Life and Study in the National Park

My name is Karen and I come from Japan.  I met my husband in Western Australia 6 years ago.  We got married and we have been living here for about 3 years.

My husband has a tourist business in Karijini National Park, which is 1500 km away from Perth.  There are a lot of beautiful gorges and natural pools there. It is a spiritual environment with spectacular views.

We live in the National Park 7 months a year during the tourist peak season. I love watching the beautiful sunrise and sunset and the star-filled sky at night.  I enjoy listening to the different birds, swimming and walking in gorges. Sometimes however living in this remote place makes me frustrated because I miss the dynamics of the city life, the concerts, the festivals, dining out, catching up with people, but I try to treasure all the unique experiences here. I have a job too in the National Park.  I work as a Yoga instructor and a massage therapist.  

I enrolled in the DL program to study English in 2014.  My English has been improving dramatically with teacher Bernadette.  Studying online is the perfect study style for me because of the flexibility.

I have also been studying the Interior Design Diploma course online for the last 6 months which is very exciting. I have learnt how to make scale models to represent the characteristics of different architectural styles. In the picture you can see me with the Gothic style miniature interior design.

I am so happy that living in a remote place could not stop me from taking up new challenges, learning, improving and working hard towards my future goals.  Now I have finished my AMEP course and I am proud to have achieved Certificate 3.

Congratulations Karen on completing the CSWE course and thank you for sharing your unique experiences.  We wish you all the best for your future.

• What do you like the most about your lifestyle in Australia?  What do you miss?
• If you had to live in a national park, how would you feel and what would you do?     
• What courses would you like to do in the future?
• What are the pros and cons of studying online?

Why not leave a message for Karen or write an answer to one of the questions below!

For information on DL Holiday Programs for WA students click here.

Give Happy, Live happy - National Volunteer Week

This week we celebrate National Volunteer Week.  Volunteering means giving your time and working for no money, so why do we do it? Research shows that volunteers live happier and healthier lives.  We asked two of our teachers about the volunteer work they've done when they're not paid to teach.

Linda, far left

DL Teacher, Linda, volunteered to be a reading mentor and a role-model in public schools to help students develop their reading and comprehension skills. She works with one student on a weekly basis for one term through the ABCN Spark program.  She finds it rewarding to share her skills to help someone in her community and make a difference.  Linda says it is a lot of fun to see the students improve their reading levels, enjoy reading more and engage in conversations increasing their confidence and self-esteem.

Baby possums with Karen

DL Teacher, Karen, is a volunteer for rescuing and caring for injured or displaced native animals such as birds, lizards and possums through the wildlife rescue organisation, WIRES.  Her favourite are baby possums.  She enjoys bottle feeding them until they're ready to be released back into the wild.  Karen also plans to do further training to raise kangaroo joeys, koalas and wombats.  She does this volunteer work because she loves animals and finds it rewarding to save them, watch them grow and be safely free again in the wild.  She says this has also been a wonderful experience for her children.

• Have you ever volunteered?  What did you do?
• What are the benefits of volunteering for new migrants in Australia?
• What kind of volunteer work is available?
• How do you find volunteer work in your area?

Why not share your views or what you've done to volunteer here and inspire other students!

Interview Practice Sessions Pay Off

Shakeela - DL Student

I moved to Australia in July 2013 and started my Distance Learning lessons in May 2014.  My teacher Karen was extremely friendly and very helpful.  She assisted me with my initial settlement and was very aware of my job search and future career plans so she told me I could have 2 hours of Job Interview Practice Sessions with an experienced DL teacher.

I was keen to get these lessons and the very next day I got a call from Craig, an excellent teacher who not only gave me positive and constructive feedback but pointed out things in my resume which I never thought could be a problem. I made those changes in my resume and applied for a Human Resources role in July.  The next day I got a call from a recruitment company for an interview which went very well.   Right after that I got a job with the Salvation Army Employment Plus as a Consultant.  

This was the most amazing piece of news.  My husband and I were extremely excited. This is my first job in Australia and I am so grateful to Karen for helping me throughout the job hunting process and to Craig for helping me with job interview techniques which were very useful.  I enjoy my new role as it’s very interesting and challenging.  I am really looking forward to learning and growing.

Congratulations Shakeela and our best wishes for a bright career in Australia.

If you need help with interview techniques why not take advantage of the additional Interview Practice Sessions we offer! This can be organised through your DL teacher.