#AnikaSatish
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Week 16: The End in Australia!
Hi everyone! Unfortunately, this is my last blog post highlighting a week in Australia. The next and last time you’ll hear from me, I’ll be back home in America! Without further ado, here are my final highlights from Sydney.
This week began with exams, which I had on May 2, 6, and 8. I spent my first days back from New Zealand studying hard for my Fluid Mechanics exam, which was my first exam and in-person, and worth 60% of my grade with a passing threshold of 40%. Exams at UNSW, especially in engineering, are no joke — they’re pretty challenging and worth quite a large portion of the grade. The exam was tough, so I spent the rest of the day enjoying Sydney rather than studying. I spent some time at Maroubra beach, went to all-you-can-eat wings with my friends I went to Thailand with, and went to Trivia Tuesday at a bar in Coogee!
The next day, my friends and I went on the walk from Bondi to Watson’s Bay. It was long and a little confusing, and some of it was blocked off from the intense wind. Once we made it, we grabbed lunch and explored Watson’s Bay, then took the ferry to Manly to jump in the ocean and enjoy the north of Sydney a little more one last time. Later, we went out to our favorite bar where I ran into friends from high school and most of the people I had met in Sydney!
My other study breaks included going to the National Art School for ceramics stalls, performances, and a free pottery workshop, as well as a few final goodbye dinners with my friends leaving earlier than me. I also went souvenir shopping downtown, explored spice alley and the friday night Chinatown markets for some amazing Asian food, and explored more downtown bars.
After my controls and mechanics of materials 2 exams were over, I had a couple days to enjoy Sydney without any stress. On Monday night, my friend and I wandered downtown late at night to say goodbye to the opera house and the bridge, and walk all along darling harbour. It was bittersweet to know it was one of the last times I’d be seeing the city. The next day, I went to the botanic gardens with my Australian friends for a little picnic and walk by the opera house. Then, another of my friends and I explored the Art Gallery of New South Wales! We then went to Trivia Tuesday once again, feeling bittersweet about it being our last Tuesday.
Highlights from my last couple days post-exams include a couple beautiful sunrises at Coogee, a picnic at Coogee beach, soaking in the sun at the Women’s baths, the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee, and a beautiful sunrise on our last morning in Australia.
Saying goodbye to Australia has been the toughest part of this whole adventure — I absolutely love the city and country, and cannot imagine my life without the past five months. I can’t believe it’s over and this will be my first time in America since 2022, but I’m also looking forward to summer and going back to Michigan this fall. Tune back in next week to hear my final reflections from abroad!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 15: New Zealand
This week was study vacation before final exams (Michigan — take note!). Taking advantage of my late exams, my friends and I decided to book a trip to New Zealand!
On Friday night, I pulled my first ever all-nighter here to finish a report for one of my classes. Then, we got on an early afternoon flight on Saturday to Queenstown in the South Island. Our first night, we picked up our rental car and two of my friends were tasked with learning how to drive on the left side of the road. Once we had that figured out, we explored Queenstown and got dinner at the famous Ferg’s Burgers.
On our first full day, we woke up early to walk around Queenstown, which was absolutely stunning at sunrise, especially since we landed when it was already dark the night before. Then, we stocked up on groceries and drove to Milford Sound! The drive was so beautiful — I couldn’t stop staring out the window. When we got to Milford Sound, it was time for our boat trip across the fjord! Luckily, it was raining pretty hard, so we were able to see some amazing waterfalls. One of them is 3x the height of Niagra Falls! We didn’t see any dolphins, but we did see a seal in the fjord! Afterwards, we were soaking wet and needed to get to Wanaka as soon as possible, so we immediately headed back up north. On the way to Wanaka, we stopped to get up close to alpacas on the side of the road! We also saw a ton of sheep, cows, and horses.
After a night chatting with some American backpackers we met in our Wanaka hostel, we woke up early to do the mount iron hike. The views were insane — the houses looked like a little lego town and the water was stunning in front of the mountains. Then, we dove an hour to the blue pools, stopping at the Lake Hawae lookout point on the way. We walked through a bunch of trees and bridges to get to the blue pools and immediately jumped into the freezing glacier water! It’s autumn in New Zealand, and while that means there are beautiful leaves changing color, it also means that it is definitely not warm enough to swim in glacier water for more than two seconds. We quickly got out and walked back through the trees to our car, meeting more backpacker friends on the way! Then, we got hot drinks at a nearby lodge and gas station, and continued on to Lake Tekapo. The drive was beautiful (are you surprised?) and the sunset, while unfortunately early, was unreal. When we got to Lake Tekapo, we cooked our pasta in the communal kitchen and quickly got outside to stargaze! We saw the milky way, a bunch of constellations, and more stars than we’ve ever seen before. The sky was so dark, and we even saw a few shooting stars!
The next day started with taking in the views outside our hostel at Lake Tekapo. Since we always arrive after dark to our next locations, we never know how beautiful it is around us until the morning. We tried to do the mount john summit track, but it was unfortunately closed due to windy weather. Instead, we walked around the Lake Tekapo walkway and saw the Church of the Good Shepard. Then, we left for Mount Cook, stopping yet again at another lookout on the way. We lost our minds when we realized our hostel was a little cabin in a valley surrounded by the most beautiful mountains we have ever seen! We ran around outside taking in the views in the rain and saw so many rainbows. Then, we warmed up with hot drinks inside. We quickly layered up since it was much colder here and went to the Hooker Valley Track. This walk was the coolest thing I have done in my entire life. We walked through swing bridges, saw waterfalls, so much greenery, snowcapped mountains, and icebergs when we got to the end. It was stunning, but also started raining on the way back which was freezing. After the 3-hour round trip, we went straight to the Tasman glacier, which is 19 miles wide and 2000 feet deep! We did a couple walks and hikes there, and eventually got to a point where we could see the glacier. It was super windy, so we quickly had to turn around. Then, it started raining hard so we headed back home, getting gas on the way. We ended the day getting instant meals at a nearby motel and playing cards with new hostel friends who we ended up running into at three different stops on our trip!
Our last full day started with a sunrise drive from Mount Cook to Queenstown. Sunrise was beautiful from the car, and we stopped a couple times for lookout points and to get up close to sheep! In Queenstown, we got brunch and then two of my friends and I went to our Skydive drop zone! Skydiving in New Zealand was hands-down the craziest feeling I’ve experienced. It took a while before we geared up and got in our plane to take off, but once we did it was incredibly exciting. The 15-minute flight up to 12,000 feet was gorgeous. Then, the door opened and my friend was first to jump out! I was second, and felt terrified with my feet dangling out of the plane. Once we jumped, it was exhilarating! We could see lakes, snowcapped mountains, sheep, the town in the distance, and so many trees — the views were insane. The adrenaline rush after landing was incredible. We immediately went back into town to get lunch and shop, taking advantage of the New Zealand dollar! The town was so cute and beautiful in autumn. After exploring and getting souvenirs, we got warm cookies and went on a walk to the car to get back to our hostel. We then got ready for a night out! We drank wine and played cards with all the hostel friends we had met the days before, and met some new friends too! Then, we headed out to a bar where there was live music. It was so fun to go out with so many people we had just met!
The next morning, we woke up for sunrise to take in our last few hours in New Zealand. We then got cheese scones and warm drinks and headed back to the hostel to rest before a scenic drive to the airport. Flying out of Queenstown was sad, but it was cool to see all the mountains from the plane. I hope to be back and explore more of this beautiful country soon!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 14: Last Week of Classes
Hello everyone! Unfortunately this has been a pretty uneventful week since it has been busy with the last week of classes. Here are some highlights:
I went to some great restaurants this week — its starting to hit me how soon I’m leaving, so I have been doing my best to check things off my list. My favorites were Coogee Courtyard for breakfast with my friend and her sister visiting, Raw Bar for sushi in Bondi, and Rancho Seltzo in Bondi on a rainy night for dinner and drinks. Another food-related highlight has been Anita Gelato, my favorite dessert spot!
I also spent a lot of time doing homework and studying outside, even though its cooler outside now. In my break time, I went to the 1975 concert at Sydney Olympic Park and went on long coastal walks throughout Bondi, Coogee, and Maroubra. Another study break highlight was my solo trip to the opera house where I saw the Sydney Symphony perform Elgar’s Cello Concerto in the concert hall! It was amazing to hear one of my favorite classical cello pieces in the opera house, and a great adventure on my own.
Besides those fun little study break events, I spent most of my time holed up in my room getting final projects done. Don’t worry though — I’m heading out of the country tomorrow for a quick trip before final exams, so stay tuned for my exciting new location post next week!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 13: Easter Break in Sydney!
Hi everyone! Its officially Autumn in Sydney! The weather is cool, and even a little chilly sometimes. Dare I say Ann Arbor has been warmer than Sydney recently? While there might not be many more beach days in the future, I’ve still been able to take advantage of the city.
This week was Easter break. We get Good Friday and Easter Monday off, which is convenient for me since I have four classes on Fridays and three on Mondays. Since we had time off classes, I used this weekend to check a few things off my bucket list before leaving Sydney in exactly one month from today.
On Thursday night, my dorm had its annual cruise where we all dress up in formal attire and go on a huge boat cruise around Sydney Harbour with dinner and drinks. It was so cool to be on such a huge 3-story boat, and to see the opera house and bridge up close. We also saw fireworks!
On Friday, I went out for brunch in Paddington, an area I’ve recently loved exploring. Then, I had a potluck at night with a bunch of my friends in one of our dorms! Afterwards, two of my friends and I went out in Bondi, but we got there right when everything closed since bars close at 10pm on Good Friday. We ended up just taking in the beach views at night, which was so peaceful.
Saturday was a big day! My friends and I got free tickets to the horse races last minute, so we got together in the morning and went over. It was so cool to dress up and see such a big Australian event (even though I lost $5 betting on a horse). Afterwards, we picked up wine and charcuterie for dinner and went into the city to Observatory Hill for a sunset dinner picnic. The views were stunning and it was such a good night, even though it was pretty cold and windy out. Afterwards, we went out to an Irish bar called PJ O’Briens, which is actually right inside the hotel my sister and I stayed at during my first week here! We met so many Irish people and had a blast dancing and singing along to the live music.
On Sunday I was supposed to skydive, but it was canceled due to being too windy. Instead, my friends and I got free tickets to Ivy Pool Club for the final Pool Club Sunday where everyone goes and hangs out all afternoon! It was a little chilly outside so we didn’t swim, but a great way to end a fun weekend.
After a weekend filled with such fun activities, I had to get back on the school grind again. My favorite work locations from this week include at a table outside at Coogee Pavilion overlooking the beach, a bookstore cafe called Ampersand, and the UNSW law library.
Lastly, I started embarking on more early morning walks to take in the views as much as possible before I leave. My favorite quick hour-long walk is to Coogee and back, but I also had a great time taking the bus to Bondi at 6:30am to do the famous coastal walk to Coogee again — the views never get old!
Next week is the final week of classes so I have a lot of final projects to submit for my three engineering classes — looks like there will be a lot more of discovering good work spots this upcoming week! Stay tuned.
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 12: A normal week back in Sydney!
We got back from Thailand on Monday morning, and I realized I had to get back into the school routine immediately. Since I was still pretty sick when we landed, it was an exhausting first few days back filled with rest and trying to catch up on school work. The most eventful part of those first few days back was registering for classes at Michigan this fall, which I woke up at 6:30am to do.
Another highlight has been finding new cafe’s to do work at. I ventured out to Maroubra and found a cute cafe there, and have been going back to a bookstore cafe I really like in Paddington. I also love finding outdoor spots to do my work, especially since its much less hot out now. It really feels like “fall” in Sydney — the weather hasn’t been over 75 degrees in a long time and with daylight savings, the sun has been setting by 6pm.
I also enjoyed spending time with my friends in my dorm, which are mostly international and domestic students. It’s fun to spend time with non-Americans and get to know new cultures. One night, we had a painting activity where an artist came in and taught us how to paint Australian flowers. We also all went to a Sydney FC game together which was super fun! On Sunday night, we had floor dinner where we get subsidized to go out for dinner together. If you ever study abroad at UNSW, I highly recommend living in a college — shoutout Colombo House!
The last highlight of this past week was sunrise at the beach. Somehow, I got myself up at 4:30am and went on a run to Coogee beach to watch sunrise with two of my friends. We found a spot right above the ocean pool at Coogee and watched the sun come up for about an hour. It was absolutely stunning, and the most peaceful experience. When sun was up around 6:30am, the beach got busier with people doing pilates classes on the sand and even swimming in the ocean! This was a fabulous way to start my day, and definitely set the tone for the rest of the day. I will be coming back to Coogee for sunrise soon!
That’s pretty much it for this week, besides exploring a couple more restaurants. Thailand definitely did a number on me with the sickness, but I’m grateful for the experience and glad to be back with amazing memories now! With the term coming to an end soon I’ve been starting to feel a bit sad about the thought of returning home, so hopefully I have some more exciting adventures to share for my last month abroad!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 11: Thailand!
This week at UNSW was flex week where we have a week off — kind of like spring break (even thought its fall here now). For flex week, my friends and I wanted to take advantage of the time off and go somewhere father away, so we chose Thailand! Thailand is about a 9.5 hour direct flight from Sydney (or 14 hours with layovers in Malaysia if you want to save some money like us!)
We left on Friday night on our red eye to Bangkok, stopping in Kuala Lumpur on the way. We were all pretty exhausted and slept most of the flights as well as during our layover so we could be wide awake by the time we reached Bangkok in the morning.
In Bangkok, we explored markets, temples, lots of street food, and the infamous nightlife. The markets and stalls on the streets near our hostel were absolutely unreal — we got such a great taste of the culture the second we arrived. We ate tons of amazing food I had never even seen before! We also bargained a ton in street stalls. I bought pants, a skirt, a dress, and got pad thai all for less than USD$20! Things are very cheap in Thailand — a US dollar is equivalent to 35 thai bhat and most things are less than 150 bhat.
After checking into our hostel the first day, we went to the big buddha, a huge gold structure of buddha in a temple where so many locals were coming to pray. Buddhism is very similar to Hinduism, which is what I practice, so it was awesome to see and to compare the similarities. Then we went to Wat Pho, which is a huge, beautiful temple complex. There were so many ornate structures and the sun was shining so beautifully on all the gold. Afterwards, we went to the Chinatown markets where there was a ton of street food. Later, we explored the clubs on Khao San road with some of our new hostel friends! It was so fun to explore the nightlife, which is pretty big in Bangkok. The next day in Bangkok we went to the Grand Palace, the Chatuchak weekend markets which is a huge area with 15,000+ stalls, and we went out at night again. We rode in tuk tuks (rickshaw taxi’s) everywhere we went which was also really fun.
The next day we woke up at 4am for our flight to Chiang Mai, which is up north in the mountains. We were so lucky at the airport and got a great taxi driver, Mr. Pee, who gave us his contact information so we could get him to drive us while in Chiang Mai. After resting for a bit, we got picked up and stopped at a local spot for Khao Soi, Chiang Mai’s famous dish! It was so spicy, flavorful, and yummy. Then, we continued to the Tiger Kingdom where we got to see tigers! Afterwards, we made our way up a windy road in the mountains to a temple. Later, we got drinks at a local bar where most people traveling go to meet each other.
On our second day in Chiang Mai, we had a half-day Thai cooking class! We saw local markets and got a tour of the farm, then we got to make our very own spring rolls, pad thai/fried rice, curry paste, curry, and soup. I made pad thai, massaman curry and its paste, and tom yum soup. All of it was so yummy and easy to cook! When we got back, we got thai massages which were not what we expected but definitely much needed after all the walking. At night, we went to Thai Khantoke, which is a cultural dinner with lots of little dishes brought out to the table and a cultural dance/performance going on on the side. It was so cool to experience Thai culture.
Our last day in Chiang Mai was my favorite — the elephant sanctuary! Mr. Pee has a secret, close relationship with a private jungle in the mountains which is meant to protect the elephants. This sanctuary is nowhere to be seen online in order to protect the elephants from tourism, but we were lucky to have Mr. Pee’s connection. We were so happy to be at such an ethical sanctuary, since so many are harmful to the animals. We got up close with all the elephants, including a baby elephant which loved to play with us! It got all of us very dirty, but it was worth it. We also got to walk with the elephants through the jungle, feed them, and bathe with them in the water. It was an amazing, intimate experience with just me and my friends and the elephants which I will never forget. On our way back, we stopped for lunch at a local spot Mr. Pee knows for amazing pad thai and fried rice. Then, we had our evening flight to Phuket.
From Phuket, we had an early morning ferry to Koh Phi Phi, which is a small island in the south. It was absolutely stunning and so nice to be by the water after the city and mountains. We did a little coastal walk and then spent the day at the beach. The water was super clear and we saw so many fish swimming right next to us! After a while, we got a water taxi boat back to our hostel and got ready to go out. At night, our hostel became a party hostel. The whole strip of the beach our hostel was on was lit up and there were clubs and bars everywhere. There were also fire shows and face painting — it felt almost like a beach festival. On the second day in Koh Phi Phi, we had a boat party through our hostel where we saw monkey beach, maya bay national park, and got to jump into the wide open ocean and paddleboard/snorkel/swim. It was so cool to meet so many traveling friends from all over the world and spend the day on the boat with them.
Unfortunately, that night I got sick from what we think might have been a stomach bug or food poisoning. Luckily, it was our last night in Koh Phi Phi. The next day, we took the ferry back to Phuket, and everyone ended up being sick together all day. After a long 24 hours of sickness, we began our travels back to Sydney. Since we had all been so run down by sickness, we were very happy to be back.
Whew! Thanks for reading this very long post of the best week ever!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 10: Blue Mountains & Exam Week
This weekend was my parents’ last few days in Sydney. On Saturday, we rented a car and drove up to the Blue Mountains, about 1.5 hours northwest of the city. The views were absolutely beautiful at the top. We decided to do a hike that started by climbing 998 steps down the great stairway to a point lower in the mountains. Then, we hiked through the mountains and climbed a ton of stairs back to the top. It was definitely a challenging hike but the views and the nature around us were worth it. At night, we got dinner at a Nepalese restaurant with people my dad went to high school with! The food and company were both great.
Sunday was my parents’ last day, so we decided to spend it soaking in the views at Coogee. After lunch overlooking the water, we spent some time sitting near the beach and people watching. Then, I had to say bye to them and head to the library to start studying for exams.
Week 5 during term 1 is when school gets quite challenging since it is midterm week. This week, I had two exams and a whole bunch of work to get done, especially before traveling during week 6 which we have off. I spent almost the whole week camping out in the 24/7 law library to prepare for my exams.
On Tuesday, however, I took a study break to go to a Lorde concert! Someone in my dorm had two extra tickets, so my friend from Melbourne and I decided to go. The concert was amazing and it was so cool to see one of my favorite artists perform here.
Unfortunately, there was not much else exciting about my week since I was swamped with school work. However, I’m heading on a long flight tonight…can’t wait to write from my next (and coolest!) location!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 9: Parents Visit & Melbourne!
Hello again!
This week I had some exciting visitors: my parents! On Friday night I met them at the Sydney Airport after a long day of classes and we flew to Melbourne together for a weekend trip.
On our first day in Melbourne, we picked up our rental car and hit the great ocean road, which is one of the most scenic drives and apparently also Australia’s largest war memorial. It took a few long hours to get there but once we did, the drive was amazing. We stopped at a few lookout points and then got Vietnamese food for lunch in Torquay, where the drive begins, on our way back into the city. At night, we walked all over the city before dinner and watched the sunset.
The next day, we went to queen victoria market which was huge! There were so many cool souvenirs and art. Then we headed to Yarra Valley to explore a bunch of wineries and did some wine tasting. The views here were also beautiful. In the evening, we drove down south to Phillip Island to watch the penguin parade! After sunset, we couldn’t take pictures for wildlife protection reasons, but there were approximately 1622 little penguins that came up from the water at the beach! It was adorable and so cool to see them in their habitat. On the last day in Melbourne, we went to St. Kilda for sunset and dinner on the beach.
In Sydney, my parents and I explored so many areas in the evening when I was done with classes everyday. We went to the Grounds of Alexandria for dinner which is a beautiful spot filled with plants and greenery. We also spent an evening in Bondi where we got drinks at the Icebergs with the most beautiful view of the ocean! The sunset was stunning and it was so nice to have a close view of the water before getting dinner and gelato further away from the beach in Bondi.
On Friday, my parents had a great evening where they ended up making friends and dancing with locals at a restaurant while I went out with some of my friends! It was great to see them enjoying Sydney while I was busy.
Such an eventful week, and I can’t wait to write about the next one!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 8: Sydney World Pride!
This weekend was very eventful since World Pride was hosted in Sydney this year along with it being Mardi Gras celebrations. After spending the day at the beach, my friends and I went downtown for the parade and saw so many cool people dressed head to toe in rainbow! It was very crowded and lively, and the parade was super fun. I loved seeing everyone all festive for such a big event. The next day, I took advantage of having no class and spent another day at the beach. I also took advantage of the amazing brekkie here. At night, we went to get a drink at a bar by the beach to finish off our weekend on a good note. This weekend definitely felt like a little vacation.
During the week, I was once again swamped with school work. I have been waking up very early to go to the gym, and then on days when I don’t have classes I like finding cafes to do my work at. On Tuesday, we went to Bereklouw which is a bookstore and cafe all in one. Later in the day I went to another place for taco Tuesday to catch up with a friend.
On Wednesday, I had my first fluid mechanics lab! Here, rather than having the MECHENG X95 classes, most have their own labs embedded in the course. The labs are pretty short and infrequent which is nice. Later in the day, I went to Chinatown to spend time with a friend who is visiting for spring break from Michigan! On Thursday, I had another day filled with class and prepared for my parents to arrive!
I’m currently packing for a weekend trip with my parents, so stay tuned to see where I go!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 7: Balancing Class & Exploring Sydney!
Time is flying by! This week started with a ton of class — they really put an emphasis on the “study” of “study abroad” here. There were also some orientation week events on campus at our campus bar (crazy concept) that we went to.
On Saturday, I went with some friends from my dorm on the walk from Spit to Manly which is a coastal walk a bit north of Sydney! The hike was beautiful with amazing views. It was super hot outside when we went and there were a ton of stairs on the walk so we made sure to hydrate and stop a few times on the way. We ended up stopping 2km from Manly for a little longer to jump into the water at a remote beach. The water was stunning and it was such a peaceful spot to rest and cool off before continuing on. The next day, we had dorm decoration day which is where every floor gets a theme and gets judged on their decorations for the floor. We were “desert” themed so we spent the day decorating with camel drawings and streamers.
With class taking up so much time, it’s been a bit harder to explore during the week. On Monday I had another netball game after a long day of class. To take advantage of having no class on Tuesday, I woke up early and got my work done then went to the beach. Later, I went to El Camino for taco tuesday where we got free sombreros and yummy tacos for only AUD$2. On Wednesday evening, we wanted to explore Chinatown so we got amazing chinese food for dinner and walked around the area. My week ended with a big party with people in my dorm on our rooftop for a girl’s 18th birthday! Here, 18 is the legal drinking age so its similar to turning 21 in America. I spent the evening with everyone in my dorm and also met a bunch of exchange students from Europe!
That’s all for now!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 6: The Start of Term 1!
Hi again! Today I’ll be sharing the second half of orientation week + the start of classes!
The beginning of this week was very restful before classes starting. I spent most mornings going on walks around nearby parks which are fun to explore! Centennial park is my favorite, and there are also usually horses walking there. I also spent my days meeting new people in my dorm and running into new friends also studying abroad here at UNSW just now arriving for term 1. It was fun to get to know people from all over the world as well as make friends from Australia!
Over the weekend, I explored a few bars with some new friends and also spent a lot of time reading by the beach. On Saturday night after watching the sunset at Coogee Beach, we went into the city to darling harbour to see fireworks! For no good reason, Sydney has fireworks almost every Saturday night which is so fun! On Sunday, I found a bagel shop since I had been missing my east coast bagels like crazy. While they didn’t hit as good as the ones from home, they definitely were satisfying enough for being across the world. Then, I went to Bondi to explore the markets there. Later, I went back to watch the sunset at Coogee again and tried some interesting Australian snacks (have you ever heard of chicken chips?!)
Monday was my first day of classes of term 1! Two of my friends who are also studying mechanical engineering at Michigan came with me to our first class: fluid mechanics. Unfortunately, we had three back-to-back lectures on Monday…during the superbowl! We tried watching in class, but obviously had to pay attention to the lecture (school comes first, I promise!) It was funny seeing how many bars had superbowl watch parties so early in the morning — it’s such a big sports event here! Later that night, I had my first game on my dorm’s netball team! Netball is an Australian game most similar to basketball but very unique. It was super fun and I can’t wait to play every week!
On Tuesday I had no class so my friends and I went to Paddington to explore some cafes to do work. We found a cute book cafe called Ampersand, and because of the rain, a little bird took shelter inside! I love all of the cafes in Sydney, and the coffee here is absolutely amazing. On Wednesday, I only had one class. After it ended, my Michigan friend, Emma, and I found a bunch of activities going on in the quad! We found canvases and paint brushes and I painted the Michigan logo. Later, I had “cheap eats” night at my dorm where we pay AUD$5 for dinner and everyone eats together. Afterwards, we had weekly announcements for the dorm which we call “coffee night” and I won this week’s MVP of netball — really making my mark here in Australia!
It definitely wasn’t the most exciting week, but it was nice to have a few restful days to hangout and explore Sydney before the start of classes. I’m looking forward to seeing how my classes go in the coming weeks!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 5: Last days of the Australian Trip!
Hi everyone! This week has been busy so here’s a late recap of January 31 through Febuary 7.
The week started with the bus from Byron Bay to Gold Coast. During the 24 hours we had in Gold Coast, the weather was pretty bad. We got caught in a thunderstorm walking back from the beach, but we were faced with Australian hospitality when we were offered a lift down the road back to our airbnb by a woman outside her apartment building which we found shelter under. It’s true — Australians are fundamentally kind people!
The next day, before the bus from Gold Coast to Brisbane, I went from Surfer’s Paradise to Burleigh Heads to see the apartment where my parents lived in for a bit back in the day! The beach was absolutely beautiful. Later, we arrived in Brisbane and explored the city. At night, we went to Howard Smith Wharves which is an outdoor food and drink spot with amazing city and bridge views.
Our last day in Brisbane was eventful. We started the day with communal hostel breakfast (hostels in Australia so far have exceeded expectations!). Then we walked around some markets and went to the Museum of Brisbane which was very unique and immersive. We then had a couple hours on a little GoBoat down the river which was a fun way to see some more areas around the river. Afterwards, we went to the Koala Sanctuary! We were able to feed kangaroos and wallabies in a completely open area - there were hundreds of them! Then, we got to hold a koala! We also saw tasmanian devils, dingos, and a platypus among other wildlife. The sanctuary was amazing since it is a place of rehabilitation for these animals.
I flew back to Sydney the next day and was pretty exhausted from the traveling. Over the weekend, I went back to the glebe markets. On Monday, I had my final exam for Econ, my summer class! It was challenging but felt great to finally be done and have a week without class before term 1.
The end of my exam marked the start of o-week which is orientation week at UNSW — a week of tons of activities, free stuff, and students all over campus! There were so many club stalls on campus (it even made festifall look small!) and I got to meet so many people moving into my dorm community. It was great to find basically every meal for free somewhere on campus and try interesting Australian snacks and meals. I also got to participate in the dorms’ dance competition as part of my dorm’s team, and I learned the Nutbush, an Australian line dance! The start of orientation week definitely felt like summer camp.
That’s all for now — tune in soon to hear about the rest of orientation week and the start of term 1!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 4: Starting Australian Travels!
The first half of this week was spent in Sydney. I spent most of the time getting ahead of my work in various coffee shops in preparation for upcoming travels where I knew I’d be too busy to stay on top of my summer class. Besides work, I also celebrated my friend’s birthday at a cozy Italian dinner spot and bar downtown.
On Thursday it was Australia Day! This is a very controversial day since it marks a day of colonization for the Aboriginal people. Rather than a celebration, this day represents Invasion and Survival for the Aboriginal people. Keeping that in mind, my friends and I took this public holiday as a chance to relax and do something fun with the free time. We went to a boat party on the harbour from where we could see the opera house and bridge! Afterwards, we just spent time together by the beach.
On Friday I had the opportunity to travel northwest, about an hour and 15 minutes by transit, to spend time with people my dad went to high school with! Even though they haven’t seen each other for 40+ years, the family was welcoming and happy to host me for dinner. It was nice to spend time with them and see what it looks like in Suburban areas outside of Sydney. It also helped with any nagging feelings of missing home.
On Saturday the adventures began! We took a short flight in the afternoon to Byron Bay, a beach town north of Sydney. On our first full day we went on a bus tour. First, we stopped in Killen Falls where we saw an Australian Python in the wild! Then, we stopped at a historical pub with an art gallery and met an older man who had some crazy stories to share about his time growing up in Australia. Our last and main stop was Nimbin, a hippie town an hour west of Byron Bay. There were so many natural herbs and unique things being sold in markets and shops on the streets. I also got a short tarot card reading which was an interesting experience! After getting back home, we went to the beach which was one of the best beaches I have seen so far in Australia!
On our second day in Byron Bay, we woke up at 4:30am for a sunrise hike to the Byron lighthouse. After a steep hike up & being rained on a few times, we watched the sun come up at the most Eastern point on Australia mainland! Afterwards, we got breakfast and got ready for sea kayaking. We headed out into the ocean to the reefs and saw dolphins swimming by us only a few hundred feet away! Later, we spent time on the beach and walked around town.
Thanks for reading! Tune in next week to hear about the rest of this trip on the Australian coast!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 3: Moving in!
Hello again & welcome to week 3! The first order of business this week was finally moving into my dorm room on campus. The rooms in my dorm, Colombo House, are all single bedrooms with attached bathrooms. There is also a shared kitchen where we have fridge, freezer, and pantry space and can cook. Here is the view from my room:
A horse racetrack! My room overlooks the Royal Randwick Racecourse where there are horse races! Unfortunately, I only saw them practicing this week, but I can’t wait to attend the next race or even just watch it from the dorm.
Once I had moved into my dorm, it was much easier to get myself organized and explore campus. I love doing work in the morning at Plume, my favorite on-campus coffee shop, and then walking or running to the beach to get some exercise in and swim in the afternoon.
Unfortunately, my week took a turn when I felt myself getting sick. Luckily, I tested negative for covid and was able to use my health insurance to find a same-day doctor. He gave me a prescription which I brought into a local pharmacy and I was able to get medicine within an hour. Very convenient!
I was feeling a bit better the next day and decided to venture out to dinner at Gigi in Newtown after doing work in the library all day. The pizza was absolutely amazing — I definitely recommend! After dinner, we explored the bars around the area and found some cool spots & speakeasies to grab drinks at.
On Friday it was pretty gloomy again, so I did work and grabbed lunch with a couple friends from Michigan Engineering who also live in my dorm. Then I traveled to Redfern to meet up with a friend from home and went to two cool bars closer to downtown. The nightlife isn’t super prominent here, but it is still fun and a great way to meet new people from everywhere!
On Saturday, I traveled 45 minutes to Glebe Markets, an all-day Saturday market area with tons of stalls filled with vintage clothes, jewelry, records, and all kinds of other gizmos & gadgets. I will definitely be coming back another Saturday! Afterwards, I bought some cooking supplies at kmart and tried the “Australian Chipotle” called Guzman y Gomez…and it was pretty terrible in comparison to Chipotle. After coming home, we went out to the Coogee Pavilion (a favorite spot, as I'm sure you've gathered) and ended up at Bondi at midnight for late-night thai food which was incredible.
After a few days of gloomy weather and doing work inside, today (Monday) was finally sunny again, so I headed to breakfast and then to the beach (seriously, is anyone surprised) with a couple new friends. Now, I’m getting ready for a group dinner at Bondi!
Wow, that was a lot of catching up! The past few weeks have been fun and pretty calm, but next week the traveling finally starts, so keep an eye out for the next post from a new location!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 2: New friends & settling in!
How has it already been another week?! Part of me can’t believe how fast time is flying, but I also can’t believe its still only mid-January.
Thankfully, this week had only warm and sunny days! With my sister on her way back home, I decided to venture out and meet some new people. Luckily, one of my good friends from Michigan is here and introduced me to her roommates and their friends. It has been pretty easy to meet people here! The locals are very friendly and once you meet one other study abroad student, you get introduced to so many more.
On Sunday, we spent time at Coogee beach (shocker) and explored more ocean pools, then headed to what is now my favorite local restaurant/bar which is located next to my new friends' apartment. At the Coogee Pavilion - “Pav,” as they call it here — I met people from all over the world! It was interesting to see how many different nationalities there are here in Sydney.
During the week, I was busy with my summer term class. At UNSW, students can take one class for one month during January summer term and three classes during term 1. I’m taking microeconomics, and because the class is only one month long, it goes by pretty quick. It’s been a challenge staying on top of my coursework while trying to explore Sydney more, but luckily, the professor is very flexible and allows you to complete assignments at your own pace. The summer term is a great way to ease into study abroad. Although my parents are skeptical that I’m even attending class with all the beach days and exploring, I have already learned so much in two weeks (I promise!).
This week, I also explored a few more areas of Sydney. Randwick, an area near campus, has lots of cheap shops and convenience stores. It’s a lot more suburban than downtown CBD, where I was previously staying. One thing I learned is that some things are MUCH cheaper here — specifically sushi, which is one of my favorite foods! There are multiple restaurants and takeout spots that offer two large sushi rolls for only $3.5 US dollars! Additionally, there is no big tipping culture and tax is embedded in the cost of products, which is very convenient.
Everything is still very new and exciting, but as class starts getting busy and the excitement dies down a bit, I have definitely felt a pinch of homesickness. I’ve been utilizing whatsapp to contact friends and family back home, keeping the 16-hour time difference in mind.
One last noteworthy moment from this week — I finally tried tim tams! These chocolate biscuits are super popular in Australia and definitely worth the hype. I’m already preparing room in my suitcase to bring tons back home with me in May!
Cheers for now!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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Week 1: Exploring Sydney!
Hello again! One week in Australia down, but honestly it feels like its been a month! Time really slows down when you’re doing something new everyday.
My favorite part of the day is the morning because Australian brunch (or “brekkie”) is absolutely amazing. As a die-hard breakfast fan, this country is definitely for me! Poached eggs, ricotta pancakes, and “smashed avo” on toast have become staples in my diet here. I’ve grown to love starting my day early (it is very common to wake up before 8am in Sydney) and eating a delicious breakfast first thing in the morning. I’ve even tried vegemite (and enjoyed it!)
After our first brekkie on January 2nd my sister and I hopped on a ferry from downtown Sydney CBD to Manly Beach. We spent the day taking advantage of the warm weather, and I quickly learned about the thinned ozone layer over Australia. Luckily, I haven't gotten sunburned yet! Since the weather wasn’t great during the second half of the week, I was glad we got to dive into the huge waves at Manly early in the week. We also did the breathtaking walk from Coogee beach to Bondi beach (3.7 miles on the coast), saw Bronte beach on the way, and spent time at the beach pools in Bondi afterwards. It’s safe to say I’ve covered all my bases on the Sydney beaches within a week of being here.
Beyond exploring the beaches, we took the ferry to Taronga zoo, a completely outdoor zoo with the most amazing animals. The zoos here clearly take good care of their animals, and I think this reflects greatly on Australian culture and care. My favorite animals were the koalas, sleeping tasmanian devils, giraffes, and the kangaroos. We even saw a strange endangered bird called a Cassowary!
When the weather took a turn for almost four days straight with rain and cooler temperatures, we decided to take a tour of the opera house to learn about its history, discover some hidden gem restaurants of all types of cuisines (Sydney really is a global city!), and learn about aboriginal culture in the Museum of Sydney. We also got very familiar with all the methods of public transportation using our Opal cards: ferries, trains, the light rail, and the bus system. Although Sydney sleeps much earlier than the cities back home in America, we also explored the nightlife a bit and found some great happy hours and sit-down bars.
After saying goodbye to my sister after a week, I moved my bags into a temporary boutique accommodation near UNSW where I’ll stay while I wait for my dorm to open for term 1. The weather is great again so I’m excited to see what happens in the next week and fill you in, especially since I just started my summer term class and have met some cool people I can’t wait to introduce in my next post!
Anika Satish
Mechanical Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
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