AIFS Australia

Help was always available for every aspect of travel or work! When I had work issues or problems with accommodation or whenever I had a single question about anything I always had AIFS' support! At times I had problems with accommodation & the get Australia team were there for me. They also helped me get a job by going through my CV with me & improving it. They also booked my travel which was great because I got great advice as well as having discounted prices on not just Australian travel but also travel in New Zealand!

My host family were incredible and looked after me so well. I really did feel like a member of their family. One of my favourite memories with the girls comes from my love of the story the 'Gruffalo' the girls had never heard this story so being my all time favourite I ordered them a copy. I read it to them countless times, including silly voices for each character!! Then one day I put on some music whilst we were doing some craft activities. Florence And The Machine 'You got the love' came on, to which the youngest girl heard it as you 'You Gruffalo'!!! so we spent probably the next half an hour dancing around the house singing to the newly named Gruffalo song!! For the rest of the time I was with the family and I played music, the girls always requested the Gruffalo song. Now whenever hear that song it always reminds me of those amazing six months I was lucky enough to spend in and amazing place with and incredible family.

Being placed in the outback gave me a chance to see the real side of Australia that being in a city wouldn't have allowed me to see. Yes it was isolated, yes it was a 4 hour drive to the supermarket, yes I saw snakes, yes I saw spiders, yes there wasn't a huge social scene but being out there gave me the chance to see things that I may never see and experience again. One of my favourite being the sunsets, even after six months the sunrises and sunsets out there still amazed me, the creatures that I saw, kangaroos, wallabies, blue tongued lizards, emu, cockatoos, pelicans, the list could go on and on. Sure if you go to a zoo you will get to see them, but I got to see them all in their natural habitat and living in the wild, I even saw some Kangaroos boxing!! I swam in the river which was like being in a bath, learnt to fish, spent many evening beer in hand in the pool watching the sunset followed by a barbecue, Bliss!!

Ok so there are a list of cons to living in the outback but the pros well and truly out weigh them. the lifestyle is so relaxed away form all the hustle and bustle. Just you, your host family and nature that goes on for miles and miles around!! Where else could you get that.

Oh and if all those experiences aren't valuable enough, I got paid to do the job! Which funded sine incredible travelling afterwards!

Would I do it all again? YES without a doubt!

Travelling through australia was the best thing I could have done after graduating and I was always very happy that I have chosen AIFS as my organisation and supporter. They were there for me when I needed help and that was all I needed. Thank you!

I always wanted to become an au pair and live abroad for some time. After finishing my A levels I decided to spend 6 months in Australia.

It was the longest time that I had left my family and friends so far and it helped a lot that AIFS arranged for a group of us to be on the same flight. We also attended the orientation days in their office in Sydney together. The AIFS team was wonderful and so helpful! They gave us a ton of tips and also organized our trips to the host families.

My time in Canberra went by in the blink of an eye it seems now. My host family and I were a good match and I will forever be thankful for the wonderful time I got to spent with them. The children became something like my younger siblings and when my six months placement came to an end it was very hard to say goodbye.

During my time in Canberra I also got to know a lot of other au pairs through AIFS and one of them still remains a close friend of mine. We see each other at least once a year and both agree that going to Australia was the best decision we could have made! Not only have we found a true friend so far from home, we also have grown a lot as a person while living abroad and of course traveling Australia has also been an amazing experience!

All in all I made unforgettable memories that I get to keep for a lifetime!

I would recommend for anyone to go abroad as an au pair as it gives you the opportunity to experience a different culture in a very unique way and will not only help with improving your language skills but also make you a more responsible and independent person. - All while you are making a lot of new friends and are having a great time with a family that invites you to share their life with them.

And if there will be any problems, which is normal as being an au pair isn't always easy, AIFS provides amazing support. They are always there for you whether you just need to talk or require help in any other way!

After I did my A-levels back in Germany I decided to spend a year abroad to travel, experience a different way of life and to improve my English. After 6 weeks in a host family I did not really get on with the host mum that is why I was in rematch. Within one week I had offers from over 5 families which I visited and finally I found the right match for me - thanks to AIFS. The staff was amazingly supportive!! My new host family was great. They made me feel welcome all the time, they also invited me to join them for friends and family celebration and on holidays twice. As I was living in a big city I made friends easily most of them where also Au Pairs from AIFS. My year abroad definitely made me a more independent and confident person and I would always recommend it to everyone!! The completion bonus at the end of the placement is great to use for travelling afterwards around Australia, New Zealand, Fiji or Asia.