It is hard to believe it is already time for finals! It feels like just last week that we were arriving in Sydney and settling into our new lives here. With finals quickly approaching, everyone has been trying to squeeze in as much as they can in these last few weeks. In our attempts to see as much of Australia as we could during our last few weeks here, my friends and I booked a week-long trip during our “stuvac” study period.
The University of Sydney does finals a little bit differently than Northeastern does. The finals period is spread out over the course of two weeks, allowing for plenty of time to study in between exams. Additionally, they also provide a week long break before the two week finals period starts known as “Study Vacation”, or “stuvac” for short, in order to allow students more time to prepare before their exams begin. Many students who have finals later on in the two-week period take advantage of this time to travel and sight see while they can. In efforts to do just that, a couple of friends and I booked a trip up the East Coast for this week. Starting in Byron Bay, we spent a couple of nights on the beach, then took a coach up to the Gold Coast for a few nights, and ended our week with a weekend up in Brisbane. I really enjoyed venturing out of Sydney and seeing a bit more of Queensland before having to leave Australia in a couple of weeks!
Byron Bay
Byron Bay was one of my favorite places in all of Australia. It is a tiny beach town with many great cafes and restaurants. I had one of the best acai bowls at Combi and some incredible brunches and coffees at some cafes along the beach. Some of my favorites were Byron Fresh, Combi, and Beach Hotel. Everything you’d need is within walking distance to most hostels, the beach, and shops. Our hostel was really cool with a big open courtyard, free events every day, and a great central location amidst many of restaurants and an Aldis right next door, allowing for those budget conscious travelers to make their own meals. Unfortunately, while we were there we had pretty cloudy and rainy weather, but the beaches and surfing in Byron are supposed to be incredible. In addition to some squeezed in beach time, we also spent a lot of time shopping in some of the boutique shops throughout town and taking walks around the area, including to the iconic lighthouse that is at the eastern most tip of Australia. While in Byron, I feel like I saw a new, more laidback side of the Australian lifestyle that I hadn’t seen as much in Sydney. It was a refreshing change of pace and interesting to see. As one of my favorite destinations of the semester, I highly recommend a trip to Byron.
Gold Coast
Also known as Surfers Paradise, the Gold Coast reminds me a lot of Miami. As soon as our Greyhound bus pulled in, we could see abundant high rise apartment buildings and lots of concrete. When we visited, the beach was super windy due to some storms rolling through, so it wasn’t really enjoyable as we were constantly being pelted by sand. Aside from the beach and their notorious club scene, there isn’t much to do in the Gold Coast. Most of the points of attraction for this area are a good hour or so drive outside of the city to various parks, waterfalls, zoos, and more. Because of our short stay here and the inability to visit the beach, we found there wasn’t a ton to do here and were a little bored. However, one tourist attraction we did that was well worth the money was a trip up the Sky Tower downtown. This tower provides an observation deck that gives 360 degree panoramic views of Brisbane. It is the only beach side viewing platform in all of Australia. At only $25, it is something you should definitely try to do if you ever find yourself in the Gold Coast. Otherwise, budget for more time there and take a view of the day trips out to some waterfalls or surrounding national parts in order to get the most out of the Gold Coast.
Brisbane
Brisbane reminded me a lot of a mix between Boston and London. It is situated along the cleverly named Brisbane River, the city is split into the north and south banks, with multiple bridges and water taxis connecting the two, reminding me of London. It is reminiscent of Boston in the fact that there are a couple of great walks along the river in beautiful parks, just as the esplanade has. It is a fairly large city, a lot bigger than I was expecting, with a good, reliable public transportation system. They have a free ferry system that will take you from one bank to the other, completely free of charge which was great. While there, we spent a lot of time wandering around the city with some friends studying at Queensland University and sampling the restaurants along the South Bank. This strip of eateries is one of Brisbane’s most popular attractions, boasting more than 20 restaurants and many different cuisines. While there we had a collection of Mexican and Chinese takeout and finished off our meals with some well-known ice cream sandwiches at Mr Fitz, they were delicious! There is a little something for everyone on the south bank. One of my favorite things we did in Brisbane was catch the sunset form Kangaroo Point. The sun sets on the southwestern side of the city, allowing for beautiful views over the river and looking out at the impressive city skyline. Once the sun had gone down, we were able to catch glimpses of many different trees and palm trees wrapped up in Christmas lights along the bank, which was beautiful. Our walk back to our hostel in Fortitude Valley also had us cross the illuminated Story Bridge, which was also really cool to see.
Overall, it was a great week exploring some more of the East Coast. If I were to do it again, I would love to have more time in Byron Bay and would plan to leave a little less time for the Gold Coast. And when going to Brisbane, definitely go on an empty stomach!
