Teaching English in Sydney Australia

Sydney is a vibrant metropolis of 4.5 million people. Many people come to Sydney to see the fabled Opera House, the majestic Harbour Bridge, the stylish Sydney Tower and the historical The Rocks area. Along with Darling Harbour and a number of other tourist attractions, Sydney can continue to excite you during your stay.

Sydney City is very close to a number of beaches, national parks, and urban areas. With its bright, sunny blue sky and clean air it's no wonder that over 10 million tourists visit Sydney every year.

Bondi Beach is the most popular beach in Sydney with its beautiful scenic views, fun night spots and collections of shops and restaurants. This is the place where most tourists gather. Meet people from all over the world in the pubs and on the sand. If you want to experience the beach the locals go to, visit Cronulla beach.

For those who plan to stay in Sydney indefinitely, Sydney offers a lot more than just incredible tourist attractions. If you like animals, Taronga Zoo and Sydney Wildlife World have many of Australia's wildlife living happily in replica sanctuaries. If you like history, Sydney City is full of 18th and 19th century architecture--all with their own stories. Completed in 1898, the Queen Victoria Building is Sydney's most beautiful building with several levels of shops and cafes in old world style making it a nice retreat from the hustle and bustle of a modern city. The Rocks area has been preserved quite well and modern shops are disguised in areas that look the same as they did 200 years ago.

If you like museums, there are over 15 in Sydney City covering everything from art and history to science and discovery. The Australian Museum and the National Art Gallery would take a couple of days to explore; so it's best to do these if you plan to stay a long time.

If you're more into festivals, Sydney is definitely the place to be. From arts and Chinese New Year celebrations to the Royal Easter Show, there's at least one festival of some kind or other every month in Sydney--so you're bound to encounter one while you're here. The most popular festival in the year is the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival and Parade which happens in February. It's the largest festival of its kind in Australia and attracts over 500,000 people on the day of the parade. If you plan to come to Sydney in February, book your hotel room at least 6 months in advance!

Sydney's most loved feature is its cross-section of humanity. There are people from almost every country in the world living here. There are sections of Sydney that look like London, other parts that look like Japan. Check out suburbs like Leichhardt for Little Italy, Ashfield for Shanghai Town or visit the Korean, Spanish and Chinese areas in the city.

Nightlife in Sydney is a lot of fun. With hundreds of bars, pubs and clubs, restaurants and sporting venues and even pub crawl tours, Sydney at night is bound to offer you what you're looking for. Some pubs are open 24 hours, have pool competitions and happy hours, others offer unique imported drinks or focus on a particular style of pub. From Bavarian and German bars to cruise bars and cocktail bars, there's something for everyone.

Sydney is continuing to build its massive train infrastructure and new stations and networks are appearing all the time. Trains can take you from the airport to the city. Where there aren't trains there are buses and if you don't want to walk to a bus stop, there are several taxi companies waiting for your call! The best way to get around Sydney, if you plan to stay for a long time, is with a rental car. Sydney has a number of main arteries that can get you where you want to go quickly and who can beat a drive over the Sydney Harbour Bridge? Bus tickets can be bought at many outlets throughout the city and there are several options to choose from that can also include ferries from Circular Quay to Manly.

Sydney's official website can be found at http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/ where you can find out just about everything you need to know to help you prepare for your trip to our city.

Climate

No time is the wrong time to visit this outdoor city, where even winter tends to be balmy and the coldest month (July) averages six hours of sunshine per day. Since Sydney is in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are reversed, with December to February being high summer and June to August winter. Springtime, starting in September, brings the festivals as well as the flowers—Manly Jazz Festival on Australian Labor Day weekend in October is one highlight. Since summertime coincides with Christmas, December is hysterically festive and the city continues to party through New Year's and on to Australia Day on Jan. 26. Even after that, outdoor music events, regattas, festivals, swimming and surfing competitions, and more keep going right through the beginning of fall in March—the wettest month, with some five inches of rainfall. It's true that winter is not so cold, but temperatures can drop into the low 40s. Then again, a 60-degree day in July is not uncommon, and those clear, sunny skies help keep spirits high.

How To Get There

Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport is on the northern shore of Botany Bay. Flight time from New York is about 20 hours, 30 minutes; from Los Angeles it's about 14 hours, 40 minutes. Australia's national airline, Qantas (800-227-4500; www.qantas.com ), has the most flights, though United and British Airways also serve the airport. The City Rail Airport Link (www.airportlink.com.au ) departs every ten minutes from about 5.00 am to midnight for the ten-minute journey to Central Station. A taxi to the city centre from the airport costs around $30-$50.

TEFL International is a short walk from Town Hall station. Exit the station onto Park Street and walk up the slight incline until you reach Pitt Street. Turn left and walk along Pitt Street for a minute or so until you see number 250 on your right. Go into the arcade and look for the glass doors to the lifts on your left. Take the lift up to level 8 and look for Suite 807!

Accommodation

We use a small hotel, Harbour Breeze Lodge, about 15 minutes by bus or ferry from the school. All rooms at the Harbour Breeze Lodge have TV, fridge, kitchenette, sink, a comfortable bed and cotton linen.  The cost is from 130 AUD per week. This option includes shared bathrooms.

Sydney has a large number of premium hotels available. It is best to organize this kind of accommodation yourself online.

About The School

The TEFL International training centre in Sydney is located in a refurbished office block that has retained its 1923 façade. It is a heritage-listed building located right in the heart of Sydney--a short walk from most major shopping precincts. It’s also a short walk from the 18th century Sydney Town Hall and Queen Victoria Building, not far from Sydney Tower. The nearby Town Hall station is connected to the city loop and can take you within minutes of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Botanical Gardens and more.

Pitt Street Mall, the Galleries Victoria, The Strand Arcade, the Spanish and Korean quarters, Hyde Park, Oxford Street and many other attractions are also easily reached on foot, by bus or train.

Sydney, Australia TESOL Course Date

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