If you've decided to stop by my blog, there are various possible reasons behind this:
1) You're interested in learning more about Passions of Paradise.
2) You're interested in how I managed to land such an internship.
3) You're interested in the field of tourism and all that is has to offer.
4) You're spending way too much time online and not really sure how you managed to end up reading about a college starving student's experiences in Cairns, Queensland, Australia....
Either way, I am going to tell you about each of these things and give you a brief rundown on what exactly I do as an intern for Passions.
The idea for Passions of Paradise came to Alan Wallish and Steven Carter in 1987. The two dreamt about a boat that would give others the opportunity to snorkel and dive at the Great Barrier Reef. Working numerous jobs in hopes of making their dream a reality, the pair's idea set sail in 1989 when they built their first catamaran.
Now if you've made it this far, I can tell you a little bit about myself, how I landed this amazing opportunity, and what exactly I am doing at Passions...
At home, I attend Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. As a college student, one of the most frustrating questions you receive is "what do you want to do when you graduate?" Picking a major is rather intimidating and after much indecision, it felt right for me to choose what I loved over a chance at being rich and famous - in short, this is what landed me in the Recreation program.
In our Recreation program, we have what our called "phases" that we undergo with a class of 60. Phase 1 is an intro to each form of recreation: tourism, community, outdoor and therapeutic. In Phase 2, we are given the opportunity to work on our planning, development, and budgeting skills. Phase 3 is our internship phase. Phase 4 is our reflection phase. What does all of this have to do with my experience here? My INTERNSHIP phase. Before we begin our internship, we have to acquire 250 hours of fieldwork (volunteer hours) and this is precisely what has drawn me to Australia. Yes... it may have been an excuse to travel abroad, especially in a beautiful place like Cairns, but it is fieldwork hours nonetheless!
Now while I did come to Cairns for this reason, I have AustraLearn to thank for actually setting up this internship. For those of you who have not heard about AustraLearn, they are an excellent study abroad program that provides students with the opportunities to travel to Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. AustraLearn not only sets up internships abroad, but also semesters abroad at universities and likewise short-term study programs.
Now onto what you really want to know... what do I do as an intern for Passions?
At Passions, I am working both in the office and out on the boat. In the office, my duties range significantly as I am attempting to get the most experience in each area of how to successfully run a business in the tourism industry. On Mondays and Thursdays, you can either find me in the reservations office with Mel or making sales calls to resorts and hostels with Passion’s marketing director, Fluffy. Mel checks people onto the boat, takes reservations for upcoming trips, takes the dearest of care with Passions money from the boat, and more. While I am with Mel, I generally shadow each of her duties and continue to learn about the role she plays. Likewise, I am given the opportunity to blog.
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I am out on the boat! This is by far my favorite part of working for Passions. I shadow Jo, the purser, who handles the money on the boat. While I am on the boat, I am responsible for helping Jo with the sales of food, wetsuits, glass bottom boat trips, cameras, and more. I also help with lunch (which is AMAZING I must add) and dishes. My duties can range from anywhere to wiping down tables to helping with snorkel tours at Paradise Reef. Likewise, I am Passions newest photographer for their website! You can expect to see me snapping pictures in your face left and right while you are struggling with your wetsuit and flippers….but really, they will soon be up for everyone to see and for you to reminisce about.
While my duties may not sound all that exciting, a day on the boat is truly something I look forward too and as a previous customer, it is even more amazing. We usually visit two locations: Michaelmas Cay and Paradise Reef. Each site allows for gorgeous diving and snorkeling. While Michaelmas Cay is open to other boats, Paradise Reef is exclusive to only Passions. While at each dive site, you are given the chance to snorkel, intro dive, or certified dive.
Even if you have never dived, I highly recommend doing the 10 - minute sample dive. While it may seem “adventurous” and maybe even a little scary, diving on Passions is something I could not let myself pass up. The instructors and crew bring about a sense of both confidence and comfort in new divers that allows you to enjoy the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef.
Even if you do not dive, being on the Passions boat is an experience in itself. There is lunch, tea, coffee, cookies, cheese and crackers provided. On a nice day, you always see people sun bathing (or sun burning) on the deck and possibly even getting splashed by a few waves. Currently, it is whale season and so you can definitely expect to see a few on your way out to Michaelmas. Similarly, at Michaelmas we have the glass bottom boat where you can experience the reef from a different perspective. On the way home, the crew makes you at home with our reef teach sessions and even a few magic tricks.
Cheers!
Leah
I found your blog because I'm looking for intern abroad programs that I should try.
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