An international student who flew between China and Australia for 11 weeks straight revealed airfares were cheaper than paying rent in Melbourne.
Xu Guangli, 28, traveled from his home in Dezhou, in China’s Shandong province, to Melbourne for 11 weeks between August and October this year.
Mr Xu undertook the grueling 8,800 kilometer journey each week to complete his master’s degree in arts management at RMIT University.
Each round trip from Dezhou to Melbourne took three days and cost $1,500.
‘A round trip takes about 72 hours. The one-way trip takes 10 to 13 hours by plane,” Mr. Xu said. SBS Mandarin.
Surprisingly, the 28-year-old discovered that the cost of plane tickets turned out to be cheaper than having to pay living expenses in Melbourne.
‘The total cost is not much different. But I think the money is better spent (in China) because the overall cost here is lower,” he said.
Xu slept on a friend’s sofa the only night he was in Melbourne during the week before catching a flight to China the next day.
Mr Xu made the grueling 8,800 kilometer journey each week for 11 weeks to complete his master’s degree in arts management at RMIT University in Melbourne (file image)
He said he made the trips “for love” so he could visit his girlfriend, who returned to Dezhou after finishing her university studies in Australia.
“Life alone in Melbourne is too lonely,” Mr Xu told local outlet Dazhong Daily.
Xu said he wanted to spend more time with his loved ones after he came to Australia eight years ago for further studies.
He completed a bachelor’s degree in game design and a management course.
Before embarking on his three-month solo trip to and from China, Xu researched whether his degree would be recognized in China.
He also considered whether he could afford the cost of completing required courses in China and the hiring deadlines.
Xu said flights flew frequently between China and Australia and he never had any problems traveling between the two countries.
His journey began at 7am on a Monday, when he would leave his home for Jinan airport, about 126 kilometers southeast of Dezhou, before flying to Melbourne.
Mr Xu made the grueling 8,800km journey every week for 11 weeks to complete his master’s degree in arts management at RMIT University (file image)
After spending the night in the city, Xu would fly back to China on Wednesday nights.
Xu, who graduated in October, is taking a break from his grueling travel schedule.
He became popular on the Chinese social media app Douyin, where he posted videos of his solo travels and amassed around 10,000 followers.
Dozens of viewers were shocked by his commitment to the travel agenda.
“I’ve never seen anyone so devoted to love before,” one person wrote.
‘I wouldn’t travel such a long distance every week for anything. It’s just too exhausting,” another person wrote.
Chinese students accounted for the largest proportion of new international student enrollments in Australia in August 2024.
International students from China accounted for 22 percent of the 969,230 new enrollments.
Student visa holders need around $29,710 a year per person for living expenses, according to Australian government figures.