2016 Christ's College exchange
Jed, Will, and Warner arrived in Christchurch New Zealand on a Tuesday morning after 30 hours of travel, and immediately parted ways. Will drove south to hit the slopes. Warner went west into the mountains. Jed stayed and settled into his host family's home outside the city. After adjusting to jetlag, Jed and his family drove to Queenstown, a ski town on the South Island, where he met Warner and his host family. They got to stay in a very high quality penthouse with an absolutely incredible view, ski and snowboard all day, luge, and even swim in the glacial lake. While Jed and Warner were in Queenstown, Will went to Wanaka with his host family to ski. Wanaka is a small, beautiful town five hours south of Christchurch. After a long and scenic drive to Wanaka, Will was fortunate enough to ski and hike to the top of the Treblecone summit.
Monday morning we all met up at school. At Christ's College the students are all divided into houses, we were all sorted into houses with our hosts. Each house was an area for students to hang out when they are not in class. Most houses had a basketball goal and a ping pong table. Academically the school is challenging for most of the students with more long term projects than day to day homework. The students also have a lot more freedom to choose the classes they would want. Some of the cooler classes we got to enjoy were photography, shop, graphics, and classics. The school is located in the middle of town within easy walking distance of a museum, an art gallery, the botanic gardens, and a plaza with food and shopping.
The weekends were filled with lots of fun and unique activities. The second weekend Jed, Will, and Warner spent Friday night at Warner's host family's house watching rugby and meeting our host family's friends. On Saturday, the boys went to the Waimak River to fly-fish and explore. On Sunday, they drove an hour to Henmar to bungee jump. All three made the jump off of a 30 meter bridge over a fast moving river. On the third weekend of the trip, Warner's host invited some of his friends over to meet us, which enabled the boys to experience more aspects of the Kiwi culture. That Saturday, the boys witnessed Christ's College's semifinal victory in the district's rugby tournament. Jed, Warner, and Will then went to Sumner Beach the following day to see the scenic Canterbury countryside and the frigid Pacific Ocean. During the fourth and final week, the boys got to miss a day of school to get a better look at the rural areas of Canterbury. Ben, the father of Jed's host, drove Jed, Warner, and Will through the countryside to visit his irrigation sites and he also took them to Mount Hutt to ski. That weekend, the boys packed up and began the journey home.
The Warner Exchange Program is an opportunity that should not be passed up. Having the ability to travel across the world to experience new cultures is a blessing. We loved our experience in New Zealand but ultimately what made the trip, were the people we spent it with. Our host families and the friends we made were incredibly welcoming. We will always cherish the relationships we made. Thank you to everyone in Christchurch, and thank you to the Warner family for making these relationships possible.
Monday morning we all met up at school. At Christ's College the students are all divided into houses, we were all sorted into houses with our hosts. Each house was an area for students to hang out when they are not in class. Most houses had a basketball goal and a ping pong table. Academically the school is challenging for most of the students with more long term projects than day to day homework. The students also have a lot more freedom to choose the classes they would want. Some of the cooler classes we got to enjoy were photography, shop, graphics, and classics. The school is located in the middle of town within easy walking distance of a museum, an art gallery, the botanic gardens, and a plaza with food and shopping.
The weekends were filled with lots of fun and unique activities. The second weekend Jed, Will, and Warner spent Friday night at Warner's host family's house watching rugby and meeting our host family's friends. On Saturday, the boys went to the Waimak River to fly-fish and explore. On Sunday, they drove an hour to Henmar to bungee jump. All three made the jump off of a 30 meter bridge over a fast moving river. On the third weekend of the trip, Warner's host invited some of his friends over to meet us, which enabled the boys to experience more aspects of the Kiwi culture. That Saturday, the boys witnessed Christ's College's semifinal victory in the district's rugby tournament. Jed, Warner, and Will then went to Sumner Beach the following day to see the scenic Canterbury countryside and the frigid Pacific Ocean. During the fourth and final week, the boys got to miss a day of school to get a better look at the rural areas of Canterbury. Ben, the father of Jed's host, drove Jed, Warner, and Will through the countryside to visit his irrigation sites and he also took them to Mount Hutt to ski. That weekend, the boys packed up and began the journey home.
The Warner Exchange Program is an opportunity that should not be passed up. Having the ability to travel across the world to experience new cultures is a blessing. We loved our experience in New Zealand but ultimately what made the trip, were the people we spent it with. Our host families and the friends we made were incredibly welcoming. We will always cherish the relationships we made. Thank you to everyone in Christchurch, and thank you to the Warner family for making these relationships possible.
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