Students are encouraged to get involved in JCU cultural, sporting and recreational
activities. Common weekend trips from Townsville are Mission Beach (about 2.5
hours by car or bus), Cairns (4 hours away), Daintree Rainforest (5 - 6 hours),
Hinchinbrook Island (2 hours) Whitsunday Islands (3 hours), and the Great
Barrier Reef. The JCU Office of International Affairs has a variety of excursions
and programs for which students can sign up.
Students receive $800 from St. Lawrence University a couple of weeks before they depart for Australia. The main purpose of the money is for students to travel and learn more about Australia while they are there. Please see more detailed information under Finances/Costs.
Australian students normally use study breaks to study; therefore, SLU students should plan to do the same.
Keeping in mind that Australia is nearly as large as the continental United States and that there are long distances between destinations, students should plan to arrive early if they wish to travel throughout Australia or schedule such trips immediately after exams.