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Arriving in Australia

 

What to expect when you arrive?

Australia, like many countries around the world, has significantly tightened its immigration and customs procedures in recent years. These days it will take you at least 45 minutes from the time you step off the plane until you walk out into the International Arrivals terminal in Sydney. For those with a weak bladder, be sure to use the toilets before joining the queues at Immigration!

The orientation schedule will be e-mailed out to students closer to the commencement of semester, previous activities has included an early arrivers BBQ, optional City Tour and a Welcome Function.

 

Immigration

First stop after getting off the plane in Sydney is Immigration. Holders of Australian passports and permanent residencies are directed to one set of counters, whilst international visitors are directed to another. Once you arrive at the counter you will be required to present your passport (with your student visa), Letter of Offer and CoE, along with your landing card, to the Immigration Official.

After immigration you will collect your baggage from your designated baggage carousel, and then proceed to Customs and Quarantine.

More information on immigration procedure is available from:

 

Customs and Quarantine

After collecting your baggage you will arrive at Immigration and Customs and be presented with two choices – the Green ‘Nothing to Declare’ channel and the Red ‘Goods to Declare’ channel. See below for information on what needs to be declared.

If you have nothing to declare, you can proceed through the Green channel, however, most bags going through this channel are x-rayed to ensure that quarantine and customs are being enforced. Sniffer-Dogs are permanently posted at the Green channel to ensure that food and other illegal items are not brought into the country.

If you have something to declare, you will need to proceed to the Red channel where your goods will be assessed.

When entering Australia, you will be asked to declare certain items including items of value, food, alcohol and cigarettes. If you are carrying more than the specified limit for those items, you will be required to pay ‘duty’ or tax on them. Before leaving for Australia, be sure to check the Australian Customs Service webpage at http://www.customs.gov.au/.

Australia is a very isolated place and, as a result, has an environment that is highly susceptible to foreign pests – diseases, plants, animals, and other foreign bodies. As a result, quarantine is strictly enforced in Australia to protect our invaluable environments and industry.

The list of goods you must declare is very comprehensive, ranging from food to items made of wood. If you have recently been near a farm, or are arriving from certain destinations in South America or Africa, you may be required to make a declaration.

More information on quarantine is available at

Declare everything! If you are in any slightest doubt, ask an official.

 

Airport Pick-up

As a study abroad or exchange student you are entitled to an Airport Pick-up, which you will need to register for before you arrive in Australia (see Accommodation and Airport reception).

A representative of Macquarie University will greet you at the arrival gates. There are two arrival gates ‘AB’ and ‘CD’, and there is a Meeting Point located halfway between the two. Your Macquarie representative will be waiting there for you with a Macquarie University sign. After 30 minutes if you cannot find the "pick up person" do not panic, call either 9850 7965 (9am - 5pm Mon-Fri) or 0419 014 745 or 0414 443 754 (other than office hours) and Macquarie International will advise you what to do next.

 

Money

Australia has automatic teller machines (ATMs) like everywhere else in the world, and it is usually possible to withdraw money directly from your bank account at home from a machine in Australia. Check with your bank to see what conditions and fees are attached to this service.

When you first arrive in Oz (Australia), you’re going to need some cash before you have time to open a bank account or transfer money from home. You can either convert cash at the airport in your home country, or there are currency-converting services available at Sydney International Airport when you arrive. Alternatively, think about carrying traveller’s cheques, which can be converted in most Australian banks for a fee.

 

Orientation Program and Activities

Download the Orientation Events Calendar for Session 1, 2012.  ( PDF - 489KB)

In lots of universities, orientation is a bore, something to be endured not enjoyed. At Macquarie, this is definitely NOT the case! We spend a lot of time thinking about how we can make orientation the most fun whilst still giving you all the critical info you need. We think we’ve come up with the magic formula and guaranteed you won’t want to miss a minute of it.

Orientation is held the week before classes start and is generally formatted as follows:

:: Weekend before orientation

The Macquarie Abroad Orientation Camp takes place for partner and direct entry students who have signed up. We go for a great weekend away near Sydney. It is the perfect time to make new mates with some of the people you will study with in the months to come. There is an additional cost for this activity.

Please note that many study abroad programs conduct their own orientation camps or similar programs to help you adjust to life in Australia (eg. Australearn, ISFA-Butler, AIFS, Arcadia, Study Australia). The Macquarie Abroad orientation camp is not available to these students.

:: Wednesday/Thursday

One of these days will be your official multimedia orientation session. During the morning session we have crucial information about studying in Australia with prize giveaways, hilarious activities and Australian cultural information. We’ll even provide you with a free lunch because we’re great Aussies.

On the second half of the day we’ll help you through the nitty-gritty of enrolment, get you into your classes and get you your student card. Then the Exchange Students’ Club kicks off a massive free lunch and MacFest ‘University Fair’, including representatives of some of the university’s clubs and societies, the Sports Association and some tour and activity groups who will try to convince you to travel, skydive, scuba dive, hike, surf and ski with them.

One of the other events is Macquarie International’s massive Welcome Party. Meet the other new students at Macquarie, or befriend an Australian at this top night out.

:: Activities

The University’s Exchange Students’ Club (ClubEx) run stacks of great, tailor-made activities for all the study abroad and exchange students at the uni. This is your chance to meet all the Australians that you possibly can! It all kicks off with a pub crawl in the second week of class, then there are more events – Hunter Valley winery tours, whale watching, sand boarding, Melbourne Cup horse racing celebration, surfing trips, scuba diving this list goes on and on.

Check out the Club’s Facebook page by searching for Club Exchange