NOLS: National Outdoor Leadership School Home

Request a CatalogContact Us
Office hours (MT): Monday-Thursday 8am-7pm, Friday 8am-5pm

Semester in Australia
 

A semester in Australia provides the opportunity to experience the diverse landscape of the country; here, students paddle the Kimberley's Drysdale River.
Photo: Brooke Cunningham

Australian semesters are expeditions of discovery in a land of great contrasts.

The spring semester consists of canoeing, backpacking and cultural sections. For 75 days, you’ll travel as a group through northwestern Australia’s Kimberley region, a place so remote you’ll get there by four-wheel drive vehicle or light plane, and you won’t return to civilization until the semester ends.

The summer semester includes backpacking, sea kayaking, sailing and cultural sections, where you’ll explore the Kimberley and the Pilbara regions, learning how to be comfortable in both bush and marine environments.

You’ll see crocodiles, kangaroos, wallabies, geckos, cockatoos, kookaburras and honeyeaters, as well as huge termite mounds. Both semesters also spend time on the coast, with opportunities to see turtles, a variety of reef fish species, coral and other marine animals. The uniqueness of Australia’s natural surroundings makes this an ideal place for you to challenge yourself, learn and have fun.

Canoeing
(spring only) During this five-week section, you’ll travel through the heart of the Kimberley, both by canoe and on foot. You’ll paddle and portage your boat and gear down the Drysdale River, one of the most remote rivers in the world, while you learn the intricacies of canoe travel and develop your leadership style. You’ll also take exploratory day hikes into the wilderness.

Sea Kayaking
(summer only) You’ll begin your sea kayaking adventure in the waters surrounding the Dampier Archipelago, a group of 42 rocky islands offering scrubby eucalyptus valleys and isolated coral reefs. Here you’ll have the opportunity to learn sea kayaking skills, explore the colorful marine ecosystem, and visit the most prolific Aboriginal petroglyph site in the world.

Backpacking
Your backpacking section will be in the Kimberley, in areas that offer everything from gorges and grasslands to billabongs (water holes) and waterfalls. You’ll learn about the local cattle stations and how to backpack effectively in this hot, dry environment. You may also use everything you’ve learned up until now on a student expedition.

Cultural
(spring only) You’ll head out by bus and small boat to the Bardi Aboriginal homelands for a week on the coast and islands of the Indian Ocean. You’ll study the marine ecology and learn Bardi crafts and traditions like boomerang and spear making.

(summer only) You’ll visit a local Aboriginal community, like Jarlmadangah, for a few days where you will learn about their traditional and present day lifestyles.

Sailing
(summer only) To round out your coastal skills, you’ll spend a week aboard a large, traditional 55-foot sailing yacht exploring the Broome coastline. You will learn the fundamentals of basic coastal cruising, which include maneuvering a vessel under power and sail, along with coastal navigation and seamanship.

Spring Semester in Australia
Duration: 75 days
Age 18 and Over (Average Age: 20)
Tuition:

$12,600

Dates:

March 14-May 27, 2008
March 21-June 3, 2008

Canoeing, Backpacking, Cultural

College Credit:
(Optional)

16 Semester Credit Hours
2 Hours Biology
2 Hours Environmental Ethics
4 Hours Leadership Techniques
4 Hours Skills Practicum
4 Hours Risk Assessment

Course start/end: Broome, Australia
Equipment Deposit:

$600

Fly in/out: Broome, Australia
Downloads: Course Description (pdf)
Equipment List (pdf)


Summer Semester in Australia
Duration: 70 days
Age 18 and Over
Tuition:

$10,250

Dates:

June 16-Aug. 24, 2008
Backpacking, Sea Kayaking,Coastal Cruising, Cultural

College Credit:
(Optional)

16 Semester Credit Hours
2 Hours Biology
2 Hours Environmental Ethics
4 Hours Leadership Techniques
4 Hours Skills Practicum
4 Hours Risk Management

Course start/end: Broome, Australia
Equipment Deposit:

$600

Fly in/out: Broome, Australia
Downloads: Course Description (pdf)
Equipment List (pdf)


Next Steps
Apply Now
Request Catalog
Contact Us
Related Courses
Semester in Baja
Semester in the Southwest
Sonoran Year

Meet NOLS Semester in Australia alumnus Mike DiDonna -- A musician and photographer from Long Island, N. Y., Mike always felt a calling to go to Australia, and a NOLS semester offered the perfect route to take him there.

A Test of Leadership: Outdoor Skills Program Helps Build Bodies, Confidence, and Courage by Matt Mullins. Wisconsin State Journal, November 22, 2000.

Australia
Summer semester students explore the Kimberley coastline in a traditional "Pindan" sailboat.
Photo: David Summers
SEARCH NOLS

  “We were walking through areas where nobody had ever been before. You start to realize this as you venture away from the river and know that you’re one of the few people in the world to have seen this place.“

Mike DiDonna
Semester in Australia, 1999
Hampshire College Student
 

EXPLORE NOLS AUSTRALIA...
Photo Galleries Stories Movies

WHAT MAKES NOLS THE LEADER?

NOLS attracts highly motivated students who come to learn skills and further develop their leadership.
Read more reasons...


Semester in Australia
Australia Backpacking
Australia Backpacking and Sea Kayaking
NOLS Australia Home
Photo Gallery

Course Finder
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     

   
NOLS Top of Page
Request a Catalog or call 1-800-710-NOLS

NOLS, 284 Lincoln Street, Lander, WY 82520-2848, USA

Copyright © 2008 National Outdoor Leadership School. All rights reserved.

NOLS Home About Us Courses Apply Wilderness Medicine Institute Alumni Store Donate NOLS Home Why NOLS? Press Room Custom Courses & Consulting School Resources Events The NOLS Blog Introduction About Leadership History Mission & Values Profiles Partnerships Frequent Questions Find a Course School Locations Skills Financial Aid College Credit Custom Courses Photos and Videos How to Apply Apply Online Download an Application Admission Policies WMI Home About WMI Courses Schedule FAQ Photos & Movies Curriculum Updates Employment Sponsors Alumni Home Trips and Events The Leader Alumni Chapters Employment Staying in Touch Photos & Videos Home NOLS Photos NOLS Videos NOLS on Flickr NOLS on Vimeo NOLS on YouTube