World’s #1 Australia Volunteer Programs | Most Affordable

While completing my volunteer program, it was amazing, the person running the program made it fun but also educational to expand our knowledge on the ocean and its marine life, the food provided was amazing and high quality. Highly recommend

Everyone I met and everything I was able to do to support the marine conservation efforts of the Great Barrier Reef was incredible. I absolutely love the team! I feel so motivated to keep supporting the cause and keeping the reef as safe as possible.

Through my experience I feel I gained more knowledge about the underlying issue of climate change and how it not only effects the earth but the indigenous people that rely off it. I gained many amazing memories and friendships, that I couldn’t be more grateful for!

Local team was very supportive from day 1 with any questions I had and very clear in making the work schedule available in advance. I have gained a better understanding of myself as a person. I believe that you don't truly know who you are until you are pushed out of your comforts and faced with new challenges. For those looking to grow and develop as a person I would highly recommend this programme. I have really enjoyed and learned a lot from this experience and I hope I can volunteer with you again in the future.

The guidance and preparation resources I received from IVHQ before starting my trip was fantastic. I always felt up to date with any info I needed. The local team in Australia were welcoming and kind. I am so incredibly happy to be able to make a difference to the reef health. If you want to make a positive change to the world, this is how you can help save the reef. It kickstarted my conservation career!

The preparation resources, support and guidance I received before I started my trip was really great. The support from the local team have been absolutely amazing. They are nice, caring, funny, genuine and always keen to help you when you have questions. I have never met such incredible people. The impact on myself from this volunteer experience has completely exceeded my expectations. I feel that it has made me grown as a person. My favorite moments of this volunteer experience were: 1. Learning about the conditions and types of corals, and how humans have impacted the corals 2. Learning about the different types of sea turtles, and how they breed. The good and bad impacts humans have made on sea turtles. 3. Being able to swim/snorkel/dive at The great barrier reef 4. Swimming with sea turtles, sharks, octopuses, Māori wrasse, Australian barracudas, parrot fishes, titan triggerfishes, sting rays...along with with a huge amount of other marine creatures. 5. Meeting new people from all over the world 6. Meeting the awesome support team, Helen, Amy and Tim. Don't be afraid or scared. This experience will completely open your eyes and change you. It's made me realize that I need to study Marine Biology and pursue this as my next career!

The checklist provided on my IVHQ account provided structure and clear direction, which helped me prepare for the trip. The local team was absolutely fantastic. They were caring, helpful, and extremely knowledgeable; I always felt safe and welcome. Expanding my worldview and giving me the opportunity to see firsthand and to understand how I can positively or negatively influence the world around me in various ways, to varying degrees, had the biggest impact on me. Volunteering abroad will push you out of your comfort zone, but in doing so it will show you how magnificently expansive the world is beyond that bubble.

My favorite moment was definitely when I swam with a white tip shark at Green Island it was magical. This volunteer trip allowed me to learn more about the animals that inhabit the great barrier reef, especially the behavior of green turtles and whitetip, blacktip sharks. I was able to learn a great deal about coral monitoring by collecting data on its coloration. And last but not least, the awareness of not only reducing the use of plastic, but trying to eliminate its use, as much as possible. Instead using cloth bags, aluminum straws, using water bottles instead of buying thousands of plastic bottles. Since unfortunately there is a lot of garbage, due to the contamination that exists, microplastics alter the parameters of the water, since it takes a long time to degrade. IVHQ offers a large number of programs around the world and the best of all is that you will have the best experience of your life. Learning a lot from the people you will meet in this incredible experience.

I was confident and comfortable with starting the program as I knew I had been given all the information I needed by IVHQ. The local team were immensely helpful and so kind, always willing to help and support me. I have come away from my volunteering experience with new skills and a feeling of fulfilment which is how I know I did something with purpose!

The guidance and preparation resources I received from IVHQ before starting my trip were thorough, friendly and welcoming. It prepared me with everything I needed to visit a new city. The local team provided complete support in everything I needed. Also provided clarity and reassurance with things I was unsure of. Day 1: meeting the others doing the program, experiencing Fitzroy island for the first time and seeing the green turtles and black tips for the first time! Truly mesmerizing. Realizing how much the nature impacts us and how much we impact the nature was the biggest impact this volunteering trip had on me. Also, how urgent it is to protect what we love for the future generations to come. Take the leap and go for it! Money comes and goes but the marine environment may not always be this clean or abundant. Climate change is real, human impacts are unavoidable, make a difference now while we can.

If you need something to give you your spark and purpose back then volunteering with marine animals is the right way to go. The program enhanced my want to do more for conservation efforts after seeing the reef and the amazing animals that are the reason for why we need to protect nature.

My favorite moment was while snorkeling off Green Island, I took a moment to pause and reflect on how amazing this opportunity was. I realized that I had learned so much in just a few days. I realized that the work we were doing was easy and fun but also meaningful. It was truly humbling to be part of such an incredible experience. Every little bit helps. We did a beach clean up day on Fitzroy Island. The beach seemed pristine and initially I almost worried that we would lose the competition because we could hardly find any rubbish! But suddenly we started looking closely and each team found a lot of garbage and microplastics. It was really eye opening to see that even at a seemingly perfect beach, there is a lot of work to be done. And even one person putting in some effort can ultimately have a big impact. To anyone hesitant I would say do it! You will have so much fun and be so grateful that you got to do something meaningful. You will meet amazing people and have amazing experiences.