It is my last week here in Australia and I have created many long-lasting memories that I will cherish forever.
For my last weekend, my exchange family and I went camping at Mount Gambier, an area with amazing natural sites located halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne. We were also going to see an amateur motorcycle race taking place there. We camped out, and in the morning we watched the race. It was really exciting to see how fast the motorcycles raced. We then made our way to Blue Mountain Lake, a crater lake which is known for its amazing colours. That day, it was a beautiful clear blue colour but, apparently, it changes colours during the year depending on the temperature. We then visited the Tantanoola caves, with incredible stalagmites and stalactites. I have never seen a cave like this and it was fascinating. I had a lot of fun this weekend and it was a great way to end my exchange. I really enjoyed spending time with Phoenix and his family!
My stay in Australia has been one of the best experiences of my life and I can’t believe that five weeks have gone by so fast. I truly had a lot of fun with my exchange, Phoenix, and his family, and I learned many new things. I have made many new friends and hope to see some of them later on in my life. I have also experienced some new things like playing cricket and volleyball, which I really enjoyed. I have seen many incredible Australian animals like koalas and kangaroos and had a chance to see these animals up close. I attended a great school and was very lucky to be here. On my last day, I received a big Australian flag signed by all my new Australian friends.
At first, I was a little nervous about this exchange and being so far away from home for such a long period of time. However, thanks to my exchange, his family, and the great people at Westminster School, my experience was amazing. I also learned a lot about myself and how I am able to adapt to a totally different environment.
– Anthony Fata ‘18, Exchange Student at Westminster School
Leaving the small town of Mongui, we all felt quite nervous about what lay ahead. The hike we were about to embark on was not going to be easy and that was made very clear from the beginning. Living at sea level in Montreal and climbing to an outstanding 3,200 meters would bring the expression “physically draining” to a new level. Many of us didn’t know what to expect and I can speak for the majority when I say we were all surprised.
As part of the Duke of Ed Gold Trip to Colombia we had the opportunity to build houses for two families in need. Before arriving at our destination, we had no idea what to expect. We were told that we were going to a very poor area near Bogotá and would even require military escort to bring us there. When we finally arrived, this could not have been further form the truth. Instead of the rundown and dangerous area that we imagined, we discovered simple, sparse homes in the country with beautiful views and great weather.
I can’t believe that it’s already my fourth week in Australia. This has been an amazing journey that I will never forget. I have already been to many different places along the coast of Victoria and it has been quite eventful. Last weekend, Tom’s family and I went to Inverloch, a small town on the beach. Since they have a beach house there, we stayed for one night and we spent a lot of time relaxing. The Australian coast is very different from North America. It seems to be a lot more natural with fewer people and more wildlife such as sea grass and marine organisms. Also, there aren’t many buildings on the shore, which is great.
