Yes, they are quite different. With respect to pharmacy being quite "flexible", I don't know in which regard but if you decide to become a retail pharmacist (which is what most do) then it isn't "flexible". I have relatives who are pharmacists and they say that it is quite boring but they'll be sticking with it for the rest of their careers. My friends who are studying pharmacy now seem to be enjoying and all of them will be ending up as retail pharmacists. If you see yourself dealing with customers and taking prescriptions, then go for it.
As for engineering, my friend who is doing chemical engineering at usyd says it's not too bad. I'm not totally sure what the prospects are and what career paths but it seems to be pretty popular.
For civil engineering (project management), there's a lot of development going on overseas and it would be great if you land a job, say, in Dubai or the Phillipines, etc. As for studying it, the first year there's pretty bland, generic stuff which shouldn't be too difficult. Once you start to specialise, it gets more interesting (and harder). The courses in civil at uts, unsw and usyd are all accredited and are all similar in content. If you don't mind the maths (there's extension 2 maths in it) and the physics (which is included in mechanics) and others of the like, then go for it. You're not necessary doing one thing for the rest of your life. Different projects brings new challenges.
In regards to the engineering facilities, at usyd they aren't as new as the ones at unsw. However, if you're a top student who isn't planning to just cruise and scrap a pass through the course then it doesn't matter whether you go to uts, unsw or usyd. You'll end up with the same qualifications and it's the experience that matters as well.
On another note, if you want to progess in your career, it's not really probable in pharmacy unless you purchase your own business and become owner. With engineering, as you get more experience, you can take on bigger roles.
In the end, as dan said, it is up to what you want to do. Many people are unsure going into their first year and some end up transferring. I have a couple of friends transfer from law into IT and they are very different. I have a few who drop commerce. I suggest you head to the info days and talk to other people to get different perspectives.
