Australia East Coast Experience

Spend an amazing action-packed 2 months (or more!) in Australia. This programme provides all the structure that you need together with flexibility and the opportunity to incorporate some independent travelling if you wish. A perfect choice for those who have limited time or just want a break for a couple of months with loads of included organised activities and help when you need it. You choose when and where you travel and what sort of activities you experience.

Project Age Limit
Minimum age 18 years.

The Programme
This programme incorporates a number of activities and projects allowing you an exciting, fun and hassle free trip to Oz. We will assign you a personal travel advisor who will coordinate your programme and you can contact them at any time before you go, or indeed when you are on your travels.

You’ll start in Sydney with a week of organised activities with a group of like-minded people seeing the best sights in the city and making some great friends! After your first week in Sydney you can choose whether to stay on for a while or jump on the Oz Experience Bus to head up the east coast of the country. The bus pass takes you the whole way up to tropical Cairns in Northern Queensland. Once you’ve finished the bus pass, you will spend 2 weeks in Cairns working on a unique conservation project – not only will you be involved in some hands-on conservation work, you will also meet other volunteers from all over the world and get to experience a side of Australia most people don’t get to see!

The Volunteer Projects
Each placement will vary as CVA offers so many different projects across Australia. We do our best to ensure you get to do a variety of projects or locations during your stay. Normally you will spend either 1 or 2 weeks at each project site. Once you start your project work you are likely to spend time in regional areas, returning to Cairns city only at the end of your placement.

Typical project hours are from 8am until 4pm, you could be helping in either a rural or an urban area. There will be up to 10 volunteers with you at any project. The volunteers are likely to be a mixture of people, backpackers, students, retired people, career breakers and anyone who has an interest in conservation volunteering.

Projects are not set before you go, the programme leaders will decide which local project most needs your help on your arrival. The current projects include:

An example of a current CVA project in the Cairns area includes
Rejuvenating the Barron River, the major river in north Queensland which starts at the National Park at Mt Hypipemee and flows through the Atherton Tablelands, World Heritage Rainforest, and out to the Coral Sea. Help plant a rainforest! Other activities will include seed identification and collection, and learning how to install protective conservation fencing. Volunteers will stay at the CVA house in Cairns, which is a true ‘Queenslander’ style house, or in a farmhouse on the Atherton Tablelands, depending on their project location.

Please note, we cannot guarantee that you will be partaking in these specific programmes.

Project Support
Throughout your stay you will have the support of our local native Australian programme leader. On some of the projects you may be completing conservation activities alongside specialist research staff. You will be able to ask for help and advice from these people throughout your stay. They are trained in safe management of projects and are experts in practical conservation.

In addition you will receive a 24-hour emergency contact number before you depart, so that you can contact one of our UK staff should you need to.

Project Orientation
The programme begins on every Friday throughout the year. Upon arrival you will have a brief meeting to let you know what you will be involved in, any essential information. The first weekend you arrive is mainly free time; this gives you a chance to get your bearings, to meet the programme leaders and the other volunteers.

Accommodation and Meals
Accommodation will vary from project to project. Included is a combination or one of the following caravanning, hostels, shearers’ quarters, bunkhouses and camping (tents will be supplied). You should bring a sleeping matt along with your sleeping bag. Please note - you may have to share your sleeping quarters. Everyone is expected to help with cleaning, cooking and washing up.

All meals are included in the price; vegetarian or vegan diets can be catered for. Please let us know at the time of booking if you have any special dietary requirements.

What to Bring
We advise you to travel as lightly as possible – luggage is restricted to a maximum of 15 kg.

The following items are essential: