Great landing and intro to a different country's environment

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.