Leading Little Aussies
Day 1 (Tuesday): Australia here we come!
Your group will depart Los Angeles for Brisbane in the evening on our group flight. The flight will take about 14 hours, giving you plenty of time to meet the rest of your group before arriving Down Under.
Day 2 (Wednesday): In Transit
Today is “lost” as you cross the international dateline. Wednesday just “disappears” - but don’t worry too much… you will make up the time on your way home!
Day 3 (Thursday): Welcome to Australia
This morning you will arrive into Brisbane today where you will be welcomed by Rustic Pathways on-ground staff. You will then transfer to our Australian base in the beautiful Glass House Mountains, nestled in the ‘bush’ and rainforest about an hour north of Brisbane and 40 minutes from the coast. Your staff will help you settle into the Aussie way of life, and after you get to know everyone, you’ll head out this afternoon to take a walk through some rainforest to a waterfall. This evening will be an early night to rest for a big two weeks ahead!
Day 4 (Friday): The Glass House Mountains Region
Today will be a full day of touring around the local region. You’ll visit the small towns in the area such as Landsborough, Peachester, Beerwah and the township of Glass House Mountains. We’ll take you to see the small elementary schools in each town, visit local shops and cafés and chat to local people. This will help you understand the community in this area so you know where the Aussie kids come from. Tonight we’ll be running an Australiana evening to teach you everything you need to know about Australia!
Days 5 & 6 (Saturday & Sunday): Training at Rustic Pathways’ Australian Base
These two days will be focused on teaching you the skills and knowledge required to help run the day camp program. We will go through the itinerary for each day and give you specific roles for the week. The group will go through all the activities and games so you know exactly what to do, and we’ll teach you how to manage groups of young kids. There will be training sessions on leadership, and you will be taught how to teach and instruct the activities you will be running. We’ll also cover topics such as child protection and occupational health and safety, and at the end of these two days you’ll be ready to run the program!
Days 7 - 11 (Monday to Friday): Day Camp for Young Aussie Kids!
These five days are the core of the program. Each day you’ll be at the program site by 8:00am to get ready for the local kids to arrive. Parents will drop their kids off in the morning, and each day will be structured with activity sessions from 8:30am – 4:40pm. Your role will change each day. During some sessions you might help with sport games on the oval; another session you may be helping with cooking or arts and crafts. If you know how to dance, you could help with the dance sessions in the hall, or if you like carnival games, you can help run these and give out the prizes. There will be so much excitement every day and the local kids will bring tons of energy to this program!
Kids will be picked-up by their parents by 5:00pm each day, and we will return to our Base to relax, debrief and prepare for the next day. When Friday comes along, we’ll finish the week with a slideshow and a big dance party in the hall.
Expect to work hard and put in 100%. This is real service. The days will be tiring and you’ll need to bring a lot of energy to keep up with the kids. But the rewards you receive will be priceless, and the memories you create will last a lifetime!
Day 12 (Saturday): Recovery and Clean-Up Day
Today will be a chance to recover from the last five days. We’ll have a relaxed morning, a lazy Saturday morning breakfast and then start the clean-up process. There will be lots of packing up and cleaning equipment to finish off the program, then late this afternoon we’ll head off to the beach then out for dinner at a local restaurant.
Days 13 - 15 (Sunday to Tuesday): Fraser Island – A Natural Wonder of Australia!
On Sunday morning we’ll head off to Rainbow Beach, approximately 3 hours drive from Rustic’s base house. Here we’ll collect the 4x4’s and load up supplies for the next few days. We drive onto the sand, take the barge across to the island and then drive straight onto the beach! The beach is the highway on Fraser Island – there are no paved roads, just sandy tracks and the beach (and wild dingoes!).
Fraser Island is home to stunning beaches, tranquil rainforest, enormous sand dunes and the famous Lake Mackenzie – with its pure white sands and turquoise water. There are scenic flights available (optional) for those who want to see the island from the air and experience taking off and landing on the beach! These three days will show you the best the island has to offer, before heading back down to Brisbane for the Tuesday night.
Day 16 (Wednesday): Brisbane
Today will be a day in the city. Spend some time shopping for souvenirs, explore Brisbane’s shops and cafés, walk through the waterfront precinct, and take a ferry along the Brisbane River. You’ll be staying at a hostel in the heart of the city and will get a taste of Australian city life before preparing to head home to the USA.
Day 17 (Thursday): Returning Home or Continuing onto Your Next Adventure
If you are returning home to the USA or traveling on to Fiji or New Zealand, your flight will depart Brisbane this morning. If you are continuing on to another Rustic Pathways adventure in Australia you will connect with your new leaders this morning. If you are traveling on to one of our other countries your Rustic Pathways staff will help you with your flight arrangements.
An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.
