a few random questions ;) (3 Viewers)

[dancin_beanie]

lol you guys are hilarious

but i do have to admit... i scurry off as soon as the prof says he/she's got nothing else to talk about.. and if it's really boring and i know it's in the textbook and i already know the format of his/hers exams/tests etc... i'm offfffff lol
instead of slowly being put to sleep sitting in the lecture (depends upon who your professor/lecturer is) i'd rather be at the library doing work for that class.. atleast i'd be productive you know?

klh.. haha i know u weren't asking about how tutorials work.... but i think i covered what you were asking about if they occur in canada

so anyway... is everyone done all of their exams??
if so... how do u guys think u did?
i can't wait until exams are over here... i have these next two weeks left of classes and it's full of assignments and huge essays..grrrrr and one of my prof's put her final in the last class.. which is good but it's also stressful.. dec 16th... i just can't wait until then!!
after that i can relax until feb.. i have a mini break and then i'll be down there in sydney!!! wooohoo... sooo exciting
my aussie friend, who's actually on exchange from Deakin (melbourne) at my university is so excited right now b/c we're having our first snowfall of the season.. lol she carries her camara with her EVERYWHERE!!! haha it's the cutest thing ever! I'm also so excited cuz she said that her and her friend are gonna come on a roadtrip to come visit me in sydney (they've never been) and then i can go visit melbourne on their way back
Halloween was another exciting thing for her... b/c u guys don't celebrate it in australia i brought her a bag of goodies to enjoy... unfortunately she's too old to go out trick or treating.. too bad eh? haha i think i'm gonna try to get away with it next year.... cuz i LOVE CANDY lol

sorry for tellin u my whole life story... but yah i'm at the library and i'm gettin bored of all my homework and my mind keeps drifting to comin down under lol

anyway i'll shut up for now
take care guys
talk to ya later
Mel

 

[Cape]

lol, the only time I'm like in the group of the heard of elephants is when its break time, cause I'm starving hungry! I'm never in a rush to go home, cause it doesn't make any difference if I rush out or not, it still takes yonks to get home!

As for my exams - finished like 2 weeks ago, did alright i hope but now I've got work experience for the next 3 weeks wow, 16th of december, thats late to finish uni, thats like when my brother finishes high school for the year.

 

[dancin_beanie]

well cape, keep in mind that we did not start this semester until September... (our first) and you guys started in july!!! basically it's the same amount of time, just different start/end times

 

[Cape]

oh, i see. I think I prefer to start earlier and finish earlier.

 

[dancin_beanie]

OH and also... this is only our first semester! our second semester starts right after new years.. and goes until april as summer begins in june!!! (opposites right)

 

[colonial1770]

And don't forget clothing..the seasons are backwards to the northern hemisphere, here they are just in case you don't know

Summer December - February
Autumn March - May
Winter June - August
Spring September - November

the start of the semester is still pretty hot i.e 30+C but midway through the semester it can start to get very cold 15-20C. best bet is to pack half summer half winter clothes.

 

[dancin_beanie]

omg u're hilarious... 15-20 degrees is NOT winter clothing hahaha

5 degrees to -30 degrees is winter clothing!!! lol
we had our first snowfall yesterday and my aussie friend from melbourne was SOOOOOOOOO excited... i promised her we would build a snowman when it snowed... so we did and made snow angels lol.. it was absolutely FREEZING after a while b/c it was soooo windy and it was still snowing (-10 plus with the windshield it was -20) my hands froze off cuz i sacrificed my gloves for the snow man--to make it look cool haha

anyway.. i'll just bring summer/spring clothing and perhaps one spring jacket in case!!

It's CANADA remember... it gets cold in our winter months

 

[Cape]

20 degrees is not cold! Also depends what campus you are at. If your out in the very west, ie: penrith campus and hawkesbury it will be freezing in the morning and boiling hot during the day. It was so cold this winter out at Richmond, where the Hawkesbury campus was, that I had to wear 3 layers every day

aww ... snow! i want it to snow here.

 

[dancin_beanie]

ohhhh i was talking about MINUS 20 degrees!! but ya it's goint to warm up to plus 12 by tuesday so all the snow is going to melt away!!! weird weather we'll be having haha

hmmm well i'll be at bankstown sooo closer to the city!!

 

[klh]

well good luck for your exams...
it is cold!!! its bitter, its heartless....its cold. you guys are used to coldness...

yes..thanks..i sorta was gonna ask you that if you didnt lol [about the tutes]

 

[Cape]

Sorry, I meant that what colonial1770 was classing as cold. Give me minus 20 degree temperature any day over 30 degree sweltering days heat!

 

[dancin_beanie]

it's all good cape.. i got confused i think haha

natstar.. what part of canada are you going to come visit???

 

[dancin_beanie]

Travelling around

ok guys...i'm gettin sooo excited.. it's almost near lol nearly 2 months left before i come on down haha

any suggestions on really good student rates for travelling along the eastern coast??
is it best to book ahead
or wait and do it last minute while i'm there after i've scoped out all the possibilities!!

what do u guys think of renting a campervan after meeting a few people and travelling like that? is that a good way to go?
or are structured tours and backpacking tours better?

saving money is the key here hahhaa!!!

it'd be awesome if i could make it to each coast.. but i dont think that'll be quite possible as i'm sure money will not permit me to do all that

anyway... any ideas, suggestions or comments would be amazing
thanks guys
Mel

 

[colonial1770]

You can see australia any way you like, drive, fly, bus tour, train although with fuel prices it might be cheaper to fly nowadays. Driving around australia could take at least a month. Just remember that australia is geographically as large as the mainland united states but the good thing is 70% of that is desert. and it depends what you want to see desert, mountains, coast, coral reef, city, rural towns, farms.

 

[Cape]

It depends on what you are interested in seeing. I'm going away after the new year, up the coast by train and its only costing me slightly over $40 one way. Which is a great price.

The best and cheapest way to travel will be by plane (jetstar - except if your going to melbourne; virgin blue; don't even think about going Ozjet or qantas - too expensive for a short trip) and train (countrylink; or some of our city services go up to newcastle; out to lithgow or down to Kiama).

Don't buy tickets at the last possible second, they are quite expensive. Its best to buy them in advance. And you'll probably be getting a student rate anyway, so everythings cheaper.

Since you won't be around at christmas everything won't be very expensive when you travel. Try to travel in the offpeak time (ie Not school holidays, and weekdays) because everything will be cheaper.

For tours - The key tourist attractions in Australia really aren't close enough to be on a tour. You'll met a lot of people where ever you stay. You'll find that they are quite nice.

As for accommodation don't think that backpapers is always cheaper. Caravan parks are good as well. Caravans are cheap for a one or two night basis; they have a bed, bathroom, fridge and tv - thats basically all you need.

By East coast, do you mean the west coast, you back to front from us ie: west coast = perth and east coast = sydney, melbourne and brisbane.

Don't drive around all of Australia - save that for when you are retired, it will take more than a month, more like closer to one year.

I'm blabbing now, but I do reccommend that you go to the Great Barrier Reef, its beautiful up there.

 

[dancin_beanie]

haha yes we are backwards but east still means east and west still means west lol

what i meant was i'd love to do it all but i know it'd take much too long and it' s not quite conceivable

anway thanks for the tips on the flights... i saw some cheap one's being offered in this travelcuts brochure from my school (domestic flights with qantas and virgin blue but if u say the other airlines are even cheaper.. that's wickid-- it says one way from brisbane to sydney is from 46 bux, sydney to melbourne 55, melbourne to hobart 27, sydney to darwin or adelaide to perth for 130 and 9 bux more for sydney to alice springs)

hmm well there are tons of options i just like exploring and researching all the possibilities!!

ps cape: u sound like me now "sorry for blabbing" ha don't worry i didn't find it as blabbing.. it was informative and the effort is much appreciated
u 2 colonial and everyone else who posts in reply!!!

 

[Cape]

I don't do tourism for nothing

Best planes virgin blue and jetstar (however jetstar is new and doesn't fly to as many places as virgin does) you should be able to get some cheap flights on qantas especially if you do off peak times like early in the morning or late at night.

Go to Melbourne for shopping - melbourne is easier to get around than sydney.

You won't be able to do it all, I've lived in Australia for 20 years and I still haven't seen most of it!

 

[klh]

a note to you all that international students dont get student rates, i.e. no concession, so it will be a little dearer than what we are used to, however i dont know aobtu that international student card and its merits...but still jetstar etc are still by far cheap even without concessions so ya..didnt mean to burst any bubbles

 

[dancin_beanie]

Cape, tourism huh?? haha that makes sense.. atleast you're putting your studies to good use... are they coming in handy at all? lol

netstar, they're having the 12 day safari camping trip again.. i emailed the co-ordinator the other day it is a really good deal.. and the price has gone up it's just about $1000 nwo.. but that's still reasonable for 12 days!! and Brampton? wickid, that's only like 20 minutes away form me, not even!!

anyway... what no student rates? what's with that lol i'm still a struggling student hahaha and i have an ISIC card

 

[klh]

for instance if you want to travel by train/bus/ferry in sydney, i dont know aobu tother places, you dont have concession rates or "student rates" so e.g. a return ticket to the city from by suburb is normally fo adults = 8.80 while at concession rates i.e. me, i pay 4.40 basically half fare, while pensioners [old peopel] get cheaper rates.
for certain things, the ISIC card will discount but not all shops will take them...best to check, but most tours will take them, go to the ISIC website to check?

International students have to pay fo themselves basically...they dont get concession rates

edit: nice pics....