Top Volunteer Projects in Australia

I had an incredible experience volunteering in Calga, Australia at the Animal Sanctuary. I am so grateful for the opportunity to go. I was able to learn about and work with so many great animals that are native to Australia. I also worked on maintaining fox proof fencing that surrounded and protected the entire sanctuary and all the critters inside. It was awesome seeing all your hard work pay off. Through volunteering I also got to meet some amazing people from around the world that I know will be life long friends. Lastly, this was my first time traveling alone and to Australia. I felt very prepared for my trip and safe the whole time.

Not only did I learn a lot from the program itself, but I met some amazing other volunteers who I still occasionally talk to about the park at which we volunteered. It was a wonderful learning opportunity and all of the employees of Oakvale would explain everything to me, so I understood what we were doing. I didn't think I would enjoy doing manual labor as much as I did while I was there, but I found it really fun to plant and mulch when I knew it would benefit the animal living in that enclosure. I know that quite a few of the keepers that had been at the park have left to work at the Australia Zoo, but I am sure whoever they hire next will be just as awesome.

I arrived in Cairns not knowing what to expect but ended up spending 2 weeks with amazing people that will be my friends for life. I spent the first couple days learning how to dive in a classroom and pool with prodive. It was a really good learning environment and everyone easily understood all of the theory required for diving. After my 2 days in the classroom we went on our first dive boat trip (3 days out on the Great Barrier Reef) during this time I got certified as an open water PADI diver (other divers on the trip got more advanced certifications during this time if they already had their open water). I was able to get more comfortable diving by doing multiple free dives a day and even a night dive. The next day we went to Fitzroy Island to help out at a turtle rehabilitation centre and have free time on the island. The island was beautiful but expensive to do anything other than the hikes around the island (had to paid to hire stinger suits, snorkels etc. by the hour). Then we went back out on a dive boat for another 3 days of diving. This time we did our marine conversation part with eye on the reef. A dive master taught as how to take surveys of the coral and 10 minutes surveys of the marine life. We learned a lot about the coral and the marine life, we even were able to remove invasive snails off the coral. I had a great time and learned so much! Diving at the Great Barrier Reef project allows you to see many amazing marine life and learn a lot about the reef.

Volunteering abroad was recommended to me, and I surely recommend it to others thinking of travelling overseas and looking for a good way to start in a new country. Having the program set up for when I arrived in Australia gave me direction and purpose in getting familiar with the new landscape and environment I was in. The organization gave me a good introduction, our accommodation and food were good, and the friends I have made on this project I still keep in contact with during my travels in Australia. Best of all, volunteering has given me the opportunity to travel in areas that I would most likely not be able to see from a tourist standpoint. Our group drove for a few hours outside of Melbourne into the lush rainforest for weeding, path clearing and tree planting. The work was strenuous but it felt good to be doing something productive. Our tour leader was very informative and educated us a lot on the vegetation and animals of the area. From then, I have gone on my way to continue travelling the rest of Australia on my own but it has given me a good starting point.