I'm getting so excited now because along with the end of School Graduation and Year 12 Formal comes Schoolies!!!! For anyone not knowing what this is, it's a celebration by all Year 12 School leavers at the end of their schooling :) In some States it's also called 'Leavers'.
It usually goes for about 3 -4 weeks, generally the first week is for Queensland the second for New South Wales and then the third for the other States (although this does change some years) .... but that doesn't mean you can't go whenever you want. It's a week long party for you and your friends and usually the first time you get to go away without your family :D
The most famous place to go is Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in Queensland, it's where 30,000+ school leavers go to party and party hard, so if that is your scene then that's the place for you.
Of course not everyone wants to be part of that 30,000+ crowd so they choose other destinations for their party week. There's Byron Bay in New South Wales, Lorne in Melbourne, Victor Harbour in SA, Rottnest in WA and the Whitsundays in Northern Queensland, just to name a few, that all have planned Schoolies events and security. If that's still not your thing you may want to find your own place to enjoy yourself and just hang with your friends, many choose quieter spots along the coastline or some even go to Bali or Fiji for their celebrations, the choice is yours!! :) Probably best to choose the location that suits your personality and your budget the best.
For a full look at Schoolies and to find out all locations visit 'Schoolies.com'
Wherever you decide to spend your time remember to make it great. Be with friends you can trust and have the time of your life with :) :) Over the years 'Schoolies' has got a lot of bad press because of a handful of incidents, there's so many good news stories come back from schoolies, not everyone goes to get drunk and cause trouble!! It's easy to get a bit nervous about going to Schoolies but If you choose the destination to suit your needs properly you should have a great time :)
Leading up to Schoolies it's easy to forget basic boring stuff such as budgeting, shopping etc etc so take a bit of time to discuss things with your friends before you go, you don't want to find out everyone has twice as much money as you so they can do heaps more stuff than you, that would really suck!!!!! Remember too, you will probably need a 'house budget' for basics like nibblies, coffee, juice, toilet paper etc, you know the stuff you never want to run out of :) Even in a lot of resorts you will only be given the basics for your room so you and your friends will have to buy stuff. Take advantage of free breakfasts and nibblies whenever you can and fill up through the day hahaha that way you wont have to buy as much food each day and may only need to buy your dinner :P
What to take:
yourself :)
your friends ..... hahaha
your Year 12 ID !!!
money - you need enough to buy food, drinks and entertainment every day you are away and extra for emergencies :) different locations call for different costs (check before you go)
clothes - if you're lazy and don't want to wash, take enough for the whole week!!
makeup - of course :)
shoes - comfy ones
mobile and recharger - if you're on pre-paid be sure to have plenty of credit
Don't take:
bad attitude
anything too valuable
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The 'Red Frog Crew' is a Schoolies Support Network which has a positive presence in the Schoolies party week, they offer help in many ways from cooking and cleaning to emotional help when it's needed. They also provide entertainment and chill-out zones throughout the week in some destinations :)
Take advantage of the 'Red Frogs' people who are there to help you, they will come and cook you up some frog pancakes if you want them to, they will also walk you back to your accommodation if you get stranded or feel unsafe in any way!! :)
MOST IMPORTANT THING: STAY SAFE!!!, there's a life beyond schoolies!!!!! :D
Be sure to have their number keyed into your mobile - 1300557123
