Travel Itinerary

Monday, June 22

• Meet your Delegation Manager upon arrival at Sydney Airport.
•  Discover the Sydney Cricket Ground, home of the New South Wales Blues cricket team. Have the opportunity to learn hands-on the popular sport of cricket in the training nets the pros use and try your skills at hand-balling the Aussie rules football.
• Harness yourself in and take a walk around the outside of the Sydney Tower turret, a breathtaking 850 feet above Sydney. Take in birds-eye views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, and surrounding metropolitan area.
• Dine at a Sydney restaurant overlooking Darling Harbour and try your hand at cooking your own meat on the Barbie.

Tuesday, June 23

• Enjoy a guided orientation of the majestic Sydney Opera House complex as you go behind the scenes. You’ll have a backstage pass to experience areas that are not accessible to the public and exclusive for People to People Student Ambassadors.
• Learn about Australia’s national gemstone, the opal, during a demonstration at an opal establishment.
• Cruise Sydney Harbour and see the city’s highlights. Learn about its amazing history, whilst enjoying lunch onboard the vessel.

Wednesday, June 24

• Take part in Full On, a day long program specially designed for People to People Student Ambassadors to help achieve new levels of self awareness and personal development.
• Start your Full On experience by participating in fun and interactive workshops that will lead up to challenging yourself to abseil down an exposed rock face in the Blue Mountains.

Thursday, June 25

• Journey north through northern New South Wales the home of diverse river systems, fishing, and banana plantations.
• Keep an eye out for some kangaroos, which are often seen at dusk and dawn. Did you know that a group of kangaroos are called a mob?
• Meet your home stay family and be welcomed into their home for the next two nights. Enjoy this unique opportunity to be immersed in local culture and learn about life in Australia.

Friday, June 26

• Your home stay continues with a chance to experience everyday life in Australia and meet the locals.

Saturday, June 27

• Bid farewell to your home stay family, don’t forget to exchange address information so you can keep in touch!
• Visit the coastal town of Byron Bay, Australia's most easterly mainland point.
• Cross over the border into Queensland, known as the Sunshine State.
• Have a rockin’ and rollin’ good time at the Hard Rock Café, amidst its fascinating collection of music memorabilia.

Sunday June 28

• Today, visit Brisbane, the capital of Queensland and Australia’s third most populous city.
• Board a ferry for Tangalooma Resort, home to a pod of wild bottlenose dolphins.
• Learn about the marine life of the surrounding coastal area from the Resort’s dedicated team of Marine Biologists.
• Have the amazing opportunity to hand feed wild dolphins! Each evening a local pod of bottlenose dolphins visits the resort for a snack. There are up to 8 of these playful creatures that visit regularly, each with their own distinctive and unique personalities.

Monday, June 29

• Snorkel near one of the most famous landmarks on Moreton Island, the Tangalooma Wrecks.
• Go sand tobogganing on the island’s giant sand dunes.
• Meet Moreton Island’s pod of wild bottlenose dolphins! You will have the opportunity to assist with dolphin research through collecting data and recording your observations of their behavior and appearance. Enjoy this exclusive People to People service project that assists the research of the Dolphin Care Team at Tangalooma.

Tuesday, June 30

• Say goodbye to your island home this morning.
• Travel north to the Sunshine Coast, stretching some 40 miles. The Sunshine Coast was given its name because the sun shines almost all year round.
• Surfs up! Take to the water at a pristine Australian beach and try your hand at surfing.

Wednesday, July 1

• Visit the small community of Gin Gin, where the local Parents and Citizens Association will provide your lunch. The funds raised by hosting years of delegates have tremendously assisted this school, and resulted in the building of the P&C Friendship Pavilion, named “Friendship” in honor of People to People Student Ambassadors.
• Student Ambassadors are encouraged to prepare a song or a game to share with the students and friends of Gin Gin community.
• Hit the road again on the Bruce Highway to Rockhampton.

Thursday, July 2

• Discover Olsen’s Capricorn Caves, renowned for their unspoiled beauty and natural formations.
• Learn about the local Australian government during an official briefing with a government representative, an honor for People to People Student Ambassadors.
• Tonight, walk on the wild side at a crocodile farm where you will have the opportunity to spot crocodiles lurking in the dark, murky waters.

Friday, July 3

• Pass through Mackay, a major center for the sugar cane industry in Australia.
• Travel to Airlie Beach, the gateway to the 74 Whitsunday Islands.

Saturday, July 4

• Encounter Australia’s unique fauna, such as koalas, kangaroos, crocodiles, and wombats at a wildlife sanctuary.
• Cuddle a koala and have your photo taken.
• Pass through Townsville, the official capital of Far North Queensland.
• Notice how the scenery changes from coast to outback during your journey west along the inland highway.
• Arrive at your farm stay, outside of the historical gold mining town of Charters Towers.
• After meeting your hosts, enjoy a home cooked meal and country hospitality.

Sunday, July 5

• Enjoy a full day of activities in the outback, including bush walking and spotting wildlife.
• With a local family as your guide, learn how to crack a bullwhip, experience daily life, and see what it takes to manage an Australian ranch. Ranches in Australia are called “stations” and can cover thousands of acres and hundreds of miles.

Monday, July 6

• Today, you will get to experience an ‘adventure meal’ were you decide and buy what you and your delegation will enjoy for your picnic lunch.
• Head to Cairns, the northern-most destination of your Australian adventure!
• Interact with local Aussie families over dinner and enjoy this unique opportunity to be immersed in local culture and learn about life in Australia.

Tuesday, July 7

• Cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef across pristine waters.
• Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef and see brightly colored tropical fish, giant clams and different types of soft and hard coral.
• Any questions that may arise out of your exploration of the Reef, talk to the Marine Biologist that joins your delegation exclusively for this experience.

Wednesday, July 8

• Travel to Mossman Gorge, located north of Cairns in the World Heritage Listed Daintree Rainforest, the largest continuous area of the tropical rainforest on the Australian Continent.
• Learn about the importance of bushtucker and traditional bush medicines from your Aboriginal guides on a walk to a local waterfall.
• Take the Skyrail Rainforest cableway experience that spans 4.6 miles over pristine tropical rainforest.
• Glide just a few feet above the rainforest before descending through the canopy layers deep into the heart of the forest at the two mid-stations en route.
• Explore the picturesque village of Kuranda and the local markets with their exotically handcrafted goods. Kuranda is known as “The Village in the Rainforest”.
• Tonight, be tempted to try kangaroo or barramundi, an iconic local fish.

Thursday, July 9

• Board the motorcoach to the airport for your return flight to the United States.