Hawkesbury students represent in Japan and the US

The eleven high school students are currently spending time in Hawkesbury City’s two sister cities – Kyotamba in Japan and Temple City, USA.

The international exchange program has been running for the past 25 years, co-ordinated by the association on behalf of Hawkesbury City Council.

The globe-trotting local students will spend four weeks in their chosen country, living with a family within the city, attending high school and going on sightseeing excursions organised by the host sister city association.

Students in Japan have ridden the bullet train (Shinkansen), visited Hiroshima where they spent time at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park taking in the A-Bomb Dome, Children’s Peace Monument and the Peace Memorial Museum.

While in Hiroshima, the students also went to picturesque Miyajima Island with the distinctive red torii gates of the UNESCO World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine.

With Kyotamba being close to Kyoto, the students have has the chance to visit some of the most historic sites of the Japanese capital, including Kinkaku-ji – the Golden Pavilion with its gold leaf coating.

Meanwhile, students in America have experienced a baseball game, Disneyland, Universal Studios, and an overnight excursion to the San Bernadino Mountains.

Earlier this year and association hosted the inbound students from Temple City and Kyotamba.

The visiting students stayed with Hawkesbury families and experienced our lifestyle and local schools.

The association organised for the students to visit Sydney and Manly, the Blue Mountains, and Canberra.

Local excursions included visits to Windsor Public School and St Matthew’s Primary, patting koalas and kangaroos at Featherdale, and a sausage sizzle at Pugh’s Lagoon.

Applications for the 2017 Hawkesbury Student Exchange delegations close on Monday, October 31. Application forms, exchange criteria and details are available from hsca.org.au.