23 Members, plus IPPRM, (Immediate Past President Robyn's Mum), linked in to our Zoom Meeting last week. There were two apologies received.
Those online were treated to a very good talk from Lachlan Kerr, the St. Johns RYE student from Sacred Heart College who departed from Auckland for Chile in January 2020, pre Covid-19. Despite the huge challenges faced and a significantly reduced stay, Lachlan still managed to have an awesome experience.On arrival in Chile Lachlan had nearly two months before school started and then only had two weeks of school before Lockdown. This meant he spent five months with his first host family instead of the normal 3 months. Fortunately the love and friendship extended to him by his host family made it a positively memorable experience.
Spending all day for several months locked down, watching movies, listening to music and confined, forced him to expand his language knowledge and by the time he departed he was speaking near fluent Spanish.
After several months of lockdown and facing a potential further 4 months in lockdown, when he became aware of a repatriation flight to Melbourne, he decided that taking this was the appropriate option. The hurdles he had to jump to book a seat on the flight, and then actually board the flight in the middle of the night, was a significant challenge - however he did make the flight with 10 minutes to spare before doors closed!
On arrival in Melbourne as a transit passenger he spent three nights in isolation before travelling to Auckland and spending a further two weeks in isolation before he was freed two months ago.
Since his return to New Zealand he has been backpacking around the country visiting the many South American friends he has made over the last eight months. He can't get over just how many Chilians there are still living and working here in New Zealand. He is currently in Picton and will shortly travel to Wellington where he plans to get a job before preparing for University next year.
Despite the huge disruption to his exchange due to Covid-19, Lachlan has made the most of a very difficult situation and it is great to see him back in New Zealand safe and sound, positive and happy. We look forward to hosting Lachlan back in Auckland, face to face, in the not too distance future.