Travelling the world with your family on a catamaran while attending one of Australia’s leading independent schools online would be a dream come true for any student. This is the reality for thirteen-year-old Alex, who is exploring the oceans and experiencing incredible sights with his siblings and parents on their catamaran. Alex, a Year 7 student at Haileybury Pangea, joined the online school earlier this year and has been thriving ever since. He finds the challenge and extensive curriculum complements his adventurous lifestyle, particularly his favourite subject, Humanities.
Currently, the family is sailing between the Galapagos and the Marquesas, a 3,000-nautical-mile journey. This will be their base before heading to New Zealand to finish up the year. As a travelling family, connecting for live classes from remote locations or while crossing oceans could be challenging. However, Alex eagerly participates in Teams or Zoom classes for live learning and discussions via Starlink, a significant advantage of Haileybury Pangea.
Despite the initial adjustment to attending live classes and the level of the coursework, Alex quickly adapted to the systems, structure and routine. His favourite spot for class time is at his desk in his room, where he enjoys “looking out the window and being in my own space.” He most enjoys the Humanities as they often connect to places he has visited; while he finds Science enjoyable and intriguing, even while learning online and on the ocean.
Living on a boat is an adventure for Alex and his family. “One day you could be swimming with penguins or sea lions, and the next climbing a volcano or exploring ancient ruins. I really enjoy the variety of seeing new places,” Alex shares. Some of his most memorable experiences include: climbing a volcano in Vulcano, Italy; anchoring off the Statue of Liberty in New York; watching a Falcon Heavy rocket launch in Cape Canaveral; spearfishing in the Bahamas; exploring ancient catacombs in Turkey; and navigating the Corinth Canal and Panama Canal. “There have been so many, it’s hard to pick,” Alex reflects.
Alex’s parents, Sophie and Michael, had always dreamed of travelling with their family. They left Australia in early 2022 and have been living on the boat ever since. So far on their journey they have explored the Mediterranean, the East coast of the USA, the Caribbean, Zimbabwe, and most recently, the Galapagos in the Pacific. Initially planning to return to Australia before Alex commenced in Middle School, discovering Haileybury Pangea has meant the family can continue their travels, taking it one season at a time.
One of Sophie’s most memorable places to visit with the family was the Gallipoli peninsula and Anzac Cove. They anchored off Canakkale to truly immerse themselves in the significance of the local area and Australian wartime history.
Sophie and Michael have been very happy with the level of work and support and are pleased that Alex has started making connections with some of his peers which they see “is bringing him joy and is important to him.”
Between travels and lessons, Alex has learnt to drive a speedboat, sail, scuba dive, spearfish, free dive, read the wind, and manoeuvre the sailing boat off anchor. These unique experiences, combined with lessons at Haileybury Pangea, truly make the world Alex’s oyster.
