Last Wednesday D9920s Inbound and Outbound Exchange Students experienced Auckland Day. This is a day of civic activities around Auckland city, arranged and chaperoned by our RYE District Committee and President Robyn, who accompanied Gonza, and submitted this story recapping the day.
We started early at the Central Fire Station for a talk and tour and some of our students got to put on the basic fire fighters kit and then attempt to try and walk (and look cool). We then got to watch a real team, effortlessly gear-up and head off to an emergency.From there, a police convoy of five cars arrived to take us to the Auckland Harbour Bridge Police Station. The first time in a Police car for all of us! We enjoyed a comprehensive visit and got up-close and personal with Police motorcycles, cars, a ‘booze bus’, saw how a spike strip is used; watched a huge Police dog and his handler in action and met some fully kitted-out members of an armed response team. Our group of 15 were then Police-escorted back into the city and dropped off at the Mayor’s Office.
After passing through security, we were ushered some 20 floors up to meet with Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore who told us some great facts about our city and graciously answered questions as well as providing us with a much-appreciated chocolate biscuit fuel up.
Then it was off to a food court for lunch and a quick change into casual clothes for our students – who set off on a Great Auckland Race, which was a timed challenge requiring them to move around the city to answer a city-quiz and then ferry to Half Moon Bay to be transported to a BBQ.This was the final event this group of RYE students would be all together with Gonza, so we used this occasion to formally farewell him. Gonza received his official RYE Completion Certificate from the RYE District Chair and we were able to announce that his fundraising efforts had met the target of $600 (in fact he was just over that amount – awesome effort Senor Pratto!) Gonza delivered a lovely speech and made his host parents, host councillor and host club feel extremely proud.