I’d wanted to travel to Australia forever, but I knew that I had to go for a long trip, as I wanted to see as much as of the country as possible. In the end, I decided to do an English course in Australia, and spent 6 whole months there… and I would’ve stayed longer!
Australia is a huge country with long distances and with a lot worth exploring. That’s why it’s important to spend as much time as possible there, to truly make the most of the destination.
I travelled there with a student visa, which means that I could work during my English course in Australia. I attended the course in Byron Bay, a city with a chill and hippie vibe that I absolutely loved. It was the perfect destination to learn more about Australian culture, improve my surfing skills and relax while I improved my English (a lot!).
One of the things that impressed me the most were the huge houses. Everything is big in Australia, but there are no buildings in Byron Bay, so everyone lives in houses… and they’re stunning! I really felt at home with my host family. I was part of the family’s day-to-day life and I really felt they cared about me. The school was also beautiful, and the lessons were fun, as were the afternoon activities and trips. I made a lot of friends from all around the world, a lot of which I’m still in touch with!
Regarding Australian culture, I was surprised by how much they get done in the mornings. The sun rises early, so a lot of people exercise out first thing in the morning (they surf, go for a run, for a walk, etc.), before school or work. Of course, they don’t skip breakfast either! Breakfast is like a ritual there… it’s almost like an early lunch and consists of healthy and organic food.
The quality of life in Byron Bay is excellent. I never saw anyone stressing out about work, eating in a rush or in a bad mood because of traffic. Quite the contrary; people always smile, say hi and ask each other how they’re doing… or, as they would say it, “howaya?” Hearing them talk is hilarious, because they abbreviate everything. At school, they even taught us the local jargon, which has words like Sundee (Sunday), Bottlo (bottle shop) or Mozzie (mosquito).
Once we finished the course, some of my classmates and I rented a van and went on a road trip. We visited endless beaches and saw kangaroos, koalas and many other Australian animals. At night, the sky was just like in a planetarium… absolutely amazing. We also visited Melbourne and Sydney, as well as Whitsundays or Fraser Island. Australia has such a variety of landscapes – some of them are so beautiful, they look unreal. It was, without a doubt, a great experience. Not only because I improved my English and surfing skills, but also because I discovered a wonderful country that really enriched me. I would do another English course in Australia in a heartbeat! Thank you, ESL!
What do you think?