From Maria Ward Catholic Girls’ School, Germany

First of all we’d like to thank Carmel College for the unforgettable experience we have had visiting New Zealand. We very much appreciate the warm welcome you have given us. Above all, we’ve noticed how open and kind all the students are. From the beginning we’ve felt like we were a part of the school community and have been enjoying the time with our buddies and their friends. Also, the teachers have made us feel extremely involved in the lessons. What’s more, our host families have had a big impact on creating a great time and many memories. They have been very caring and thoughtful going out of their way to make sure we are safe and comfortable.

Thanks to Mrs. Freeman and Mrs. de Ruiter we could visit the most beautiful and interesting places in Auckland. They’ve truly made the most of our trip. They’ve ensured that we could see all we had dreamed of and more. Thank you for all the work you put into our stay and our program.

We had the best time visiting Tiritiri Matangi Island and learning about its wildlife as well as visiting the Sky Tower and One Tree Hill.  Afterwards we went to the international party at Rosmini College where we got to know other foreign students and made some new friends.

On Friday we had a full day excursion to Chelsea sugar factory and baked our own kiwi yo-yo’s. The day after we visited Orewa beach, sheep world, the honey center and Puhoi historic village where we learned many interesting things about New Zealand and its culture. Later that day we relaxed during a nice shopping tour at Albany Mall.

Every one of us spent Mother’s Day with our wonderful host families doing many different exciting activities such as having a family barbecue, seeing black beaches, or going to the restaurant in the sky tower.

On Monday, we went to Auckland Zoo. For many, their last zoo visit was a long time ago, so it was really exciting for us. During our time there, we made a challenge with the group, in which we had to take the “coolest” photo with an animal of our choice and think of three questions to ask the other groups. Whoever got the most answers right and took the best picture won an ice-cream! What we all liked about the zoo was the way the animals were being treated, namely the kind zoo workers who tried their best to make their life as comfortable as possible.

We all looked forward to going to school together with our buddies each day.  Our last day we got to experience our first Te Reo class with some Year 9 girls.  This was a real highlight. Another highlight was service at Lady Allum Village where we spent two hours chatting with the residents. Some of them even showed us their apartment. We really enjoyed the time we spent together.

Sadly, the trip went too fast. It has been a once in a lifetime experience for us and we will forever cherish it in our hearts.

Thank you, Carmel College from;

Mia, Martha, Liwia, Lilli, Greta, Emma, Bella, Anna, Hannah, Leonie, Philine and Anne
And our teachers Mr. Breit and Mrs. Gebhhardt from Mary Ward School, Germany