- Author:
- Elizabeth Cortese
- Published:
- January 14, 2020
- Favorites:
Australia grapples with the effects of bushfires and drought, with devastating consequences for its native wildlife. Experts estimate that nearly one billion animals have died, underscoring the impact of these disasters. Rustic Pathways prioritizes the safety and wellbeing of our students above all else. Our presence in Australia has spanned three decades. We are rooted in Australia and will continue to be in Australia.
Please note that Australia is a very large continent, with nearly the same land area as the United States. While the fires have impacted large regions of the country, most of Australia has remained untouched by fire and continues to offer pristine natural beauty. Most visitors to Australia will not see or feel any impact of these fires unless they specifically choose to travel to affected regions such as southern New South Wales, southeast Victoria, and Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Rustic programs do not operate in those locations.
Our 2020 Student Travel programs have not been impacted by these fires and, as of 15th January 2020, all programs continue to operate as scheduled. Please note that fire danger across Australia during June-August (winter) is low.
Animal Conservation in Australia
No direct impact from fires to the program itinerary or locations we visit. Students will visit the Wildlife Hospital during their workshops at Australia Zoo, and support wildlife rehabilitation at WRREA, a grassroots organization that cares for native wildlife. Rustic Pathways Foundation is raising money for WRREA as part of its response to the wildfires.
Seven Wonders of Australia
These parts of Australia are still beautiful. No direct impact from fires to the program itinerary or locations we visit. Students will not be touring through scorched or blackened landscapes. The Daintree Rainforest has not been burnt. Uluru and Kings Canyon are open as normal. Inner Sydney has not been impacted and the program does not travel to outer Sydney or the Blue Mountains where there has been fire activity.
Great Barrier Reef Dive Expedition
No impacts to this program, all program locations remain untouched by fire.
About the Author
Elizabeth Cortese
Social Media and Influencer Marketing Manager
Liz first developed a passion for travel while summiting Mount Kilimanjaro as a Rustic student. This taught her at an early age the importance of experiential education for students around the world. She has since graduated with a bachelor’s in marketing communications from Emerson College in Boston. When Liz is not hopping from restaurant to restaurant in San Francisco or buried in a New York Times bestseller, she can be found packing her bags to spend time with family and friends.