A 22-strong band of Curtin volunteers will visit Australia’s only monastic town this weekend to help the monks out with a spot of cleaning.
International student Menglu Wang is leading the group which is taking the roadtrip north of Perth to the heritage-listed town of New Norcia.
“It’s going to be fun,” said Ms Wang, a final-year Bachelor of Science (Actuarial Science) student from Weihai, southeast of China.
“We’re staying in one of the dorms and have been asked to bring our sleeping bags.”
2010 is Ms Wang’s second year as a John Curtin Weekend volunteer, after she co-ordinated a volunteer trip to Margaret River last year.
“Visiting these areas outside of Perth, you get to know more about the (West Australian) culture,” she said.
“It’s exciting because (international students) don’t get to stay in Australia long.”
While in New Norcia this weekend, the John Curtin Weekend volunteers will spend most of their time cleaning the township’s Ildephonsus College.
“I hope we get a chance to see the monks praying,” she said.
About half the team is made up of international students.
