Almighty Australia

Australia, one of the top destinations on the Gap Year circuit, provides volunteers with the opportunity to make a real difference in the flood-affected areas of Queensland and North Eastern New South Wales.

It might be more than six months since freakish floods hit Australia, and whilst the recovery effort has been phenomenal, Toowoomba Mayor Peter Taylor this week told a Toowoomba newspaper that there is still ‘a long way to go’ . It’s been estimated that the ‘clean-up and repair’ process will take two-years and billions of Australian dollars, so any additional man-power and help from overseas volunteers is still of the greatest value.

Queensland's economy is dominated by the agricultural, tourist and natural resource sectors, a lot of which are still feeling the effects of the floods. Real Gap Experience is offering A-level students who have recently put their pens down, or employees with their hearts set on a sabbatical, the opportunity to put their time to great use and help projects restore their local areas back to their former glory. Whether students have only got a couple of weeks before starting university or have chosen to take a full Gap Year, this worthwhile volunteer project will not only score points with future employers, it will also provide the ideal Gap Year experience. With every booking that Real Gap Experience receives for the Australia Conservation trip, Real Gap Experience will donate an extra £100 towards the flood recovery effort.

Volunteers can spend 2-11 weeks in Brisbane and its surrounding areas working on conservation projects in Australia. Conservation work takes place Monday to Friday and will include anything from planting trees, environmental monitoring, endangered-species protection, habitat restoration and construction and maintenance; volunteers move around to the projects that need the most help at the time that they are there. Weekends are the time to live the Aussie lifestyle to the max and with team leaders that know the areas like the back of their hands, volunteers will have a chance to enjoy all of the best experiences that Australia has to offer.

Prices start from £599 land only for two weeks, with additional durations of up to 11 weeks available. Price includes accommodation (camping, hostel, bunkhouse), meals, detailed orientation and 24 hour support. For each booking Real Gap Experience will donate £100 towards the flood recovery effort.

For more information, visit: realgap.co.uk