How to Make Friends When Moving to Sydney

Welcome to Sydney! You’ve arrived, are in an entirely new country and everything feels unfamiliar, strange, exciting and daunting.

It’s very normal to feel overwhelmed as a new arrival and knowing how to make new friends in Sydney can make you feel just a little better.

Meeting new people is a little intimidating in of itself, but you’ll need to make an effort, otherwise, it’ll be difficult to settle in.

With new friends, you can explore and experience the city at its best, especially if you are all from abroad. However, meeting and befriending locals also comes with a whole bunch of advantages.

If you’re about to move abroad or are a new arrival, here are some tips on how to make friends when moving to Sydney.

Why it’s important to make new friends in Sydney

Learn from the locals

Do you want to learn everything there is to know about your new city? It’s all about making friends with the locals. They’ll be your VIP pass to the greatest restaurants and activities, as well as helping you learn the language if needed.

Get invited to activities

You may have lonely feelings while travelling overseas at some time. A nice group of friends, on the other hand, can help keep the homesickness at bay. A network of buddies does you a lot of good, whether it’s inviting you on a weekend camping trip, inviting you to parties or introducing you to wider social circles.

Lifelong friendships

The sights you see, the foods you eat, and the streets you walk may fade from memory with time, but the friends you make along the way will last a lifetime. You’ll be glad you had them and that you can share memories of this extraordinary time of your life

Life Experience

Living abroad or in a new city will help build your confidence and get you ready for future challenges. With the right friends, you can grow together as people and take on the world.

Social Media and Apps are Essential

You can quickly make friends in Sydney from all around the world through social media.

Nowadays, you may look for Facebook groups associated with your interests and background, as well as taking part in groups specifically for ex-pats and international arrivals.

Check out other platforms too, including Twitter, LinkedIn and apps such as Bumble (which has a ‘friends-only’ option.)

Be Proactive

Sydney is a big city, so finding your inner circle of friends might be difficult. There are many distinct ex-pat groups in Sydney, owing to the large number of people from all over the world that live there.

Here are few good places to start, mostly from Meetup.com, which we highly recommend:

• The Sydney British Expats
• Sydney Americans
• The Sydney Expat Connection

Socialise with Coworkers

Outside of work, spending time with coworkers is one of the best ways to meet new people Sydney and enhance your working environment. Friday night drinks are extensively celebrated once a week in Sydney at every pub and bar, so this is the perfect opportunity to get to know everyone better.

Even if you’re not a drinker, it’s worth joining a few to let people see your social side. If the night does turn into something bigger, you can go with the flow and join them for dinner or at the next venue.

Stay in Touch

So, you had a great day visiting the city and enjoying local cuisine with someone you met, but remember that friendships require nurturing, so tell them how much fun you had and go on and arrange something else. It’s similar to dating. If you’re wondering how to make friends in Sydney, you’ll need to put in some effort to progress from acquaintance to true friendship.

Contact Friends of Friends

More likely than not, especially if you know a lot of fellow travellers, you probably have a long-lost friend or a friend of a friend who lives in Sydney. This is a great chance to meet someone who knows their way around town, and who shares a connection with your life. Sydney is a very popular destination, so odds are that you’ll know someone who knows someone!

Get out of your comfort zone

It’s difficult to begin again in a new place and in strange circumstances. You may find it difficult to feel at ease in Sydney if you cling to the comforts of your home and the way your life used to be.

One of the advantages of living in Sydney is that you will always be able to find people from your home country, making the adjustment simpler. If you primarily spend time with other ex-pats, on the other hand, you may gradually feel separated from Australian people and find it difficult to blend in.

Get out of your comfort zone and make an effort to meet locals. Friendships don’t happen immediately, but if you stick with it, your work will pay off.

It’s reasonable that you’ll need some time to settle in, get acclimated to your surroundings, and spend time with people who are familiar to you when you first relocate to Sydney. But don’t forget about trying to integrate as well.

Say ‘yes’ a lot

Most of us will find the prospect of meeting strangers daunting, or the effort of nurturing new friendships tiring. The thing is, that these are things you must do, or you’ll have a hard time making friends in Sydney.

That’s why, as difficult as it sounds, try to say ‘yes’ to as many invitations as you can. Whether someone wants to walk around the city, is hosting a BBQ or is going along to a social event – if they invite you, say ‘yes’!  It’s not easy, but you’ll be glad you did.

Don’t be shy to go alone

It’s quite OK to go to a pub or coffee shop by yourself; there’s no reason to be embarrassed. If you give yourself the chance to start up a discussion with strangers (or wait for them to start up a conversation with you!) you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to establish new acquaintances, which you can then grow.

Maintain your hobby

In almost every major city on the planet, there is a club for almost any hobby. Joining a club is a great way to get a feel for a community while meeting others with similar interests.

Running groups are quite popular and provide an excellent introduction to the city’s many neighbourhoods.

Or, if you prefer, check out cooking classes, sports gatherings, art, music and just about anything that has interested you in the past. Doing something you love while meeting new people is one of the best ways to approach making friends in Sydney.

Volunteer

If you enjoy volunteering, you should continue to do so when you relocate. Find a cause that you care about and get involved.

Whether you want to volunteer at a local animal shelter, clean up a neighbourhood park or beach, or even tutor someone in English, a fast web search will usually lead you to organisations in your region that may benefit from your involvement. You may also have the chance to immerse yourself in the language and culture while meeting people who appreciate your assistance – a fantastic way to making friends in Sydney.

After-hours lunches or drinks with fellow volunteers may elevate new connections to new heights. And knowing that you’re surrounded by others who care about the subject for which you’re volunteering makes for a good foundation.

Welcome and good luck!

Moving to Sydney is going to be one of the best things you’ve done in your life, but you will need a social circle.

By trying out some of the above, you can make new friends in Sydney and enjoy settling into one of the world’s most exciting cities.

Sydney Suburbs To Consider

• Removalists Parramatta
• Removalists Bondi
• Removalists Blacktown
• Removalists Epping
• Removalists Castle Hill
• Removalists Campbelltown
• Removalists Blacktown
• Removalists Penrith
• Removalists Liverpool
• Removalists Mosman
• Removalists Hornsby

By ZOOM Removalists Sydney