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Sydney Mathematical Research Institute

Sydney Mathematical Research Institute

Sydney Mathematical Research Institute

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Travelling to Sydney

Accommodation

Restaurants

Things to do

Useful information

Travelling to Sydney

Visas & planning your visit.

  • Entry to Australia requires a visa for all visitors, except for Australian and New Zealand citizens. Visas can be applied for using the Australian government site ImmiAccount.
  • Types of visa include Electronic Travel Authority, an eVisitor visa, or a Visitor visa (subclass 600; business). Eligibility for these visas is determined by nationality.
  • The Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) is the most convenient airport, and is around 9 km from the city centre and University.
  • There is an airport train running between the airport and the city centre (around a 10 minute journey). To catch the train you will either need a local public transport card (Opal card), or a contactless credit card. The cost of the journey is around $18 AUD.
  • Buses are also available from the airport, they cost in the range of $3 – $17, however take around 20 – 60 minutes to reach the city. The ticketing system for buses is the same as the train system, requiring an Opal card or contactless credit card.
  • Taxis or rideshares can also be used to travel between the airport and the city/ university. In low traffic, this takes around 20 minutes and costs around $40 – $60 AUD.
  • More information about travelling from the airport is available from Sydney Airport Transport Options.

Accommodation in Sydney

Convenient accommodation suggestions.

A list of hotels for your consideration. Please vet these hotels carefully for your needs. We have no interest, commercial or otherwise in any of these suggestions:

Between the University and the city (Chippendale, Glebe):

Between the University and Inner West (Camperdown, Newtown):

Beaches, around 1 hour commute to the University:

Other short-term options include; Airbnb, Booking.com, Stayz. For longer-term stays; Furnished Properties and Sabbatical Homes may offer suitable accommodation.

Restaurants in and around The University of Sydney

Dining and food options near campus.

There are many restaurants and food outlets on campus, however most of them close before 6 pm. In Australia, restaurants generally offer meals starting at about $20 AUD. Tipping is not required.

On campus:

Glebe:

  • Ahgora, 94 Glebe Point Road
  • Nawaz Flavour of India, 142 a Glebe Point Road
  • Spicy Sichuan, 1-9 Glebe Point Road
  • Sri Lankan Bite

King Street and Parramatta Road:

Redfern and Darlington:

Things to do

Tourist information for Sydney and its surrounds.

Nature, parks and beaches

National Parks

  • Walking in the bush in Australia can be much more remote than overseas. Bring enough water, food, and sun protection and assume that you will not have mobile phone coverage. Let somebody know where you are going, and when you plan to return.
  • Sydney is surrounded by national parks. The closest is the Sydney Harbour National Park, which encompasses many of the foreshore areas such as North Head, South Head, Georges Head and Middle Head. The Hermitage Foreshore Walk is a good way to take in some of these sights.
  • Three other national parks border Sydney and are accessible by public transport from Central station:
  • Royal National Park is to the south (50 minutes on the T4 Line to Waterfall, Heathcote stations). You can also take the T4 to Cronulla and take a ferry to Bundeena to access the Royal National Park.
  • The Blue Mountains National Park is serviced by the Blue Mountains Line railway. It takes around 2 hours to get to Katoomba railway station.
  • Kuring-Gai Chase National Park is to the north (50 minutes). It can be accessed by the T1 railway line to reach the western side of the park, or by the B1 bus line and ferry to reach the eastern side of the park. Wildflower season is the best time of year to visit Kuring-Gai (September to November).

Beaches

  • Visitors, note that ocean beaches in Australia can be very rough. Respect your skill level, and stay between the red and yellow flags. Beachsafe offers detailed information about every beach in Australia.
  • The most accessible beaches from the University are Coogee (via the 370 bus), or Bondi (via a train ride from Redfern to Bondi Junction, then a bus trip or a walk of around 20 minutes).
  • Many ocean beaches offer rockpools for swimming. These are an interesting historical relic that were built during the Great Depression and offer a safer place to swim at ocean beaches. The most famous are Bondi Icebergs, Bronte, and Wylie’s baths.
  • There are netted harbour beaches that offer calmer swimming opportunities. These include Murray Rose (Redleaf) Pool, Dawn Fraser Baths and Marinawi Cove.
  • Other beaches with notable transport options include Manly and Watson’s Bay (a short walk from harbour beach Camp Cove). Ferries depart Circular Quay for these destinations.
  • Walking trails connect Manly to Bondi on a well-marked path (80 km), which can be completed in various stages. Some of the stages, such as Spit to Taronga Zoo offer lovely harbour beaches along the walk.
  • The Bondi to Coogee walk is a great way to take in some of Sydney’s most famous beaches.

Zoo and aquarium

  • Sydney’s main zoo, Taronga Zoo, is accessible via ferry from Circular Quay, and offers opportunities to see native animals, as well as a panoramic view over the harbour, including the bridge and Opera House.
  • The aquarium is based at Darling Harbour, around a 40 minute walk from campus.

Cultural activities

  • The Chau Chak Wing Museum is the University of Sydney’s museum of art, science, history and ancient cultures. Entry is free.
  • The Opera House offers tours as well as shows.
  • The Art Gallery of NSW has a variety of art, including Australian, European and Asian art. The gallery hosts the Archibald Prize, the most prominent Australian art prize.
  • The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) is in the historical Rocks district of Sydney.
  • The Royal Botanic Gardens is a popular destination which offers many tours, including Indigenous-led tours.
  • White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale is close to the University, and known for putting on some of Sydney’s most cutting-edge exhibitions.
  • The Walsh Bay Arts Precinct is home to the Sydney Theatre Company, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Bangarra Dance Theatre, amongst other performing arts companies.
  • Other interesting museums include the Maritime Museum, the Australian Museum and the Museum of Sydney.

Useful information for visitors

Healthcare, transport, and emergency information.

Emergency information

  • The number for emergency services (police, fire and ambulance) is 000.
  • The closest hospital to the University is the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on Missenden Road, Camperdown.

Getting around Sydney and to campus

  • Cars drive on the left-hand side in Australia.
  • All public transport in Sydney & surrounds (train, bus, lightrail, ferry and metro) uses the Opal ticketing system. If you don’t have an Opal card, a contactless credit card can be used to tap on and tap off at the end of journeys (fares are calculated on distance).
  • The University of Sydney is based in Camperdown, around 3 km south west of the city centre.
  • The University is well serviced by buses running between the city and suburbs, and around a 25 minute walk from Central railway station (1.7 km). Redfern railway station is the closest station and is a 20 minute walk (1.5 km).
  • There are 3 courtesy bus routes that run around the University campus, and the Camperdown/ Darlington area. More information is available here.

Healthcare information

  • Information about health insurance for overseas visitors can be found here.
  • To review health insurers in Australia, please refer to the following government website.

Other local information

  • In Sydney, shops tend to open early and close early, restaurants often close their kitchens at 9:30 pm.
  • Weather: Summer in Sydney is from December to February. It can get up to 40˚C (104 F). Autumn and spring are generally mild, and are usually the most pleasant time of year. In Winter (June to August), weather between 8 and 18 ˚C (46 to 64 F) can be expected. Rainfall can be erratic and can occur throughout the year. Weather reports are available through the Bureau of Meteorology.
  • Power sockets in Australia are of type I (standard voltage 220-240V, frequency 50 Hz).
  • Temporary schooling can be applied for using the Temporary Residents Program. Unfortunately, it is expensive to enrol temporarily in Australian schools.

Campus facilities

  • The main library on campus is the Fisher Library. More mathematical books and some journals can be found in the SciTech Library in the Jane Foss Russell Building on City Road. SMRI also has a small library in the common room.
  • The nearest student union building, the Wentworth building, is on City Road. It contains a food court, pharmacy, other shops and ATMs.
  • The nearest major shopping centre is Broadway Shopping Centre, which is on Parramatta Road.
  • Sporting facilities can be found at the Sydney Uni Sports and Aquatic Centre, and Victoria Park Pool is a short walk from SMRI.
  • There are no available on-campus childcare facilities.