2014 – 2015 INBOUNDERS
Paul Winter
Manon Morales
Austria
Belgium
Ananda Tarosso
Brazil
Julie Bertelsen
Helena Greobinghoff
Henri Meittinen
Clara Nami
Thibault Sarzi
Yuta Tsuchiya
Nico Muhmenthaler
Denmark
Germany
Finland
France
France
Japan
Switzerland
RC of Coonabarabran
RC of Gunnedah West
RC of Gunnedah 2380
RC of Macksville
RC of Nambucca Heads
RC of Coffs Harbour
RC of Gloucester
RC of Narrabri
RC of Great Lakes
RC of Taree on Manning
RC of Woolgoolga
RC of Port Macquarie Sunrise
Austria
Brazil
Denmark
France
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Norway
Sweden
Switzerland
RC of Port Macquarie Sunrise
RC of Bellingen
RC of Lightning Ridge
RC of Port Macquarie Sunrise
RC of Lightning Ridge
RC of Taree on Manning
RC of Inverell
RC of Armidale
RC of Armidale A.M
RC of Great Lakes
RC of Taree on Manning
2014 OUTBOUNDERS
Jade Conway
Joel Phipps
Kahlee Traynor-Chilcott
Zoe Phelps Barber
Kirralea O’Neill
Natarlya Hennessy
Zac Luxford
Bridget Driver
Charlene Mutuota
Matt McGarrigle
Olivia Alexander
The Rotary Club of Bellingen Sponsors Joel
So The Rotary Club of Port Macquarie Sunrise sponsors Jade
The Rotary Club of Port Macquarie Sunrise sponsors Zoe
The Rotary Club of Lightning Ridge sponsors Kirralea
The Rotary Club of Taree on Manning sponsors Natarlya
I was sad to say goodbye to my fantastic second host family, and now i am onto my third
and last family here in Denmark. I moved family’s on the 20th of September because I was
out with friends on the 19th which was when I was meant to move, the day after I got to
my new family I went to church with them because my younger host sister will be
confirmed soon and has to attended 10 Sundays at church first.
That Wednesday after school I had my friend Angie over for dinner and we went and
watched birds by the sea with my family it was so nice but quite cold J the next weekend
on Friday I went back to my second family’s house for dinner and they decided to dress
me up by curling my hair and doing my makeup because I was going out with some
friends. We went to Vejen a city near my town and it was fun!
The next morning my family picked me up and we drove 3 hours north in Denmark to a
town called Hobro we went walking through a forest and had some lunch and snacks for
me a little nap, the view was amazing we then went to a place where they celebrate the 4th
of July here in Denmark. We drove home after dinner that night and got home about
11:30.
On the Tuesday after school I met up with a lot of other exchange students from rotary and
AFS that live in my town, they are all amazing and from many different places but mostly
Italy haha. The day after I went to a rotary meeting with my host father, I still don’t
understand what they are talking about because its mostly like politics and stuff but it is
really nice to be there and have dinner with them J I also started my Danish class again
on Thursdays, I miss all the other exchange student that were in my class last year and
have gone home already but my new class is also amazing and really funny J my friends
at school have become like true friends and I don’t know how I will leave them.
I have become so close with so many people over the last 4 months and I just cant think
that I have less then 100 days until I go home, one of my closest friends here will go back
to Argentina in January, so there is my next trip planned J but it has been a great month
and I have more great months to come J
The Rotary Club of Lightning Ridge sponsors Kahlee
Well this month hasn’t been all that busy with school about to commence and the study will begin again for my friends and
me.
But before school even starts I have been changed to a new school because my rotary club here in Italy thought it better if I do
a more practical school for my last 3 months left here in Italy and of course I was interested so it was doe less than 1 week
before school starts and I am changing schools to the cooking school high above the whole town of Sondrio and the changing
of the school is amazing but it has come with a few catches that include; 1. Having to buy uniform for the cooking classes.
2. having to get a timetable arranged that includes more than just cooking classes 5 days a week with a total of 36 hours in a
kitchen and that’s not bad but very very tiring.
Finally the fact that the accent takes 20 minutes to do and that’s not bad but when you are having to get to a new school and the
accent is close to a hard work out and if I wasn’t already skinny I think I will return to Australia like pencil but that’s all the
more reason to eat more food I guess.
The changes here have been amazing when I left Australia for example I was shy, quiet, worked and well known in my town,
never did anything out of the normal for a teenager of my age, then I got to Italy I have gained 10 kilos but you would never
see it, I have grown a full 3 inches taller and that makes me close to the tallest in my family here and in Australia and then my
personality that’s been the biggest change I have seen a Zac that would work and never change who he is and was always
looking for the real Zac and here this year I have seen old Zac slowly but surely fade away and a new exciting Zac come in
with new hair styles and my hair is close to the main concern of a morning here in Italy, finding Zac and who he actually is
which I think will shock everyone when I return to Australia from rotary to my family, but hopefully they will like the new Zac
as I do.
Before school started though I went to London for a day with my old host family and although we were only there for a day
there was so many different things that’s we saw form Buckingham palace and the changing of the guard and that was breath
taking to say the least and then the shopping was just amazing and coming home to Italy was hard because there aren’t any
nice chap shops in my town but anyway we can’t have it all when you go on exchange, I enjoyed the day and thanked the
family many times for it.
Then when school commenced all the teachers and students love me and say that they want me in their classes to which I laugh
because I can’t please them all so it’s hard trying to find my spot at school but its coming along nicely, then with my newbie
here form America I see her nearly once a week for coffee to see how she is going because it’s hard to begin with and I know
form experience and so when she has a problem I am always there to help her and I hope I help her because this experience
doesn’t come along every day.
The Italian is coming along incredibly well with me able to hold a very long conversation in Italian as well as write fairly well
but I am thinking about also taking German as it was suggested to me that German is easier to learn so I might take German
and we will see where I can go with that.
So sadly to day not that much has happened this month hopefully next month will be more energetic bit we will wait and see.
Until then ciao and arriverdici.
The Rotary Club of Narrabri sponsors Zac
Hei!
This month I have moved to my final host family. It is crazy how fast this year is going and it won’t be
long until I’m back in Australia. My new host family consists of four family members, a dog, and four
cats. My new host mother is from America but she is fluent in Norwegian and was an exchange student in
Penrith in Sydney when she was younger. My host sisters are Victoria, 15, who is currently in Japan
through Rotary Exchange, and Isabella, 13.
I attended a conference for my tourism class in the city during this month, which was exciting and was a
great experience. The conference was about the north of Norway and different aspects of the tourism
industry here. The conference was for a school day and I took notes and learnt a lot more about the
northern Norway.
This month I travelled to Trondheim, which is in the middle of Norway, for a district conference. This is
was the first chance the new exchange students that came in August and the ‘oldies’, the exchange
students who came in January, met. It was amazing hearing their experiences already and what they are
looking forward to. It was so weird and inspiring that they looked towards us, the ‘oldies’ for guidance
and endless questions about our stay. It was unforgettable and it is very unfortunate that we don’t get to
see each other again. Those three days was amazing, from meeting the ‘newbies’ to doing a small
presentation in front of all our district co-ordinates that attended the district meeting. The final night we
had a very prestige’s dinner with many awards to different rotary clubs and district officers.
The next day before everyone left to travel back all over Norway, the exchange students visited the
Rockheim museum which is Norway’s national museum of pop and rock music. It was an amazing
museum as it was mainly interactive, so each section there was something different. I would have spent
all day there if I could, as there was sections for different era’s, there to listen to different instruments
famous artists used, games, a section to learn to play an instrument including drums, keyboard and DJ
table, a movie section, and much more. I was in love and I hope to visit again in the future.
The next weekend was this special fair in my city that was like the Norwegian version of a flea market. It
was so cool and interesting seeing different stalls of wool clothing, cards, dried meats (such as reindeer,
wale, moose, lamb), and many more including a candy stall. My friends encouraged me to try a
Norwegian specialty, which is a big wrap with melted brown cheese and sour cream inside. It was
actually really good as I am a very big fan of brown cheese. It was a great weekend, with friends and my
host family.
Before the month ended, I was very fortunate to see one of my exchange student friends, Tegan who
currently lives in Oslo. She was traveling with her parents from Australia, taking the Hurtigruten to see
and visit the coast of Norway. They were only in my city for a few hours however I was able to meet
them for those few hours. It was great hearing an Australian accent and slang again and it was amazing
talking to them. It was a great surprise and I hope to see Tegan again before she leaves and once we are
all back in Australia.
This is going to be an exciting few months before coming back to Australia and I can’t wait for what is to
come (such as Christmas and my birthday).
e
The Rotary Club of Armidale A.M. sponsors Charlene
I started this month of on a rotary organized canoeing trip, it took place about an hour
north of my host town and we paddled for 6 hours but unfortunately on the way my
partner and I flipped our canoe.
After we resurfaced with the canoe we then travelled to the camp site where we then set up
camp and stayed overnight before returning back to my host town the next morning. It was
a very fun activity even if my partner and I were the only ones to flip our canoe leaving us
freezing cold.
Since the Canoeing trip I have just mainly been attending school and doing fun activities
on the weekend. On September the 12 I participated in the event (Colour Run), for those
who are unaware of what the event is, It is a 5km fun run which consist of several colour
stations where people spray all different colours of chalk at you the weekend after the
colour run on September 19th a few of the exchange student and I travelled up north to
Göteborg to meet some of the fellow exchange students that we had become friends with
on the Euro Tour
It was great to finally meet some of them again as I had become close friends with a lot of
them through the European Ramble. Last week on the 1st of October I attended one a
champion’s league soccer match between Malmö FF (My Local Team) and Olympiacos. It
was a very good game and it was finished in the perfect matter with my team defeating
Olympiacos 2-0.
As well as going to a champion’s league soccer game I recently went to an ice hockey
game between Malmö Red Hawke’s and Vasteras. It was very exciting as I had never seen
ice hockey live before it was defiantly something I would like to do again.
The Rotary Club of Great Lakes sponsors Matt
It seems like I’m forever on holidays here, which I suppose I am anyway I had a couple weeks of school
and now I’m on holidays again. The best thing about my new host family is the fact that they live right
next to the school. Literally. Which means I can leave my house at 7:59 and still have plenty of time to be
in the classroom by 8 sharp.
Remembering that in Switzerland, where everything runs to the millisecond that the door will be closed
and the lesson will have started at exactly this time. A friend of mine got marked absent and questioned as
to his whereabouts when he was no more than 15 seconds late to class.
And finally it makes sense why my Swiss schools 45 minute lessons seem much longer than my
Australian schools hour lessons. Well it’s because the Swiss don’t stuff around- when a lesson starts, it
starts. You cannot have students walking in 15minutes after the beginning and merely shrug their
shoulders to the teacher.
One week before the holidays my school always has a ‘special week’. So for this week my class sailed
around Holland around two Islands and then across Holland to Amsterdam. Finally I was able to see the
sea again and smell fish and chips in the air. Brilliant. Each night we sleep on the ship parked on an Island
or small town.
The first night was spent at an Island where the bottom two images are taken. The other nights we stayed
on two other islands, on a sandbank and of course in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is definitely an interesting
city with almost double the amount of bikes as cars. Dutch is also a very interesting language in fact my
class spent our whole stay making fun of it as it is basically half German and half English. There was
many words where the first half of the word would be the same as English and the ending the same as in
German.
After I got back from the Netherlands I had only a few days and then I headed to Italy with Rotary. The
trip was a total of 6 days half in Rome and half in Venice. As I’ve already been the Rome, Venice was
definitely the highlight. So picturesque. Both cities are quite different as Rome is a very ancient city so
it’s always important to go see everything whereas Venice I found more relaxed in the aspect that it’s
more up to you to discover it.
Though I think the problem with Italy is that you can’t think about anything but food there…. To be
honest a spent A LOT of my stay in Italy on food and I definitely don’t regret it. Also the coffee is great.
Ciao,
Olivia
The Rotary Club of Taree on Manning sponsors Olivia
The Rotary Club Coonabarabran hosts Paul
The Rotary Club Gunnedah West & Gunnedah 2380 hosts Manon
Yepper report – September
The first weekend in this month I went to the World Rally that my town Coffs Harbour hosted. My rotary
club was responsible for the catering so I helped making plenty of chip cups and sausages rolls. I also saw
some of the actually rally but I didn’t find it that interesting except from when a car accidently rolled over
or crashed. It went for three days two days in the city and one in the bush. It was a hectic weekend since I
in the same time moved to my second family even though it was a bit earlier than first planned. I needed
to move because serious illness suddenly hit my first family. Luckily my next family welcomed me with
open arms and have taken good care of me since. I’m now living in a beautiful spot just across the road
from the beach, with my host parents Peter and Hazel and big brother Doug who is 17 and in the year
above me at the same school.
I only had one week to settle in with my new family before a two-week long school holiday.
Unfortunately on the Friday night before the vacation my host mom torn her hamstring of the bone so she
had an operation a week later and can now only lay down for the next 6 weeks. Therefore haven’t we
been able to do much in the previous holiday but it has still been nice and relaxing. The weather was
mostly absolutely beautiful and since the beach is so close I went there. I also learned to paddleboard on
the Coffs Creek just beside us that I really enjoy. I have been Jetty jumping once so far which is a famous
summer activity here in town where you jump of a 10m high pier. Otherwise I have court up with some
friends and other exchanged students close by. I also went to a 16th birthday in town with some girls from
school at a nice Italian restaurant. The last weekend in the holidays did my host brother, dad and I go to a
big 50th birthday at some of their closets friends house. It was a really nice party where you had to dress
up as your team, and since we now all are taken extra good care of my sweet host mom Hazel we went as
nurses. We stood a bit out because the majority of the guest came wearing a footy jersey since the NFL
Grand final was the day after but gorgeous where we in our outfits.
The Rotary Club Coffs Harbour hosts Julie
This month didn’t have much happen. In school there were the exams which I didn’t have to write. So I
had lots of spare time before the holiday started on the 20th. But in the afternoons I was preparing with
my brother for a school event called “Tri-Challenge”. It’s a sports competition where you can compete
alone or in a team out of two or three pupils. There is a 10km biking part in the beginning, 5km kayaking
and 3km running in the end. My brother did it all on his own, I had a team – lucky me – so I just did the
biking part. On the first training on the actual road I wasn’t prepared for the river crossings which are
deep enough to make you wet up to your back while driving through, so I was pretty surprised and
confused. My team and I had decided to wear costumes like many others who also dressed funny on that
event. Our team-topic was “Pokemón” so my friends dressed like the characters “Ash” and “Misty” and I
wore a Pikachu-onesie. It was great fun and our result was actually pretty good. But that day was not only
good and funny, because another exchange student from New Zealand had her last day in Australia. I
already got a taste of leaving even though I still have 10 months left.
On the first weekend of holiday my family took me to a Zoo with native Australian animals. There I
could see, pet and feed them – kangaroo slobber, delicious! It was a great experience for me, I didn’t
know that koalas are that fluffy, black swans are native to Australia and chickens could get green, blue or
even pink feathers (not kidding!).
Mom took me to her work a few times because there stands an electric piano. Two keys are a little
broken, but you can easily deal with that. Actually I miss playing the piano more than I expected. I
thought playing the guitar which mom offered me would be enough.
The youngest daughter of my Club President will go to Germany next January for one year, so we met to
talk a little bit. It is kind of funny in my opinion because when I come back home she will be somewhere
there and Germany isn’t that big so anywhere she goes I can visit her. We had a nice day where we
walked into town for lunch and baked ‘Lamingtons’ afterwards. Like always the self-made ones taste
better than those out of the shops.
In the time at home my brother took me often down the creek for a walk with the dogs where we skip
rocks and talk. He also showed me how to use the bow and arrow. It worked better than expected, I even
hit the target every once in a while which were three arrows stuck in the ground.
My brother and I were invited to a birthday sleepover on the 27th of a schoolmate who turned 17. I
thought it would be a nice present to give something self-made next to the shirt we bought in Taree so I
started drawing. All in all it took me three whole days from finding what to draw till the finished picture.
But it was worth it. He seemed to really like it. On the birthday we first went for a walk to see where we
could play a game named “commando” later in the afternoon. It is an extended hide and seek game, the
rules are pretty easy: There are two seekers with torches who have to find all the others who are one big
team. The seekers have a treasure which they have to protect but it has to stay on the same place during
the whole game so the hiding team can steal it. You have to make a time limit. The game ends when the
treasure is found, the seeker got everyone out of the other team or the time is over. So everyone is
crawling through the grass and copse as silent as possible in order not to be seen. It was great fun! Later
on we walked back to the house and made a fire and dinner. When we got inside we watched two movies
and went to bed. It was a really good weekend in my opinion.
My Team on the Tri-Challenge // Petting a Koala
Petting & Feeding Kangaroos // Sunset
The Rotary Club Coffs Harbour hosts Helena
In the beginning of September we left to the RYE orientation camp to Bonville with Bev and
Daryl and picked up Manon who was from Belgium and Nico from Switzerland. We were only 9
but we had a lot of fun there together. We had a lot of activities, but we also learned about the
rules and how to act in different situations.
For the next week I got invited to Minnie Water which was about 80km north from Coffs
Harbour to the cottage of 2 Rotarians from my club because I didn't have any school as other
students from my year were doing exams. In Minnie Water we did a lot of fishing, we often woke
up at 5am and left to the ocean, and we came back at around 12pm. In the evenings we often went
to the river fishing. At the sea we got a lot of different fishes that I had never even seen before
and we also got two sharks (small ones) and we saw several whales and one of them came very
close to our boat (maybe 30-50m) which was really awesome because I had never seen a whale
before and I couldn't even dream of seeing one from so close distance. So the week at Minnie
Water was very nice and the place itself was also very beautiful with long beaches and with a lot
of forests (which you don't see that much in Narrabri).
After coming back from Minnie Water on Tuesday I was a few days just at home as all my
friends were still doing the exams, but on Friday I went to school but I only went to see the year
12 assembly so we were only there for the second period. After school we went to the river to
have a picnic with some friends because it had also been the last day of the term so the two week
holidays started.
On the holidays I saw some friends and on the first week we went swimming to the river, which
wasn't probably the best idea because the water was still quite cold but we still had a lot of fun
and after that we had a movie night at my friends house.
The next weekend we had our neighbours 21st birthday party on the evening which was the first
big Aussie party where I had been, which was a lot of fun, specially the speeches were funny!
On the rest of the holidays I played basketball, went swimming (this time we were on a actual pool),
where I learned how to play Marco Polo which was really fun, and of course just relaxed at home.
The Rotary Club Narrabri hosts Henri
After my rotary week-‐end I didn’t go back to school because I didn’t take the two weeks of year 11 tests then it was straight to holidays. I’m lucky because the weather was really beautiful, so in the afternoon I would go for a walk on the beach and that was a nice part of my day. Don’t worry I protect skin and my eyes ! I walk because I realise that much of the food I try is sweet. and I don’t want to put on 10 or 20 kg !!!! You always seem to have morning and afternoon tea. I’m sure you want to make me fat ! Now I pack my bag for New Zealand, I’m so scared to forget something. In Australia it’s hot so you don’t need many clothes, but you need them for New Zealand which will be cold. I’m so excited, New Zealand was like a dream for me and thanks to my host family I can live this dream ! THANKS !!! I don’t know how I can render thanks to the rotary for all of this. I don’t know if they realise what they give to us. They give to us the chance to grow differently and to understand more all the differences there are in the world. It’s not just the chance to live in another country in a different environment but it is the opportunity to be part of a family and learn how people live. The differences are not bad, just learning to understanding and be more patient. Our trip began with Georgia, Gracie (the dog) and myself in the back of the car to Springwood. In my head I was like it’s a big joke, we travel with the dog between us !! Angela (Julie’s sister) offered to take care of her while we are away. Nan (Julie’s mum) is really lovely I will spend more time with them when we come back. Today I saw the Three Sisters and all these beautiful valleys. I also saw an awesome lolly shop. I think that I never see so many sweets in all my life !! I buy candy in Lego blocks they are so funny. I think that I will make a castle with them before I eat them. Tomorrow we leave Australia for New Zealand and I have to wake up at 5am ! OH MY GOSH !!! I’m excited and a little bit scared because it’s my first holidays without my parents and my brother. But that is a part of my experience and I really want to live it !! This is it! We are in New Zealand and the campervan is really small!! Live that with your real family it’s ok but with another family it’s so different. I think that I start to miss my family, the hug with my mum, our debate and teasing with my dad, and the moment when my brother comes into my bedroom for a hug and a kiss. My dad taught me that family is really important, it’s like your pillar, your landmark! I miss that, even if my life in Australia is perfect! It’s my family!! Like my Dad says « it’s the game » and every one pass on this. So now I just think about all the amazing, beautiful and awesome things I will see !!! First day in New Zealand I was thinking that I will be dead. When we wake up it was raining, but that was not just that ! It was also icey too !! In the morning we went to the International Antarctic Center. That was so cool, you go in a big room and they show you how you feel when they have an Antarctic storm ! It’s soooo freezing !!! And that was without the snow falling. After that you discover what Antarctica is like, what animals you have in the country. We saw how the first man lived and survived in Antarctica. They were amazing to survive with what they had. They are like hero’s ! After that we have lunch in a Subway. PLEASE a New Zealand one ! That was a really good lunch, with my meatball sandwich. After that we « try » to visit Christchurch because we got lost like three times. But Brian and Julie found a way to go up a mountain and have a beautiful view and that was really good. When we went back to the campervan park Julie said that we should go in the pool and Georgia said «mum is that a joke ?» That was so funny ! But that wasn’t, we really did go in the pool except Brian (he is a freeze boy)! We then had a hot spa. we jump out of the pool and run in, like if our life was in danger ! That was a pretty cool day, windy and freezing but really great !! Today we went to Hammer Springs. We all go in thermal pool and that was so great because it’s cold outside and so hot inside. They have so many pools with different temperatures, like 28° to 42°. At the beginning just Brian and Georgia do the water slide. Because that was $10 to do it I didn’t want Julie to pay for me I didn’t do it. After a moment (even if I didn’t want it) Julie go buy a place for me too, that was really nice from her ! We really had fun that afternoon !! After that we have a good lunch and a little sleep ! Then I go for a walk with Brian that was beautiful ! When we go back Georgia said that Julie locked the keys in the campervan ! I was like oh my gosh it’s a joke ?! NO that wasn’t !! So Georgia had to be pushed into the window to open the door, that was really funny !!! That night the sky was really black so we went out to see the stars. It was really beautiful !! Today was just a drive day. Very long but beautiful because all the views are different and the wild nature is everywhere. It’s just green (like a green apple) everywhere and the mountains are so different to mine. New Zealand is really a wild country. It’s amazing. Today I see two amazing glaciers for the first time in my life, that was amazing. It’s so big, beautiful and dangerous at the same time. I just feel so good when I have this in front me. It’s amazing what the nature can do !! But the glaciers are receding so fast, it’s scary. Today we stay in Wanaka for the morning. I buy a jade necklace for my mum, because Jade comes from New Zealand. We went to Arrowtown, this village is really beautiful and lovely, we found another lolly shop. It’s just incredible how many different candies you can find in there ! After that we just have a little bit of a drive to Queenstown. On the road we stopped to see the Bungee Jumping, it’s really crazy. One day I will come back and I will do it (Julie wanted me to do it but I chickened out)!! Today waking up was really hard at 7am in the morning is really hard for a teenager. This morning we went on the « egg » gondola up the mountain to have a beautiful view of Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu and the mountains. That was really beautiful !! In the afternoon we drove to Te Anau and it was a beautiful drive with a long lake right along the road. Oh my gosh we had to get up at 5am. When I heard Brian come back to his shower seriously it’s a joke !!. that was 5.45 and that was horrible. We drove to Milford Sound and everywhere was covered with frost. That was beautiful and so different than in the day. When we arrived we took a cruise up the Sound and that was amazing ! The nature is just magnificent. You feel so free went you are between the big mountains ! They are totally green, the vegetation is so different than in France. We also saw lots of seals sun baking on the rocks. I love all the different things between all the different countries. It’s amazing and beautiful ! New Zealand is a wonderful country !! Today was a cool day ! We didn’t have to drive that was really great. I can wake up later and take my time! We have a walk in Queenstown at the end of the morning that was really pleasant and sunny, but cold! We walked through the park round the lake and Brian, Julie and I bought a Subway and go back to the campervan because Georgia wanted to eat a Vegemite sandwich. We ate that in the sun that was perfect! After a little sleep. We walked through the town and eventually had pizza for dinner. I have never seen a pizza bigger than this in my life!!! Finishing it was so hard, « shupa shups » that was really a cool great day ! Today was a drive day, but a really beautiful one ! We saw beautiful amazing blue lakes, the most beautiful I have ever seen! With a magnificent view of Mount Cook ! We have lunch sitting just in front of it and the lake. I touch the water with my fingers and that was like ice! I said to Brian and Julie, it’s like take a bath in the snow!! When we arrived at the campervan park I take the time to play with Georgia at a park after we finished watching Open Season, and after we go play in the park again. That was a really great day ! Tomorrow it’s the last one. It’s the last day we have to drive back to Christchurch. When we arrived we just took back the campervan and jumped in a minibus to go to the airport. We had lunch and caught the plane at 3.45pm and we arrived at 4.15pm in Australia but the flight was 3 hours ! I meet all Julie’s family for Nans birthday. They are all really nice. On Saturday we did the Three Sisters walk with all the family. The beginning was hard because you have to go down so many stairs (990) ! Nan did it really good. I was so impressed. At the night Zoë invited me to go with them to a barbeque. This night was so great. We all played instruments and sang. It was a really good day. Now we go back home and go back to school. My first day in Year 12 was so hard after one month holiday!! But I’m so happy to see all my friends! Now Year 12 starts and that will be a big year!!!! PS : Sorry for this massive report but I have so many things to say !! The Rotary Club Great Lakes hosts Clara
The Rotary Club Narrabri hosts Thibault
The Rotary Club Woolgoolga hosts Yuta
G'day mates
In this Yepper Report, I will tell you about my life and experience in September.
It was a great month with lots of fun!
In the last two weeks of school we had the yearly exams. There were really hard for me, but I
tried the best! Because the test was only two hours, I had the whole afternoon free. Because all
my classmates were studying, I did lots of sport activities. I went with the bike to school and on
the way back I did a bike tour. One time some Rotarian took me to a beautiful nature reserve
and on the second time on a perfect single trail near the beach. I enjoyed, to ride the bike on the
beach. Unfortunately my chain broke, consequently the fun was finished.
In this month I did a lots of different activities: I went to the 'battle of the bands' with local bands.
I went for another bike rides in the bush and I run with the dogs. On the weekend I could moving
the gras, It was funny with the Zero-Turn. We also went for my birthday dinner before my
holiday, it was a lovely evening with a big steak!
Byron Bay was my program for the first week in the holiday. I and a Family from a Rotarian
member drove four hours to this famous place. We were camping in a huge tent near the
beach. In the mornings I always went for a run. I mastered the way to the lighthouse and then I
was cooling in the sea. We stayed a lot on the beach, I relaxed, swam and played with this
sweet kids. I booked 3 surf lessons, after this I could catch the wave, stand up, turn a little bit
and accelerate. But It was so exhausting that I felt asleep after my second day. The feeling
when you surf and just to be on your surfboard in the sea is my alternative to skiing.
On my birthday the 26th I booked a big tour. We went to the Minyon falls in the hinterland. It was
a nice walk in the subtropical rainforest. In the afternoon I went sea kayaking. After a while we
saw dolphins and turtles next to our kayak. It was another beautiful experience in the sea. Twice
we went to little towns in the hinterland, it's really different compare to the touristic coast. Byron
Bay was one of my best week in Australia!
After Byron Bay in the second week I moved to the next family. The family is in town near
lighthouse beach. They have two girls, one of them is in the same class as I. The family seem to
be really nice! They already accepted me as a normal family member. I baked a special Swiss
bread with my older sister. I'm glad to be in a sportive family, every morning I could do a sport
activity. We already went for a 14km run.
Saturday was my first real party. I had a great evening with lots of new peoples. In the second
week I had lots of stuff to do and I chilled out with some friends on the beach and in their
houses.
I can't belief that two months are already over! The time goes so fast, but that's a good sign. I
enjoyed this lovely time on the east coast of Australia!
The Rotary Club Port Macquarie Sunrise hosts Nico