Students will have a 24/7 contact available to them during their stay in Australia. The homestay parents will be made aware of this number too.
According to the United Nations Australia is ranked as the 2nd most livable place after Norway in the world. Water can be drunk freely from the tap and there is relatively no air pollution. Australia is one of the most culturally diverse societies in the world made up of over 500 differing places of origin. For more details please refer to: http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/our-country/our-people
Gold Coast has a subtropical climate very similar to Shenzhen. The winters are relatively dry with clear cloudless day’s minimum average of 9 degrees and a comfortable average day temperature of 21.
To maintain Australia’s very high food safety standards there are strict restrictions of what can be bought into Australia. Details can be found at the Australian customs site: http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page4351.asp#items
For clothing, I would make sure you have layers and a mixture of long and short sleeves and long and short trousers (if appropriate). It can be quite warm as well as cool in the Gold Coast. Bring something warmer like a coat or jacket you can put on over your clothes, especially for the evenings if you plan to go out. And be prepared to change in the late afternoon.
Yes to enter Australia a visa is required. Before a visa application can be made a valid passport is required. Details for the application procedure will be given.
Before leaving everyone is given a Homestay Manual (includes students, teachers and homestay parents) Within this there is an Emergency section listing contacts for doctors, hospitals, Embassy contacts, school contacts. When the Homestay Application is completed a copy of the form is filed and retained by the teachers.
All participates are required to have compulsorily Travel Insurance.
On the Homestay Application Form consent is asked to be given by parents, in the unlikely event there is an accident, to admit to hospital and treat the student with appropriate medication as required. There is a specific section for health asking about any allergies and any medications being taken. (Should necessary medications be required please ensure they accompanied with a letter from the prescribing doctor in English. This will ensure smooth clearance of customs)
Once receipt of you deposit is confirmed you will be given a Homestay Application Form to be complete. The information you give will be used to match you with an appropriate homestay and one other tour participant. Before a family can become a Homestay each home is inspected to ensure appropriate standards are met.
All day activities have an average of four students to one teacher. Furthermore the students will be taken to school in the morning to a predetermined meeting point where they will be met by a teacher. In the afternoon they will be picked up again by their homestay families. Each morning upon arrival the teacher will collect a slip of paper completed by a simple tick of a yes/ no asking about their health and any problems they have with their homestay. If there are any issues student will have an opportunity to write and elaborate in their own language. Where there are issues teachers will follow up straight away with the manager.
To give an opportunity to experience a new culture in a fun relaxed environment where children and adults can exchange ideas and new experiences which is very conducive to an optimum learning environment for global society’s’ number one language English.
Previous experience has found students, surprisingly, get the most out their trip when they are not accompanied by their parents. Should parents wish to come on the trip very limited spaces will permit participation on an independent and a separate tour booking will be required. A memorandum of understanding will be required to be signed indicating the conditions to which participation will be permitted.