INFORMATION FOR

International students with children Contents

Macquarie University Parents Group...... 3

Health and medical information Children’s hospitals ...... 3 Other hospitals ...... 4 Translation or interpreting services ...... 4 Medical centres ...... 5 Fact sheets on children’s health ...... 6 Immunisation ...... 7

Childcare Child and family day care...... 8 issues to consider when choosing child care...... 9

Kindergarten and schooling (K to 12) Kindergarten ...... 12 Schooling ...... 14 Education for students with special needs ...... 15 Intensive English centres ...... 15

Leisure activities for children Playgroup ...... 16 Parks and wildlife ...... 16 Museums and art galleries ...... 16 Beaches and swimming ...... 17 Sports ...... 18 Cinemas and theatres...... 18 Amusement parks and other attractions ...... 18

2 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Macquarie University Parents Group

Macquarie University’s Parents Group is a support network designed to bring families of Macquarie students and members of the local community together. Macquarie students, the community and extended family and friends are welcome to participate.

This Parents Group gives participating parents an opportunity to share their experience and tips with each other and make new friends from around the world, while their children have the opportunity to play with a variety of toys, read books and have lots of fun together.

For more information e-mail [email protected] or visit mq.edu.au/future_ students/international/travel_planning_and_arrival/travelling_with_family/ students_with_children/ Health and medical information

For emergencies dial 000

Children’s Hospitals

Sydney Children’s Hospital High Street Randwick NSW 2031 T: (02) 9382 1111 W: sch.edu.au Opening Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick is a specialist facility for children’s health, a paediatric teaching centre and the hub of a network of professionals caring for children throughout Sydney and New South Wales. The hospital provides a comprehensive range of services from the most urgent and essential to the most complex and technologically advanced. Children under 16 years of age are admitted in this hospital. Emergency department staff assess and manage children with traumatic injuries, serious illness and common acute paediatric medical and surgical problems.

3 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Children’s Hospital Westmead Cnr Hawkesbury Road and Hainsworth Street Westmead NSW 2145 T: (02) 9845 0000 W: chw.edu.au Opening Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week The Emergency Department is supervised by a specialist in paediatric emergency medicine. The department provides reception, initial assessment and care of all emergency admissions to the hospital other than those patients transported directly to intensive care areas. The Department also provides care for outpatients with acute illness and injury, non-acute illness and on-the-spot immunisation. Appointments are not necessary for emergency care.

Other hospitals

Ryde Hospital Denistone Road Eastwood NSW 2122 T: (02) 9858 7888 W: nslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/Hospitals/Ryde Opening Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week Ryde Hospital is approximately 10 minutes away from Macquarie University and 25 minutes from the centre of Sydney. It is easily accessible by public transport or car. Ryde Hospital provides quality health care to the local community of Ryde and Hunters Hill in Sydney’s northern suburbs. Extensive community health services are also available including child and family health, dental health, aged care and mental health. Royal North Shore Hospital (RNS) Reserve Road St Leonards NSW 2065 T: (02) 9926 7111 W: nslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/Hospitals/RNSH Opening Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week Translation or Interpreting Services (TIS) In Australia, most hospitals provide onsite interpreting services, to facilitate communication between the patient and the hospital’s staff. Ask for this service on your arrival in the hospital.If you require other translation or interpreting services (TIS) contact the Commonwealth Department of Immigration on 131 450.

4 Information for International Students with Children 2014 What is triage? Most emergency departments are busy, and treat thousands of patients each year. Patients are treated in order of medical urgency, not necessarily in order of arrival. To ensure the sickest patients are seen first a sorting mechanism called triage is used to categorise patients. Triage is performed by an experienced triage nurse and occurs very soon after arrival. The triage system exists in all hospitals throughout Australia. Care is delivered to all patients regardless of race, culture, beliefs, conscientious convictions, disability or sexual orientation. Privacy will be respected at all times. Non-emergency conditions are best treated by your local doctor or at after-hours medical centres as it frees up emergency departments to treat emergency cases.

Medical centres

On campus Medical Services Level 3, Suite 305 at the Macquarie University Clinic (F10A), Macquarie University T: (02) 9812 3944 or (02) 9812 3906 W: students.mq.edu.au/campus_life/campus_wellbeing_support_services/medical_service/ Opening Hours: 9am – 5.30pm Monday – Friday, closed over weekends and public holidays Appointments are necessary, however accidents and emergencies will be triaged accordingly. For Australian residents with a valid Medicare card, consultations are bulk billed*. Bulk billing is also available for some pathologist services. Overseas students with valid OSHC Worldcare or an alternative insurance provider, are billed directly.

Some vaccines are free of charge (e.g. Tetanus, childhood immunisations) but most travel vaccines (e.g. Hepatitis A&B, Typhoid etc.) are charged at near cost price. It is very important that you bring your valid Medicare, Worldcare or insurance provider certificates with you to each consultation. Off campus The closest medical centre to Macquarie University is located in Macquarie Shopping Centre.

Macquarie Medical Centre Shop 45, Level 2, Macquarie Shopping Centre, 197 Herring Road, North Ryde NSW 2113 Australia T: (02) 9878 6666 (After hours 13 26 60) Opening hours: Monday – Thursday 7.30am – 7pm; Friday 8am – 6pm; Saturday and Sunday 8am – 5:30pm

For information on other medical centres or other medical services visit doctors-4u.com/sydney/community.htm

*Bulk billing consultations means that you will not be directly charged for the consultation, instead the charge of the consultation will be directly sent to your insurance company. Usually, you will be advised before you see the doctor if any costs are involved. Make sure you read and understand the terms and conditions of your insurance.

5 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Fact sheets on children’s health

For information regarding kids’ health, • allergies • basic life support sch.edu.au/health/factsheets and • common illness and infection chw.edu.au/parents/factsheets • mental health provide fact sheets on kid’s health in several • obesity languages. They include information such as: • poisons

Other useful resources

Police, Fire and Ambulance Karitane 24 Hour Care Line emergencies Karitane is a Sydney based health service that Dial 000 (24 hours) supports parents who are caring for young children. Most of its services are free. Karitane provides Poisons Information Line support both directly and indirectly to parents. T: 131126 (24 Hours) Staff include child and family health nurses, The Poisons Information Line is available 24 hours a social workers, psychologists, mothercraft nurses, day. it provides information about poisoning to the paediatricians and playgroup coordinators. general public and health care professionals. T: (02) 9794 2300 or 1300 227 464 W: karitane.com.au/mybabyandme/ Kidsnet Advice Line Kidsafe Kidsnet is a 24 hour medical advice line. Kidsafe is a charitable organisation dedicated to T: (02) 9845 2432 (24 hours) preventing unintentional childhood injuries and Tresillian 24 Hour Parents Helpline reducing deaths and disabilities associated with injuries in children under the age of 15 years. Life with a baby or young child can be T: (02) 9845 0890 unpredictable and sometimes you just need to talk W: kidsafensw.org to someone. You can speak to one of Tresillian’s qualified Child and Family Health nurses on any aspect of parenting children aged up to five years.

T: (02) 9787 0855 or 1800 637 357 Tresillian Tresillian helps nearly 80,000 families with young children every year. They offer a personalised service to parents in the early years to help them become confident parents. T: (02) 9787 0800 tresillian.net/

6 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Immunisation

What is immunisation? Immunisation can protect people against harmful infections that can cause serious complications including death. Immunisation uses the body’s natural defence mechanism – the immune response – to build resistance to specific infections. Many diseases can be prevented by routine childhood immunisation including: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, poliomyelitis (polio), measles, mumps, rubella, Haemophilus influenza type b(Hib) and hepatitis B. How does immunisation work? All forms of immunisation work in the same way. When someone is injected with, or swallows, a vaccine, their body produces an immune response in the same way it would following exposure to a disease, but without the person getting the disease. If the person later comes in contact with the disease, the body is able to make an immune response fast enough to prevent the person getting sick. What is in vaccines? Some vaccines contain a very small dose of a live, but weakened form of a virus. Some vaccines contain a very small dose of killed bacteria or small parts of bacteria, and other vaccines contain a small dose of a modified toxin produced by bacteria. Vaccines may also contain either a small amount of preservative or a small amount of an antibiotic to preserve the vaccine. Some vaccines may also contain a small amount of an aluminium salt which helps produce a better immune response. Why should I have my child immunised? Immunisation is the safest and most effective way of giving protection against a disease. After immunisation, your child is far less likely to catch the disease if there are cases in the community. The benefit of protection against the disease far outweighs the very small risks of immunisation. What are the side effects of vaccines? Common side effects of immunisation are redness and soreness at the site of injections and mild fever. While these symptoms may concern you and upset your child at the time, the benefit of immunisation is protection from the disease. Paracetamol can be used to help ease the fever and soreness, but care needs to be taken to follow the dosage instructions. More serious reactions to immunisation and other side effects are very rare, but if they do occur, a doctor should be consulted immediately.

For more information about immunisations visit immunise.health.gov.au/

Note: If your child has had no immunisations or missed some, your doctor can discuss a revised schedule.

7 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Child care

Child and family day care

In Australia, child care is available for children up until they start school (usually at the age of five). Family day care A Family Day Care Scheme is a network of experienced and registered carers who provide care for other people’s children in their own homes. Carers have been carefully selected and supervised, and operate under the Children’s Services Regulation 2004. Children aged between six weeks and 12 years are nurtured in a small group setting and through the carer’s individualised programming, are encouraged to further develop their skills and knowledge. See the website at nswfdc.org.au for more information. Macquarie University (Long day care 0–5 years)

Located within the grounds of Macquarie University are Banksia Cottage and Gumnut Cottage with priority access going to currently enrolled students studying at Macquarie. The childcare centres provide large, spacious, light and friendly environments where children are cared for by professional teams of early childhood teachers and trained early childhood workers. There are child care benefits to those that qualify under the Australian Government criteria. Visit the Macquarie University Children’s Services website at mq.edu.au/on_campus/childcare/ for more information on Macquarie University on-campus care centres.

8 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Issues to consider when choosing child care Choosing the right child care option for your child is one of the most important decisions you will need to make. When choosing child care it is important to look at how carers and staff interact with the children and whether the atmosphere is warm, friendly and welcoming.

Some helpful things to consider are:

How to choose a centre The NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS) seeks to ensure that all licensed child care services in NSW meet the minimum standards required by law. FaCS is responsible for the regulation of children’s services, and employ over 80 Children’s Services Advisers around the state to make sure all services adhere to strict standards.

Find a centre in your area In choosing a centre for your child, you first need to consider which ones are most accessible to where you live or work. FaCS Parenting and Research Centre has a directory of child care services searchable by suburb at ifp.mychild.gov.au\mvc\Search\Advanced

Check the service’s policies and values Before choosing a centre or service, you need to check that their policies and values are right for you and your child, and that they are in keeping with licensing regulations. The following questions and answers will help you to make an informed decision.

What are their policies? Policies should cover:

• what their educational objectives are and how they will be achieved; including how parents can provide input into the day-to-day program of the service • how each child’s individual strengths will be nurtured • staff and child interactions; for example, that staff will treat your child with respect • how the program is relevant to children of different cultures, appropriate for children with disabilities and not biased in favour of any particular group • excursion procedures • complaint handling • staff employment, management and training policies • behaviour guidance • authority for access to or picking up your child • health and safety

9 Information for International Students with Children 2014 What kind of experiences should be provided? Every service must have a balanced program of indoor and outdoor activities and enough variety to stimulate your child’s development. Services should have sufficient toys and equipment to provide choice for your child and enough variety to make each day interesting. In centre-based care, a written program should be displayed for you to see. You should also be able to view any individual records on your child. In home-based or family day care, the carer must advise parents regularly about their child’s experiences.

How should my child be treated? Caregivers should create an environment that limits conflict by giving children choices. If potential conflicts are handled constructively, children will learn to solve problems. They should be encouraged to develop their skills at their own pace, in their own way, and to learn independence.

What about accidents, illnesses and infec tious diseases? If a child has an accident or falls ill while they are in care, they must be watched until their parent arrives or medical treatment is obtained. Services need to keep a record of accidents, and there must always be a staff member with first aid qualifications. Every service should inform you about its policy on handling infectious diseases, such as chicken pox or measles. It should explain when children will be excluded from the service to stop diseases spreading. Child care services should also have good health and hygiene practices that minimise the spread of any infection.

What records are kept? Records on your child must include:

• your initial enrolment form • up-to-date contact numbers • changes to your child’s health (such as up-to-date immunisation records) • reports of your child’s development All information about the children, families and staff is confidential. Records kept on your child may be looked at by staff, but they cannot reveal this information to anyone else, including other parents. As a parent, you may look at your child’s records at any time.

10 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Do I have a right to a say about how the service operates? As a parent or family member you have a right to stand up for your child. As a user of the service you have a right to question practices and changes. You should be told about any changes that are happening. If you believe a service is not operating within the standards set by the licensing regulations, contact your regional FaCS office and ask to speak to a Children’s Services Advisor:community.nsw.gov.au/docs_ menu/about_us/contact_us.html

How should arriving and leaving be managed? All children should be greeted by a caregiver when they arrive and be encouraged to become involved in an activity. This helps them settle in for the day. It’s also good to encourage children to say goodbye. (Occasionally, if a child is having difficulty settling at a service, a caregiver may suggest that you leave quickly.) Once you leave, the child begins to accept that you’ve gone but will be back later. Some parents and children like to take time together at the centre, either when arriving in the morning or before going home. This can help your child understand that you are part of their life at the centre and help you understand how they spend their day. The parent or person dropping the child off in the morning and picking them up must sign an attendance book. Any person picking up the child – other than the parent – must be authorised in writing by the parent.

Can I visit my child? Any parent (unless denied access through a court order) is entitled to visit their child at the service at any time.

What are the rules on sleeping? Whether children sleep or rest while in child care depends on their individual needs. All services, particularly those open long hours, need to provide fresh bedding for children so they can sleep or rest. In a centre-based service no adult should sleep in the same room as your child. In family day care or home- based care, a child under two may sleep in the same room as an adult. This is to provide for family day care or home-based care for parents who are shift workers or have jobs out of normal business hours. Refer to the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) website for further information.

Financial assistance for child care Most international students will find child care quite expensive and many will have to rely on personal savings to cover the costs. If you are sponsored by your home government or employer you may wish to check if any financial assistance is available to cover the cost of approved or registered child care. Most sponsored and private fee paying students are solely responsible for the cost of child care, with the exception of those students who receive an Australian Commonwealth Government scholarship. These students may be eligible for the Child Care Benefit, which can be found on the Department of Human Services website or by calling the Family Assistance Office on 13 6150 for more information. Information is provided in different languages on the website.

11 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Kindergarten and schooling (K to 12)

Members of your family who are aged between five and 18 years of age, and who will be living in Australia for more than three months, will not be granted a visa unless you can provide proof of enrolment in an Australian school and any school fees payable have been paid.

For every address in Australia there is a designated local school. Your local school is an integral part of your community, combining experience and knowledge of the needs of students from the area. For information regarding public schools and their location refer to the NSW Public Schools website.

This site takes you through the process of enrolling at public kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and high schools. You can also find information translated into over 40 languages on this page, as well as information regarding subsidies, grants and allowances.

Kindergarten

Kindergartens are sometimes called pre-schools, child parent centres or children’s services centres. Kindergarten is similar to childcare but has a much stronger focus on preparing children for school. Some kindergartens are linked to their local school and offer some activities that assist children in their transition to that particular school.

When can my child start kindergarten? Children are entitled to attend what is called ‘pre-entry’ which means that they attend kindergarten for one session (two hours) per week the term before they turn four years of age.

The child will then start kindergarten for four half-day sessions a week the term following his/her fourth birthday and will attend at this level for four terms. How many sessions of kindergarten can my child attend each week? Children are entitled to attend four half-day sessions per week. The session times are negotiable but most children will attend two morning and two afternoon sessions per week.

However, if a child attends fewer than four sessions in a week there might be fewer opportunities to develop friendships, feel part of the group and have continuity in learning.

12 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Kindergartens and childcare near Macquarie University

Acre Woods Childcare – North Ryde Macquarie Long Day and Early Learning 12-24 Talavera Road Centre North Ryde NSW 2113 Building B11 Talavera Road T: (02) 9889 2643 Macquarie Park NSW 2113 W: acrewoods.com.au/ T: (02) 9888 2066 Acre Woods Childcare – Talavera Rd W: macquarieelc.com.au/ 40-52 Talavera Road Goodstart Early Learning North Ryde North Ryde NSW 2113 Cnr Herring and Talavera rd T: (02) 9889 2027 North Ryde NSW 2113 W: acrewoods.com.au/ T: (02) 9889 0535 Banksia Cottage W: goodstart.org.au/centres/north-ryde/ overview Building X6A Macquarie University NSW 2109 Nought to Five Early Childhood Centre T: (02) 9850 7781 16 Waterloo Road Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8.00am – 6.15pm Macquarie Park NSW 2113 (50 weeks per year) T: (02) 9887 1974 Gumnut Cottage W: noughttofive.com/ Building S1A University Avenue Future Kids Pre-School and Long Day Care Macquarie University NSW 2109 Centre T: (02) 9850 7740 16 Cam Street Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8.00am – 6.15pm North Ryde NSW 2113 (50 weeks per year) T: (02) 9878 5227 W: futurekids.net.au/Welcome

13 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Schooling

In Australia there are two main types of schools: government (public) and independent (private) schools. There are many types of independent schools and they are often connected with a particular religion; for example, Catholic schools. Fees for independent schools vary greatly, and you will need to contact the schools directly to find out what they charge.

Preschool education is commonly one year in length and is not compulsory. School education is thirteen years and it is divided into a preparatory year, primary schooling (children aged 6 to 12 or 13) and secondary schooling (children aged 13 to 17 or 18).

The preparatory year is not compulsory but is almost universally undertaken. Children usually start in the preparatory year at around five years of age. Primary school in NSW is six years (grades 1-6) and secondary school – also known as high school – is six years (grades 7-12). School education is compulsory until the age of 17.

The language of instruction in Australian educational institutions is English. A few schools offer bi-lingual programmes or programmes in other languages. Primary and high schools near Macquarie University

Ryde East Public School Ryde Secondary College 12 Twin Road 5 Malvina Street North Ryde NSW 2113 Ryde NSW 2112 T: (02) 9878 3681 T: (02) 9809 4894 W: rydeeastps.com.au W: rsc.nsw.edu.au St Charles’ Primary School Chatswood High School 582 Victoria Road 24 Centennial Avenue Ryde NSW 2112 Chatswood NSW 2067 T: (02) 9809 4238 T: (02) 9419 3611 W: scps.catholic.edu.au W: chatswoodhighschool.com North Ryde Public School Epping Boys High School Cox’s Road 213 Vimiera Road, Ryde NSW 2113 Eastwood NSW 2122 T: (02) 9878 1008 T: (02) 9869 2701 W: eppingboy-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/

Download the information and application package kit from the NSW Public Schools website: This booklet gives you detailed information regarding the enrolment of temporary visa holders in New South Wales Government schools. Among this information you can find public school enrolment requirements, which conditions apply to your child’s enrolment, up to date fees, possible exemptions and refunds of fees, information on transferring between schools, a complete guide on how to apply from overseas and other information.

14 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Education for students with special needs

All states and territories offer a range of programs to address the special education needs of students. Programs available include those for students with intellectual and physical disabilities, behaviour disorders, special learning needs, for gifted students, and for migrant students (particularly those with low numeracy and literacy skills). Responsibility for policies and financing of these programs is often shared between the Federal Government and the states and territories.

For more information visit NSW Department of Education and Communities.

Intensive English centres

English as a Second Language (ESL) programs and specialist ESL teachers are provided in both primary and high schools to support the English language development of students whose first language is not English. Students eligible for ESL support include students newly arrived in Australia and who are beginning to learn English. In schools where there is no permanent ESL program, short-term intensive English language tuition is provided for students newly arrived in Australia and who are in the early stages of learning English.

High school-aged students who are newly arrived in Australia, settle in Sydney and whose first language is not English may be able to attend an Intensive English Centre (IEC). Students in IECs receive intensive English instruction in key areas for three school terms.

Download the information and application package kit from the NSW Public Schools website.

This booklet provides detailed information regarding the enrolment of temporary visa holders in New South Wales Government schools. It also contains enrolment requirements, which conditions apply to your child’s enrolment, up to date fees, possible exemptions and refunds of fees, transferring between schools, a complete guide on how to apply from overseas and many others.

Interpreters, non-English speaking parents and caregivers may ask the school or district office for an interpreter to be present when discussing matters involving their children such as school enrolment, subject choice, educational progress, attendance, welfare or behaviour.

Parents and caregivers can also ask for interpreters to be present at school meetings, school council meetings, parent and citizen meetings or parent- teacher interviews. Parents, caregivers and community members can also use the Telephone Interpreter Service (131 450) to contact the school or district office. A school may use this service to communicate with non-English speaking parents or caregivers.

15 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Leisure activities for children Sydney and its surroundings offer a great diversity of activities for children, such as museums, art galleries, parks, cinemas, sports, and many more outdoor and indoor activities. It is very important that you always protect your kids with the right sun protection. Remember that Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. Protecting children and teenagers is particularly important. They have very sensitive skin and the more sun exposure in childhood, the greater the risk of developing skin cancer in later life.

Playgroup

Playgroup NSW is a not-for-profit community organisation operating with financial support from the Department of Family and Community Services and annual membership fees. Membership fees are kept to a minimum to allow access to playgroups by all members of the community. Playgroup is a valuable network for mothers and their children, especially for new mothers. For more information please visit the website, playgroupnsw.com.au.

Parks and wildlife parks

Sydney has a large variety of parks and wildlife parks that offer different activities for children all year round. Many of these parks offer free activities such as movies and concerts at different times of the year. Some of the most popular parks in Sydney are: Centennial Park, Bicentennial Park, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, Observatory Hill and The Domain.

Experience the unique Australian wildlife at these parks: Taronga Zoo W: taronga.org.au Featherdale Wildlife Park W: featherdale.com.au Koala Park W: koalaparksanctuary.com.au

Museums and art galleries

There are over 60 museums in Sydney; the majority of these museums offer numerous activities for children. Popular museums include: Powerhouse Museum W: powerhousemuseum.com Art Gallery of NSW W: artgallery.nsw.gov.au/home

16 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Beaches and swimming

Beaches Nielsen Park (Vaucluse) is a popular family beach, offering good swimming and picnic tables. Other family beaches on the northern coast are Manly, Curl Curl, Dee Why and Balmoral Beach.

Please remember that in Australia the red and yellow flags indicate the safest place to swim as this is where lifeguards and lifesavers patrol – always swim between the flags. For information regarding safety on the beach see theWater Safety website.

Swimming facilities The Macquarie University Sport and Aquatic Centre (MUSAC) facilities include a 50-metre heated outdoor swimming pool and a 25-metre heated indoor swimming pool ideal for recreational swimming, aquarobics and rehabilitation. T: (02) 9850 7636 W: mq.edu.au/on_campus/sport_and_recreation/contact_us Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 5:30am to 10pm, Weekends/Public Holidays: 6am – 7pm

Sports

Besides the sports that are commonly played in other countries you can also involve your child in different activities that Sydney offers such as: bird watching, cycling, snorkelling, fishing, horse riding, go karting, ice skating, kayaking, rollerblading, surfing, swimming and many more.

Rugby, cricket and Australian football (AFL) are considered Australian sports which could be a different experience for your child to be involved in (or at least some sports that they can also watch on TV.) Make sure your children always wear the appropriate equipment. Visit the NSW Sports and Recreation website to find out more about sports: dsr.nsw.gov.au

17 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Cinemas and theatres

There are a great variety of movie theatres in Sydney. The Macquarie Centre has a cinema complex with special discounts for Macquarie University students. Go to citysearch.com.au/ and search for movies in your local area. LG IMAX Theatre The IMAX Theatre Sydney in Darling Harbour uses the IMAX film system, which is the largest and most exciting format in the world. For information and timetables see imax.com.au\home.asp.

Amusement parks and other attractions

Luna Park Luna Park is located at Milsons Point, just under the northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is easily accessible by train, bus, ferry and car. Entry to Luna Park is free. Soak up the atmosphere and the magnificent views while the kids enjoy the rides and games.

W: lunaparksydney.com Darling Harbour Darling Harbour has a great variety of activities for children, including open areas, museums and the Sydney aquarium.

W: darlingharbour.com.au

Other useful websites to find overall information on Sydney are: sydney.citysearch.com.au whatsoninsydney.com.au cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

18 Information for International Students with Children 2014 Macquarie University North Ryde New South Wales 2109 T: (02) 9850 7111 mq.edu.au

19 Information for International Students with Children 2014