Staff Spotlight: Georgie Collcutt

Taking a train from Kandy to Colombo (Sri Lanka) in the early hours of the morning was one of the most memorable moments of my life. Watching the sun rise over mountains as we wound through the lush landscape was both peaceful and beautiful and I felt like I had gone back in time.

I have continued my love for travel but have now developed more of a passion for the important things life such as animal welfare, environmental causes and contributing towards helping underprivileged communities. I have learnt a lot more about destinations I never dreamed of visiting, and now I can't wait to go there myself.

A participant who took part in our Australian farm work program told me that this experience had completely changed her life. She said this was largely due to the help that she had received from Oyster both prior to departure and through continued support whilst she was there. Something like this is great to hear and makes my job worth it! Having lived in rural Queensland myself, this is a story very close to my heart and I was so happy that we were able to make this happen for her :)

I never realized just how lucky I was to have gone through Oyster for the outback farming program until I spoke with other participants. I was far more prepared and informed of what to expect and therefore I could feel confident and safe going into my first overseas trip. With the thorough descriptions and quick replies, it was a very smooth process, and made it a great deal easier for my family to grasp as well.

Because of Oyster, I am able to travel while making a contribution, a gem of an opportunity made accessible by this company. I am enjoying my life at a hay and cattle farm in central Queensland, becoming more than just an employee among the family staff, and marveling at the clear Milky Way every night outside my accommodation. I recommend both Oyster and the program for anyone looking for a real experience and education. Special thanks to my project manager Georgie for being so sincere and keeping in touch!

I would take part in all of our programs if I could. However, one day I would love to visit Costa Rica and I can't think of anything more rewarding than contributing towards generating turtle populations. There are so many modern day obstacles that these creatures face and without human interaction there is a real danger of extinction. Our program has a beach side hatchery and has managed to release thousands of baby turtles over the years. Everyone who takes part in this program returns home very happy. This project is fantastic and what a fabulous country to visit!

We are a small team at Oyster and although we specialize in individual projects, we work very closely together. All of our projects are handpicked and have been visited by at least one member of staff to make sure we are accurate with our information and project objectives. We are all passionate travelers, we are on-hand to talk to all our participants whenever they need it, and we have a fantastic online portal that manages their trip from the moment you sign up through to departure and beyond.

Communication.

Heading overseas is a big thing for lots of people. It can be life changing. It can also be expensive and you want to make sure that you are committing to the right project. We offer lots of advice and first-hand experience, and manage your expectations. We believe offering lots of pre-departure information makes for a successful trip and we support you 100% of the way and beyond.