About New South Wales
Many students find our coastal and inland cities are a fantastic alternative to living in metropolitan Sydney. These city centres are clean, modern, and urbanised with great study, health and recreation facilities, including schools, TAFE NSW Institutes and university campuses. The cost of living is often cheaper, there is part-time casual work, and the local communities are friendly and welcome international students from all over the world.
Hunter Region
Newcastle is a lively city with an active port and is situated on a breathtaking stretch of Australia's coastline. It boasts wonderful beaches, a casual lifestyle and a safe environment in which to study.
Its population of 350,000 supports a thriving business and commercial sector and an excellent network of medical and educational facilities. Newcastle offers all the usual city services such as restaurants, cafes, parks and gardens, theatres, art galleries and modern shopping centres.
The University of Newcastle is in the city of Newcastle and also has a campus at Ourimbah on the same precinct as TAFE NSW – Hunter Institute, so there options for school students to matriculate to university and TAFE NSW Institutes in the region.
The Hunter Region is a famous wine-growing district and is popular with visitors and tourists, while the coastal resorts around Port Stephens attract holidaymakers for dolphin and whale-watching. There is plenty of part-time work, especially in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Illawarra Region
The Illawarra region is located on a spectacular stretch of the NSW coastline and an hour's car or rail journey south of Sydney. The largest city, Wollongong is set in a magnificent natural environment that includes many beaches and a spectacular rainforest escarpment only minutes from the city centre.
Wollongong city is home to 250,000 people from over 90 different nationalities. Local residents enjoy a variety of multicultural cafes and restaurants, entertainment, sporting, leisure and cultural programs. For high school students, there is part-time casual work available in this area.
Wollongong is in the north of the Illawarra region, and the other major centres are located nearby at Shellharbour and Dapto. To the west, Goulburn (in the rural Southern Highlands) is one of the NSW's most beautiful and historic inland cities and within easy reach of Sydney by car or train.
The University of Wollongong and TAFE NSW – Illawarra Institute share the same campus precinct in Wollongong city. A wide range of bachelor degree programs and TAFE NSW diplomas and Diploma-to-Degree courses are available to high school HSC students who want to matriculate to tertiary studies in Australia.
New England Region
New England is a region of great natural beauty and productive agriculture. It is a world leader in cotton and cereal production. TAFE NSW – New England Institute and The University of New England both provide a varied culture and a rich learning environment for the large student population in this area.
New England offers students:
- A safe, secure, healthy lifestyle among friendly country people
- A low cost of living
- The opportunity to focus on studies in a peaceful country environment
- Easy access to surrounding national parks and world heritage areas
- A pleasant climate with warm to hot summers and cooler winters
- Many leisure activities to suit all interests
North Coast Region
The North Coast region is a one hour flight from Sydney and includes popular sub-tropical holiday destinations like Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour and is close to Queensland's Gold Coast.
It features some of Australia's best beaches, clean rivers, lush rainforest and national parks and has warm to hot summers and mild winters.
The region has many restaurants, resorts and hotels to cater for the large number of tourists and holiday makers each year.
You can reach north coast NSW cities like Taree, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Kingscliff from Sydney by bus, train or plane.
Local bus companies provide safe and regular transport to and from TAFE NSW – North Coast Institute campuses. There is plenty of part-time work in this region particularly in retail, tourism, hotel and hospitality management.
North Coast New South Wales, with its sub-tropical climate and year-round warm to hot weather, is a very popular study abroad destination for students from Europe and South America who come to Australia to study in government schools for 6 months to 1 year.
Riverina Region
The Riverina is located inland in south-western NSW. Daily flights link the region to Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. The Riverina produces high quality fruit and vegetables and is a world leader in rice and wine production.
Students can live in a safe and healthy environment with access to a wide range of very good study and leisure facilities. The cost of living in the Riverina is lower than the larger coastal cities and students are welcomed by friendly country people. For high school students, there is plenty of part-time casual work available in retail shopping centres, in tourism and hospitality, or there are seasonal fruit picking jobs in local orchards.
Charles Sturt University and TAFE NSW – Riverina Institute are located in the city of Wagga Wagga. High school students who matriculate with the Higher School Certificate can apply to university or TAFE NSW for tertiary studies.
On weekends and holiday periods, students have access to some of Australia's most beautiful national parks, including the famous Snowy Mountains National Park and ski resorts. The climate is pleasant all year round, with hot summers and cool winters.
Western Region
The Western region offers students an opportunity to live and study in inland New South Wales cities in a clean and friendly environment with great services and facilities.
Large regional centres such as Dubbo, Orange and Bathurst also provide all the benefits of city living, whilst providing easy access to Australia's great outdoors.
Western Region has many diverse industries, including heavy engineering, power generation, mining, tourism and agribusiness.
Western region welcomes Study Abroad students who want to study for 6 months to one year in a government school, or who want to complete senior high school. High school students who graduate with the Higher School Certificate may apply to study with TAFE NSW Institutes or universities.
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