Things to do on your gap year in Australia
Adventure activities
Scuba diving
Australia has some fantastic opportunities for scuba diving. The Great Barrier reef is famed the whole world over, so it’s hardly surprising that it’s one of the top diving hotspots. One that you might not be familiar with, however, is the Nigaloo Reef.
Cadge diving
It’s the crowning jewel of the Nigaloo Reef Marine Park and gives divers the unique opportunity to dive with whale sharks. These stunning creatures can grow to a massive 18 metres in length but luckily, they’re no threat to humans. Still, it takes a brave traveller to swim alongside them.
Swimming with sea lions
If you’d rather take a dip with something a little cuter, head for Baird Bay on the west coast of South Australia. Here you’ll have the chance to swim with sea lions – an altogether more playful set.
Rock climbing
Now how about a bit of rock climbing on Australia’s best-known landmark? That’s right, you can take a trip to the top of Ayers Rock – the hard way. So if you want to give climbing a go, there couldn’t be a better place to start.
Surfing
Surfing is an essential activity in Australia. The coast is stunning wherever you are but there are some beaches that are just perfect for surfing. Bells Beach, Bondi Beach, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast are just a few examples – but you won’t know how good they are until you’ve tried them.
Dizzying heights
And finally, don’t forget to take a trip to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It offers some fantastic views over the city and will give you some great memories.
Volunteering
Like a good bottle of wine, Australia is great fun and half empty in the best of senses! Australia presents many ideal opportunities for adventure and exploration. The huge interior hinterland is home only to kangaroos, wallabies and dust, so there’s plenty to explore. The European settlers don’t seem to have reached the red centre so it remains a fascinating living fossil of Aboriginal culture for anyone armed with factor ‘one million’ sunscreen and a good hat to enjoy. Distances are on the massive side so a Zen-like appreciation for the journey as well as the destination is advised, as well as a desire to meet some of the world’s most intriguing animals.
Volunteering here is a great way to get around the whole country and see the best of this giant from the cool sophisticated coast to the tropical north. The colours sum up the beauty of the country; from the red centre to the gold coast, greens thrive where they can before being frazzled out of existence and retreating to the tropical safety of the north. The beautiful scenery is breathtaking and the locals want to keep it that way, there are therefore, lots of volunteer projects focusing on nature and wildlife conservation.
Nature conservation working holiday
Meaningful travel company i-to-i have recently launched a new trip that will give travellers the chance to spend a hassle free gap year in Australia. Not only will the company sort out al the paper work they’ll give you a years access to their job placement service and a week working at a conservation project at any one of 20 destinations across the country, take a look here http://www.i-to-i.com/volunteer-projects/australia-working-holiday-and-conservation-experience.html