The Phi Beta Dingo internship program schedule is designed to include as much as possible and pre-arranges all accommodation and activities to maximize the experience students have during their time in Australia. The Cairns orientation program has shared accommodation in the backpacker hotel in the center of the town and many great adventure and cultural activities.

The Sydney portion of the program includes shared accommodation, along with the city and workplace orientation and the other group activities. Optional travel activities are also offered for the group of students each weekend, allowing the students to select the travel activities that suit their interest and budgets.

Phi Beta Dingo Sydney Internship Program
Sunday, May 31 – Monday, August 3, 2009
Cairns, Australia - Orientation
Sydney, Australia - Internship

Sunday, May 31st - Depart the US

Monday, June 1st - On Route (flight crosses the international dateline)

Tuesday, June 2nd - Arrive Cairns
Phi Beta Dingo staff will meet all arriving students at the airport and transport them and their luggage to accommodation in Cairns and manage the check-in process. If any University faculty are coming from the U.S. with the students, faculty will be transported to hotel facilities in Cairns with luggage.

Welcome lunch and orientation presentation
During the welcome lunch, all students who ordered pre-paid mobile phones will be given their phones and everyone will be briefed on the Cairns orientation schedule of activities

Evening free

Wednesday, June 3rd – Sunday, June 7th
Cairns Orientation Activities: Full Day Boat trip on the Great Barrier Reef, Visit to a Crocodile Farm, Visit to the Royal Flying Doctors Cairns Operations Center, and orientation Farewell Dinner.

Students will also be given a full free day in Cairns should they wish to pursue additional optional activities. These activities are completely optional and the students sign up for them on their own and at their own cost. Phi Beta Dingo will organize a “sign-up” session for the following optional activities: AJ Hackett Bungy, Skydiving, White water Rafting, Ultimate Party Bus, and Day trip to Cape Tribulation.

Sunday, June 7th - Morning group flight to Sydney
Phi Beta Dingo staff will meet all arriving students at the airport and transport them and their luggage to accommodation in Sydney and manage the check-in process. If any University faculty are coming from the U.S. with the students, faculty will be transported to hotel facilities in Sydney with luggage.

Welcome lunch and Sydney orientation presentation
During the welcome lunch, all students and faculty will be given Sydney travel passes that provide unlimited trips on all buses, trains and ferries in Sydney during the orientation week period.

Afternoon: Walking tour of the city of Sydney with information about “how to get around” for those students interning in the city.

Group welcome dinner at the beach

Evening free

Monday, June 8th (Public Holiday in New South Wales, Australia – Queen’s Birthday)
Monday is the “Get ready for work” day as all the students have the entire day free to prepare for their first day on the job. No activities are scheduled so that students will have time to map their travel plan to work on public transport, prepare their work clothes for the first day on the job and prepare all the Phi Beta Dingo documents that are required by the various organizations hosting the interns.

Tuesday, June 9th - Internships begin for all students
Phi Beta Dingo staff will be available all day to assist with any needs the students have on the first day of their internships and will be available in the afternoon and evening for the entire first week to assist with the smooth transition into the work place for all of the students.

Wednesday, June 10th – Thursday, July 30th
All Students participate in their custom-designed internship experience for 8 weeks, working 4 days a week Monday –Thursday with Friday’s free to complete any coursework that is required by their University.

Since students are free on Fridays, optional travel activities outside Sydney and in the Sydney area will be offered on most weekends. A 4th of July “mid-internship” bar-b-que is also on the schedule and included for all students. These Sydney weekend activities are completely optional and the students sign up for them on their own and at their own cost. Phi Beta Dingo will organize a “sign-up” session for these optional activities and visits to the following:
• Blue Mountains
• Hunter Valley wine tasting
• Sailing in the Whitsunday Islands
• a surf trip
• Skiing in Thredbo
• a performance at the Sydney Opera House
• a tour of the famous bars and pubs of Sydney
• Sydney Aquarium
• Taronga Zoo
• Sydney Harbour Cruise

Monday, August 3rd - Farewell Dinner in Sydney

Tuesday, August 4th - Depart Australia & fly home to the US