Australia Adventure with Gapforce

This program is a great introduction to long-term traveling, as you are in a group of people with planned activities most days. You see the best of what Australia has to offer on the east coast, my favorite city being Byron Bay. The Whitsunday Islands and the Atherton Tablelands in Cairns were also highlights. There are many scenic and gorgeous overlooks for pictures and you get to see the diversity of wildlife and climate that Australia has to offer. After 4 weeks there is a volunteering segment, which can be challenging, but is rewarding in the end. Around this portion of the trip there are less activities and a lot of free time, as you are in Cairns for a little over three weeks. There is an excellent extra activity called Green Island tour, which is a beautiful area with snorkeling. There is also skydiving, bungee jumping, and white water rafting (these all cost extra $). Be sure to bring enough if you want to do these, and for food in general because Australia is expensive in certain areas. You get a good mix of free time and planned activities throughout the time you're there. It's an amazing trip and you get to know the people you're traveling with very well and become like a big family. You will get a lot of it and learn so much about an amazing country with many experiences to offer.

This was my first time travelling alone without my family, which was a daunting experience in itself. That's why I chose to do a guided trip with other people, this was definitely the right decision and it is a great way to start off your travelling in a safe way, it eases you in and makes you so much more confident to go and travel by yourself.

The trip itself was jam-packed with activities and you definitely got your money's worth for 7 weeks of travelling with accommodation and activities included. However, I did find that there were quite a few 'free days' which sometimes was a little frustrating as you just ended spending money for the sake of it. On the topic of money, I should have taken double what I did. The Gapforce website advised that you take approximately £750 for food for the whole trip, this was definitely not enough as Australia is really expensive!! A lot of others on the trip also recognised this, and some of us had to go into extra money or contact our parents because we hadn't brought enough with us. I think it might have been helpful to have known how expensive Australia was and how much money per day you would need (I'd advise £25-35).

The highlights of this trip are definitely the Whitsunday Islands and the trip to the Atherton tablelands in Cairns. Everywhere here is beautiful and therefore your camera roll will be filled with scenic views and many waterfalls! The best times that I had were actually the extra activities that you could pay for like Green Island and Skydiving! (I would recommend taking at least an extra £500 to be able to have the freedom to enjoy these activities if you'd like to) a lot of people also got the opportunity to get their PADI diving certificates over 4 days which I would highly recommend as it is much cheaper than England!

The volunteering section in the last couple of weeks was definitely harder than expected, a lot of us were a little disappointed as on the Gapforce website it states that the volunteering would involve animal conservation such as Koalas and Wallabies. However, we only got told a couple of weeks into the trip that we were actually going to be spending 4 hours in 35ºc heat weeding and planting trees, not what we had expected. Despite this, we all learnt a lot and very much appreciated the week after volunteering where we could relax and catch up on some sleep!

This trip was honestly some of the best weeks of my life and I met some wonderful people. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who hasn't travelled before and finds it hard to meet new people. You get a wonderful tour of Australia and I don't think anywhere was missed out on the trip at all, the itinerary was great and the Gapforce leaders were even better, they were so supportive and got to know all 23 of us individually, you really felt like a big family only after 1 week of knowing each other. I would highly recommend a Gapforce trip but brace yourself for 7 weeks of beautiful views, unforgettable experiences and lots of partying!

I vlogged my 7 week experience - if you want to know exactly what we did check out the video below!

Travelling halfway around the world for 2 months is never going to be easy, but the Gapforce trip makes it an incredible experience. The trip is packed with different experiences, from the fast paced city of Sydney up to the serene Fraser Island, this was a truly unique and fun way to experience the east cost of Australia. It’s daunting travelling thousands of miles to spend 7 weeks with people you’ve never met, but after a while you forget that you only met recently, as you’ve made friendships that will last. I even decided to remain in Australia for another few months, to live and work with some of the people I’ve met on this trip.
The volunteering portion of the trip was difficult, 4 hours of hard work daily in the heat planting trees and weeding areas of land. This was a different experience to what was described on the website, and it was a little disappointing that we weren’t working with the amazing wildlife and animals found in Australia. It was overall a rewarding experience to have done, but not my first choice when it comes to voluntary work and something to consider when planning this trip!
The leaders provided fantastic support, and their advice on what to do, where to visit and the extra activities available was very helpful. Their interaction with the group made it a better experience, and it was clear they loved what they were doing.
The optional activities are definitely worth it, from bungee and skydiving, to spending a day relaxing on Green island there is definitely something you’ll want to do, and no doubt they’ll be one of the most memorable parts of your trip.
If you’re looking for a tour of the east coast that captures a bit of everything, whilst giving you some freedom to choose what you’d like, this trip is a fantastic opportunity in an incredible country.

My Australian adventure was amazing! The trip was jam packed with activities but also well balanced with free/down time. The leaders were always making sure everyone was having the best time and we had all the information we needed. The days were well structured with a lot of free days to explore for yourself which was really good. My favourite part of the trip was the 3 days on Fraser Island, a surreal experience! You definitely get your money’s worth with all the included activities which were fun to do as a group.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this trip. For reasons such as only being 18; the fact Australia is on the other side of the globe; and a few others, I was worried I’d feel alone on this trip. However, that is not the case, the group becomes friends that will last forever. You learn to live with others, and you learn the challenges of travelling through a foreign country all the while having the support of your group leaders and new found friends. The trip itself is rather fast-paced. You head from one town to the next almost every other day. Once you arrive in cairns, you can unpack and relax, as moving around stops for a few weeks. The volunteering in cairns is not a piece of cake. You work hard for 4 hours a day. There is a lot of manual labour involved, but in the end, you can look back and be proud of what you and your group has accomplished. As for accommodation, you stay in hostels, but you are never with strangers. Wifi and power outlets are common and keeping devices charged isn’t something to worry about.

I would highly recommend this trip to anyone and everyone! Having always wanted to travel Australia I would never of been able to organise everything on this trip i.e white water rafting, fraiser island, surfing (I could go on) making my trip very easy. Our leaders, Andy and Humphrey truly made our experience being the parent, friend and occasional doctor we needed for our little family. We laughed the whole way up the coast whilst obviously conducting many dynamic risk assessments! The people on the trip were amazing and I made many true friends who saying goodbye was difficult. It’s crazy to me that I ever considered NOT going on this trip, it’s a great way to get out of your comfort zone whilst always feeling safe and make friends. The only bad thing about it is that the rest of gap year might not measure up! Thank you GapForce (Andy and Humphrey). Memories for a lifetime

Where do i start! This trip has exceeded my expectations and i am so pleased I pushed myself to take part as i wouldn't have made so many memories, met the most amazing people and formed amazing friendships.
My trip didn't have the smoothest of starts feeling homesick but I wouldn't have enjoyed it half as much if it wasn't for the encouragement of my leaders Andy and Humphrey. They really take care of you and made the trip so enjoyable.
Byron Bay was by far my most favourite place and i tried surfing for the first time. This trip enabled me to try new experiences like the Harbour Bridge, hold a koala, snorkel the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays Boat Trip will be a trip i will never forget.
This trip is perfect for first travellers!

I recommend this company for first timers only. If this is your first time traveling abroad, or without people you know, this is most likely the perfect fit for you.
HOWEVER if you’ve travelled before and know how to take care of yourself, this may not be the program for you. Our leaders are super friendly and everything you would hope for. Probably for UK legal reasons the company structures the trip more like a high school trip (Buddy system etc) rather than a group of seasoned travelers looking for fellow seasoned travelers. I was slightly shocked by the lack of experience in the group but I am still super glad I did this trip. You can enjoy this trip as a first time traveler or a experienced traveler, just know what to expect!
I joined the trip for the awesome itinerary and that alone was worth it. Plus you still meet lots of people in and outside of your group.