Deakin Students explore the sights of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road

After two years of pandemic lockdown, Deakin College has welcomed a hybrid model of education for both international and domestic students in March. Since Australia’s international borders opened in December, many international students have been able to return to campus and finally attend in-person classes with our domestic students.

As part of our commitment to greater student satisfaction and keeping up with the Navitas value of “RESPECT” – by celebrating, valuing and caring for people and the environment – we organised a day tour for students to the beautiful city of Geelong. Located 90kms from Melbourne, Geelong is the starting point to the iconic Great Ocean Road, famous for its natural wildlife and picturesque landscapes.

Students across our two Deakin campuses in Geelong and Burwood were invited on the excursion that visited the Geelong waterfront, Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Great Ocean Road Chocolate Factory and the well-known Anglesea golf course for a round of mini golf! The venues gave students a wider experience into the local culture, food, games, and Australia’s natural landscapes.

It was a beautiful day with everyone thoroughly enjoying the trip! Twenty-two students from countries including China, Russia, India, Columbia, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Malaysia, and South Korea were amazed by the hospitality of the coastal town.

Arranging the day trip was a team effort with students and academic services helping organise the logistics for the day. Two staff members accompanied the students, including myself and Winnie Zou.

The Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre (a 15-minute drive from central Geelong) was a hit with the students who were excited to be greeted by local kangaroos and emus. The brave ones were able to get really close to the kangaroos and emus, and even fed them!

At the chocolate factory students were able to visit the local chocolaterie. As one of our past students works at the venue, a separate room had been organised for the students to taste the different varieties of chocolate. After the chocolate tasting, we all had lunch at the venue where our new international students were able to try the local food – fish and chips, chicken parmi, baked scones, and homemade ice cream. It was a nice time for the students to properly meet each other and chat.

The last stop of the day was the well-known Anglesea Golf Course where we all played a round of mini golf while spotting lots of wild kangaroos on the course.

Overall it was a wonderful trip with beautiful memories to share and relish. Many thanks to all the staff and students involved!