Page 29 - Tropic Magazine Issue 10

Industry
Education

plane had touched down in Heathrow and
I had finished my last scribble notes I
knew that the next conquest for MiHaven
was to deliver high-quality purpose-built
student accommodation. And why not in
Cairns? So, 18 months later here we are
now opening MiHaven’s first (of
hopefully many) MiHaven Student Living
accommodation developments in Cairns.
Following my new friend’s advice, we
have made each apartment self-contained
with seven individual student living
suites where they have their own
bathroom, study and private balcony. The
Bling moments only element they have to share is when
they come to cook a meal and eat together
A chance encounter on a to debrief their day and socialise.
I think we are going to create many happy
long-haul flight lead to cool student living experiences in Cairns.
outcomes for international MiHaven Student Living opens in
students. February, located on Pembroke Street,
Parramatta Park. We welcome all
Words Sarah Mort students young and old to come and stay
There is always a speak English and be in a time zone with us for a short time or a long time…
certain feeling of where her parents could call her. If the but especially for a good time.
fear as to who you destination was within a relatively easy
may be seated next travel distance, all the better. They chose MORE: mihavenstudentliving.com.au
to on a long-haul Australia… as do over 600,000
flight. Travelling international students every year.
between Hong
Kong and London about 18 months ago, I A Melbourne experience
got lucky when a 12-hour conversation I was once told at the young age of 10
with my fellow passenger was the start of that I should be a radio interviewer as I
a great story. On this occasion I found tend to ask so many questions especially
myself seated next to a delightful young when I am particularly interested in a
woman who had recently graduated from topic. So, over the course of our flight I
Melbourne University. She became my became more interested in her personal
new best friend alumni colleague, experience of living in Australia as a
although I have not yet walked back on young international student and where
campus since the day I graduated in 1987. and how she lived whilst studying. She
told me that her father was particularly
What a student needs concerned for her welfare as she was
The net result of this conversation (as well only 17 when she moved to Melbourne, so
as a few other key factors) resulted in the her safety and wellbeing was a prime
creation of our latest enterprise and the concern. She shared with me a few
soon-to-open MiHaven Student Living, a horror stories of how unhygienic and
high-quality purpose-built student messy some of the larger student
accommodation in Cairns. My new friend accommodation facilities in Melbourne
shared with me her personal experience were and she was on the search to find
of why she and her family decided she purpose built student accommodation
should study and live abroad. She is the that was safe, clean, conveniently located
granddaughter of a successful Chinese to the university and a size where you
Indonesian industrialist - he was in fact could make friends and socialise but also
the first to manufacture biros and ink concentrate and study. She even drew a
pens in Indonesia. He must have floor plan to show me the small size of
manufactured a lot of pens in his lifetime her room, which she lived in for three
as he had the pleasure of sitting in years, and how she enjoyed living in an
business class, whilst we humbly enjoyed apartment with likeminded students.
the chocolates he sent down from the
pointy end of the plan as little gifts. New enteprise
My friend shared with me the critical My friend had now graduated from
items that were on the checklist that Melbourne University and she was now
eventuated her moving and studying in traveling with her grandfather to
Australia. She said the key criteria was continue the next quest of her further
that her family wanted her to be education studying a Masters degree in Source: Australian Government
immersed into a Western culture, to London. By the time the wheels of the Dept. of Education and Training