UTS Orientation to Melbourne
Why I decided to study at UTS
I decided do my Master semester abroad in Sydney easily because I wanted to go to a region with native English speakers. I also had friends who were study abroad students at UTS before, that said that Sydney would offer a bunch of beautiful beaches, great restaurants to go for a delicious brunch! And, most importantly: great travel opportunities.
So how did my semester in Sydney start?
After arriving in Sydney on a Sunday morning, I visited the Ultra Festival that same day. The Festival featured artists like Martin Garrix, Marshmello and Chainsmokers as main acts. This was an unforgettable start into my semester abroad. During the Orientation week, I met three Swiss girls who asked me if I would like to travel with them. I spontaneously said “Yes” to a road trip to Melbourne that same week.
Travel itinerary
We rented a car next to Central Station and had our first other side of the road driving trial in a city. We drove safe out of the city but had some problems with the navigation system. Our first stop of this road trip was the Kiama Blowhole which is a sea cliff hole that spouts seawater skywards. After that, we visited Jervis Bay National Park. The off drive in the National Park was a fantastic experience; we were the only ones on the street and had the whole road to ourselves. After this, we did three overnight stops. The last stop before heading to Melbourne was Phillip Island. This is a must see when doing a road trip or just a weekend trip to Melbourne. There you have the opportunity to visit the Penguin Parade.
This was such an adorable experience watching the penguins coming out of the ocean after looking for food the whole day. Before watching the Penguin Parade, it is worth it going to the Nobbies Ocean Discovery Centre. During the drive to this observation point, you will see a lot of kangaroos and wallabies on both sides of the road. Before we dropped off our car in Melbourne, we did a shortstop by the Brighton Bathing Boxes. It was fascinating to see the variety of multi-coloured beach huts. Staying two days in Melbourne was the perfect end of a successful first road trip in Australia. We enjoyed different brunch restaurants and fell in love with shopping opportunities in the CBD area.
Giana Toengi
Country: Switzerland
Course: Master in Business Innovation
University: University of St. Gallen