Lucille Yee

City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Exchange to University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

Though it may sound cliched, my semester on exchange to the University of Technology, Sydney (“UTS”) is one that I will never forget and one that I will always treasure. When reflecting on my experience in Australia, a few common themes always come up – that is diversity, exploration and fun.

Australia is diverse in its people and its culture and UTS, by no exception, promotes this diversity. On my first day, I arrived at the “backpackers” (since UTS does not provide accommodation) and was greeted by travelers from all over the world. Backpackers are so down-to-earth, adventurous and diverse. It was impossible not to meet a new friend to give you travel advice, encourage you to try new activities or give you tips on finding long-term housing. Finding housing is something that I think comes with luck. The types of housing in Sydney are so diverse. I’ve lived in a “backpackers”, on the balcony/sunroom of a shared apartment, in a room in a terraced house, in a shared apartment and in the living room of my friends’ apartment. Once I arrived for orientation, I was greeted by the largest and most diverse student exchange population I could ever imagine.

After meeting all these new people came the exploration. From traveling to Melbourne and Canberra (the most boring place on earth) by train, to renting a car to sandboard in Port Stephens, to climbing mountains and camping in the wilderness in Tasmania, I must say, Australia has anything and everything that a traveler looks for. The most memorable part of my trip was climbing Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. We were warned of the steep and rocky trail but no one told us we would be literally climbing a mountain! However, it was truly an achievement when we reached the top and still had to hike the rest of the way back to the carpark.

With all these new friends and things to explore, it was impossible not to have fun in Australia. UTS offered a lot of activities for exchange students. There were many BBQs, pub crawls and weekly coffee meetings to attend. Of course this was in addition to all the fun I had attending classes. Since most exchange students lived in the city, it was easy to meet up and go out for a drink or a movie. Most things in Sydney are within walking distance which made it convenient to go anywhere.

One unforgettable memory was watching the New Year’s fireworks over the Sydney Harbour Bridge from North Sydney which offered a perfect view of the beautiful fireworks. Truly a perfect end to a beautiful experience in Australia that was educational, not only in the classroom, but also outside the class.

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