Arriving in Australia

3 people sitting at a table

Step 1: Book flights and contact us

Go to: Travel to the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast campus is located 400 metres from North Kirra Beach and adjacent to the Gold Coast Airport (Coolangatta) which is serviced by domestic and international flights. If you cannot get a direct flight, we recommend flying into Sydney and a connecting domestic flight to the Gold Coast Airport. This is the most convenient and cost effective way to travel to the Gold Coast Campus.

Go to: Travel to Lismore

Lismore experiences mild winters and warm to hot summers with a plentiful supply of rainfall. Lismore is a regional city in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, located 40 kilometres inland from Byron Bay. It has a population of around 46,000 people and offers a relaxed yet cosmopolitan lifestyle. The city has a domestic airport, is less than an hour to Byron Bay and under three-hour drive to Brisbane.

SCU International suggests you organise travel to Lismore, prior to your arrival in Australia. We recommend flying to Sydney and connecting on a domestic flight to Lismore. This is the most convenient and cost effective way to travel to Lismore.

Go to: Arrive into Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour is a city of 72 000 people, located halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, where the Great Dividing Range meets the Pacific Ocean. Coffs Harbour is serviced by a domestic airport plus coach and rail services.

Alternatively, take a taxi from the Coffs Harbour Airport (or the Coach Terminal) to Southern Cross University, Hogbin Drive, Coffs Harbour.

Travel to the Gold Coast

Arrive via Brisbane (to Gold Coast campus)

Brisbane is located an hour and a half north of the Gold Coast campus and is the main international airport servicing South East Queensland. Brisbane International airport is connected by fast access using the Pacific Motorway and AirTrain, providing a seamless connection to the Gold Coast.

We recommend you pre-book a transfer to your temporary accommodation, before your arrival. More information available at Translink or Con-x-ion.

Arrive via Sydney (to Gold Coast campus)

Daylight saving operates in New South Wales from early October to late March each year. During that time Queensland is 1 hour behind New South Wales.

By Air
Sydney is located 830km south of the Gold Coast Campus. Driving time from Sydney to the Gold Coast is 9 hours and 45 minutes or 1 hour 15 minutes flying time.

Transfer to the domestic terminal using the Airport Link Train. The International Airport train station is located directly below Terminal 1 (T1) and can be reached from inside the terminal on the arrivals level. The service operates every 15 minutes and takes around 2 minutes to the Domestic Terminal (T2/T3).

Domestic flights operate regular services from Sydney to the Gold Coast airport withJetstar, Virgin Australia Airways.

Travel to Lismore

Arrive via Sydney (to Lismore campus)

By Air
AirportLink will provide you with options to transfer to the domestic terminal. The International Airport train station is located directly below Terminal 1 (T1) and can be reached from inside the terminal on the arrivals level. The service operates every 15 minutes and the journey to the Domestic Terminal (T2) takes around 2 minutes.

Sydney to Lismore
Domestic flights operate regularly from Sydney to Lismore with REX (Regional Express). Please note that a luggage limit of 15kg applies to all REX flights. Additional luggage will be charged at $15.50 per kilogram.

Sydney to Ballina

Virgin Australia and Jetstar operate regular domestic flights from Sydney to Ballina, which is located 30 minutes drive from Lismore. Please check baggage allowance charges, as cheaper fares do not include ANY luggage allowance.

The Greeting Service is not available from Ballina to Lismore, however you can take a taxi to the Tamar Street Bus Zone, and then a Northern Rivers Bus Lines to Lismore. The last bus available is at 5:10pm weekdays.

By Bus
Premier Motor Service operates from Central Railway Station, Sydney. We suggest the Airport Link Train to transfer from the International Airport.

By Train 
CountryLink operates rail services from Central Railway Station,Sydney. We suggest the Airport Link Train to transfer from the International Airport.

Two daily rail services operate from Sydney to Casino with NSW Train Link, with a coach transfer to Lismore. Please note that one of the services arrives in to Lismore at 4.35 am and it may not be possible to have a staff member meet you.

Arrive via Brisbane (to Lismore campus)

Daylight saving operates in Queensland from late October to late March each year. During that time Queensland is one hour behind New South Wales.

Bus and rail services depart from the Roma Street Transit Centre in Brisbane. Transfer from the International Terminal to the Roma Street Transit Centre with AirTrain which operates frequent rail services into Brisbane.

By Bus
Byron Easy Bus and Premier Motor Service operate regular services from Brisbane to Lismore.

Additional Information

If you wish to break your journey we suggest you visit the following websites for more information: Sydney Tourism, 
Visit Brisbane, Discover Ballina, Visit Gold Coast.

Travel to Coffs Harbour

Arrive via Sydney (to Coffs Harbour campus)

SCU International strongly recommends that you fly into Sydney and take a domestic flight to Coffs Harbour. This is the most convenient and cost effective way to travel to Coffs Harbour.

By Air
Domestic flights operate regularly with Qantas and Virgin Australia from Sydney to Coffs Harbour.

If flying with Qantas from Sydney to Coffs Harbour, go to the Qantas domestic transfer desk located on the arrivals level of the International Terminal. You will be transferred at no cost by bus to Terminal 3. From Terminal 3 there is an underground walkway to Terminal 2, from which the Coffs Harbour flights depart.

If flying with Virgin from Sydney to Coffs Harbour, you can transfer between Terminal (T1) International and Terminal 2 and 3 (T2 or T3) by Airport Link Train, bus or taxi.

We recommend using the Airport Link  Train to transfer to the domestic terminal. The International Airport train station located directly below Terminal 1 (T1) and can be reached from inside the terminal on the arrivals level. The service operates every 15 minutes and the journey to the Domestic Terminal (T2/T3) takes around 2 minutes.

By Bus
Bus services operate from Sydney to Coffs Harbour with Greyhound Australia and Premier Motor Service.

The buses depart from Central Railway Station, Sydney. We recommend you use the Airport Link Train  to transfer from the International Airport.

By Train
Daily services operate from Sydney Central Railway Station to Coffs Harbour with NSW Train Link

The train departs from Central Railway Station, Sydney. We recommend you use the Airport Link Train to transfer from the International Airport.

Arrive via Brisbane (to Coffs Harbour campus)

Daylight saving operates in Queensland from early October to late March each year. During that time Queensland is 1 hour behind New South Wales.

Transfer from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal using the T-Bus or AirTrain which operate frequently between the terminals.

By Bus
Bus services operate from the Roma Street Transit Centre in Brisbane to Coffs Harbour with Greyhound and Premier Motor Service.

Transfer from the International Terminal to the Roma Street Transit Centre with AirTrain  which operates frequent rail services into Brisbane. Information on timetable and costs can be found at

By Train
A direct train services operates from the Roma Street Transit Centre in Brisbane to Coffs Harbour with NSW Train Link.

Additional information

If you wish to stay in Brisbane overnight, Visit Brisbane

students with computer

Step 2: Book short-term accommodation

There is no on-campus accommodation at the Gold Coast campus, so we recommend you organise temporary accommodation prior to your arrival through SCU Unistays.

On request, SCU International can book temporary budget accommodation while you find permanent accommodation. The cost of temporary accommodation ranges from approximately AUD$55 to $100 per night for singles (this cost is dependent on time of year and length of stay). We recommend you budget to stay in temporary accommodation for a minimum of three nights to a week after arrival whilst securing your long stay accommodation.

The accommodation officer is available during orientation or earlier unistays@scu.edu.au to discuss accommodation options. We strongly recommend students view potential accommodation before signing leases and appointments can be made with the accommodation officer in the lead up and during Orientation.

UniLife provides an online service with listing from the Gold Coast area.

We recommend you organise short-term accommodation (also referred to as short stay or temporary accommodation) prior to your arrival through SCU Unistays.

On request, SCU International can book short-term budget accommodation while you find permanent accommodation. The cost of short-term accommodation will range from approximately AUD$40 to $100 per night for singles (this cost is dependent on: whether you are willing to share a room with others; time of year; length of stay). We recommend you budget to stay in short-term accommodation for a minimum of three nights to a week after arrival whilst securing your long-term accommodation.

If you wish to break your journey we suggest you visit the local tourism websites for more information:

Step 3: Record important contact details

Contact and emergency details

Before you depart, make sure you have recorded the telephone number and street address of your short-term accommodation and any local transport service you plan to use when you arrive in Australia in your phone and/or travel documents. You should also record SCU International contact numbers.

Before you depart, make sure you have recorded Australian emergency numbers in your phone and travel documents.