So you're finishing up your semester or year here at Macquarie, and now you're looking at all your new loot wondering how on earth you're going to get it home. Where are you going to put the didgeridoo, the surfboard, the souvenirs and the photo albums?
There are several options for getting things home and the price varies according to how quick and convenient you want the process to be. You've really got two options: Excess baggage and freight.
:: Excess Baggage
Most major airlines have what is called ‘Excess Baggage’ – this allows you deposit your baggage at a counter at the airport and pay an amount, per kilogram, to have your extra luggage flown to your destination. The price is dependent on your destination.
Your baggage does not travel on the same flight as you and generally you will have to collect it from the airport at your destination and clear customs there.
There are quite a number of companies who also specialise in Excess Baggage and will even deliver it door-to-door, as well as handle customs at your destination. This is, of course, slightly more expensive than doing it yourself. Check under ‘Baggage Agents’ in the Yellow Pages http://www.yellowpages.com.au/.
Alternatively, contact your airline to ask if they have an Excess Baggage service.
:: Freight
Your other option is to send your loot by freight: usually by ship. Once again, there are heaps of freight companies out there and their services range from drop-it-off-and-collect-it-yourself to door-to-door services. Prices vary accordingly.
Freight is almost always cheaper than excess baggage but obviously takes significantly longer. The same companies that provide Excess Baggage services also can provide freight services too.
At the completion of your program you will receive an official transcript of your studies here, which can be used for your credit transfer. These transcripts are issued automatically at the conclusion of your semester.
Exam results are usually available online about 3-4 weeks after the conclusion of final exams. Macquarie Abroad then orders your official transcripts, which take a further 2 weeks to print. Allowing at least another 2 weeks for mail, it therefore takes at least 2 months for your transcript to arrive – there is nothing we can do to speed up this process.
For students who have come through Program Representatives, your transcript will be sent directly to the representative who will usually assist you with your grade transfer.
For other students, your transcript is sent either directly to the home address that you have specified in our database, or to your home institution. Exchange students’ transcripts are sent to the home institution.
It is very important to update you address details on our records before leaving Australia so that your transcript is sent to the correct address.
We want you to stay in touch with us! Through the Exchange Students’ Club, the Alumni, or just by sending us postcards and emails from time to time! It’s a great way of keeping the memories alive and allows us to keep track of all your new mates for you. Keep your eye out for alumni functions in a destination near you.
Before leaving Australia, it is really important that you change your address in the university database. This can be done either through the Student Enquiry Service, online (for some students), the SAM Office or your Study Abroad Adviser. Without your correct home address you will not receive all the great Macquarie Alumni information and your official transcript may be sent to the wrong place.
So you’re all done with exams and ready to go explore Oz. In some ways, this is going to be the most awesome part of your trip, so here’s a few tips:
Depending on how much time you’ve got, don’t try to see everything. Australia is HUGE, about the size of the continental USA and bigger than Western Europe. To get around it all takes months of travel. You’re much better off picking a few great spots and doing them well, then come back to Australia on another trip to see the rest!
Think about some of the classic trips below:
:: The East Coast –
Sydney to Cairns – there’s just soooo much to see, so many
great places. Fraser Island, the Whitsundays, the Barrier
Reef.
:: The
Outback – Darwin/Kakadu/Kings Canyon/Uluru/Adelaide
– a true adventure camping under the stars and seeing the
heart of this great country. If you do make it to Uluru,
please respect the wishes of the traditional Koori owners
by not climbing the rock.
:: Tasmania – For the outdoor
enthusiast this is a must. Clean air, incredible
mountains, desolate beaches, the scenery is breathtaking.
Tasmania ranks alongside New Zealand, Tierra del Fuego and
Antarctica in terms of its wild, untouched beauty.
:: Melbourne and the
South East – The Great Ocean Road, Victorian wine
country and highlands are places that are uniquely
Australian. Discover country towns full of history, taste
Australia’s finest pinot noir, and check out the beautiful
Victorian alps.
Plan in advance – it is possible to get ridiculously cheap airfares with Virgin Blue and Qantas if you book online and well in advance. Even bus tickets and accommodation are cheaper if you book in advance. Try and plan your end-of-semester trip by just after mid-semester break and you’ll get great deals.
'Think outside the island'– Our students have also travelled to New Zealand, Fiji Thailand and Bali, after their programs have finished.