This is the itinerary (covering the next three months) that I just typed up for our LEAPnow semester students …
Sept 19: Depart U.S. for Nadi, Fiji
Sept 21: Arrive Fiji
Sept 21-23: Orientation
Sept 24-Oct 5: Work with Habitat for Humanity
Building low-cost houses for underprivileged families.
Oct 7: Fly to Sydney, Australia
Oct 8: Tour Sydney
Oct 9: A.M. Train to Brisbane
Oct 10-25: Arrive at ATCV Site
(“Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers”) We will participate in rugged outdoor conservation work for two weeks in the country surrounding Brisbane.
Oct 25-29: Chenrezig Buddhist Retreat Center
4 days at this peaceful retreat center receiving an introduction to yoga and meditation and having a chance for some reflection.
Oct 30: Fly to Alice Springs (Australia’s Red Center)
Oct 31-Nov 4: Aboriginal Cultural Tour and Trek
We will spend one week in the Red Center, the heart of the Aboriginal culture, visiting important Aboriginal landmarks like Uluru (“Ayers Rock”), hearing tales of the Dreamtime (traditional stories of the Ancestors) and learning about Aboriginal song, dance and body painting.
Nov 5: Fly to Brisbane
Nov 6-9: Kroombit Ranch
An authentic Australian Ranch where we will be participating in a variety of outdoor adventure activities including abseiling, ropes courses, four-wheel driving, bush dancing and goat mustering!
Nov 9: Train to Cairns
Nov 11-15: Dive & Sail the Great Barrier Reef (SCUBA course)
2 days pool & theory, 3 days & 2 nights “liveaboard” on a 140 ft tall ship learning to SCUBA dive on one of the most fascinating natural environments on Earth, the Great Barrier Reef.
Nov 16-17: Cairns
Nov 18: Fly to Christchurch, New Zealand
Nov 19-Dec 4: Cultural Travel and Adventure in NZ
Two weeks traveling around New Zealand’s South and North Islands visiting alps, caves, glacier valleys, lakes, volcanoes, waterfalls and adventuring in rafts, speed boats and trekking by foot and hoof.
Dec 5: Students Fly to U.S.
Dec 5-18: (I continue to travel solo-style in New Zealand.)
This makes up for the five years that I asked Santa for a snoopy-snow-cone machine and didn’t find it under the tree. 😉