May-August visit

[danascully96]

I’m an American law student applying for a funded externship this May-August with fees paid by my school.

After some research, I’ve decided to put Melbourne down as the city I’m thinking of living in, but I was wondering if any of you had advice about what city would be best for someone in my situation?

For reference, one of my favorite cities I’ve ever lived in was Edinburgh (not sure how helpful that is for Australia). I’m not tan or blonde (I’m a redhead), so I’m worried I’ll feel like an outcast in a beachy environment.

More generally, do you have advice for a young woman looking to explore Australia and the surrounding countries? Is the time of year I’m hoping to explore Australia going to be rainy/cold in Melbourne and elsewhere? Also, what books/shows/movies would be helpful for highlighting Australian culture(s)? For instance, I greatly enjoyed Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.

Thanks!
👩🏻‍🦰

When the Melbourne winter gets too much, hop on one of multiple direct flights a day to my hometown of Cairns. It will take you just over 3 hours and you can then slip on shorts and a t-shirt and enjoy-

Etty Bay (Cassowaries- my favourite bird of all time)
Josephine Falls
Babinda Boulders
Undara Lava Tubes (underrated marvel)
Mossman Gorge- do the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walks run by local indigenous people
Palm Cove
Port Douglas
Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation
Atherton Tablelands waterfall circuit
Fitzroy Island
Great Barrier Reef
Head west to the outback for a week and do the Dinosaur Trail
Pubs, clubs and bars full of young adventurers

Most of Melbourne seems o end up in Far North Queensland in winter.

You couldn't have picked a worse time to visit Melbourne. It'll be freezing and miserable, and you definitely won't be going to the beach.

@LargeSquareRock Thank you for all your recommendations! I’m actually interested in studying indigenous advocacy, so those walks with indigenous people sound fascinating. Also, the Undara Lava Tubes look incredible! I’ve never heard of them before. Your country is outstanding in its marvels.

@wandawaves should I pick Sydney instead or stay away from the region altogether until another time when I can visit Australia in its peak season?

Sydney can be pretty miserable in winter too. You might be better off picking. Brisbane.

Sydney will have lovely winter's days but also miserable ones.
I agree with PP that Brisbane might be better.

I’m not tan or blonde (I’m a redhead), so I’m worried I’ll feel like an outcast in a beachy environment.

No no, do not worry about this in Melbourne! Or even Syd/Bris.

I grew up in Melb, most of it isn't close to the beach, people aren't all outdoorsy beachy types. Even in Brisbane, it's not all sunscreen & bikinis.

Melbourne in winter doesn't typically get unbearably cold (it does in other parts of Victoria though). It has a great student vibe if you're close to the city, loads of things to see and do.

Will you be studying with a university here or is it more of a free-range research project? Sounds like fun either way 😁

Sydney is LOVELY in winter - cold (about 15-18 degrees in the day but can be warmer) and sunny. It’s a beautiful time to visit especially if you don’t really love the beach.

I'll be working with a human rights organization or with a university. I am excited as I have a background in indigenous advocacy in the States, so it'll be interesting to see the parallels.

As for the city I should choose, Brisbane might be my best option given the better weather. Thank you for your reassurance -- it's nice to know I won't be too much of ghost surrounded by bronzed babes in Oz!

You are convincing me! I've seen pictures and Sydney seems to be the sparkly kind of winter rather than the drab and miserable kind.

That’s exactly what it’s like! Winter is the best time for bush walks (minimal snakes and mozzies), there are fun things like Vivid festival, it’s a GREAT time (in fact one of the only times) to visit places like Kakadu as you can’t really visit in summer because it’s wet season. The blue mountains are all cold and lovely. It does rain a bit but not much (I reckon we get more rain in summer!).

Honestly, a walk on the beach on a sunny cold day in winter is unbeatable IMO.
I am also fair and so never dream of sunbathing and don’t love the water anyway.

I’m from Perth, which probably has the type of winter weather you would like. And there is advocacy work here that would probably be of interest to you (and more diverse Indigenous groups, due to the size of the state).

But I also lived in Melbourne, and I would say you can’t beat it for the type of short term stay you are planning, especially if you love Edinburgh. It has so much to offer, there’s always some festival or other event going on. Great food, lots of interesting neighbourhoods to explore on weekends. Plus plenty of small towns within striking distance for weekend visits.

Also, as a pasty gingerish type who has had several skin cancers removed, sunscreen is your friend. Even in winter.

I love Sydney in winter. Of course, there’s no guarantee you won’t get cold and miserable weather but those sunny sparkly Sydney winter days are amazing.

It is however a very expensive city in terms of putting a roof over your head. If your accomodation is funded I’d go for it.

Movies to watch that comes to mind. ‘The Dressmaker’ (Kate Winslett snd Judy Davis &also just about any movie or tv series with Judy Davis), a newer movie ‘The Drovers Wife’ set in the times of early colonisation, ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’ is good (about 3 children of The Stolen Generation trying to get home walking along the rabbit proof fence). ‘The Dry’ with Eric Bana is a small town murder mystery. Mystery Road (tv series) with Aaron Pederson and Judy Davis leading one of the best Australian casts is an outback Australian police drama. That’s a start.

Novels:anything by Tim Winton, also Jane Harper (she’s a decent murder mystery writer and wrote The Dry mentioned above), Liane Moriarty wrote ‘ Big Little ‘Lies’ and it’s a good read but the tv series, also good, has been set in California - Moriarty had also written other books set here) Big Liitle Lies - the book - is basically about Australian parents and it’s an easy but enjoyable read, both dark and funny. I’ve just started reading ‘All our Shimmering Skies’ by Trent Dalton and it looks like it’s going to be v good. ‘The Slap’ by Christos Tsiolkas - really good novel about Australian families and clashing cultures snd clashing within cultures. there’s also a tv series of that book which is good, although I liked the book more.

I don’t get out to shows but there no shortage of shows and comedy clubs etc.. perhaps someone else can offer up more info there. I have seen the Bangarra Dance Company and they are brilliant. And the Sydney Theatre Company is top notch if you decide on Sydney, but Melbourne and Sydney (and most probably Brisbane) have great theatre companies.

Oh, there’s Sydney Opera House and if get a chance go at least have a look at the building and the view. It’s one of the most spectacular city views on a sunny sparkly Sydney day or at a clear night. It was designed by a Danish architect and is beautiful, and its a symbol of the Cultural Cringe that was alive and well in Australia in the years it was designed and built. A very conservative govt chose a Danish architect and it ended up being a very potent symbol of Australia to the world. It’s incredible up close.

Melbourne is cold and can be wet in winter, yes. Not as cold as a lot of the US. Statistically, Sydney is warmer but wetter. Sometimes a LOT wetter.

Remarkably, Melbourne also has redheads. We have beaches but it's not a particularly beachy place.

Thinking about it more, in cultural terms I'd say Melbourne is to Australia what Seattle is to the US.

I tend to think of Melbourne as our New York and Sydney is LA.

Victoria where Melbourne is, is advancing a treaty process with First Nations. It would be very professionally interesting. Google Victorian treaty.

Queensland is backing away from treaty. Melbourne in winter is cold and wet but has great food, theatre, live music etc.

Professionally you might prefer Melbourne. It’s a great city. My colouring is pure black Irish and I fit in perfectly well, nothing tanned or blonde about me! It’s not a beach city really. As someone else said cairns is just a flight away, so I’d do Melbourne. I loved miss fishers murder mysteries but not sure it’s going to help you navigate modern Melbourne!! What about the China girl series with Elizabeth moss for gritty police (Sydney based), deadloch for a recent black comedy series set in tassie, And seachange, a nice feel good drama set in a beach town about an hour out of Melbourne called barwon heads, to cover all your bases 😁😁

Or offspring - a popular local drama from about 10-15 years ago? (Seachange is 25 years ago)

Fisk is set in Melbourne.

Since you love Edinburgh I think you’d really like Melbourne (I’m from Edinburgh and have lived in Melbourne and feel very at home there). Melbourne in winter isn’t brilliant but if you’re not going for the weather it won’t matter as much. Winter is a great time to visit the hotter parts of Aus such as Queensland.

If your focus is on indigenous issues you would find Darwin really interesting for a visit. Tropical city, high Aboriginal population, lots of interesting organisations and amazing outback.

Was just thinking this!

Indigenous populations in Australia seem to be larger & there are more of them, the further north you go. I guess because it's warmer?

Although even here in the southern colder parts, indigenous representation and expression of culture is increasing. My 7 y/o knows he lives on the land of the Bunurong people, thanks to more teaching in schools.

Sorry I'm babbling now, but for your research project areas in WA, QLD and in particular the NT would offer a wealth of study topics.

Or you could live in Melb and jump on the odd plane :)

There's a regional flight service (REX) that travels between smaller towns without the need for the usual commercial flights to capital cities. Eg, my Aunt is an obgyn in Melb, and flies REX to Mildura to do stints at a local antenatal clinic who don't have on-staff obstetricians.

Do let us know what you decide. If you end up local to anyone on this thread I'm sure you'll have an invite to dinner 😃

Melbourne is awful in winter with Sydney following close behind. Brisbane is better, but if just staying over winter I’d look to base yourself in Perth for a half decent climate and make sure you spend your leisure time in far North Queensland and Northern Territory. That’s where we all go in winter to escape our shit weather on the lower eastern seaboard.