Comments on: If i was to study abroad in australia, where would i be able to travel to and what activities would i do? http://queenslandmagazine.com/blog/index.php/if-i-was-to-study-abroad-in-australia-where-would-i-be-able-to-travel-to-and-what-activities-would-i-do/ Queensland Australia Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:38:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Peter C http://queenslandmagazine.com/blog/index.php/if-i-was-to-study-abroad-in-australia-where-would-i-be-able-to-travel-to-and-what-activities-would-i-do/#comment-370 Peter C Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:43:45 +0000 http://queenslandmagazine.com/blog/index.php/if-i-was-to-study-abroad-in-australia-where-would-i-be-able-to-travel-to-and-what-activities-would-i-do/#comment-370 There is a fair bit to see and do in Australia, but there are very long distances between most places of interest. Melbourne has a lot of arts and cultural attractions within the city proper. A typical day off in Australia might involve inviting your friends over to your place for a barbeque. You might want to go to the beach in Summer. There are some quaint beaches on the bay for swimming/sunbaking, though the surf beaches are 100km away by car or by v/line bus. In Summer you can also watch Soccer (Association Football) or Cricket, both of which are popular in Melbourne. In Winter you can watch AFL (Aussie Rules Football) or NRL (Rugby League Football). The latter is not especially popular in Melbourne but they have a very good team. It's not unheard of for 80,000 people to show up to an ordinary game of AFL football at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on any ordinary Friday, Saturday or Sunday during March-September. Recreational cyclists basically take over Beach Road on Saturday and Sunday mornings, in small informal groups or large group rides, usually starting at St Kilda and proceeding south. It's not unheard of for some less intelligent international students to gamble away their entire tuition at Crown Casino, according to a friend of mine who used to be a Baccarat dealer there. That's obviously not recommended. You have to drive or get a coach down the Great Ocean Road at least once. Most other natural attractions probably require you to drive or ride on a tourist coach. You have to ride the Puffing Billy Railway at least once (get the train to Belgrave and walk down a path at the far end of the platform). Ballarat and Bendigo are quaint towns that could be enjoyed on foot after you get the train there, but aside from architecture and local attractions there's not that much to see or do in those nearby towns. Bendigo has tours of a gold mine, just find the tram line and follow it to its southern terminus. Ballarat has Sovereign Hill, an educational period theme park/attraction for the Eureka Stockade, a turning point in Australian history. Pretty much everything else will require you to own (or rent) a car. There is a fair bit to see and do in Australia, but there are very long distances between most places of interest.

Melbourne has a lot of arts and cultural attractions within the city proper. A typical day off in Australia might involve inviting your friends over to your place for a barbeque.

You might want to go to the beach in Summer. There are some quaint beaches on the bay for swimming/sunbaking, though the surf beaches are 100km away by car or by v/line bus. In Summer you can also watch Soccer (Association Football) or Cricket, both of which are popular in Melbourne.

In Winter you can watch AFL (Aussie Rules Football) or NRL (Rugby League Football). The latter is not especially popular in Melbourne but they have a very good team. It’s not unheard of for 80,000 people to show up to an ordinary game of AFL football at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on any ordinary Friday, Saturday or Sunday during March-September.

Recreational cyclists basically take over Beach Road on Saturday and Sunday mornings, in small informal groups or large group rides, usually starting at St Kilda and proceeding south.

It’s not unheard of for some less intelligent international students to gamble away their entire tuition at Crown Casino, according to a friend of mine who used to be a Baccarat dealer there. That’s obviously not recommended.

You have to drive or get a coach down the Great Ocean Road at least once. Most other natural attractions probably require you to drive or ride on a tourist coach.

You have to ride the Puffing Billy Railway at least once (get the train to Belgrave and walk down a path at the far end of the platform).

Ballarat and Bendigo are quaint towns that could be enjoyed on foot after you get the train there, but aside from architecture and local attractions there’s not that much to see or do in those nearby towns. Bendigo has tours of a gold mine, just find the tram line and follow it to its southern terminus. Ballarat has Sovereign Hill, an educational period theme park/attraction for the Eureka Stockade, a turning point in Australian history.

Pretty much everything else will require you to own (or rent) a car.

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