From July 20 to August 3, 20 junior high school students from Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture visited Cairns for a five-day study tour to deepen their understanding of other cultures and to study English.
First, the student group visited Green Island. They learned not only about the beauty of Australia, but also the paramount importance of environmental protection. After that, they went to a supermarket and talked to the employees in English.
The group also visited Bentley Park College in Cairns. Bentley Park College is a state government-run college for preschool to year 12 students. There are currently 1,500 students enrolled at the school. The students enjoyed a delicious morning tea specially prepared by Bentley Park students, then attended class together with the local students. During their time at Bentley Park College, the Kurihara students gave a presentation on their hometown, and performed a dance. Despite only being able to spend a short amount of time together, the success of the exchange was apparent as the students gave one another big farewell hugs.
From the afternoon, the students travelled to Mareeba where they were warmly welcomed by their host families.
The students spent August 1 enjoying the last day of their farm stay. The host families are farmers who grow fruits such as mangoes and lychees. The students connected with their host families, learnt about farming, and even saw wallabies up close! Thanks to the kindness and hospitality of their hosts, the students all had a great time.
The next day, after bidding their hosts farewell, the students visited Kuranda, a mountain village surrounded by Cairns’ stunning tropical rainforests, and a wildlife reserve. The students gained valuable knowledge about Aboriginal culture, and about Cairns’ natural history.
On August 3, the students visited the Rusty’s Market in Cairns and then departed for Japan. They thoroughly enjoyed their stay and had many valuable experiences.
During their stay in Australia, Mr Toru Sugawara, Assistant Director at CLAIR Sydney (who is himself on secondment from Kurihara City) provided support and facilitation. We hope the students will make the most of this opportunity to think about their future careers. We wish them all the best and hope they will continue to take pride in their hometown Kurihara!
