Interning with The Intern Group is by far one of the best decisions I have ever made. I gained valuable work experience and also had the opportunity to embark on the experience of a lifetime in a different culture. As a member of The Intern Group Australia, I now have memories that I will carry with me on all future endeavors. Here are seven of my favorites from my time in Australia!
On my first weekend in Melbourne, my fellow interns and I—who at the time, barely knew each other—piled into a rental car and drove out to see the natural beauty of Australia. Our journey began at the Great Ocean Road, a road that follows the southern coast along cliffs, beaches and rain forests. One of our stops was also a famous landscape called the 12 Apostles, which had breathtaking views of Australia’s cliffs. We spent the night out there and continued along the road the next day. All the interns became close after that trip. Furthermore, we got to truly experience Australia straight away.
This was one of the included events with The Intern Group program. All participating interns traveled to the beautiful Yarra Valley for the day, visiting three vineyards, one brewery and one chocolate shop. The views were breathtaking, the wine was delicious and the treats were amazing. This experience was by far one of my favorite memories from my time in Australia – all thanks to The Intern Group.
Another one of my favorite events The Intern Group hosted was the wildlife experience, which involved visiting a wildlife sanctuary filled with kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, dingoes and plenty of other animals native to Australia. We were able to pet and feed many of them, which was something I never thought I’d get the chance to do!
Although St. Kilda Beach was an hour away from our accommodation, the other interns and I took advantage of one of the nicer weekends and made the trip. This beach offered not only beautiful views of the ocean, but amazing skyline views of Melbourne. We ate lunch at an adorable restaurant on the pier and saw the home of penguins, although unfortunately they were sleeping for the day! After finishing the day by relaxing on the beach we headed back into the city. It was definitely a day well spent.
Melbourne is known for its exciting and diverse nightlife. Some of my favorite memories involved visiting the cool bars and clubs throughout the city. We visited clubs with rain forest themes, while taking it easy at bars with fairy-tale themes. There was always so much to do at night! Visiting these places with my fellow interns made for quite a memorable experience.
My internship duration was conveniently on the Queen’s birthday weekend, which is a celebrated three-day weekend. I decided to take advantage of Australia’s proximity to New Zealand and cross the ocean for the weekend. A friend of mine from home happened to be visiting New Zealand at the same time, so I stayed with her in the beautiful city of Wellington. I spent the weekend hiking, exploring the city and visiting the bay. It was incredible being so close to a destination country that I was capable of visiting just for the weekend!
On my last free day in Melbourne, I decided to explore the Royal Botanical Gardens. Although I went alone, it was peaceful to admire the botanical life of Australia in a beautiful park hidden within the city. Also, on the way in, I stumbled upon the Shrine of Remembrance, a war memorial museum highlighting Australia’s war history.
These were just a few of my most memorable experiences from my time in Australia. Thanks to The Intern Group, these memories will last a lifetime. If you choose to travel to Australia with The Intern Group, you can make these your memories too, along with your own!
Photos by Julia Vachon.