A young intern from the Netherlands on site in a UNESCO World Heritage area shares his experience. Great work Stijn, thanks for sharing your experience. It is certainly a beautiful place to work.

🌏✨ Internship in Australia ✨🌏
By Stijn Heering

I’m super excited to share that I’m currently interning at HEMPBLOCK International, a company dedicated to sustainability and innovation in the construction industry. They make hemp blocks – an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional building materials. These blocks are not only sustainable and energy-efficient, but also contribute to a healthier future for our planet. How cool is that? 🌱🏠

But it gets even better! My internship takes me to Fraser Island (K’gari), one of the most unique places on earth. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is known as the largest sand island in the world, with amazing beaches, clear blue lakes and an incredibly diverse ecosystem. Here, I partner with Fraser Island Adventures, a local tourism company that offers adventure experiences while working to preserve this special place.

During my internship, I help with a project in which we research and apply innovative and sustainable solutions. We are greatly supported in this by Johan Tijssen, whose expertise and guidance help us to make a real impact. It is inspiring to work with someone who brings so much experience and passion to this field. 🙌

Working on an island like Fraser Island is a truly unique experience – every day is different and brings new challenges and insights. It’s great to see how technology, sustainability and conservation can go hand in hand, and I’m super grateful to be able to contribute to this. 🌏✨

I am following the Smart Building course at the ROC van Twente in Rijssen. This course is a future-oriented MBO course aimed at the construction sector. It combines traditional construction with innovative technologies and sustainability. During this course, we learn how to design, build and manage smart, sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. That is why this internship also fits in perfectly with my studies. I would also like to thank Clemens Heuker of Hoek and Bart Sportel who supported me in finding this fantastic internship and arranging this adventure. Their guidance shows how important committed teachers are in an adventure like this.

What I appreciate most about this opportunity is how I can apply my knowledge in a way that really makes a difference. Not only for the island, but also for the future of sustainable construction. This adventure allows me to grow, learn and develop my passion for innovation and sustainability even further.

Are you also involved in sustainable construction or just curious about what we do? Feel free to send me a message! I am happy to share my experiences and learning points. 💡