Touchdown in Cairns – your gateway to the world-famous Great Barrier Reef. Infuse Program Leaders will be on hand to welcome you as you start this amazing student trip.

After collecting your baggage, you’ll have lunch, settle into your apartments and freshen up after a long day of travel. Get to know everyone through orientation activities and beach games.

Dive into experiential learning and develop some new skills!

If you’re new to scuba diving, you will start a 5-day PADI open water dive certification. These 2 days are spent learning theory in the classroom and taking practical lessons in the pool. If you already have open-water certification before the program, you will take an advanced course to further your skills and education in diving.

In the evenings, learn about the Great Barrier Reef through interactive presentations and soak up the warm tropical nights under palm trees.

It’s time to set sail! Today you’ll set out on a liveaboard dive boat, where you’ll spend the next 3 days and 2 nights. During this time, you’ll get to enjoy 9 dives out on the reef, including night dives! You can expect to get close to an abundance of marine life, including turtles, parrotfish, Maori wrasse and if you’re lucky, maybe even see a reef shark.

Students undertaking their dive certification will complete their course with instructors and in between diving there will be time to chill on the deck or spend more time snorkelling.

Are you ready for some citizen science? These 3 days of the student trip will be spent on various dive sites in the turquoise Ribbon Reefs, a 55-mile chain of reefs from Lizard Island to Cooktown that is the most prized dive region of the entire Great Barrier Reef.

The Ribbon Reefs is also where minke whales migrate to breed and calve each year. From June to August, dwarf minke whales visit the northern Great Barrier Reef in what is the world’s only known, predictable aggregation of this species. The whales are exceptionally inquisitive and often closely approach divers and snorkellers for extended periods. On this student trip, there is a 98% chance of coming face-to-face with these magnificent creatures.

You can also see more of the Great Barrier Reef’s fish and coral species here than anywhere else and there will be opportunities for 12 dives, including night dives!

Between dives and minke whale encounters, you will spend time with the marine biologists onboard to learn about the fascinating marine environment. While you swim with the minkes, you’ll help collect data on their behaviour and contribute to the university’s research.

All of this while living aboard a well-appointed dive boat, eating great food and sharing amazing memories with your friends.

Today we return to land and our dive expedition comes to an end. If you want to add more extreme adventure to your student trip, you can add on a bungee jump or a giant swing!

After all that fun and adventure, today you’ll take time to reflect on your experiences and have a group discussion with your friends and Infuse Program Leaders. You’ll consider the issues you were presented with while onboard the boat and think about how to apply this new understanding to your own world.

During or after their closing discussion, you’ll participate in Infuse Ties, a unique and powerful activity that allows you to capture the memories and learnings of this student trip to process and share back home.

This morning we’ll take an early flight from Cairns to Brisbane. Today will be full of fond farewells as you say goodbye to new friends and connect to your flight home. Safe travels!