AUSTRALIA/FIJI ISLAND VILLAGE IMPACT A 22-day Cultural Immersion Program

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS • Learn to SCUBA Dive in the Great Barrier , One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World • Explore Wooroonooran National Park and Volunteer at a Wildlife Refuge • Sleep Beneath the Stars on a Live-Aboard Boat in the Stunning Waters of the Coral Sea • Teach English to Fijian Children and Help Construct a Footpath • Participate in a Traditional Sevusevu Ceremony with Fijian Chiefs • Explore the Famous Opera House and Discover Sydney • 30 Hours Community Service

Spotlight Project: Island Community Immersion

For over 20 years, ARCC students have ventured into remote corners of Fiji where locals live as they have for centuries and struggle to improve their livelihoods due to a lack of support and resources. Through projects directed by the Village Chief, we have installed community generators, refurbished classrooms, constructed sidewalks, and seawalls, incorporated English education in the local primary schools and more. Continuing our work from the past two decades, we engage with locals to become honorary members of the village. The locally-directed projects we complete alongside our Fijian brothers and sisters grant us an overwhelming sense of belonging in the community as we witness the impact we have on future generations. SAMPLE ITINERARY

Day 1 Travel Days All participants arrive at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) where they are met by the group leaders. After an initial orientation and ice breaker activities, we board our flight bound for Sydney, Australia. We cross the International Date Line and lose a day which we will gain back at the end of our trip. Accommodations: Overnight flight

Day 3 Cairns Today we fly to Australia’s tropical town of Cairns (pronounced “CANS”), located on the northern coast of Queensland and the gateway to the . Through games, teambuilding activities and eating our first meals together, the adventure truly begins. We also introduce the role of “Leader of the Day” which is an essential component of every ARCC trip. Accommodations: Guesthouse

Day 4 Wooroonooran National Park & Wildlife Refuge Service We begin the day volunteering with a local organization called Tree to plant much-needed trees in the local area. This gives us a great introduction to the importance of sustaining natural ecosystems as we prepare to explore the rainforest! We then make our way to Wooroonooran National Park, one of the most diverse places in the Wet Tropics World Heritage area and host to some of the oldest continually surviving rainforests in the world. We experience this beautiful area as we swim under waterfalls and slide down a natural rock slide. Our guide also teaches us about the enchanting creatures of the rainforest like the Ulysses Butterfly and Green Tree Frog, and if we’re lucky, we may spot them!

At the end of the day, we arrive at a non-profit wildlife center and refuge in Port Douglas. This rehabilitation center is home for countless injured, sick and orphaned animals. Under the supervision of a wildlife expert, we have the opportunity to come face-to-face with wildlife which may include kangaroos, wallabies, birds of prey, goannas, quolls, snakes, lorikeets, cockatoos, owls, a koala or two and an assortment of other Aussie animals. We help with service work, based on our own skills and interests, that helps keep the wildlife hospital going (ex: making signs, repairing enclosures, tending the vegetable garden for the animals’ food, etc.) This is a great way to contribute to the community while simultaneously helping wildlife.

After our work at the wildlife center is completed, we make our way back to Cairns and prepare for our SCUBA and adventures ahead. We participate in a Reef Teach presentation led by local marine biologists to learn more about the fascinating underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef. Accommodations: Wildlife Center

Day 6 Great Barrier Reef For the next four days, we learn to SCUBA dive,* spending two days in a classroom and pool and then progressing to open water diving on the incredible Great Barrier Reef. The PADI Open Water diving takes place off a liveaboard boat which allows us the absolute best access to the reef. We log 5 dives among corals, turtles, and an array of fish that could only exist in the underwater paradise of this fascinating reef system. Those already certified take a three-day PADI Advanced course and log 9 dives on the Reef, including a spectacular night dive. Non-divers are able to for 3 days where the advanced students are practicing their dives. Since most of the spectacular sea life of the Great Barrier Reef is close to the surface, divers and snorkelers alike enjoy close-up views of tropical fish, turtles and a kaleidoscope of corals. Accommodations: Guesthouse and Liveaboard boat

*Please Note: To become SCUBA certified, you have to study, take quizzes and pass a final written and practical exam. You also need to pass a thorough physical exam performed by a dive physician. You cannot have used an inhaler or suffered from asthma in the past three years. Additionally, students with ADHD who are or have been taking Ritalin, or any of its derivatives, will not be permitted to dive. Quite a few ARCC students have failed the medical exam in the past for a number of conditions: history of migraines, childhood chest pains, Ritalin prescriptions, etc. Standards vary from doctor to doctor, but Australia has some of the toughest diving standards in the world. If you pass the course here, you can safely and confidently dive anywhere

in the world. Day 10 Cairns Today we have a relaxing morning and explore the town of Cairns. We spend time at the popular esplanade and swim in a freshwater lagoon. Our evening continues with an Aussie BBQ as we look back at our adventure thus far. Excitement fills the air as we get ready for our next destination, Sydney! Accommodations: Guesthouse

Day 11 Sydney We say goodbye to the coastal community of Cairns and head to the bustling city of Sydney for a couple of days of seeing the sights. Sydney is home to the world-famous Opera House and Harbor Bridge, both at the top of our list of things to see. Located in the heart of the city, our hostel lets us taste the best Sydney has to offer. We are a short walk from Darling Harbor, and a beautiful ferry ride away from Manly Beach. Accommodations: Hostel

Day 13 Ocean Service and Surfing We make our way to the tropical island of Fiji where we continue the next part of our adventure! In Nadi, we spend a day becoming oriented with Fijian culture as we learn about their customs and traditions. We then make our way to Ovalau Island by boat, also known as the ‘Island of the Firewalkers’, and take time to enjoy our new surroundings and prepare for our service projects ahead. Accommodations: Hotel

Day 15 Ruku Ruku School For the next three days, we are busy teaching, lesson planning and leading activities with the students of Raviravi School. We donate school supplies and teach subjects in English, math and science. We help the younger students with their English skills through fun activities and games and help teach older children about geography and life in the United States. Accommodations: Traditional Burres Day 18 Our Own Private Island Today we travel by boat to our own slice of paradise when we visit a sandbar island off the coast of Ovalau. A perfect place to rest after our hard work, this beach is truly a tropical paradise. Young Fijians from a neighboring village often sail out to play in the sand with us and catch fresh fish. We set up a picnic and enjoy this island paradise swimming, snorkeling and playing games in the sun! Accommodations: Traditional Burres

Day 19 Spotlight Project: Levuka Village We head back to Ovalau to participate in service projects that are most needed in the village. ARCC has been operating programs in Fiji for over twenty years, and we have built long-lasting relationships with the Fijians through a wide variety of projects. These projects are designed specifically to help improve the community and may vary from painting and repairing the local school, building a footpath throughout the village, or working on a recycling project. Accommodations: Traditional Burres

Day 21 Pacific Harbor and Nadi Today we depart Ovalau Island by boat, heading back to the mainland. We arrive in Pacific Harbor where we enjoy lunch and explore the colorful markets and coastal town. We then make our way to Nadi where we celebrate our adventures and new friends with a final feast and closing ceremony. Accommodations: Hotel

Day 15 Departure Eventually, all good things must come to an end. We say goodbye to Australia and Fiji and begin our journey back across the Pacific. Once we arrive in Los Angeles, we get everyone to their connecting flights home. The memories of the experience and the group will carry us through to next summer!

Want to Learn More? Contact the Regional Director:

Eben Coenen | Regional Director: Australia/Fiji [email protected] 415-332-5075 Ext. 227