It was with much excitement that we began our Round Square International Exchange Program this year. Unlike previous exchange programs Wilderness School has been involved with, this program focuses on individual exchanges with individual schools, providing a personal experience for our girls and the students we are hosting.

This year saw us begin the Exchange Program by welcoming Daisy Colmer (from Cobham Hall in the UK) into Year 12 for four weeks in Term 2 and Kelly Lloyd (from Dainfern School in South Africa) for five weeks in Term 3. We also sent Year 10 students Maddy Jones to Marvelwood School, USA and Lily Erbe to Bridge House School, South Africa in Terms 3 and 4, respectively. We are looking forward to sending girls to Canada, the USA, Japan and South Africa in 2024, and receiving exchange students from their respective schools. We are looking forward to hearing about their experiences next year.

Here are some reflections from Daisy, Kelly and Lily.

Daisy Colmer:

For four weeks, I was given the opportunity to visit Wilderness School and experience Australian culture through a Round Square exchange. I was grateful to be hosted by the Balestrin family for the duration of my time away. A few days after I arrived, I was taken up to Gorge Wildlife Park where I had an amazing time, got to feed the kangaroos and hold a koala! I was shown around the beautiful Glenelg Beach and Adelaide Hills.

On my first day at Wilderness School, I was immediately greeted with smiles and hugs. As the first day continued, I chose my subjects and was shown around the campus. During my stay, my host family took me across Adelaide and let me be fully immersed in life here. The activities that I was involved in ranged from having a simple dinner out with friends to experiencing my first AFL match. Catrina Balestrin (Year 12) also ensured that I felt fully welcomed among friends and that I tried all the ‘Aussie snacks’ like Tim Tams, Vegemite and fairy bread. The highlight of my trip was the memories that I have made and the friendships I will always hold onto.

I will be forever grateful for this opportunity and the experience I have been given, and I hope to be able to come back in the future.

Kelly Lloyd:

Coming to Wilderness, I expected to be at school learning new topics through unique styles of teaching and assessing. I am pleased to say that whilst being here, I have been exposed to a new way of thinking and working that I will take home with me. I also expected to make new friends, but never imagined what strong bonds I would create. Being away from home was tough, but I am so grateful for my amazing host family, the Andraes, who have made me feel at home and comfortable from the beginning of my trip. My host family have put so much effort into entertaining me, and I would have to say that the highlight of my exchange was when I held a koala at Cleland Wildlife Park. Whilst being privileged to learn so much about Australia, my exchange has also taught me so much about myself. I have learned how much love and passion I have for my country, South Africa, and how much I have to say about my heritage. Being here has taught me so much and I am incredibly grateful for the trip I was given. In no way was I let down during my stay; I expected a trip filled with highs at school and adventures around the city and that is exactly what I have received. I learned so much and I am incredibly grateful for the trip I was given. I would recommend an exchange to anyone who has an opportunity to go on one; you will be given an individual experience that will teach you so much about yourself, new people and new cultures. Thank you to everyone at Wildy for giving me such a valuable experience here that I will never forget.

Lily Erbe:

I arrived in South Africa on Wednesday 27 September late at night, where my host family met me at the Cape Town airport. The first week and a half I was in Franschhoek it was school holidays, which gave us heaps of time to do and see cool things. We visited a lot of the small towns and villages. It was eye opening to see how some people live. The fourth night of being in Franschhoek, I experienced one of the most South African things ever known—a braai. A braai is like a BBQ, where lots of friends come over and traditional South African meat is cooked. So far, I have experienced four braais and have enjoyed them all. We did a bit of shopping around the local towns, where I got to bargain for something for the first time in my life.

The next week, we headed to Knysna Heads where we visited heaps of beaches and did lots of pretty sunset boat rides. Every day we would go stand up paddle boarding through the canals. We visited an elephant farm where rescued elephants go; I was able to get up close and personal to the elephants and even feed them. Visiting the local markets has definitely been a highlight. Many local people set up handmade stands of gorgeous jewellery, along with traditional South African things.

My first week of school went so fast and I had so much fun. Everyone was so nice and loved the Aussie accent. It was the Year 12s’ last week of school, which was also fun because they had water guns, water balloons, et cetera. The subjects are fairly similar to Wilderness; however, one class I have is Afrikaans—where they only speak Afrikaans, so I just continue with other work. I am playing water polo here and I am already playing with the seniors. It is definitely not easy; however, I am learning a lot and I think it will be very beneficial to helping me improve my water polo skills for when I get back to Wildy.

Jemma (my host sister) and I have been getting along so well. We have so many similar interests and like the same things. I cannot believe I have already been here for over three weeks! It has gone so fast and I really do not want to leave. Overall, it has been an amazing experience so far and I cannot wait for what is yet to come.