A Mind Blowing First Week In The Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Swimming Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Jessica Leask & Kaitlin Foster, University of Sydney, Education

Our first day on the beautiful atoll of Hithadhoo was nothing short of magical. With a delayed flight due to severe weather conditions in Hong Kong, and a change of travel route that included a stop over in Singapore, we arrived safely at our guesthouse in the early hours of the morning. After a good sleep in, we all awoke and were excited to explore our new home for the next three weeks.

Our first activity of the day was to visit our schools. For the duration of our stay, the group has been divided between both the Hithadhoo School and Sharafuddin, which boasts the largest school population in the Maldives. At Hithadhoo School we were greeted with flowers and coconuts during our meeting with the Assistant Principal.

Our first days of teaching here have been invaluable. The schools have been very welcoming, with all of our teachers giving us opportunities to teach classes to the students on our very first day! The local teachers are eager to learn new practices, and as a whole we have learnt so many important lessons from the students already. We have also begun to teach the very eager students how to swim in an afternoon program that will be continued throughout the duration of our trip. In addition to swimming, beginning next week, there will be some lively competition between the students at both schools as we are all coaching netball teams that will be competing each other in the island interschool competition.

In addition to our lesson planning and organising the coming weeks ahead, we have been fortunate enough to be able to plan a few little excursions including snorkelling and fishing. Snorkelling was one of the most mind-blowing experiences for so many of the students on the trip. Firstly the colour of the water is exactly how you would imagine it, the brightest and clearest of blues. Meanwhile the wildlife below is breath taking. It is a whole other world down there with so many creatures to be seen. We were lucky enough to see at least 3 turtles in all different sizes, a few reef sharks and so many brightly coloured fish.

As a group we also celebrated two birthdays this week with a beautiful trip to an uninhabited island on Friday, with snorkelling, swimming and a boat ride. We are all now feeling refreshed and ready to conquer our second week!

Our Unbelievable UniBreak in Thinadhoo, Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching and swimming coaching
WRITTEN BY: Vivienne Zhu

I’m sad that this will be my last blog post for the trip. We’ve experienced so much, and it’s rapidly coming to an end in two days. It has been an extraordinary and memorable journey with five amazing girls and we were lucky enough to see some beautiful wildlife today; a pod of dolphins, some sharks, and a three-legged turtle!

For future Unibreakers, I want to give you a few tips.

Firstly, add your group on Facebook prior to the trip and don’t bring excessive quantities of items. There are plenty of local shops you can go to buy all your household needs: toothbrush/toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, Nutella, peanut butter, etc. Bringing these items will just weigh your suitcase down when you could bring books and games for the kids to play.

Secondly, don’t let bad weather spoil your fun! Our second trip to Havodigalaa Island began with overcast clouds and rain, but we were still able to chill in hammocks, and watch a beautiful sunset. We concluded the night with a glow stick party and karaoke - singing and dancing until we were tired. I also helped the locals light candles to use at night (a bit difficult given the heavy winds!)

Thirdly, immerse yourself in teaching – whether it is inside or outside the classroom. You get a grasp of how unique each child is and you come to recognise their strengths and weaknesses. I will certainly miss their persistent calls of “MISS” whenever they have problems or simply want my attention. Without a doubt, putting in the time and energy has been worthwhile.

Additionally, the progress the kids have made in swimming has been phenomenal. Some are able to swim freestyle without kickboards and through constant encouragement and praise, all the students were able to get in the water. (A tip for sports coaching – “hands on heads” will have the kids quieten down almost immediately!)

On our last day at school, we held an assembly where we presented a video Janelle made and gifted the school with our painting of Australia. Ajeeb invited us for a farewell dinner at school, where we dressed up in traditional Maldivian dresses. We captured many special moments with our teachers and were constantly praised on how beautiful and model-like we looked (#MissMaldives2015). Some of us even had veils tied to our hair, and it was like our own Maldivian wedding! We were treated to a great feast prepared by our teachers, and we said our final thank you to our in-country agent and the school.

Finally, treasure the memories you create with your new friends, your teachers and your students. We may come to a resort again in the future, but how often will we be able to live on a local island in Maldives? Getting to know the locals, saying “hi” to strangers, and going on snorkelling trips were certainly the highlights of the trip for me. Living as the locals do allowed us to truly understand the culture and lifestyle of Maldivians.

The Thinadhoo group would like to give our sincerest thanks to our in-country agents. Ibrahim, our local tour guide, thank you for purchasing our small household needs whether it be fruit or toilet paper! Whilst you appear shy, we have had so much fun with you, and are so grateful that you have been able to show us around the island.

Assad, you have been so amazing. Whenever we had a problem or wanted to go somewhere, you were quick to get it fixed or organised. Words cannot describe how efficient and kind-hearted you are, and we will surely miss your singing! We will certainly miss you in the weeks to come as we will no longer have snorkelling trips or see you on a near-daily basis.

We’ve taken so many photos and created countless memories, which will remain with us forever. This past month has been unbelievable and certainly unforgettable. We will definitely keep in touch with one another and we’ve already organised meet-ups in the coming weeks!

Thanks for sharing this journey with us! Love the Thinadhoo group.

Considering A UniBreak Trip to the Maldives? 'Just do it!'

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Nursing, Teaching & Swimming Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Brooke Salems

Our final week in Hithadhoo! We approached this week with mixed emotions, as it dawned on us that we would soon be saying our goodbyes. We were all eager to make the most of our last few days in our island paradise.

After a relaxing weekend, we were back into the swing of teaching and nursing. Our week was spent giving back to the community by finishing the school library renovations, running healthcare workshops for the local nurses, teachers and students, and donating medical supplies to the local clinics and hospital. Both the school and the hospital held a small party for the teaching and nursing students as a way of saying thank you and farewell. It is so lovely to know that our small amount of time has had such a large impact on their lives.


Reflecting on our time here, we realise all the amazing opportunities we have had. Snorkelling in the crystal clear water with fish and sea turtles, exploring uninhabited islands in the middle of the Addu Atoll, living the Maldivian lifestyle – tasting the different food and playing with the local children, redecorating the children’s library and turning it into a garden wonderland, witnessing natural births and caesarean sections at the hospital and walking out of our resort villas onto private beaches are all experiences that we would not have been able to do at home!

All of these amazing experiences would not have been possible without the kindness of the Maldivian locals and although there are so many people we would like to thank, these few are the ones who have made it the most memorable adventure for us all!

Thank you to the staff at the school and the hospital that we worked at for welcoming us into your workplace, sharing your knowledge with us and inviting us to be involved in your team over the past month. To Bonda and Captain, thank you for taking us on countless fishing trips to show us around your homeland. I don’t think any of us will ever forget the crystal clear water and the amazing sea life!

To our wonderful housekeeper, thanks for keeping us safe and making sure everything was always perfect at the guesthouse. And finally, our in-country partners… there are no words to say how truly grateful we are for all you have done for us. You have been our Maldivian parents, supporting and encouraging us, and helping us to immerse into your culture. You have provided us with so many wonderful opportunities which will always be remembered. We wish you all the best in life – you deserve it!

To anyone considering a UniBreak trip… just do it! It has been the most incredible experience for us, and we have all made memories and friends that will last a lifetime.

Our UniBreak In The Maldives: ‘An Eye-Opening Experience’

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching and Sports Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Katy Brown

After a month of making memories and building friendships that will last a lifetime, our time in the Maldives has finally come to an end. Whilst we are all excited to see our families again, we all feel devastated to be saying goodbye to this place we have called home and these people we have called family for the last month.

With a once in a lifetime trip like this, you have to be open to a few hiccups along the way. From a touch of sickness, to a couple of communication errors, we had our fair share of tiny dramas. But there was no way these were going to effect us in a negative way.

In total, we managed to sneak away for a snorkelling trip on an uninhabited island about twice a week. These were highlights for the group as it was time we could get away and relax and just enjoy each other’s company, not to mention the company of our island dad Momo. Between our snorkelling and fishing trips, as a group we were lucky enough to see 4 turtles, about a dozen dolphins, a manta-ray, a stingray, a handful of sharks and hundreds and hundreds of fish. Not to mention the amazing coral reefs.

In the afternoons when school time came around, we were all eager to see our students and expectant for a crazy afternoon. The kids were always so excited coming to class which just made us even more excited. When sport came around, the boys would all rock up in their soccer gear ready to show off their tricks, and the girls would come ready to learn some new netball skills off the Aussie experts.

Our favourite weekends were, of course, the two we spent at Robinson’s resort. We feel so privileged to have been able to see this magical place. It was truly breathtaking, and not to mention the many friends we made who work there. I think we were all most excited about the buffet at every meal, not that we didn’t love Sid (our cafe chef)'s cooking, it was just nice to have so many options! We have all promised that we will return one day!

Our last week at Kolamaafushi was, without a doubt, crazy and one of the best! We decided that rather than stress too much about each days activities, we would spend our time enjoying the company of the kids and the locals. We enjoyed having our final lessons with our classes, which meant a mass water bomb fight for the older kids and a crazy party with the little ones. They absolutely loved it and it was a perfect way to end our time with them. In the afternoons for our last week, we enjoyed hanging out at the sports park, playing soccer with the boys and netball with the girls. Then we headed to sunset point and saw the most incredible sunset with our students.

Our final week on Kolamaafushi also meant our final week together as a group. We spent one afternoon/night at an uninhabited island watching the sunset on the beach and having a bonfire and BBQ fish and potatoes. After dinner we had a dance party on the beach, being laughed at by our Maldivian guides, but it was well worth it. This was a personal favourite night for a few of us.

By Wednesday, half the group had left Kolamaafushi and it was just 3 of us remaining for the last couple of nights. We made the most of it, going for an adventure (we attempted to walk to a nearby island but were scared away by leopard eels). We also enjoyed some time jumping off the jetty with some of the local boys and girls. On our last day Momo took us to an island to have one final snorkelling trip and to spend some time with him and his two little girls who were adorable!

Saying goodbye to everyone on Kolamaafushi was extremely difficult. The teachers, students, parents and island people in general welcomed us with open arms and treated us so well. We will definitely miss them all, especially Momo, who really was like a father to us. As we headed off, we had a group of students at the jetty to wave goodbye, which made it really sink in that we were leaving.

We finished our trip with a night in Thinadoo – we were all a bit shocked by how big it was after being on such a tiny island- then saying our final goodbyes to each other at Singapore airport as we headed off in our separate directions.

Without a doubt, this month has been one of the best of my life, and I'm sure most of the group could say the same thing. Spending a month on such a small island meant that we certainly stuck out, and it will be hard to get used to going home and not having every person on the street saying hello to us. We have all learnt so much about ourselves and about the Maldivian culture; it was an eye-opening experience as to how different their world truly is.

Together, we have made lifelong friendships, already with plans to catch up again later on this year, and maybe even another Antips trip together in the future! I am so greatful to Antips for providing us with such an amazing opportunity: it truly is something I would recommend to anyone.

A Night In Paradise - The Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching and swimming coaching
WRITTEN BY: Vivienne Zhu

Waking up early, we were very excited to go to the Robinson Club. It started raining as we were boarding the speedboat, and we hoped it would clear up later in the day. Unfortunately the rain kept coming but that didn’t stop us from enjoying our little getaway in paradise.

When we arrived, we were welcomed by the staff at the resort and greeted with champagne and small starters (mini sandwiches and fruit). After reception we were taken to our rooms, and they were beyond imaginable! The outdoor egg bed, soft sofas and hot garden showers were a treat from the cold showers and hot nights at the guesthouse!

With our bikinis on, we headed to the pool for a little swim under the spitting rain and grabbed drinks from the friendly bartender. The buffet lunch was gourmet and absolutely mouth watering: beef, pesto pasta, pizza, salad and grilled fish were some of options available to us.

Some of us booked massages at the spa, a bit pricey, but worth it because YOHO (you’re only here once). There were various massages including hot stone, Balinese, Thai, as well as manicures and pedicures and we were treated to ginger tea after our massage.

The next morning, we woke up early to watch the sunrise. We walked in the dark to the jetty and sat on the beach waiting patiently for the moment the sun peeks over the horizon. To say the least, the sunrise was breathtaking, and we saw a small baby shark swimming close to the shoreline. A breakfast fit for kings was available, including amazing omelettes cooked before us, muesli, yoghurt and waffles to name a few. We took a table by the ocean and enjoyed the sunny day ahead.

We went for a short stroll to the beach and laid out our towels for a nice morning sunbathe. We saw some honeymooners with wives wearing their wedding dress and the husband setting up timed cameras (it was not a rare sight). We had fun taking photos of ourselves lying in hammocks, climbing trees and jumping with the Maldivian blue ocean in the background.

Janelle and I went for a snorkel, however the coral reefs weren’t as vast as the other reefs we’d seen. The fish didn’t dart away from us, and a long eel-like fish with a barb-like tail caused us to abort mission.

At midday, it was time to checkout, and we met the Kolamaafushi group at reception. It was nice to see new faces, and we all headed to the pool for a final swim before lunch. Without a doubt, it was a great idea to go to the resort during the middle of our trip because we were able to relax, regroup and eat some delicious western food before our final two weeks!

A typical day in the stunning Kolamaafushi

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching and Sports Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Emily Edwards and Katie Brown

To describe a typical week in this tropical paradise is a near impossible task, as every day brings something different from the last. For most of us, our day would begin at 8:20am with Emily or Sonia banging on our door telling us we had 10 minutes to be up and dressed to head to the cafe for breakfast. This usually was then followed by a solid 4 minutes of moaning and groaning about how tired we were, and then we would reluctantly drag ourselves from bed ready to start another amazing day.

Breakfast at the cafe consists of a wide selection of Aussie favourites. From toast (BYO vegemite), to sausages, cereal, porridge and rice pudding. To finish breakfast, without fail, a plate full of fruity goodness consisting of apples and oranges would come out. After breakfast, on a typical day, we usually come back to the house, and get ourselves organised to head to school.

The school day for the students begins at 7:30am with assembly, and ends around 12:30pm. Whilst we are not required to teach in those hours, we all enjoy heading to the staff room (conveniently air conditioned- win!) to chat with the teachers and plan our lessons for the day.

This week, we were lucky enough to have a snorkelling trip on Wednesday morning, where 'Mo Mo' our island dad took us to a beautiful uninhabited island, only a 20 minute boat ride from Kolamaafushi. We saw an abundance of different fish and coral, and those who were daring enough had a backflip or two off momo's little boat. At 1pm we all head back to the cafe for a lunch consisting typically of rice and curry, with a hefty serving of pappadums and a plate of vegetables, powering up to begin our teaching for the day at 2pm.

When 2pm hits, we take the 5 minute walk down to the school and begin our classes. Most of us are paired up for teaching, with the exception of Sonia who we labelled most capable and confident to take a class on her own. Each pair teaches for a total of one hour, with a different class each day. Katie and Anna teach grades 1-3, who are arguably the cutest kids in the school. Grades 4-7 who have a slightly cheekiness to them are split between Sonia and Emily & Sammy Lux. Then grades 8-10 are taught by Sam Beales and Phil.

After the hour of teaching we are usually all knackered and stagger back to the house to share our highlights from the lesson. We then have about an hour to relax before we head off to either swim coaching or sports coaching, which we tend to spend singing our lil' hearts out.

On Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday it is swim coaching where we meet around 40 eager kids from grades 1-7 to play games and practice swim techniques. On Mondays and Wednesdays we take the older kids (grades 8-10) to play netball or soccer, which they all love! After this is over, we go for a swim, do some fitness training (for the eager ones in the group) or go explore the island and chat with the local store owners, where we pick up some snickers or pringles for our stash.

At 7pm, we head over to the cafe and enjoy a delicious meal followed by a fruit platter, then either head home to relax, teach a parents' class or have another walk around the island. By far, the best way to end a good week at Kolamaafushi is with a trip to a resort island, which we are doing this weekend; it's just one of the many perks of a placement in the Maldives!

A day in the life of a Maldivian volunteer

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching and swimming coaching
WRITTEN BY: Vivienne Zhu

Our trip to Maldives was hindered with one delay, but that didn’t stop the excitement for the month ahead on the beautiful island of Thinadhoo. We were greeted by the Maldives’ immense heat, beautiful waters and a quick speedboat journey across the sea from Kaadedhdhoo to Thinadhoo. Half our group arrived on the earlier flight and enjoyed a motorbike ride to a sandbar for a quick swim and a delicious dinner of fried rice, tuna and vegetable curry at Delizio. The rest of us arrived at 11pm and enjoyed a magical boat ride under the stars.

After several days here, we are getting used to the heat and the Maldivian routine. Waking up extra early isn't always easy for us uni students, but with the eager kids ready to learn we're always excited to see their smiling faces. A breakfast of cereal and nutella toast reminds us of home before our big day ahead. Our early morning walks to school are pleasant, with the sea breezes through the laneways soothing our faces.

We arrive to school by 8am, tick off our attendance and head to our respective classes. Imogen, Maddie and myself teach Grade 2, whilst Janelle and Sarah teach Grade 3 and Dani teaches Science and Maths to Grades 6 and 7. There are a range of classes including English, Maths, Science, Social Studies, PE, Creative Arts, Dhivehi, Quran and Islam. Upon arriving, we are greeted by the children’s smiles and help our teachers with their class, whether that be writing on the whiteboard, answering persistent calls of ‘Miss!’, singing songs or playing games with them.

School ends around 12:30pm, and we return to Delizio’s for lunch. We are welcomed with passionfruit juice- a wonderful refreshment after a tiring morning- and wait for our lunch patiently. So far, our best lunch has been roti with dahl, spicy fish and tuna salad. It is an absolute treat to enjoy the local food!

After lunch, the UV soars and we retreat back to our guesthouse where we relax for the afternoon. We will often watch a movie, plan for swimming lessons, or play intense card games to fill the time before teaching swimming.

Around 4pm, the kids gather at the sandbar for swimming lessons. Currently, we are teaching the Grade 2’s who are learning the basics of kicking, blowing bubbles and floating in the water. Already, we are able to see the strong capabilities of some students, which is promising and rewarding.

Swimming ends at 6pm, and we are able to head back, shower and get ready for dinner. Again dinner is at Delizio’s, and we are greeted with orange juice and a hot meal to refuel our bodies after a long day. Typically, we’re able to get through dinner within half an hour (that’s how hungry we are!).

After dinner, we’ll head back to the guesthouse and relax for a bit before heading to bed at around 9pm. This is just a typical day in our lives, and we’ve found that weekdays are Sunday to Thursday. Tomorrow is Friday, and we can’t wait to see what the weekend has in store for us!

A thrilling and surprising farewell to the Maldives for team UTS

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Sport and health workshops
WRITTEN BY: Joshua Dipple, UTS Sport and Exercise Science / Management student

With our trip underway, the 11 representatives from UTS were in full swing of island mode. Island mode consisted of starting everything later than the confirmed time, slow service at cafés and scooters pulling out in front of you on the roads. Island mode also includes privileges such as stronger connections with students, in clinics and workshops and luxuries such as snorkelling, fishing, turtle catching, island getaways and eating a fantastic array of local food. With the locals so welcoming to us foreigners, the transition into Maldivian life was seamless.

It was not all smooth sailing though, as everyone knows ups and downs are experienced in all forms of life, especially when travelling. Sickness rocked the household for a few days and rain appeared in torrential measures for periods of time. But when given lemons, we make lemonade! Rain didn’t hold any team member back, with commitment still at full capacity; this was exemplified when we rode highly dysfunctional bicycles to soccer, netball, swimming and nutrition clinics in monsoonal rain. Although this became part of this UTS group's identity for the rest of this trip. Strong, determined, committed and passionate.

As all workshops and clinics began to finish up in the last week, it was a sad time for everyone: team UTS, the parents and all the students that have been on this journey with us over the three weeks. This was signified on Thursday, the climax to an amazing, life-changing experience. The workshops came to a close, gifts were exchanged and so many photos were taken and shirts autographed that we felt like celebrities, even if it was for only an hour or so. The swimming students even put on a picnic after their last lesson, with some students being lucky enough to receive individual gifts from appreciative students and their parents. The coaches also reflected the special connection shared by giving presents of their own to the kids.

It was all coming to a conclusion, with Friday being a day for cleaning, packing, reflecting, and making the most of our last day in the beautiful atoll of Addu in the Maldives. The day began with some cricket with the locals, some more goodbye photos, followed by a group lunch at a private island resort in the afternoon. Farewell dinner was consumed and present shopping for the most important people was undertaken directly post-dinner. On arrival at the guesthouse after a long, jam-packed day, the team were finalising packing and getting some much needed sleep.

But sleep was never on the agenda. Little did we know, but there was something much more exciting about to take place. It started with two swimming students offering to casually take us about 50 meters away where a couple of the cousins were dancing. We weren't too keen on the idea of it, but oh how wrong we proved to be. There would have been about 10-15 male dancers there, aged approximately 20+ working up a sweat that could nearly put the entire Maldives underwater, and the passion and enthusiasm which they exerted were sights to be seen. The locals soon caught onto us, offering us to dance, play drums and sing with them. It was absolutely amazing, and such a treat to experience an authentic local party on our last night. We headed home around midnight as we really did need some sleep. We later found out it was a circumcision party and I can say from being there, it was the best Maldivian party I’ll ever go to, and certainly not one I'll ever forget.

Ok, now it was time for sleep! Or was it? No, a soccer superstar that had deserted us for the last week due to a tournament he was attending, surprised us with a return to send us off. Night jumping off the peer, scooter riding and eternal chatting kept a few of the remaining students up until around 3am, with one student pulling an all-nighter just before the plane was about to leave! It was really special that Bonda paid for himself to come back and bid us farewell, so staying awake was the least we could do to repay his kindness.

Finally, team UTS would like to send out its biggest thank yous to Suna, Misbah, Bonda (Shamweel), Anif (Captain), Suni, Saif and Mika. There are many, many more people to thank, including students who attended clinics, food preparers and many more. To the UTS and Antipodeans staff behind the scenes who put in the hard work to make everything run smoothly for 11 happy-go-lucky uni students, our appreciation and thanks go out to you.

Anif (Captain), we appreciate the trips out to the big blue and to experience snorkelling, sea fishing, teaching us the ropes on how to jig and trolling. These opportunities will be cherished forever.

Suni, you were the person who we looked to when a smile was needed. Always smiling and happy, thank you for your translation skills and assisting with activities carried out. Saif, we are so appreciative of your hard-working attitude. Even though he only knew two English words ('yes' and 'no'), he was the most efficient and kind person we've even seen. Mika, at six year old, the world is your oyster. Everyone has had so much fun with you, thank you for taking us into your world. Bonda, the Maldivian international soccer superstar, thank you for sharing your experiences, wisdom and personality with us.

I have to leave one last special mention for Suna and Misbah. These wonderful humans are Antipodeans' in-country partners that made everything happen. Our initial perceptions of this trip were to work with kids, but Suna and Misbah’s efforts have enhanced the experience of this trip immensely, as if it wasn’t great enough! Activities such as snorkelling, fishing, dinners, transportation, private islands, resorts, and assisting with soccer, netball, swimming and nutrition clinics shows their dedication and commitment to this wonderful cause.

Mutually agreed by the entire team, these amazing souls weren’t just a part of our lives, but they WERE our lives. Words aren’t able to sum up the gratitude we as a team have towards these wonderful people and this trip, but memories and experiences last a lifetime, so nothing will be forgotten. To all future UniBreak volunteers, you're in unbelievably good hands!

Shukuriya (thank you)!

UniBreakers sink their feet into Maldives' golden sand

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Sports Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Emily Edwards and Katie Brown

After months of anticipation, our adventure finally began. We were warned of delays, but little did we expect it would be days before we would arrived at Kolamaafushi. Instead, we had our own little adventures at Male and Thinadhoo, meeting the locals, riding motorcycles, searching for coconuts and buying a not-touristy-at-all ‘I-Heart-Maldives’ tee.

The team assembled on the Blue Shark (a ferry) to Thinadhoo. Boarding the vessel proved to be an interesting experience, as it was connected to the land with a single plank. Our fear quickly dispersed with the sight of the gorgeous local kids grinning and staring intensely. This sensation continued when we arrived on the island, surrounded by local smiles and curiosity. Everyone on Thinadhoo was incredibly welcoming, providing us with canoes and hours of karaoke. Definitely a team bonding experience.

We were sad to depart from Thinadhoo, but extremely excited to see Kolamaafushi – an island we fell in love with almost instantly. It was definitely a red carpet experience, greeted by the teaching staff and families. We had an accommodating welcome at the local school where we were given fresh coconuts while we discussed our plans and intentions for the next month.

Our first day was full of adventures – Assad, our guide, showed us around the island. Kolamaafushi has two main roads, going vertically across and horizontally across the little island. On our second day we were taken out to an uninhabited island to go snorkelling. The huge underwater coral formations were breathtaking and we were lucky enough to see a shark. On the beach of the island we barbequed a dolphin fish, with a potato for Sonia and Emily.

We were renowned on the island for our enthusiastic singing, constantly chanting the lyrics to Katy Perry, Shakira, ABBA and Avril Lavigne. We became known as Phil and the Girls. We've loved our short time here so far and are very excited for the days ahead; we'll keep you posted.

UTS students dive in to the majestic Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Sport and health workshops
WRITTEN BY: Melanie Boudib, UTS Sport and Exercise Science / Management student

Our travels began with three plane rides and a bus trip to our guesthouse, and after flying in at night, we were not at all prepared for what treasures lay before us on this island.

The 4.30am call to prayer wakes us from our air-conditioned slumbers, and marks the beginning of another day on an island full of colourful buildings and even more colourful locals, surrounded by impossibly blue waters. After months of anticipation, a week of frenzied packing, and a long 24 hours of travel, we are finally here.

Our first few days are full of exploring, and before we have even started teaching we've already toured the island with our gorgeous and hilarious in-country partner Suna and her husband Misbah, who is a never-ending fount of local knowledge and adventures. Then, of course, there is Bonda... Maldivian soccer star, fishing extraordinaire, and the one who has consistently cracked us up with his quiet jokes and constant "Aahaaa’s”. We've also played a soccer match in the local stadium, spent hours snorkelling the amazing reefs, visited the school we'll be running sports camps and health workshops in for the next three weeks, launched ourselves into the stretch of ocean we'll be teaching swimming in, and had numerous bike malfunctions which have just added to the adventure.

On our third day it feels like we've known each other forever, and it's time to start running the sports sessions. The kids are shy to start, but by the end of the three hours they're running around happily. Despite the heat that sees us Aussies sweating rivers before noon, the soccer and netball stars on the court don't want to stop, which is surely the sign of a morning well spent.

Our health workshops don't start until after the weekend, so we have a nice long break in the middle of the day until swimming coaching starts. These hours are generally wiled away riding bikes, climbing coconut trees, fishing with the 'Captain', or playing ball in our front yard. Then it's back to what I hesitate to call work, wading into the water to teach a younger group how to swim. It's surprising to see the varied skill levels of the kids, but by the end of the second day we've found our groove and everyone's having a lot of fun kicking, splashing, and laughing their way through the two hour lessons.

After what seems like only a day on the island, but in actuality has been a week, the weekend is here. We spend it much like we spend the other days, but it starts with more sleeping in and ends with an amazing beach barbecue for dinner, after a few wrong turns by our truck driver.

The next morning, those of us who haven't been out fishing with Bonda and the Captain venture across the choppy seas. After letting a HUGE fish get away with two hooks, leaving us only with a bent lure, the Captain tells us with a smile "there are three sizes of fish, small, medium, and 'the one that got away'". So we leave him to fish in peace and dive in to the water for a snorkel with Bonda, who catches us a big turtle to hold and get photos with, truly a once in a lifetime experience.

To see the weekend out in style, we boat over to a deserted island where the girls are allowed to ditch their rashies and boardies in favour of bikinis, and spend a blissful five hours snorkelling, playing beach soccer, and playing games in the water. We come home to a delicious buffet for a ridiculously low price by Australian standards, and then it's time to sleep.

The first week here has been a constant adventure. We've played countless sports (a Human Movement student's dream), ridden our bikes till the pedals fell off (literally), and we still have twice as long to go. Every night we exclaim how amazing this place is, and how long it feels like we've already known each other. We can't wait to see what other treasures this island holds, and we've definitely befriended the right people to help us find out.

Farewells and birthday celebrations from the Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Sports Coaching
WRITTEN BY: Minna Featherstone

Tonight, after returning from our overnight trip to the Robinson's resort for Australia Day, Asad surprised us all by organising a big dinner as a sort of last-week-farewell/birthday celebration for Aditi, whose shares her birthday with Australia Day. We had been told dinner was going to be a little late tonight, and as we walked over to the cafe we heard the 7:30pm prayer call that we usually associate with sitting down and anticipating food.

When we arrived, there were candles in bottles held up by sand, plenty of naan bread and our favourite fish curry to go round, a beautiful cake made by one of the preschool teachers, a loud round of happy birthday (possibly the fourth all weekend) and after all that, Asad announced that we would soon be joined by a band who would perform a few songs for us. Moments later a group appeared to set up a couple of music stands... for their ipads! They used these to read their lyrics and music, which hit us shortly as very rhythmic, loud and intense.

There were four large double ended drums, a tambourine, maracas and lots ofclapping and singing in Divehi, songs about love and one about the Maldives, or so we were told. The music was entrancing and got everyone clapping, and the singers of the group who paraded around our seats and danced even more so. They enticed us to join them, to embarrass ourselves dancing alongside the talented and endlessly energetic musicians. It was basically lots of fun.

The week hadn't started as excitingly however. On Monday I stayed home from school with a cold, with a few others of the group returning from school earlier than usual due to various maladies. Swimming that day was also cancelled due to high winds and the fact that half of us were not quite up to it. The next day saw better weather and spirits, although I turned out to be that one annoying person in class who had sniffles, and later in the afternoon we saw our swimming students continue to improve greatly, we could really see that those who were keen and listened well did better. The group of boys mygroup teaches have mastered the basic freestyle skills, and just need to work on them and put them all together. They're also always up for a seaweed or pool noodle fight. The girls we take? Not so much, but their confidence in the water increases every lesson.

Thursday was the Prophet's Birthday which is observed as a public holiday by government institutions including the primary school. The day also marked the last day for one our group, who had to head home early to start back at uni next week. That afternoon half the group headed back to the island for more snorkelling and freshly caught and cooked crabs, staying overnight, with the rest of the group joining them on the island the next morning. We spent Friday relaxing in the water and snorkelling around the island's beautiful reef before heading home to pack for our Australia Day trip. Nextweek is our last week of school and swimming lessons, making us all sad that our trip is winding up so quickly, but with another birthday and more farewell celebrations at school and afterward, we’ve an exciting week ahead!