Summer High School Programs in Australia with Rustic Pathways

By traveling with Rustic, you can always expect to have a full day ahead of you every single morning. To call the days busy would be improper because the activities and service projects you participate in are worth-while and leave an impact on you. It could be something as simple as walking around Brisbane or Mooloolaba and the other kids you meet from all around the world really help to enrich every experience. Surfing in a place like Australia is truly a one of a kind experience and I am forever thankful I got to create that memory with such amazing leaders and new friends.

I had so much fun on this trip! I got to do something that I never thought I would do like surfing, sky diving, jet boating, and camping for the first time in my life. I would definitely advice other people to join this program.

I loved all the day to day encounters with the animals but I wish we could have spent more time doing activities outside of the zoo other than just walking around Brisbane. Some planned activities would be fun.

This trip was amazing. The atmosphere of the trip was just fantastic. The houses we stayed in to the leaders and fellow students was all positive and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to start my summer!

Being in the outback was an unreal experience, beyond anything you encounter at home. The leaders were amazing and without their personalities the trip wouldn't have been nearly as good. The wildlife and the people were both unforgettable and someday I would love to come back to the Kimberly's region.

On the "You A Roo and Australia Zoo" trip, I experienced the daily tasks of a zookeeper and learned several things about the animals. It was a mix of work, rewarding encounters with the zoo animals, and a little bit of city sightseeing as well. I was surprised with how many animals i got to hold or feed, such as a koala, python, echidna, kangaroo, wombat, rhino, and a lemur! The croc show in the crocosseum is also a sight I will never forget.

Traveling with Rustic Pathways to Australia was amazing. I spent ten days in Queensland (north eastern area). In Cairns we went sky diving, bungee jumping, white water rafting, water-skiing, pet koalas, fed crocodiles, and took a train up a beautiful mountain. We then traveled to Port Angeles where we snorkeled the Great Barrier reef...what a spectacular experience. We then traveled into the oldest rainforest in the world, the Daintree Rainforest, where we went swimming, spent a day with the aboriginals, and enjoyed the outdoors. My counselors Whitney and Alex were both so much fun, the hostiles we stayed in were nice and all the food was tasty. The group of kids that I went with truly changed my life. Such a fabulous trip!

Upon discovering Rustic Pathways, this program was first on my list. After traveling to Costa Rica, I went on a "reunion" Rustic Pathways trip to Australia with the lifelong friends I made at the ecobase by Arenal Volcano ("Fire into Water"). Rustic Pathways unique "Star Alumni" program enabled us a cost-friendly opportunity to enjoy the service trip in Australia ("You, 'Roo, and Australia Zoo"), followed by a vacation trip in Fiji ("Escape to Fiji Islands")! It was amazing to travel to Australia with three people I met on the Rustic Pathways trip the summer before.

Emily Harney was an amazing and hilarious counselor. I absolutely adored her. I admired her ability to take the volunteer program seriously while having loads of fun. I sat in the front seat of the van next to her the entire week and she let me dj music for the rest of the group. I was a bit shy and older than other people on the group, so it was nice to feel close with the counselor. I was introduce to Tim-Tam Slams and practiced my Australian accent a lot on this trip!

The program itself was incredible. The base house was beautiful, overlooking the Glasshouse Mountains. It was so nice to relax after a hard day of volunteer work at the zoo. Food accommodations were made for those with special diets. I loved driving to and from the zoo every morning and was awe struck by kangaroos crossing the road instead of deer. At the end of the trip we spent a couple nights in a hostel in Brisbane which was a joyous experience. Here, we met Australian teenagers who entertained us with their accents!

Working in the zoo required me to follow strict rules and guidelines to ensure the safety of myself and zoo guests. The Australia Zoo is one of the world's most celebrated wildlife parks and it was important to support their professional image. The zoo works hard to foster people's love for animals in hopes that they will protect them. By being an official part of the Australia Zoo team I contributed to the education and wildlife conservation mission. The job required me to work diligently and cooperatively with others, communicate efficiently, show initiative, behave professionally and take pride in fulfilling the tasks I was given by zoo employees. Tasks included cleaning animal enclosures and working to maintain a clean and welcoming zoo appearance. I was educated on the animals in the zoo and encouraged to assist visitors in whatever way possible. This was a real service trip and more than just "playing with animals"...though of course we got to do that too! :)

On this trip I met my girlfriend who I have since been with for the last three years. She lived in San Francisco and I in Boston when we both travelled to Australia for the "You, a 'Roo, Australia Zoo" program. I had no idea that I would meet the love of my life in another country, and then move across the United States to begin a new life on the West Coast...but it happened! Thank you, "You, a 'Roo, Australia Zoo"!