Arrival in Australia
We landed at Sydney International Airport after a nearly 24-hour travel day. After being in a cramped plane for 15 hours, it was a relief to get changed, stretch our legs, and sit in the sun. Next, we got settled into the hotel and headed out for dinner and to explore the city. We shared a family-style Italian dinner and got to know other members of the programs.
Weekdays in Sydney
This past week was spent learning how to navigate the city, exploring new locations, and taking classes at UTS. For the first four weeks in Sydney, I am taking Corporate Finance and Global Management. I have these classes every day, so I had to learn how to utilize the public transportation here in Sydney. Between the train workers strike and adapting to the city there were a few hiccups, but now I am comfortable taking the train and buses to get to UTS and other places around the city. I also took some trips shopping in the Wakefield Mall, to Bondi Beach and to different restaurants.
Weekend Excursions
Over the weekend we got a tour of the Rocks in Sydney and also went to the Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary in Calga.
Rocks Tour
During the tour we were able to explore some of the oldest parts of the city. While exploring our tour guide told us about the history of Sydney. Sydney was originally colonized by prisoners, mainly thieves, from England. They were able to Settle on the water and begin the massive city that we know today. We then saw the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor bridge while we got lunch on the water at the oldest pub in Sydney.
Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary
While at the Sanctuary we were able to see various animals native to Australia. We were also able to learn about the Australian aboriginals and see some of their art work. My favorite part was being able to pet the kangaroos and Arnold the koala.
