Sample Itinerary for AUIP Australia -‐ Sustainability in North Queensland Program Please note: This itinerary is a sample of potential program activities, based on previous years’ programs. Deviations from this plan may be expected. Day 1: Depart U.S. for Australia Day 2: En route to Australia (lose a day crossing the International Dateline) Day 3: Magnetic Island Fly into Townsville and then catch the ferry for the short ride to tranquil Magnetic Island. Settle into your accommodation before we have our orientation, followed by a Welcome Dinner. It’s only your first day in the country, but you may already spot some Australian wildlife nearby, as koalas, wallabies, and kookaburras are all residents near our hostel. Day 4: Magnetic Island We’ll take the ferry back to downtown Townsville where your academic immersion begins with a guided tour of Reef HQ, followed by presentations from local authorities on such topics as coral reef conservation, water issues and sustainability, and tourism. Return to Magnetic Island for the night. Day 5: Magnetic Island Today we stay on “Maggie,” as the locals call it, as our specialist lecturers come to us. In the morning, we’ll cover a diverse range of Australian topics before we head out for a hike among the granite boulders and golden sand beaches of Magnetic Island National Park. Day 6: Magnetic Island Today is at your leisure. You can further explore the beauty of Magnetic Island, or take the time to work on your module writing. Day 7: Magnetic Island to Paluma It’s time to move back to the mainland and check out some of the other amazing landscapes that North Queensland has to offer. We’ll travel by chartered coach to the rainforest of Paluma National Park before arriving at our accommodation among the dry forest of the Queensland bush. We’ll tour a solar power plant and learn about Australian energy politics before enjoying a group dinner in front of a bonfire. Day 8: Paluma Mining is a big part of Australia’s economy and today we’ll visit a working iron ore mine. The afternoon sees us getting back to unspoiled nature with a guided hike through a rocky gorge. Give in to the temptation of a cooling swim in the river in this dramatic landscape, before rounding the day off with a platypus safari and a hearty dinner. Day 9: Paluma to Mission Beach Today we move back to the coast, stopping en route to learn more about the Nywaigi people, the Aboriginal culture that has existed in the area for tens of thousands of years. We’ll also take some time to contribute to the restoration of local wetlands before arriving at the coastal community of Mission Beach. Day 10: Mission Beach Join our local Aboriginal guides for a leisurely kayaking trip down the beautiful Bulgan River. Your guides will share their indigenous views on the environment and provide a new perspective on this wild landscape. Day 11: Mission Beach to Homestays The rainforest around Mission Beach is increasingly under threat from development and today we’ll hear about the efforts of local authorities to balance the needs of conservation and economics. Then it’s off to our respective farmstay families, where we will get a first-‐ hand look at rural life in the Atherton Tablelands region. Day 12: Homestays Spend today with your farmstay family, helping on their property or just learning about their lifestyle as you get a chance to collect data for your module assignment on ethnography. Enjoy another home-‐cooked dinner tonight. Day 13: Homestays to Tyrconnell We all reconvene from our farmstays and travel into the bush to the old gold mining settlement of Tyrconnell. Here we’ll learn about early European history in the region and the dry forest ecosystem that surrounds us. Accommodation tonight is in tents, or take the opportunity to sleep out under the starry southern hemisphere sky. Day 14: Tyrconnell Our hosts at Tyrconnell will talk to us about the many challenges of remote living and we have some time to explore the tranquillity and the rocky hinterlands of the Aussie bush. Day 15: Tyrconnell to Cape Tribulation The rainforest beckons as we move to our most northerly location -‐ Cape Tribulation. Here we’ll have guided walks in the dense forest and learn about the connections between neighboring ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs. Day 16: Cape Tribulation This morning we’ll walk the interpretive trails of the Daintree Discovery Centre before enjoying a free afternoon to rest or explore. After dinner, our guide takes us on a night hike through the forest to see nocturnal wildlife. Day 17: Cape Tribulation Our rainforest module work continues with a visit to the Daintree Rainforest Observatory. We’ll contribute to their data set of tree growth rates by measuring plots of regenerating forest here, plus we’ll have the opportunity to go up in the crane that allows researchers to access the flora and fauna of the rainforest canopy. Day 18: Cape Tribulation to Port Douglas We’ll travel south down the coast to the tourist town of Port Douglas where you can enjoy a free afternoon. Lounge in the swimming pool, head to the beach, catch up on your assignments, or just relax. Day 19: Port Douglas We begin preparing for our visit to the Great Barrier Reef with lectures about the ecology and management of this amazing natural structure. In the afternoon, we visit The Wildlife Habitat, a small zoo with lots of local wildlife. Join us tonight for a pizza dinner and a chance to get familiar with your snorkeling gear in the hotel swimming pool. Day 20: Port Douglas / Great Barrier Reef Today we journey out to the Great Barrier Reef for guided snorkeling and data collection on your reef module assignment. Day 21: Port Douglas / Great Barrier Reef Now that you have the hang of it, we’ll investigate even more of the Great Barrier Reef on our all-‐day outing. Day 22: Port Douglas After two days in the water, today we’ll work in the classroom to discuss your project data and issues of marine resource management. There will be time to work on your module assignments. Day 23: Port Douglas It’s your choice how you enjoy today. Port Douglas has lots of activities and sites to appeal to the visitor and our local guides can help with suggestions if the beach, rainforest, and other attractions are not enough to tempt your imagination! Day 24: Port Douglas to Cairns We move down the coast to Cairns, the largest city in the tropical north, for our final stop. Here we’ll put the finishing touches on preparations for the final exam and work on your module assignments. Day 25: Cairns Your final exam fills the morning, and then your last afternoon is at leisure before the Farewell Dinner brings to a close your tropical study abroad experience. Day 26: Cairns to U.S. After breakfast, we are off to the airport and then homeward-‐bound with the shared memories and new perspectives that can only be gained by studying abroad! Students also studying on the Fiji Sustainability Program instead depart for Fiji.