# Best Australian City for an American Student **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2006, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737 "2006-09-22T16:57:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/1 "2006-09-22T16:57:20Z")
Melbourne Sydney Canberra I’m 26, like to socialize, and would likely be there from roughly August to October. ---
**Author:** ![blackhobyah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blackhobyah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blackhobyah)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/2 "2006-09-22T20:47:54Z")
[QUOTE=neuroman] Melbourne Sydney Canberra I’m 26, like to socialize, and would likely be there from roughly August to October. [/QUOTE] They’re all interesting cities. Canberra isn’t as big or lively as Melbourne or Sydney, probably wouldn’t be my choice for a short stay. My pick would probably be Sydney (although Melbourne-born and bred) because the weather is likely to be better in the late Winter/early Spring period. Melbourne can be very grim in August. On the other hand, because of the weather Melbourne is very good at things to do inside, so probably has a slight edge on Sydney in terms of good cafes/bars & etc. You’d find interesting things to do and interesting people to get to know in all of your choices, and they all have excellent universities. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/3 "2006-09-23T00:28:30Z")
I’ve never been to Canberra but Bill Bryson doesn’t have much good to say about it in his book _In a Sunburned Country_. He describes it as kind of like a giant suburban office park, without a lot of charm. Of course to judge by his description he only spent a few days there, maybe it has hidden good points that only reveal themselves to you over a longer stay. I have been to Sydney and it is one of my and my wife’s favorite places in the world, definitely our favorite big city. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/4 "2006-09-23T03:03:05Z")
Not much in it between Melbourne and Sydney, really. Not in August, anyway. By October, Sydney might have the edge if you’re interested in cold beer, tanned thighs, etc. Summer’s coming by then, and that’s when Sydney comes into its own. If you’re more of an indoorsy person, then Melbourne. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/5 "2006-09-23T16:35:01Z")
[QUOTE=blackhobyah] My pick would probably be Sydney (although Melbourne-born and bred) because the weather is likely to be better in the late Winter/early Spring period. Melbourne can be very grim in August. [/QUOTE] Hmm, this is a good point. I looked up average temperature data for Melbourne and Sydney, and Sydney is about 10-12 F warmer on average during August, September, and October. I’m a goober for warm, pretty weather. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/6 "2006-09-24T04:52:16Z")
[QUOTE=neuroman] and would likely be there from roughly August to October. [/QUOTE] That seems long enough for you to be able to experience all three. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/7 "2006-09-24T07:04:16Z")
My list pretty much goes: 1. Sydney 2. Melbourne 3. Adelaide 4. Perth … 5. Brisbane … 6. Canberra 7. Darwin Where are you living right now? Do you want something sorta the same or a bit different? ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/8 "2006-09-24T13:07:56Z")
OK, Canberra is the Australian city you live in if you enjoy being bored out of your fucking skull and you hate fun. You’ll wonder where all the people are and how quickly you can get out of there. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/9 "2006-09-24T13:17:00Z")
Sydney, in that time period the Sydney Dopers can make you a Rugby League expert - even though the current premiers will not be a Sydney team but could be from Melbourne. ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/10 "2006-09-24T17:44:22Z")
Why is it, that as far as Americans are concerned, everything west of the eastern states doesn’t exist? There’s a whole 2/3 of a continent left over, you know! _grumble_ Seriously, it’s annoying. It’d be like Aussies pretending that the rest of America didn’t exist because _everyone knows it’s all about New York_… :mad: ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/11 "2006-09-24T21:28:05Z")
[QUOTE=Bites When Provoked] Why is it, that as far as Americans are concerned, everything west of the eastern states doesn’t exist? [/QUOTE] Not only Americans. 😃 ::d & r’s really fast to hide behind a big gum tree on the Nullabor:: ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/12 "2006-09-25T00:28:31Z")
[QUOTE=Bites When Provoked] Why is it, that as far as Americans are concerned, everything west of the eastern states doesn’t exist? There’s a whole 2/3 of a continent left over, you know! _grumble_ Seriously, it’s annoying. It’d be like Aussies pretending that the rest of America didn’t exist because _everyone knows it’s all about New York_… :mad: [/QUOTE] Do you _really_ want the Melbournians, Sydneysiders and Brisbaners on this side of the Great Dividing Range? I know I don’t. It’s quiet here, and there’s no rugby and I like it that way. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/13 "2006-09-25T02:13:49Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] That seems long enough for you to be able to experience all three. [/QUOTE] Well, I’d have to attend a particular program in one of those three cities. There’s no reason I couldn’t travel on weekends of course. Bites When Provoked, Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney are the only cities in Australia with an exchange program for my school. I’ve heard Adelaide and Perth are quite nice though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/14 "2006-09-25T03:27:08Z")
I’ll swallow my nationalistic (cityistic?) pride - Adelaide’s nice, but unless you are going to be studying here it’s probably not all that great for an extended stay, especially if you’re going to be looking into the socialising/partying kind of thing. And extra especially if you’re not going to be driving. I love Adelaide. I was born here, and that’s why I’ve moved back here after living in Sydney for a few years. But it’s very quiet. There’s clubs, but the night life isn’t anything special. There’s events (parades, art exhibitions, celebrations), but not to the degree that there is in the Eastern States. And if you don’t drive, although the public transport around the city is some of the best in the country, so much of the touristy stuff is at least a few hours drive and there’s less transport that way so you’re kind of stuck unless you can get a tour or a friend to take you around. We’ve got a zoo, but it’s not a patch on Sydney’s Taronga Zoo. We had an amusement park down at the beach, but that was destroyed and packed up a few years ago, and Brisbane/ the Gold Coast are full of amusement parks (sea world, WB Movie world etc.). We’ve got markets, but apparently Melbourne’s shopping district puts them to shame. I’d suggest if you’ve got the money, book a trip to adelaide on one of the wine tasting tours or something like that. You get to see a bit of our town, taste some of our wine but then you can head back to Sydney or whatever when the weekend’s over. ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/15 "2006-09-25T06:54:15Z")
[QUOTE=neuroman] Bites When Provoked, Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney are the only cities in Australia with an exchange program for my school. I’ve heard Adelaide and Perth are quite nice though. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Aww, gosh. Cut a girl’s righteous indignation right out from under her, why don’t you? 😃 **Sierra Indigo** ’s assessment of Adelaide is spot-on, I have to say. It’s worth noting that we’ve probably got the best food around though; excellent prices, service and quality. It’s a foodie’s heaven. But yeah… excitement-wise? Dead as a doornail. I’d dispute the Melbourne market thing though - I \*hated \*the markets when I spent a week in Melbourne. If you like to haggle, you’ll like the markets. Otherwise, you’ll end up like me - feeling that you’ve been transported into the melon-buying scene in _Life of Brian_! /mock glare at **kambuckta**. ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/16 "2006-09-25T07:05:29Z")
[QUOTE=Sierra Indigo] Do you _really_ want the Melbournians, Sydneysiders and Brisbaners on this side of the Great Dividing Range? I know I don’t. It’s quiet here, and there’s no rugby and I like it that way. 😉 [/QUOTE] That’s true. If they started coming here in droves it’d ruin _everything_. Suddenly we’d have people shouting back ‘ **Yeah**!’ when the main singer asks us if we’re _ **ready to ROCK?!,** _ instead of a mild muttering (indicating that while perhaps rocking is not entirely out of the question in the short-term future, we’re not willing to commit to it at this point in time) or total silence marred only by the sound of crickets\*. The New South Welsh would infiltrate our delis with their ‘devon’ and you wouldn’t be able to find a decent bung fritz to save your life… And can anyone imagine the horror that would be _Rove Live in Adelaide_? It’d be _unspeakable_. [\*Right now, everyone else is thinking I’m joking, but **Sierra Indigo** and any other South Australians are nodding their heads knowingly.] ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/17 "2006-09-25T07:41:18Z")
[QUOTE=Bites When Provoked] The New South Welsh would infiltrate our delis with their ‘devon’ and you wouldn’t be able to find a decent **bung fritz** to save your life… [/QUOTE] _ **Bung Fritz??** _ Take my advice **neuroman** and stay well away from any town that names a foodstuff _bung fritz_. It will only bring you grief…digestive at least. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/18 "2006-09-25T07:59:05Z")
Philistine! You probably don’t appreciate a pie floater, either. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/19 "2006-09-25T07:59:45Z")
Canberra - you have to pay Australians to go and live there Sydney is the most overrated city in the world. To use an American analogy, it’s Detriot with a better view. Sure, there are _some_ cool things there but everything else is just the worst this country has to offer. Melbourne is a fantastic city, has everything, lovely people. Take it any day of the week of Sydney. It’s tragic for you Brisbane isn’t an option. A world class city, perfect weather and the nicest folks you’l ever meet. mm ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737/20 "2006-09-25T08:29:44Z")
[QUOTE=kambuckta] Not only Americans. 😃 ::d & r’s really fast to hide behind a big gum tree on the Nullabor:: [/QUOTE] [SIZE=1] There is actually a reason it is called the **Nullabor**. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-australian-city-for-an-american-student/373737.md?page=2)