Alternative Schoolies Opportunities

Turn your schoolies week into the trip of a lifetime! Step away from the party scene and travel with other school leavers from around Australia. These alternative schoolies experiences offer amazing opportunities to celebrate the end of high school. Join one of our scheduled trips, or get some mates together and let us design your ultimate schoolies adventure. Step away from the crowds and do something different to ensure your schoolies week is an amazing adventure!

Cambodia Floating Village Service Expedition

Join one of our most unique service adventures aboard Rustic’s boat in Cambodia. Visit communities where families live and work in homes that float like houseboats. Immerse yourself in daily life during homestays and work alongside these families to repair and build new floating homes for the community. Learn about Cambodia’s ancient and modern history as you tour the genocide museums in Phnom Penh and explore the ancient temples of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.

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Nepal Yeti Expedition

Rustic Pathways has been operating high school travel programs to Nepal since 2013. Our programs stretch from the wild jungles of Chitwan National Park to the peaks of the mighty Himalayas. We have a team of friendly and welcoming staff in Nepal, who bring a wealth of local knowledge to our programs. This program offers an exciting blend of cultural-immersion, service and adventure that will inspire, challenge and enrich you!

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Fiji Highlands

Think outside the box this December and go behind the scenes to experience true Fijian friendship. Fiji may be a small group of islands, but the impact its people has on visitors is enormous! Escape the crowds and have a personal experience where you’ll live like locals in villages far off the beaten track. After the intensity of the school year, enjoy a week of laid back Fiji time. Soak up the charm of these friendly islands, then help build a school and teach local Fijian kids! Relax beneath towering waterfalls, lend a hand at a grass-roots farming enterprise, visit and work within a small rural kindergarten (the local children will love you!), engage with friendly villagers and learn about another way of life.

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Unforgettable Fiji

Join Pathfinders students from around Australia for the ultimate, one-week trip in Fiji. Volunteer on a variety of community service projects while staying at our beautiful Eco-Lodge Service Base in Fiji. From tutoring at a local school to working on small construction projects, you’ll give back and meet locals through range of service projects. Then, explore Fiji’s beaches and rainforest by snorkelling, zip lining, kayaking and hanging out on white-sand beaches. Get to know Fijian culture through our local staff who will teach you about the country’s history, perform a traditional dance, and show you how to cook delicious local food. Meet students from all over Australia at the base as you spend your free time swimming in the pool and hanging out in the sun. You’ll never forget your Pathfinders week in Fiji!

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About Alternative Schoolies

Are you looking for a more meaningful, rewarding experience than the typical drunken schoolies week? The end of Year 18 is going to be one of the biggest achievements in life so far, and the celebration afterwards should be an experience you'll be telling your friends about for years to come. Step away from the crowd and do something that you'll look back on with pride.

  • Four Alternative Schoolies Programs

    Come and join one of our programs instead of the typical schoolies party week. We offer you four exciting programs at the beginning of December. Our trips focus on adventure, cross-cultural exchange, touring and community service. The itineraries are packed full of awesome activities, but blended with enough down-time for you to relax and unwind after exams.

  • Travel With Like-Minded School Leavers From Around Australia!

    These programs are open to students from all over Australia who will be 17-19 years old at the end of 2019. You will meet other students who share similar interests and values, and you will more than likely form strong friendships that will last a lifetime.

  • Experienced and Energetic Leaders

    These trips are run by our experienced outdoor leaders and guides. Each program has staff that will be with you during the trip to make it as memorable as possible. Of course, we know you're almost adults and want your independence, so these programs have a fairly relaxed feel. But our leaders will be there to ensure all students have a safe, memorable experience while travelling overseas. We select energetic, responsible leaders who get along well with 17-19 year olds.

  • Small Group Travel

    Our Alternative Schoolies programs generally have a maximum group size of fifteen students. This means you will get to know the other students really well and the trips offers a more personalised travel experience.

  • How These Trips Work

    School Leaver programs start and finish in the country of destination. Each program has a joining city overseas where you will meet your group and trip leaders. When you apply, we'll give you a time frame that you need to arrive/depart within. International flights are not included in the program price, but we can provide you with a competitive quote on airfares.

  • A Few Important Differences...

    These trips are not full-on party trips. To open these trips to students who are underage, our School Leaver programs are strictly alcohol and drug free. This is non-negotiable and all students must be aware of this prior to applying for these programs. We know some students will already be 18, but they will still need to follow our policies. Our School Leaver programs are open to anyone age 17-19 at the time of the trip.

  • Questions?

    Feel free to give us a call or send us an email, and we will be more than happy to tell you more about these programs.

    Good luck with the rest of Year 18, and hopefully we'll see you at the end of the year!

Frequently Asked Questions

What's Included In The Programs?

The trip price includes all accommodation, meals (B/L/D), activities listed in itinerary (except those marked optional), transport and leaders. The trips do not include flights to get to/from the starting location. Students will need some spending money for personal expenses such as snacks, souvenirs and for any optional activities they'd like to do, such as skydiving, bungee jumping or scuba diving.

How Many People Are On Each Trip?

The maximum group size for these programs is 15 students and trips fill up on a first-in first-served basis. Give us a call and we'll tell you how many places are left on the trips

Can We Drink?

No. These trips are not party trips and are alcohol-free. You'll still have an awesome time and the itineraries are packed full of really cool activities.

What Will The Accommodation Be Like?

Some trips stay at hotels, hostels, guest-houses and at Rustic Pathways' bases. The Fijian Villages program is a home-stay experience in a remote village. The accommodation varies from trip to trip, so check out the program pages or contact us for more details.

Who Are The Trip Leaders?

Each trip is run by Rustic Pathways program leaders. We hand-pick the best we can find to make sure the trip is an amazing experience for you. Leaders are typically 23 – 27 years old and bring lots of energy to the trip. In Fiji and Thailand we have local staff as well as Aussie guides.

How Do We Book A Trip?

Please click on the links from the home page to the individual program pages. This will take you to our main website where you will find out more information and you can book online. Please feel free to contact us any time for more details.