Greetings friends and family Just a brief note to let you know that the Walkabout Crew has gathered in full force. All 12 students and their fearleass Overseas Educators have convened in L.A. and are now en route to the fabulous land of New Zealand! Thank you all for your support in making this journey possible. The group now embarks upon of 3 month journey of growth, insight, and adventure;… Read More
Kia Ora from staff training in Portland! A big welcome to the friends and families that will be following our journey over the coming months. We are brimming with anticipation to begin our journey around the South Pacific with you all in just a few short days! We have been getting excited over the course of reviewing itineraries, exploring maps, and connecting with local contacts in New Zealand, Fiji and… Read More
Emerging from the underground of the metro train station and into the heart of Sydney, a feeling of Iām sooo confused! washed over us all. The looming buildings that blocked the view of the night sky and bustling streets swarming with hurried people all seemed out of place. The weeks that proceeded this moment were ones of magic. We had spent twelve beautiful weeks learning and growing across the rustic… Read More
Our last breathtaking week took place in the Australian Outback. It all started with an early morning wake-up when Deon, our guide, picked us up to begin the journey to Uluru, a sacred meeting monument for the Aboriginals. Along the way, we stopped at an art gallery where we were first introduced to the styles and symbols of traditional Aboriginal art. Then we continued our long drive, but it was… Read More
walkabout
This week on āWalkabout: A World 14+ Hours Ahead of the USAā :
Our strong young cadets head into the wild, wacky and inspiring world of marine conservation where they plant fig trees, take part in a world-wide campaign for scientific research, battle nimble wallabies, and pursue a dangerous mission into the mysterious Daintree Rainforest! And a twist: the advice of a lifetime will be doled out in the… Read More
Gāday mate,
This week our crew traveled back to Cairns once again to explore the wonderful world of SCUBA diving and snorkeling. Tommy Boy, Loose, Molls, JJ, Georgie, Randy, Caro and Aisil woke at the crack of dawn to get ready for their first day of SCUBA school!!! They spent the day watching videos with their instructor Rob as well as blowing their first bubbles underwater!! While they were in… Read More
Hello folks! Greetings from Cairns. Butā¦ Youāre probably wondering how we got here. It all started a few days agoā¦ *record scratch*
After leaving the Bodhi Tree Buddhist monastery on Tuesday April 18th, the group boarded a bus from the nearby Lismore and headed to Brisbane for three days of swanky student travels in the city. Now, this day, however, was no ordinary day. It was a day with cause… Read More
Warmest greetings! Upon departing from Fiji and commencing our travels along the East Coast of Australia, we were able to take part in a bit of mid-trip reflection at the Bodhi Tree Buddhist Monastery, a peaceful enclave located just outside of Lismore.
After a brief (yet energetic!) overnight stint in the colorful city of Brisbane (featuring a trot over the cityās bridge to wander the streets amongst stylish locals,) we… Read More
Bula! Weāve been in Fiji for nearly two weeks now and absolutely loved our stay in Nakuku. We were able to get to know such a unique part of the world that we didnāt even know existed. We dove into new cultural practices, including eating all of our meals while sitting on the floor, wearing traditional Fijian attire, and participating in local practices. On Sunday, we went to a neighboring… Read More
Hello from paradise! This is our 6th day on the beautiful island of Vanua Levu, one of the two largest Fijian islands. Last Tuesday we said our bittersweet goodbyes to New Zealand, and were excited to embark on the next leg of our journey. After a brief flight from Christchurch to Auckland, we boarded our next plane heading off to Nadi, Fiji, on the island of Viti Levu. We were… Read More
Bula Bula!
I just got word that the group arrived safe and sound! They are on their way to Suva and will be in the village for the next 10 days. All is well š… Read More
Kia Ora!
After a high-action week: trekking from Raglan on the North Island to Wellington, across the Cook Straight by ferry to Picton, a bus ride to Nelson, a van ride to TÄkaka, a few days hiking, swimming and kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park, and finally a relaxing night back in Nelson…
…we began our second week of Maori cultural exchange in Le Bons Bay on the Banks Peninsula… Read More
Hello Family and Friends!
This week was our student directed travel week! The week began with a trip to Hobbiton, the film set for both the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. During our visit we had the opportunity to walk through the shire and learn all about how the movies were made. Pierce and Aislinn, our die hard Lord of the Rings fans, was bursting with excitement the… Read More
Kia Ora friends and family!!!! We are currently in Raglan, one of the twelve transformation towns in the world. We are enjoying our last night in the scenic eco hostel, Solscape, before embarking on our student directed travel for the next week. Although we are looking forward to seeing more of New Zealand, we will miss our Maori cultural immersion. In the past week we had the pleasure of being… Read More
Hello from our third week in majestic-al New Zealand! We have been having an adventure filled week stuffed with hiking, biking, caving, rafting, and camping, so excuse our long break from the blog, as we would sooner have seen a centaur than found Wifi out in this wilderness. Through a mentally and physically challenging week, we got to know each other a lot better, both individually and as a team.… Read More
Greetings from Lake Taupo! Today marked a transition from the farming lifestyle we have grown accustomed to over the last week to a slightly busier environment. After a series of farewells to the Hart family and their farm, we traveled by bus to our next location en route to our upcoming weeklong stay at Blue Mountain Adventure Center. We have found the lake and surrounding town area to be stunning… Read More
Hello from beautiful New Zealand!! This is our 5th day in the South Pacific living on the Hart Family Farm. Weāre situated on the North Island in a stunning town called Napier. On the 15th, Caroline, Lucy, Molly, Olivia, George, Nora, JJ, Aislinn, Pierce, Miranda, and Tom met our leaders, Kate and Doug, in LAX to begin the first leg of the journey. After a lengthy flight, we arrived in… Read More
I just got word from the group that they made it to Napier and now the entire group, all 14 of them, are heading towards the Family Farm to begin their orientation. Keep checking the blog in the next few days for another update and hopefully some photos š… Read More
