The cost of living in Sydney for an Indian student in shared accommodation, using public transport often, eating out occasionally, regularly working out and keeping personal hygiene, and going to the movies once a month would cost an average 727 Australian Dollar (AUD) a week, if calculated for a year. The same would reduce by about 100 AUD per week for all other cities, except Canberra, as this reporter learns during a visit to ‘Festival of Australia’, organised by Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) here on Saturday (November 17). Accompanied by their parents, about 300 students eager to learn how to study in Australia were at the Deccan Stateroom at a luxury hotel here, swiping interactive displays of a course-search tool, a career-matcher tool, English speaking test, cost-of-living calculator and a virtual reality zone, presenting almost an imaginative life in Australia.
‘Festival of Australia’ featured representatives from that country’s top 13 universities for students and parents to interact with; a culinary delight of Barramundi chips, potato and leek croquettes and Australian lamb seekh to savour; and its popular food and beverage products such as rice crackers, San Remo pasta and lasagna, Arnott’s biscuits and honey varieties among other stalls on education, retail and trade. According to Trade and Investment Commissioner (Austrade) and Consul Commercial Vik Singh, Australia welcomes Indian students and families with its arms wide open,.