Australia A Philosophy For Travelers

Study acting at the University of New South Wales —make Sydney your stage .
Rescue endangered sea turtles on the coast of Cape York .
Work your way across the country picking fruit .

Hostel-hopping and sightseeing can be great fun, but connecting with a foreign country through studying, volunteering, or working can enrich your traveling experience far more than mere sightseeing can. This is what’s different about a Let’s Go traveler. Instead of feeling like a stranger in a strange land, you can understand Australia like a local. Instead of being that tourist asking for directions, you can be the one who gives them (and correctly!). All the while, you get the satisfaction of leaving Australia in better shape than you found it. It’s not wishful thinking—it’s Beyond Tourism.

As a volunteer in Australia, you can unleash your inner superhero by rescuing baby koalas, saving strangled sea turtles, or combating social injustice. This guide is chock-full of ideas to get involved, whether you’re looking to pitch in for a day or run away from home for a whole new life in Australian activism.

The powers of studying abroad are beyond comprehension: it can actually make you feel sorry for those poor tourists who don’t get to do any homework while they’re here. Australia’s vast stretches of wilderness and wealth of national parks make it a haven for students of environmental science, sustainability, conservation, and public policy. But green doesn’t have to be your favorite color to study in Australia; students can enroll in programs, or directly in various universities, in fields from Australian history to studio arts.

Working abroad immerses you in a new culture and can bring some of the most meaningful relationships and experiences of your life. Yes, we know you’re on vacation, but these aren’t your normal desk jobs. (Plus, it doesn’t hurt that it helps pay for more globetrotting.) Get an internship in Sydney, Melbourne, or Perth, some of the most cosmopolitan and culturally rich cities in the world. Follow the harvest across the continent, picking everything from mangoes to apples to avocadoes. Work as an au pair for adorable Australian-accented kids. Live on a boat off the coast of Broome for a couple of weeks collecting some of the finest pearls in the world. Working from short-term job to short-term job is a great way for backpackers to finance their trip, and Australia is extraordinarily accommodating to travelers looking for temporary employment; it’s a kind of culture down there. The possibilities are endless.

Share Your Experience. Have you had a particularly enjoyable volunteer, study, or work experience that you’d like to share with other travelers? Post it to our website, www.letsgo.com!