Exchange visit from our German Sister School – the Georg Büchner Gymnasium

Last October the Year 10 and 11 German classes had the pleasure of travelling on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Germany to experience the culture of the language we were learning. During this time, we stayed in Berlin with host families for two weeks, who graciously welcomed us into their homes and provided us with extra insights into German culture. In March this year, we welcomed our exchange partners into our own homes, providing them with similar insights into Australian life whilst they undertook their own trip. A total of 15 students stayed with students from the Year 11 and 12 German classes.

After a long 24 hours spent travelling across the world, our partners arrived exhausted at Sydney airport on a Friday evening. We were able to provide them with their first taste of Australian food and allow them to rest and relax over the weekend before an exciting two weeks experiencing Australia. Many students took this opportunity to take their exchange partners to the first of many beach visits, showcase Sydney’s culture and environment, and head to Sydney’s Mardi Gras Parade.

On their first weekday in Sydney the students visited Fort Street, meeting many students and learning all about Australian school life, as well as enjoying a delicious morning tea. This was the start of an exciting week of visiting central Sydney and the Sydney Tower Eye, Bondi Beach, the Sydney Opera House, and Taronga Zoo. Throughout this, we sprinkled in extra activities with our exchange partners, taking them to the beach (again), to sports games, and shopping. Another weekend flew by filled with more exciting activities and more beach.

As our exchange partners began their second week in Australia, they took a two-night trip to the Blue Mountains. A break from our partners was welcome as hosting someone else was surprisingly  a lot of effort. In the Blue Mountains, our exchange partners did a bush walk, viewed the Three Sisters, and held a traditional Australian barbecue. Returning to Sydney, they experienced the beauty of the Botanical Gardens, had a kayak tour in Manly, and visited Cockatoo Island. At night, they returned to the Opera House for a viewing of The Great Gatsby and saw Holding the Man at Belvoir Theatre.

Coming to our final weekend with our German partners, we wanted to squeeze in as much Australian fun as possible. That included even more trips to the beach, and a farewell party for all our partners. Many handshakes and hugs were had, as well as tears shed, as we brought our partners to the airport for their flight back home. It was a bittersweet farewell as there was no guarantee we would see our partners again anytime soon.

We all had a wonderful time sharing Australian culture with our partners, and it was a joy to be doing so much and improving our own German at the same time. A big thank you to Frau Reynolds, for organising the entire exchange; all of our hosts, including Ray and Fiona, who have since left Fort Street; Kevin and Toby, for looking after their partners during the German trip to the school; and Emil and Luka, our resident German translators.

Oliver Casey Year 11