Moving to Brisbane as a student

Brisbane is the capital of Queensland, Australia’s ‘Sunshine State’. The year-round pleasant climate makes Brisbane an attractive place to live for Aussies and foreigners alike; around a quarter of the city’s residents were born abroad, with Brits making up 6 percent of the population. With great higher education institutions such as University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and Griffith University, many foreigners come to Brisbane as students and end up staying for life! Queensland has stunning natural rainforests, white sand beaches and the beautiful Brisbane river, which runs right through the city. The city has a more down to earth feel and an identity of its own, which makes it a great place to be a student no matter what your tastes.

The natural wonders of Queensland

Brisbane can be outshone by the dazzling lights of Sydney and Melbourne, but it has more than enough to offer to its tourists, students and citizens! Mount Coot-tha is the first thing that visitors should see on arrival and the place locals always go back to. Stunning views across the city, a chance to experience real bushland and a perfect picnic spot, it’s a must visit. Brisbane locals love to be outside, and there are enough parks to spoil you for choice with all plethora of open-air markets to keep you occupied. South Bank – the site of Expo ’88 – is an amazing oasis that is the thriving heart of the city (with a water park!). Though it may not be as ‘natural’ as the rest of Brisbane’s landscapes, it’s a great place to run, walk, cycle or people watch in stunning surroundings. The Kangaroo Point Cliffs are a local landmark – facing the CBD, they tower over the river and provide a great spot to gaze across the city or watch the sunset. Although there may not be beaches within the city, it’s only a short trip to some fantastic beaches for sun, sea and surf! Just the thing for relaxing after a hard week of uni or a tricky exam.

Save money in Brisbane

Brisbane might be vast and sprawling, but is at heart a giant country town, meaning that everyone is friendly and there’s a true community spirit. The Brisbane Public Harvest Google Map is a free guide to anything and everything growing nearby that can be harvested from public land. Farmers’ markets and a volunteer-led gardening project means that great quality, fresh food can be yours for cheap as chips! Brisbane council has wifi hotspots across the city to help you stay connected and save on the data bill, while the free CityHopper ferry and cheap buses will make getting around a breeze - perfect for a student budget. There’s also a lot of free stuff to do in Brisbane – apart from the natural attractions the city provides for free, you can benefit from free entry to the museums in the Cultural Precinct. This includes the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), Queensland Museum, Queensland State Library and the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). If museums aren’t for you, check out the free comedy evenings at the Turbine Platform and free concerts by the UQ band every Sunday.

Student life in Brisbane

What type of accommodation should I choose?

Brisbane is a fairly affordable city to live in, especially compared to the other big cities in Australia such as Sydney. This doesn’t mean you can afford to splash out, and you’ll want to save as much as possible to spend on all the amazing things to do in Brisbane. Accommodation is one area where many students want to cut back their costs. To save money and help you get settled in the region, why not look for a flatshare in Brisbane with other students or a spare room with a landlord. It’s a great way to make new friends and the local knowledge of a live in landlord or flatmate can make the settling in process a whole lot easier.

Author: Roomlala

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