Groovy Grape Tours

Placement organization

Name of organization: Groovy Grape Tours
Town/city: Adelaide
Country: Australië
Website: https://www.groovygrape.com.au/

Student

Name of student: Esmee van Breugel

Specialist area: ITTI
Placement period: 2017-2018

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Tour operator
Organization’s activities: Groovy Grape Tours provides interactive tours that embrace the Indigenous cultures of the diverse destinations we visit, with local authentic experiences in a fun, informative and adventures style.
Groovy Grape Tours is a specialist in providing tours in Southern and Central Australia departing from Adelaide, Melbourne or Alice Springs.
Target group of the organization: Backpackers
Company culture: Informal in the office; all together in one office. But, formal to the customers.
Number of employees: 4
Dress code: casual
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? Yes

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working?

Reservations

Brief description of your daily activities: You will mainly work in Reservations, but one day a week you will be working outside as well and since you are working together in one office, you get to do jobs for the Marketing manager and Accountant manager as well.

Reservations: answering the phone calls, making bookings through email and phone in Respax (the booking system they work with).

Operations: this is the day that you are working outside (only during peak season). This is working in the yard, preparing the busses for the tours and cleaning them.

Marketing: writing blogs about the tours that you get to do with Groovy Grape Tours, and helping the marketing manager with daily tasks; preparation for events, brochures, etc.

Accounting: helping the accountant manager with preparing the paperwork for tours.

Every day, there is a daily tasks list that you need to finish. Things you can find on the daily task list are:
– Informing the accommodation and activities providers about numbers, upgrades and dietary requirements.
– Updating stop sell template: availability of the tours.
– Preparing driver packs for the tours leaving the day after.
– Update availability on several websites.
– Sending bulk emails to customers that depart the day after or coming back.
– Organise and send brochure requests.
– Contact tour guides about the numbers, dietary requirements and upgrades for the tours departing the next day.
– Updating the itinerary on the website (if necessary).
– Maintenance of first aid kits.
Brief description of your company assignment: Marketing plan; setting up a Facebook Advertisement for a new target group.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: During your internship, you will be supervised by the operational manager.
Besides that, since you are working together with the Marketing and Accounting managers, they will help you with everything you do not know.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Flexible; team player; sociable; independent
Additional company requirements for this placement? Writing Skills; Excel;
English: Advanced
Spanish:
French:
German:
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Airplane

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? Myself
How did you go to work every day? Either bicycle or free tram

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? Yes, Working-Holiday Visa (417)
Do you need a work permit? No
How did you arrange the necessary documents: Internet
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? 1 week
Did you need certain vaccinations? No
How long in advance?

Language course

Did you take a language course before you started your placement? No
Would you recommend to have a language course prior to this placement? As long as you are confident in speaking English, you are alright.

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € +/- €1200
Accommodation (monthly): € +/- €500, depending where you stay
Local transport (monthly): € +/- €20
General costs of living (monthly): € +/- €600
Costs of visa: € €300
Costs of work permit: €
What did the company pay for/to you? You will get $600 a month.

Besides that, you are able to do all of the tours that the company sells (Great Ocean Road, Outback Tour, Kangaroo Island, Barossa Valley, Flinders Ranges).

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
Reading about it on the internet; but to be honest, you do not really have to prepare for it.
Australians are very friendly and open, they want to help you with everything if necessary.
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? No

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: esmeevanbreugel@live.nl

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: Enjoy! And if you have time, add some time either before or after your internship to see more of Australia, you will love it!
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: – Australian football game at the Oval Stadium
– Visit one of the beaches; Glenelg Beach, Henley Beach, West Beach, Semaphore Beach
– Central market and China town (cheap and nice food!)
– Visit one of the National Parks; Belair National Park, Morialta Conservation Park
– Visit a wildlife park; Gorge Wildlife park (best one) or Cleland
– Visit Mount Lofty and Waterfall Gully
– Harbour Outlet for the rainy Sunday’s
– Handorff (German Town)
– Enough to do in Adelaide!!

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link