For ten years we have cultivated relationships with our Fijian friends, and on this adventure we have a chance give back to these delightful people, as well as enjoy life “down under” in Australia. Stay with families in traditional Fijian village bures where life continues as it has for centuries. Teach English to primary school children and help construct a sea wall or paint a school while experiencing Fijian culture in depth. Relish two days on a perfect deserted island dotted with coconut palm trees. Afterwards in Australia, whitewater raft a remote rainforest river, and SCUBA dive the unsurpassed great Barrier Reef from our liveaboard boat. Cap off the adventure with a visit to Sydney, and know that many lives have been touched by our visit.
“Having spent three summers at ARCC, I can definitely say ARCC is extraordinarily well run. I had fabulous leaders that helped me so much. Everyone becomes a family as you overcome difficult obstacles, share joy and spend your summer laughing. I've learned so much about myself at ARCC and would like to thank everyone who made my three summers at ARCC so unforgettable. ”
— Helen E., ARCC Student
Fiji Trekking & Service
Our groups meets in Los Angeles and fly to the tropical island paradise of Fiji, where people are world-renowned for their warmth and hospitality. Having welcomed our groups for years, playful children and families excitedly greet us as we trek from village to village in the remote Fijian highlands. In these villages we are treated like family and we learn first hand about Fijian culture and traditions, while helping out on service projects most needed in the villages. We discover first-hand that any improvement to the village has a direct effect on the quality of life for everyone.
Teaching at a Primary School
As part of our community service program, we become teachers of English to 6-12 year olds living on Beqa island. With only a knowledge of the Fijian language, local children must learn English to work and live in the world outside their village. Through a series of activities, games, and songs, we instruct alongside the local teachers to further their student’s knowledge of English.
Our Own Fijian Deserted Island
Following our backpacking, our boat travels by boat to an uninhabited island and set up camp for two days. Locals may visit us to climb the trees and offer up coconuts while we play in the turquoise water and soak in the sun. Afterwards we visit the colorful local markets before boarding our plane for the land “down under.”
SCUBA Diving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
In Cairns, Australia, we have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to SCUBA dive the world’s premier diving location: the Great Barrier Reef. We become PADI certified Open Water Divers or upgrade to an advanced level on a liveaboard boat that is moored at the reef. We complete eight dives in this undersea paradise, which teems with brilliantly colored corals, giant clams, turtles and over 1,500 varieties of tropical fish.
(All students wishing to SCUBA dive must pass a thorough diving physical and cannot have used an inhaler or suffered from asthma in the past three years. For those not wishing to dive, alternative water activities are available.)
Tropical Whitewater Rafting and Sydney
We hone our whitewater skills with a day on the Barron River, which lies along a traditional pathway used by the indigenous Djabugay aboriginals. The next day our rafting camp takes us to the mighty Tully River which pours down Class III-IV rapids from the Great Dividing Range and through World-Heritage rainforest. Then in historic Sydney, where the unique Sydney Opera House stands as the symbol of Australia, we have two days to tour the city before boarding a plane back to Los Angeles.
