Our trip to the Mona proved to be an eye opening experience, especially given the low number of tourists in Tasmania. That  allowed us to engage with the locals and learn more about the different cultures. 

The art venture was basically a mix of us and Tasmanian residents. Conversations with locals provided us with their perspectives on Americans. One museum-goer launched us into political discussions, suited with follow-up questions and facts unknown to many of us. Another was curious about the specific location of my residence in New York, showing a knowledge of the different boroughs without having ever been. 

Interestingly, a Tasmanian local revealed that they really only watch American shows and movies. This keeps them well-informed about our side of the world. That fact was a weird one to digest, as here we found ourselves surprised and unknowing in their environment, while they had a considerable knowledge of ours. (Submitted on January 22, 2024)

Great Barrier Reef

When you search for The Great Barrier Reef, the images you see are stunning. The coral is vibrant and the water is a brilliant turquoise. That was what I expected when we booked a trip to Cairns and a boat ride to the reef. 

Don’t misunderstand me; the reef was incredible. But, it was impossible to miss the dull colors that have seemingly infected the beautiful place. This is true worldwide, as many reefs, including the GBR, are expected to disappear by 2050. Seeing with my own eyes this phenomenon, this dying, was eye opening. It was not just me who felt this way. After our group of 14 left the excursion, we discovered that we all had this feeling of dread. 

Still, I am thankful for the experience we had. The Great Barrier Reef has lost some of its luster, but remains otherworldly. The turtles we saw and the sharks below us made the trip an adrenaline rush we did not want to lose. I would tell everyone to go see it now while it is still itself, before time and humans take away what is left of it. (Submitted on January 28, 2024)

Submitted by Isabelle Lieber on the 2024 Winter BUAD/FINC program in Thailand/Australia…

This week we traveled to Sydney Australia. The first day we went to see the opera  house and went to bondi beach. The second day we went to see pretty women in an  outside movie theatre on the water. Then the next day we went to a walkabout and  saw kangaroos and kolas. We learned how to run a walkabout and how to take care of the animals. So far, I love Australia. (Submitted on January 22, 2024)

Submitted by Emma Morandi on the 2024 Winter HOSP program in Australia…

We took a trip to the Blue Mountains to see Australian animals and some beautiful views. We first stopped at the Featherdale Wildlife Park and I was stunned by the amount of animals I didn’t know. I loved getting to pet all the animals, especially the kangaroos. All the animals were very friendly and came right up to us. We got back on the bus and hiked the Blue Mountains. The views were beyond incredible and I learned so much about the indigenous people of Australia. We learned what plants were used for medicinal purposes and how rocks made paint for the tribes. It was breathtaking and I loved getting to see the waterfalls. The water was so fresh and felt amazing in the Australian heat. (Submitted on January 21, 2024)

Submitted by Alyson Markley on the 2024 Winter HOSP program in Australia…

This week we wrapped up our time in Manly which was the best beach town I have ever been to. After staying there for 2 weeks I grew very comfortable with the town and knowing where things were. Before transferring to staying in Sydney we had one of my favorite days so far. We went to the Featherdale Wildlife Reserve and afterwards we went for a hike at the Blue Mountains. We had the opportunity to see some animals that are native to Australia and pet them too. I had the opportunity to pet a kangaroo and koala which is something I never expected to experience. We had some of the coolest views during our hike, this was by far one of my favorite days. After this we had a free weekend in Sydney just to explore the city. We spent most of our time walking around and shopping, but tonight we went to see Gatsby at the Sydney Opera House. This was such a crazy experience and I am so glad we took the time to go. Tomorrow we fly out to New Zealand for the rest of our trip! (Submitted on January 21, 2024)