Arcadia Australia

We’re back baby!

It’s been a while since we’ve had students. I don’t want to use the c-word, but COVID was a real doozy. Huh? COVID? I barely know her.

So what does Arcadia Australia Orientation look like now?

Fear not, the ‘Straya bucket list of kangaroos, koalas, surfing, Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House hasn’t gone anywhere. Just our location is looking a little different this time around. 

A bit about our stay at The Tops

Located about an hour south of Sydney in Stanwell Tops, The Tops is surrounded by Australian nature including our vibrant birdlife, bushwalks and stunning views of the bush and sea from nearby lookouts. Giving off summer camp vibes, students share their rooms with their new Arcadia Abroad accomplices in adventure. At the Tops, we enjoy team bonding activities and hold information sessions relating to Arcadia policies; housing expectations; insurance & emergency situations; Australian political, cultural & sporting explanations to all the fun stuff about Australia culture like slang, what to expect, and all the events and excursions to look forward to. Todd Phillips, Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr man, also gives students a special presentation about Indigenous Australian culture.

Symbio Wildlife Park

Located just a 10-minute drive from The Tops, Symbio is a quaint wildlife park host to all the Australian fauna like kangaroos, koalas, emus, wombats, crocodiles, and dingoes. What’s more, students have the chance to feed the kangaroos who come bouncing right up to you ready for a feed. Don’t forget the emus want a cheeky feed too.

Surfing

Newbies or experienced, this is a great opportunity for students to learn how to surf for the first time or to get back out into the waves. Just a 30-minute drive south of The Tops is the picturesque beach town of North Wollongong. Here students meet their surfing instructors who get them acquainted with their boards on the sand with all the surf techniques needed to catch a wave… or seriously just to at least stand up.

Sydney Opera House

Wait… didn’t you also say Sydney Harbour Bridge? Most certainly, the city planners of Sydney were very kind as to place the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House pretty much next to each other. Too easy. 

After getting all the much needed photos of stunning Sydney Harbour backdropped by these two icons, our students do a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House that allows them to walk around and inside the wave-sailed giant.

What more?

Other than these essentials, students have the opportunity to walk around the Botanic Garden;, Museum of Contemporary Art and through The Rocks, a beautiful and historic area where the penal colony was first established. 

After all that sightseeing and newly acquired Aussie knowledge, students head to their respective cities and states to set up their roots for the semester.