Raetihi teenager visits Australian "twin"

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 33, 3 February 1987, Page 3

Raetihi teenager visits Australian "twin"

One lucky Raetihi teenager winged her way to Australia last week as part of a Rotary exchange visit. Seventeen-year old Angela Hillman was one of 27 young New Zealanders headed for the southern state of Victoria on a 'matched twin' exchange organised by Rotary International. The exchange is her first trip overseas and she is certain she will be homesick. She will be away for four months. Angela is staying with an Australian family for the first term of the school year. With her she took a whole term's syllabus of the seventh form because of the difference in systems between Australia and New Zealand. Her new 'home' is in the small farming community of Budgeree that has a population of around 100 and is four hours south-east of Melbourne. Angela 's matched twin, 16 . year old Samantha Prater, will accompany her on her return to the Waimarino in May when Samantha will begin the second school term at Ruapehu College. The girls were carefully matched according to their interests and family backgrounds. Both girls enjoy reading, horse-riding, aerobics and modern dance and have professional parents, as well as younger brothers or sisters.

Angela will participate in her new family's activities as well as weekend excursions and other outings organised by Rotary, as will Samantha when she comes to New Zealand. Angela's father, Kevin Hillman, said the family has a number of trips organised during Samantha's stay and will be endeavouring to show her as much of the country as possible. Rotary have also organised excursions for all the exchange students and their twins while in New Zealand, including a weekend on a marae and a stay at the Outdoor Pursuits Centre near Turangi. There the students will get an insight into the history of the Tongariro National Park and local trout hatcheries. Angela is not the first student from Ruapehu College to be chosen for an exchange trip organised by Rotary but she is the only pupil to be chosen for 1987. Her application was successful from five others after the school received a large number of enquiries from pupils.