Australia Summer High School Programs with Rustic Pathways

After a long flight to get to Australia I felt close bonds already forming. Right off the runway, the adventure began. Spending the first few nights in the Daintree rainforest showed me Australia's natural beauty; highlighting the breathtaking wildlife. My group and I then ventured to the Great Barrier Reef, and Fitzroy Island. We then had the opportunity to meet the turtles! Our next voyage was in the outback. While hiking through the outback, we saw amazing views. We ended these perfect days filled with new experiences, while we refected while watching the sunset. We then went to Syndey, the last stopping point of the trip. In Sydney, we saw various famous sights; exposing me to the everlasting beauty of Australia. Sadly this epic trip came to an end. As I was leaving Australia, I was also going home with new experiences, cultural exposure, adventure, and everlasting memories. I am happy to say there was never a dull moment. Even through the tiring flights, and the long drives, I never felt a moment of boredom; only excitement. We spent the hours on the plane and in the car jamming to music, and laughing non-stop. Looking back on my experience in the outback, memories of stargazing and group bonding left me wishing I was back in Australia. Reflecting on the immense amount of fun we had picking out new foods in the grocery store, left me forever grateful for the opportunity I received. Rustic Pathways blessed me with the most amazing experience of my life. They gave me the opportunity to form unforgettable bonds with my group-mates and group leaders. Rustic Pathways pushed me out of my comfort zone by challenging me with one of my biggest fear, skydiving. I have nothing bad to say about this trip, and I 100% recommend it to anyone who is looking for a truly unique experience.

I will always choose Rustic for my travels as a highschool student, thats why for the past 3 years I have chosen to spend my summers with them. I chose this trip super last minute and I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I was pleasantly surprised by the activities and Rustic always outdoes themselves with a great combo of service of fun. The zoo was very organized but kind of inconsistent. They would split us into groups and some groups didn't get to experience things that others did. There was a lot of downtime on this trip at the zoo and after because once you are done with the zoo for the day, they don't really have anything else planned. The accommodations were probably the best I have experienced with rustic in comparison to Fiji and Costa Rica. We stayed at a nice house and super nice hostiles. The food was great because most of the time we cooked and could recommend dishes or places to eat to our program leaders. I highly recommend this trip for animal lovers!

Rustic Pathways trips to Australia for high schoolers are very well put together and fun. There are many options for programs some including service opportunities. I went on the Aussie Surf and Service which was an 18-day trip that included 4 surf lessons, whale watching, shopping, and over 25 hours of community service. The program leaders were organized and kind, the housing was amazing, and the service was meaningful. This experience immersed me in Australian culture and introduced me to 6 other kids who are life-long friends. The ability to travel and tour an amazing country while also serving the international community is so unique and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do so. I would strongly recommend Rustic Pathways to high school students interested in traveling, meeting new people, and helping people around the world.

While volunteering at Steve Irwin’s famous Australia Zoo as well as small wildlife rehabilitation and conservation centers, I had the opportunity to engage directly with wildlife. Whether I was cuddling echidnas or feeding joeys from the palm of my hand, I felt so connected to the animals. I was so grateful to feel so trusted by the members of the staff, to have such independence, and to feel empowered to take risks. While at the Zoo, some visitors who had seen me working on habitat construction or cleaning would approach me with questions about the wildlife, and having the opportunity to spread awareness and share your knowledge is so meaningful. I am so appreciative to Rustic for giving me this experience in high school. I also had the privilege of being with a group of students who have become lifelong friends. We share such meaningful memories and we are always in touch. Every year, we travel on a new Rustic trip together, exploring new horizons.

I attended the college summer travel program there. I personally have an Australian Passport, but so far before the trip, what I had known of Australia remained in Sydney. I stay in a lot of places with my family all around the world and therefore don't get to be in Australia much. The trip got me to see Australia as a whole, from the East Coast to the Outback to the North and to the South, from the city to desert to rain forest to ocean. Everyone is going to have their own unique experience. For me, it opened me up to walk out of the past and into the future. I signed up for the trip to move on and to reaffirm myself of what I want to become, and the trip helped me to do exactly just that. I still wear the Rustic Pathway bond wristlet to remind myself of the trip and what I learned from it.

My experience with Rustic Pathways has created some of the most fond and influential memories of my life. Over the course of two weeks in Australia, I was introduced to different cultures, foods, people, music, etc. I broadened my horizons by going skydiving over Uluru, planting trees in the Daintree rainforest, and visiting the Sydney Opera house, just to name a few. The memories I made and people I met on this trip will be with me forever and have shaped me into the person I am today. I 100% recommend Rustic and you would be silly not to sign up!

After going on a trip to the Dominican Republic and return to the normalcy of my everyday life, I immediately knew I had to go on another trip. I decided to sign up in September for the following summer's Australia Seven Wonders program, and I could not contain my excitement all year. As soon as the anticipated date arrived in June, I quickly made friends in the airport on the way to LAX and during the long but exciting travel to our destination (friends I'm lucky to continually spend time with, even after arriving back to our home states). I met my amazing program leaders the second we touched down in the "land down under" and they did a great job of packing every day with new adventures and experiences. Rustic Pathways does an incredible job opening its arms wide and making every student feel safe, welcomed, and happy. Whether we were doing service with the animals such as Koalas and Kangaroos in Northern Australia, snorkeling over the Great Barrier Reef, gazing at the incredible stars in the Outback, or observing the positive impact our contributions had on the community of Sydney, this trip touched me in a variety of different ways. It taught me how to care about every aspect of our world, walk into every situation with clear eyes and full hearts, and showed me how giving back to others can make you feel better than receiving. I recommend this program to anyone and everyone, because the dream-like adventure that I embarked on should be experienced by everyone at least once during their life time.

On the plane ride to the gateway airport, I had a mix of nervousness and excitement to meet the other students on my trip, but once I got to LAX and met the other students, all of my nervousness instantly faded into all excitement. The flight leaders were very helpful in making sure everyone felt safe and knew what to do getting on the plane and through customs once we arrived in Australia. To shake off our jetlag on the first day in Australia, we went on a short hike to the top of Mt. Ngungun, which was one of my favorite memories. The view from the top was incredible, and I felt so accomplished after completing the hike. Our time spent at the zoo was incredible! Within a few hours of being at the zoo, we had already met kangaroos and two giant tortoises! Over the next days, we got to shadow zookeepers and do everything from helping them prepare food and feed the animals, helping them clean the enclosures, and helping them with their daily encounters and shows. We got to shadow zookeepers from the five different departments, but my favorite department had to be the exotics department where I got to meet dingos and wombats. I also really enjoyed our off time from the zoo where we hung out on the beach, went snorkeling, and tried sandboarding!! To end our trip, we spent two days at the Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation, & Education center in Toowoomba. This whole center with over 100 animals is run by one woman, named Trish. The experience with Trish and the whole program changed my life and inspired me to pursue environmental studies. Prior to the trip, I was unsure of what my passion was and what I wanted to do in college and life, but the conservation parts of the trip made me realize my passion for the environment and sparked my interest in environmental studies.