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The$EPIC$5800$km$Tour$of$Australia!$

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$Easter$2017$

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The$EPIC$5800km$Tour$of$Australia!$

Geography$Tour$2017$Information$and$FAQs$Who$is$the$tour$intended$for?$

This%tour%is%open%to%any%students%currently%in%Year%6%or%above.%

When$will$the$tour$take$place?$

The%tour%will%leave%during%the%Easter%holidays%of%2017.%

How$many$students$will$be$going?$

The%tour%is%designed%for%a%maximum%of%20%students%

How$many$staff$will$be$going?$

Miss%McCardle%and%Mr%Letley%will%lead%the%tour%with%a%ground%team%based%in%Australia.%

Does$it$matter$if$any$of$my$friends$are$not$going?$

No,%not%at%all.%By%keeping%the%group%small%everyone%mixes%very%well%regardless%of%friends%/%year%group.%

How$can$the$trip$be$paid$for?$

Very%flexible%options%in%terms%of%payment%are%available,%these%are%detailed%in%the%information%pack.%

What$is$included$in$the$itinerary?$

Full%details%of%the%itinerary%will%follow%as%we%are%currently%working%to%develop%a%bespoke%package%to%suit%the%likely%ages%and%interests.%%

Will$the$itinerary$change?$

We%can%refine%the%itinerary%according%to%the%interests%of%the%group%once%we%know%who%is%going.%%We%are%very%flexible%and%have%a%good%working%relationship%with%the%team%in%Australia.%%Clearly%some%changes%may%be%necessary%depending%on%the%weather%at%the%time.%%

Have$trips$like$this$been$run$before?$

Miss%McCardle%and%Mr%Letley%have%already%taken%tours%to%Iceland,%Jordan,%New%Zealand,%Nepal,%Costa%Rica%and%this%summer%they%will%run%a%volcano%hiking%trip%to%Italy.%%They%both%have%many%years%experience%running%residential%fieldtrips%both%in%the%UK%and%overseas.%%

What$is$the$idea$of$the$tour?$

Our%latest%tour%is%the%most%ambitious%yet%and%seeks%to%explore%the%widest%variety%of%ecosystems%we%have%been%able%to%pack%in%with%some%of%the%most%exciting%activities.%%We%will%be%visiting%Australia’s%iconic%cities,%taking%in%many%of%the%sights%there.%The%highlights%for%many%will%be%the%variety%of%ecosystems%that%we%will%be%visiting%including%rainforests,%coral%reefs,%deserts%and%mangrove%swamps,%with%exciting%activities%planned%in%each%one.%The%tour%will%include%working%with%marine%biologists%on%the%Great%Barrier%Reef%helping%them%with%their%conservation%and%protection%work.%%

Do$I$need$to$be$really$athletic$and$sporty?$

No.%We%expect%to%have%a%variety%of%levels%of%experience%and%fitness%etc,%in%the%party%and%this%will%be%catered%for.%

Throughout%the%tour%we%will%be%experiencing%true%Australian%culture%in%a%variety%of%ways%including:%

• Aboriginal%tour%• Outback%tour%• Ayers%Rock%• The%Great%Barrier%Reef%• Daintree%Rainforest%

%And%much%more!%%

Travel%throughout%the%tour%will%be%in%luxury%air%conditioned%coaches%/%internal%flights%with%reputable%airlines.%%

%

Sydney%

Draft$Itinerary$$Day$1$:$Travel$to$Sydney$and$walking$tour$$$We%travel%to%Sydney%from%London,%meeting%our%tour%guide%at%the%airport.%%After%checking%into%the%hotel,%we%will%then%have%a%guided%walking%tour,%viewing%of%opera%house%and%botanic%gardens%

%%%

Day$2:$Sydney$Bay$Boat$Tour%%City%highlights%from%the%water,%Darling%Harbour%&%fish%markets,%Sydney%Harbour%National%Park %

Day$3:$Fly$to$Ayers$Rock%%Aboriginal%culture%in%the%rocks,%including%local%food,%music%and%medicines,%then%travel%to%Uluru%for%the%sunset%&%camel%ride%in%this%desert%environment. %

%

$Day$4:$Desert$landscapes:$Ayers$Rock,$Valley$of$the$Winds$ $$Uluru%sunrise,%cultural%centre,%Kata%Tjuta%(Olgas)%Valley%of%the%Winds,%sunset%over%Kata%Tjuta,%exploration%of%the%desert%environment%walking%and%being%taught%about%the%formation%of%this%unique%%%

%%%scenery%and%the%people%who%live%there.%

All$activities$are$subject$to$favorable$weather$conditions$$

Darling%Harbour%

Sydney%Harbour%National%Park%

Fish%Market%

Ayers%Rock%

Valley%of%the%Wind%

Day$8:$The$outer$reef$$Boat%trip%out%to%the%protected%marine%reserve%where%we%will%work%with%the%marine%biologists%as%part%of%their%conservation%and%research%into%the%plants%and%animals%found%in%this%extraordinary%ecosystem.%

Day$5:$Fly$to$Brisbane,$ferry$travel$to$Moreton$Island$Transfer%to%Moreton%Island,%free%time%in%the%stunning%turquoise%waters%of%Moreton%Island%and%beaches

Day$6:$Moreton$Island$$$Desert%safari,%sand%tobogganing,%dolphin%feeding%(optional%kayak%or%snorkel%tour%to%ship%

wreck) %

Day$7:$Fly$to$Cairns$and$the$Great$Barrier$Reef$$Flight%transfer%to%Cairns%and%an%Introduction%to%the%greatest%coral%reef%ecosystem%on%earth,%initial%snorkeling%and%work%with%the%marine%biologists%% %

Day$9:$Cairns$$Waterfalls,%outback%cattle%station,%Aussie%bbq,%campfire,%star%gazing,%milking,%boomerang%throwing,%Skyrail,%Cairns%night%markets

%

Day$10:$Cairns$$%Wildlife%park,%Aboriginal%guided%rainforest%walk,%Daintree%rainforest %Day$11:$Fly$home$$

Moreton%Island%

Desert%tobogganing%and%dolphin%feeding%on%Moreton%Island%

Great%Barrier%Reef%

Great%Barrier%Reef%

Australian%Outback%

Aboringinal%display%

Daintree%Rainforest%

%Draft$Itinerary$–$location$map$$Due$to$the$large$distances$travelled$throughout$the$tour$(Australia$is$$about$32$times$bigger$than$the$UK!)$we$will$be$flying$between$locations$to$ensure$that$we$maximize$the$time$we$have$in$this$amazing$country$where$there$is$so$much$to$see!$$$We$are$aiming$to$include$as$many$of$the$Australian$highlights$that$we$

can$in$our$Epic$5800$km$Australian$Adventure!$

The$EP

IC$580

0km$Tou

r$of$A

ustralia!$

Dear%Parent(s)%/%Guardian(s)%%We%are%currently%working%to%establish%a%varied%and%exciting%itinerary%for%the%seventh%international%tour%run%by%the%Geography%Department.%%We%are%pleased%to%be%able%to%launch%our%Australian%Adventure%tour%for%2017.%%%Our%international%tours%are%traditionally%packed%full%of%varied%and%exciting%activities%and%are%fully%enjoyed%by%everyone%who%attends.%We%are%very%flexible%and%can%tailor%the%itinerary%around%the%group%that%signs%up%for%the%tour.%%%Any$visa$requirements$for$your$child’s$travel$to$Italy$must$be$organised$and$obtained$by$yourself$prior$to$the$tour$(travel$dates$to$be$confirmed).$$%Planning%a%trip%more%than%a%year%in%advance%does%pose%particular%challenges%in%terms%of%giving%an%accurate%price%for%the%trip.%We%are%very%conscious%that%the%cost%of%the%trip%needs%to%be%spread%the%most%flexible%way%to%assist%with%the%payment.%%We%have%been%working%with%the%Bursary%department%and%have%agreed%a%number%of%different%options%for%payment:%%Option$1$:$$Monthly$standing$order$payments$of$approximately$£214$a$month$(assuming$that$payments$commence$in$December$of$2015$with$the$final$payment$in$February$2017).$$Bank$details$for$this$option$will$follow.$$Option$2$:$Equal$amounts$of$the$cost$added$to$the$end$of$each$term’s$bill$between$now$and$the$trip$d$four$payments$of$£800$(Spring$term$2016,$Summer$Term$2016,$Autumn$Term$2016$and$Spring$Term$2017).$$$Option$3$:$Complete$payment$of$£3200$$Following%discussions%with%the%travel%company%that%we%are%using,%the%total%price%should%be%in%the%region%of%£3200.%%%The%final%price%and%itinerary%will%be%confirmed%when%we%have%more%information.%%%%We$have$been$advised$that$an$increase$of$10d15%$should$be$budgeted$for$on$this$cost$to$cover$potential$changes$in$fuel$prices$and$accommodation.$$Clearly%this%may%not%be%needed.%%%All$payments$must$be$completed$by$February$2017$(8$weeks$before$departure).$$%We%are%happy%to%discuss%the%details%of%the%trip%and%planned%activities%to%assist%in%decision%making%prior%to%the%booking%of%a%place.%%Please%contact%either%of%us%using%the%email%addresses%at%the%bottom%of%this%page%and%we%will%both%happily%phone%or%meet%with%you.%%%To%secure%a%place%on%this%trip%we%are%asking%for%a%nondrefundable$deposit$of$£300%to%be%returned%to%either%Miss%McCardle%or%Mr%Letley%with%the%form%on%the%next%page.%%An%email%to%secure%a%place%in%the%first%instance%is%advised,%as%the%Geography%Department’s%international%tours%are%very%popular.%We%will%keep%a%list%of%reserve%places%from%the%point%we%reach%our%maximum%number%of%students%for%the%trip.%%%Places%are%booked%on%a%first%come%first%served%basis,%and%we%anticipate%interest%in%this%tour%to%be%very%high!%%Should%a%pupil%be%withdrawn%from%the%trip%after%paying%the%deposit%a%commitment%to%pay%for%the%whole%trip%will%remain%with%the%parents%unless%a%replacement%can%be%found.%%This%includes%if%a%pupil%were%to%leave%the%school%prior%to%the%tour.%%%Thank%you%for%taking%the%time%to%read%the%details%here.%%% % % % % Yours%Faithfully%Miss%A%McCardle% % % % % % Mr%G%Letley%Head%of%Geography% % % % % % Director%of%Studies%amccardle@kentcollege.co.uk%% % % % % gletley@kentcollege.co.uk%%

Booking$a$place$and$payment$plan$

The$EPIC$5800km$Tour$of$Australia$$Easter$2017.$Booking$Form$

Please$print$and$complete$this$form$returning$it$with$the$deposit$to$either$$Miss$McCardle$or$Mr$Letley$at$Kent$College.$

$%I%wish%to%secure%a%place%on%the%Epic%5800km%Tour%of%Australia,%taking%place%during%the%Easter%holidays%of%2017.%%I%have%read%the%details%concerning%the%trip%and%understand%that%the%final%cost%and%exact%dates%of%the%trip%will%be%confirmed%at%a%later%date.%%I$enclose$the$deposit$payment$of$£300$which$is$non$refundable.$%I%would%like%to%pay%for%the%trip%using%the%following%payment%option%(as%listed%in%the%information%pack%above)%%Please$tick$the$preferred$method.$%%%Option%1%%%Option%2%%%Option%3%%%%Name%of%Student%:%_____________________________________________%Form%:%___________________%%Name%of%Parent%/%Guardian%:%____________________________________________%%Signature%:%_________________________________%%Date%:%_______________________________%

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