Why international students love Trinity Bay State High

Hundreds of students are flying halfway across the world to go to school at Trinity Bay State High – find out why.

Among the 58 international students starting at Trinity State High School this year are Pauline from Germany, Mylena from Brazil and Nina from Germany, who will spend the rest of the school year at ‘TBay’. Picture: Brendan Radke

Trinity Bay State High School is the most popular regional school in Queensland among international exchange students with a new group of 58 teenagers from as far away as Brazil and the Netherlands settling into school life in Cairns – the latest record group of arrivals.

Trinity Bay is particularly popular amongst German and Italian students, and has the fourth-busiest international student program of any state school in Queensland, with the top schools located in Brisbane, according to head of Trinity Bay’s international student program, Saniya Muller.

Mrs Muller said Trinity Bay had 82 international students enrolled in term three, with the 58 newbies arriving throughout the July school holidays including 19 scholarship students from Brazil and children from Papua New Guinea, Luxembourg, Italy and Germany.

“We offer nature, marine sciences and a different Australian experience to the big city, and every one of the students coming to us this term has put Trinity Bay as their first preference school,” Mrs Muller said.

Trinity Bay State High School currently has a huge cohort of more than 80 international students, who will study at the Manunda campus for the next two terms, until the end of the school year. Siale, Zach and Jaden are all from Papua New Guinea. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Generally, our students say they have the time of their life and that reputation and word of mouth spreads among the agents and the students and their parents.”

German Trinity Bay State High School student, Paula, is among the new arrivals, but she has come back a second time in 2025 during her school holidays in Germany, having attended the school for two terms in 2024.

“It’s really all about the amazing people I have met here and I love the school as well - and the teachers - it really enriched my life in many ways, so I have summer break now in Germany and this was the last possibility to come back,” Paula said.

Fellow German student Pauline, said she valued the wide subject choices available in Australian schools, and loved the beaches, reef and nature around Cairns.

Mrs Muller said the school had been hosting more than a hundred international visiting students annually for at least the past five years.

Trinity Bay State High School currently has a huge cohort of 80 international students, who will study at the Manunda campus until the end of the school year. Ainnika and Paula from Germany will complete their studies at Trinity Bay High. Picture: Brendan Radke

She said said the majority of students stayed six months with host families, but some stayed as long as five years completing year 12 at the school, with four German students graduating this year with plans to attend university in Queensland.

She said the popularity of the school could be put down to a combination of location, word of mouth reputation, experience, and staff.

“Our school is very multicultural - there are 75 languages spoken at our school – and our teachers are very experienced educating students who do not speak English as a first language,” Ms Muller said.

Brazialian students Marira, Isabely and Enzo are looking forward to studying in Australia for the remainder of the school year. Picture: Brendan Radke

A spokesman for the Department of Education said more than 5000 international students studied in Queensland schools every year, with Trinity Bay boasting the highest number of enrolments in regional Queensland.

“Trinity Bay State High School is one of 100 schools across Queensland registered to host international students,” he said.

“Students are welcomed into a friendly, supportive and diverse school community that values both learning and personal growth. With strong academic programs and easy access to iconic natural sites like the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, students get the chance to learn both in and outside the classroom.”

Originally published as Why international students love Trinity Bay State High