Family Guide to Sydney
Written for parents sending a child to study in Sydney, or visiting to help them settle. What to check, what to ask, and what to do with the few days you have together.
10 min read · Updated August 2026
Choosing where they live
Judge accommodation on three things: how long the trip to campus takes, whether the street feels safe after dark, and how close the nearest supermarket is. Everything else is preference.
A twenty minute train ride from a settled suburb is usually better for a first year than a cramped room in the middle of the city. Sleep and cooking matter more than nightlife.
Ask who to call when something breaks, and whether that person answers in your time zone. This is the question most families forget to ask, and the one that matters at 11pm.
Who manages the building? How fast are repairs handled? Is there someone local a student can actually speak to?
What to check before signing
Get the total weekly cost in writing, including bills, internet and any bond. Compare like for like, because some operators quote rent only.
Confirm the exact move-in date and what happens if the flight is delayed. Arriving to a locked door on a Sunday is a genuinely stressful start.
Look at photos of the actual room, not the building. If nobody will send them, treat that as an answer.
The first week together
Spend the first day on logistics rather than sightseeing: SIM card, bank account, transport, groceries, and the walk to campus done once in daylight.
Cook one meal together in the apartment. It sounds small, but it is the moment the room starts feeling like somewhere they live rather than somewhere they are staying.
Walk the route from home to campus and back, then let them lead it the second time. Confidence with that one journey carries a long way.
Save the addresses of the nearest GP, pharmacy and 24-hour supermarket into their phone while you are still there.
Health, safety and paperwork
Emergencies are 000. Make sure they have said the number out loud — under stress people default to the number from home.
OSHC health cover is compulsory and covers seeing a doctor. Find a bulk-billing GP near their address together, before anyone is unwell.
Keep digital copies of passport, visa, CoE and insurance in a shared folder both of you can reach. Lost documents are far less serious when there is a copy.
Staying in touch without hovering
Agree a rhythm before you leave — a set call each week beats messaging constantly, and it gives them room to build their own life.
Expect a difficult call somewhere in the first month. It is normal, it usually passes within a week, and it is rarely a sign the decision was wrong.
Families who set a weekly call and stick to it have a much easier first semester than families who check in every day.
A few days worth spending together
Take the Manly ferry. Half an hour each way, ordinary public transport, and the best view in the city.
Walk Bondi to Coogee on a clear morning. It is the walk your child will end up bringing their own friends to.
Eat in Chinatown or Cabramatta. Familiar food in a new country does more for homesickness than any amount of reassurance.
“Ask who to call when something breaks, and whether that person answers in your time zone.”
Before you fly — the short list.
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