Blog

After a chilly start to our adventure in Sydney and The Blue Mountains, we were all excited to venture north towards Surf Camp. Following a seven hour drive we arrived in Crescent Bay expecting to feel warm air hit us as we flopped out of the van. I guess we were pretty shocked to discover goosebumps quickly appearing- still pretty cold even for my thick Scottish skin. Surf Camp was incredibly chilled out- a morning surf followed by some volleyball or a snooze on the ha… Read more

On our way to a day of abseiling and canyoning, our spectacular leaders Lou and Chicken proposed the idea of asking interesting questions of our canyon guides. This may seem like a strange thing to ask the group, but it shows how quite quickly, the positive dynamics of our group has developed in such a short period. We all put our heads together and came up with some very out of the ordinary questions to ask the guides. Not only did we want to have an awesome time abseil… Read more

We awoke early prior to going Ocean Rafting in the Whitsunday Islands, excited about spending a full day out on the water. After we ate breakfast, we walked calmly down a path to the boat terminal at Airlie Beach. There the group got wetsuits and checked-in for the exhilarating ride which was to come. Following a little wait, we boarded the vessel run by Passions for Paradise- a locally-run company – ready for adventure. On the vessel, there were three rows of seats and … Read more

One month seems like an eternity when you are looking ahead to it. That's four whole weeks. What if they don't like our jokes or progressive fashion sense? What if there are no waves to surf, or the turtles don't pose perfectly for our pictures? So much speculation, so many irrational questions, so few answers. It is an exciting time. And then, before you know it, that month has passed. You are left sitting in a hostel wondering where those four weeks went, it's as if t… Read more

“The best surfer out there is the one having the most fun”- Phil Edwards. With that being said, we were all pros by day one. On Saturday, we got to Surfaris surf camp, and have been riding the waves nearly every minute since. Shelly and Rosco made us feel right at home and were there for any surfing questions we had. After a short board introduction to identify the nose, tail, rail, and fins of the board, our instructors let us ride free. That’s when the true adventure s… Read more

Fraser Island—The land of the sand. Known as K’gari, the Aboriginal name for “paradise”, describes this dream land perfectly. We arrived on the Island in style via “monster bus” with an energetic bald man, Keith, that instantly became a part of the fam. One of my favourite parts of the island was the giant sand dunes. Who knew a pile of sand could bring someone such joy? We spent time jumpin’ around, rollin’ on the ground, and surfin’ the mounds. This caused sand on our … Read more

After exploring the Blue Mountains and Tiger Snake Canyon, the group left early the next morning for a seven-hour drive to surf camp in Crescent Head. We’re not going to lie, the drive was brutal but it flew by with DJ Lydia’s jammin’ beats. We arrived and were introduced to the owners of Surfari Camp, Ross and Shelley. The Surfari was picturesque. It had a relaxed, hippie vibe and the walls were covered with surfing art. Our days were comprised of eating PB & J… Read more

The group is homeward bound after an epic four weeks of exploring Australia. Since our last blog we have been canyoning in the Blue Mountains which was quite an experience. We hiked into Tiger Snake Canyon and began by rappelling down 30 feet into knee deep water. Considering it is the middle of winter the water was rather cold but we battled through. Squeezing through narrow canyon walls led us through some spectacular scenery before our final rappel which was 90… Read more

The group arrived in Australia looking weary from the long flight from USA. There was not much time to rest though as in Cairns there is a lot to do. The group first visited the Tjapukai Cultural Park, where they learned all about the Aboriginal people who inhabited Australia long before Europeans arrived. There was traditional dance, food, didgeridoo playing and even a chance to throw spears and boomerangs, although not many came back. The following day we sailed … Read more

The Australia Summer Program has come to an end in Cairns. Everyone except Sinead (who is staying on for a couple of months and may well become a crocodile wrangler or something else quintessentially Aussie) has traded a seat in the van for a seat on a plane and is probably catching up on sleep as I write. Courtesy of the hard-working Pacific Discovery volunteers, North Keppel Island is sporting a brand new area of patterned paving, alongside the outdoor pizza ove… Read more