Hi everyone! I have been reading this forum since I decided to apply to Australian universitites and everyone has really great opinions, but this is my very first posting. I'm a Fodor's Forum virgin of sorts! <BR>Well, now I have been accepted by both Murdoch University in Perth and University of Wollongong in Wollongong. I do not know which to choose and I have at least a million questions, but I'll try narrow it down to just a few of the more important ones. (By the way, Wollongong's vicinity to Sydney does not matter to me, I really want to know what the actual city is like because that is where I will be spending the majority of my study time.) <BR>1. Which is a better university? <BR>2. Which city has a lower cost of living? re. apartments, food, transportation<BR>3.Which city is has more outdoor activitites and nightlife?<BR>4. Where is the climate better? (I love the heat, but I'm sure either will be better than another freezing Canadian winter)<BR>5. Overall which city is more pleasing to the eye. (I hear Wollongong is very industial)<BR>Lastly, I must ask because I have heard horror stories about Australia's wildlife,(too much late-night Crocodile Hunter), but where will I find more creepy-crawlers ie.spiders. If this question is too stupid to answer I'll understand.<BR>I realise I'm asking a lot, but you guys seem really knowledgeable. <BR><BR>Cheers,<BR><BR>Diana

Firstly let me say that after 22 years in Australia I saw me first snake in Canada - not only that, but I saw 4 of them in 3 days!!!!! That was a long time ago though. The bugs and insects are not a problem any more than any other country but at least you can feel happy with the idea that you could camp outside in the bush here without the threat of being killed by a wild animal. <BR>Onto the more serious side of things now:<BR>Both cities have their pros and cons. Yes Wollongong is industrial in part but of course not all of it is industrial and there are some really nice parts, it is close to Sydney, Canberra, the Blue Mountains, The Southern Highlands and all sorts of interesting places. As a smaller city it would be cheaper than Perth to live and get around. It probably has a better climate than Perth overall in that it would be milder in summer and in winter - one great plus is that the eastern side of Australia is not plagued with bush flies in summer that seem to get into and on everything you try to do especially eat!!<BR>As far as the University is concerned you should be able to get onto some site that should give you a good run down of the Universities in Australia and should rate Wollongong for you in your chosen field - they have books that do just that. <BR>Perth is a very pretty city and Murdoch Uni is a nice one. It is many years since I lived in Perth so I am not up to date with the cost of living etc nor the night life but when I was there there night life seemed quite good if you were a young person. I would probably say that out of the two I would pick Perth but with the knowledge of the following:<BR>Perth is the most remote city on this planet.<BR>It has a dry hot climate in summer and this can be oppressive to those who prefer a slightly milder heat. <BR>There is not a lot to do and see in West Australia in comparison to the eastern seaboard and distances are great - I think its about 2751 klms and you only get to Adelaide - <BR>Cost of getting anywhere else by plane is very expensive. <BR>In other words I think that if the Unis were equal in quality then I would opt for Wollongong for quality of lifestyle.