School Leavers Have Bali on Their Mind

(By Jordan Ashelford and Julia Koenig - Bond University Journalism Students)
 
A recent vox pop revealed a number of Varsity College grade 12 students were planning to celebrating Schoolies Week in Bali rather than in Surfers Paradise.
 
Year 12 Varsity College student Courtney Clarke said she had never been to Bali and was excited to go.
 
“I am looking forward to celebrating with my closest friends,” Miss Clarke said.
 
“I have high expectations for this trip.
 
“We thought we would try something different instead of the regular Schoolies activities.”
 
Bali is reported as being a hot spot for school leavers from New South Wales and Victoria, although many Queenslanders’ now prefer an overseas adventure.
 
Varsity College graduate Natassjha Higham said she celebrated Schoolies on the Gold Coast last year and thought it was overrated because of alcohol induced drama.
 
“There is so much pressure in year 12 and I think by the end of it everyone has reached their boiling point,” Miss Higham said.
 
“My friends and I just turned on each other [during our schoolies week].
 
“It was not worth all of the fights and broken friendships.”
 
Miss Higham said she would have preferred to travel to Bali with her friends in hindsight.
 
However, according to www.schoolies.com, the Gold Coast is still the most popular Schoolies destination.
 
Approximately 90 percent of the registered 28,000 school leavers from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria are expected to celebrate in Surfers Paradise in 2009.
 
Queensland schoolies begins on November 21, for more information visit www.schoolies.com.