South Pacific eflyer October 2015 Exchanges are open to all ambassadors and represent some of the many places where you can experience new cultures and grow your global circle of friends. If you are interested in any of the following exchanges, please contact the exchange director or club directly.
March/ April 2016 Salisbury and Northern Districts, Australia to Florida Suncoast and Greater Orlando, USA FFI Exchange number: 12540 Dates: March 1 to 18th 2016 Cost: $605USD. Includes FFI and host fees. Please contact the ED for further details regarding transportation costs. Carmen Walker-Galpin galpc@adam.com.au The exchange in Tampa begins on March 1st. There will be plenty of time to spend with our hosts through out the week, as they put on welcome and farewell dinners as well as lunches. They will take us to visit some of the local attractions such as the Dali Museum Collection, the City of St Petersburg, Chihuly Glass Museum, tour historic Vinoy Hotel and enjoy the birds and marine life at the waterfront and parks, we may even take in the Spring Training Baseball games such a variety of choices! We have chosen on finishing this Exchange, to have 8th March to 11th March as independent travel. Some people wish to visit Disneyworld as a separate part of our trip. The beginning of the Greater Orlando FF Exchange will commence on 11th March. Arriving at FF Greater Orlando, after meeting our Hosts and being welcomed we move into the Exchange for many events. The Blue Springs State Park seeing manatees (possibly a first for many Ambassadors) and have an Eco boat ride really looking forward to this! There is a visit to the Kennedy Space Centre (Ambassadors pay as Hosts can pre order tickets in advance). We shall have a Winter Park Boat Tour and visit the largest collection of Tiffany glass at the Morse Museum. March is a great time to visit the Gatorland and bird sanctuary. A Free Day shopping ( yippee) and there is an Art Festival in Maitland, many fabulous museums, and the Loch Haven Park with the Orlando Science Centre (which includes a cinedome as well as hands on activities). NextGen Discover the Outback (Adelaide and Cairns) Have you ever thought of doing something totally different? Have you seen pictures of the Australian Outback? Do you have adventure in your soul? A quest for spirituality? Are you interested in knowing something about the first people of Australia? How would you feel, being able to soak up the mystery of Uluru and Kata Tjuta? Would you like to experience the splendour of the southern night skies? From your bed in the desert? Your opportunity has arrived! All of this and more FFI Exchange number: 12753 Dates: March 30 April 11, 2016 Cost: $1,780USD. (see description for breakdown) Bobbie Mulholland (Adelaide) rrsquared@optusnet.com.au Begin with: 2 full days in graceful Adelaide, including a wine experience and time to investigate on your own. Finish with: 2 full days in Cairns, Tropical Paradise, including snorkelling on the amazing, World Heritage, Great Barrier Reef. AND If all this is not enough, there is an opportunity to extend with 3 days discovering the amazing harbour city - Sydney - hosted by FF friends there. Unforgettable! You gotta do it! Price includes FF fees, host fees, 3 night s hosting in Adelaide, 3 night s hosting in Cairns, 8 Day Outback Discovery Trip (including camping equipment and cabin accommodation- all meals, national park entrances, guided activities and two night s hotel in Alice Springs) Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Boat trip, Day trip to Kuranda by train, including Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park and Sky Rail Ride. Price does NOT include the flight between Alice Springs and Cairns, which will cost approximately $302 USD. More info HERE
Sunshine Coast, Australia to Huntsville, Greater Atlanta and Central North Carolina, USA Enjoy some good old southern hospitality on this exchange!! HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA, a day at the US Space and Rocket Centre Museum, Historic Railroad Depot, Burritt Museum with its early settler homes and farmsteads, tour of the Jack Daniels Distillery, birthplace and home of Helen Keller, the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, Cathedral Caverns, Civil War battlefields, antebellum plantations, nature trails and activities on the lakes and rivers. FFI Exchange number: 12559 Dates: April 2016 Cost: $2280AUD. Includes FFI and host fees. 3 nights in a hotel and US domestic transfers. Merilyn Berry marberry@bigpond.com GREATER ATLANTA: Spectacular flowering plants and trees. The North Georgia Mountains, historical centres, civil wars sites, museums, zoo, aquarium and educational centre.- 2 day break to explore Atlanta City. CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA: The Moravian settlement of Old Salem, the Revolutionary War sites of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Blue Ridge Parkway, Hanging Rock State Park or Pilot Mountain. And NASCAR was born here. Optional Pre and Post Exchange options including Bus tours and/or a Mississippi cruise. Whangarei to Mount Barker and Mount Gambier, Australia There is always a welcome mat out from our Aussie neighbours. And this is a chance to join us visit the two Mounts in the mid south. Our first exchange is to Australia s first FF club at Mount Barker situated in the Mount Lofty Adelaide Hills area south east of Adelaide. This area of numerous small towns is rural with the growing of fruit and vegetables, with pastures for sheep and cattle and the small scale production of cheese, olive oil and chocolates. And of course the renowned wine area of Barossa Valley. FFI Exchange number: 12642 Dates: March 2016 Cost: : On application to ED Contacts: Ava Thomas (Whangarei) 09-4373240 thomas.ka@slingshot.co.nz You can also expect to see the wildlife, scenery, antiques, historic townscapes and gardens which all form part of the natural beauty of the district. For our second exchange, we travel south halfway to Melbourne to the FF club of Mount Gambier - Blue Lake City - a name synonymous with the lake which mysteriously changes in colour from grey to turquoise blue in November and back again in March. The area has Australia s largest pine plantation and the centre of a thriving wool, prime lamb, dairy, beef, cattle, lobster and limestone area. There is so much to see and do. The rugged coastlines, mysterious caves, wildlife parks, quarry tours, timber mills tours and a winery visit. Add to this that planning of a rose in the F.F.Garden and probably a Full Day Coach Tour visiting a Fossil Cave, a sink hole, and many Galleries and Museums.
April/ May 2016 Napier to Hobart, Australia and Noumea, New Caledonia FFI Exchange number: 12573 Dates: April 2016 Cost: On application to ED (FFI fees $280USD). Ray McQuade (Napier) 06-8354818 mcquade.r.k91@gmail.com We invite you to join us on this unusual exchange of two island. Island number one is Tasmania where we will be hosted by the Friendship Force of Hobart. This city is the capital of Tasmania, has a population of about 500,000 and is situated on the beautiful Derwent River, scene of many a close Sydney to Hobart yacht race finish. Tasmania was settled in 1803 as a penal colony for convicts, and we may get the opportunity to learn about this early beginning. Among their mountainous terrain, we will visit their national and wildlife parks, and their lakes and rivers which are so good for fishing and generating electricity. And of course have a traditional Aussie barbie and cocktail party! Island number two is New Caledonia where we will be hosted by the Friendship Force of Noumea. The first European settlement was by the British in 1851, but the French asserted control in 1854 by establishing a settlement at Noumea, originally called Portde-France. The area first served as a penal colony, and later became a centre for nickel and gold mining, and even today there are signs of these first industries. The city maintains much of New Caledonia s mix of French and old Melanesian culture, and this uniqueness makes this a very interesting place to visit. June/ July 2016 Wanganui & Otago to Metropole Ruhr, Germany & Cornwall, UK If visiting UK and Europe in 2016 is in your travel plans, then here is an exchange just for you. Our first exchange is with Friendship Force Gelsenkirchen or Metropole Ruhr set in the heart of the Ruhr District. Once the city of fires, Gelsenkirchen is now the city that kindles progressive ideas with people that are warm hearted and open minded. The area is noted for mineral oil, electricity, coal, gas, and heating and water supply industries such as Emscher-Lippe. There is also the fascination with the former seats of nobility Berge Castle, Horst Castle and Water castle Luettinghof, and the Musik Theater which gives the city an alternative culture scene. A sightseeing trip may well include a tour through Gelsenkirchen and a one day tour to Cologne and the River Rhine. FFI Exchange number: 12622 Dates: Mid June Mid July 2016 Cost: : Still being worked out, but between $7,500 and $10,000 depending on the between hostings, cruise, or stopovers (includes FFI and Host Club fees US$280). Contacts: Garth Barlow (Wanganui) 06-3456514 gnbarlow@xtra.co.nz or Anne Dougherty (Otago) 03-4493239 adeeclyde@gmail.com or Rona Potiki (Otago) 03-4546355 grandmarona@vodafone.co.nz We are planning a 7 day river cruise or stay in Paris or London, or Paris and Loire Valley between hostings. Our second hosting is with Friendship Force Cornwall club based at the Cathedral City of Truro, which is on that long narrow peninsula at the westerly tip of UK. This isolated region has its own Celtic culture and language (no longer spoken). The climate is very mild with a high rainfall, producing lush vegetation, which favours the famous sub-tropical gardens of the area and is now the setting for the spectacular biomes of the Eden Project, the largest conservatories in the world. Tourism is the main industry, with the unspoiled spectacular cliffs being the major attraction. The slate and thatched cottages in the charming villages and quaint fishing harbours add to the beauty of the county. There is much to see and do in Cornwall, from historic houses to wild unspoilt countryside which has been the inspiration to many artists, authors and craftsmen through the centuries and is the setting for the books of Daphne du Maurier and Winston Graham. We welcome you to join us on this interesting exchange.
Tauranga-Western Bay Of Plenty to Tamworth and Brisbane, Australia If it your wish to take part in a cheaper but fantastic exchange in 2015 and get away from the NZ winter, this visit to the Australian East Coast is a must. FFI Exchange number: 12642 Dates: July 2016 Cost: : Approx $2,000NZD (includes FFI and Host Club fees) Contacts: Brian Grimwood (Tauranga-WBOP) 07 549 5416 h elenkk@xtra.co.nz Our first exchange is to Tamworth, and when you think Tamworth, you think the Country Music Capital of Australia and the Festival during January each year. But there is much more to Tamworth as it is surrounding by rich agricultural country with the primary producer s farm dairy cattle, sheep, poultry and beef cattle. And crops such as wheat, soy beans, cotton, fruit and vegetables are also produced in abundance. Although there is a strong agricultural base in Tamworth, there is also a vast array of historical features in our area and a broad range of artistic cultures to be enjoyed including music, dance, and theatre. The Lookout is popular for its many hiking tracks, while others enjoy strolling through any of the beautifully maintained parks and gardens. Nothing could be more in tune with our "easy-going" lifestyle than experiencing nature first hand in these lovely spots. We move north to sub-tropical climes of Brisbane, capital of Queensland. They usually have a bus trip, either to the north or south coast or to a garden festival in an inland town, depending on the time of the year, and hosts will arrange day trips. There is the opportunity to visit nearby theme parks such as Australia Zoo, Australian Outback Experience, and so on, but this is an extra cost to the Ambassadors over and above the normal exchange fee for these. Let s go visit our Aussie mates. August 2016 Thames Coromandel to Metro Vancouver, then join Global Exchange: Prairies to the Rockies, Canada FFI Exchange number: 12598 Dates: 10 30 August, 2016 Cost: Approx $4,900 covers air fare to Vancouver, flight to Edmonton, all Global Exchange costs, local costs and FFI and Host Club Fees. Does not include return air fare to NZ approx. $1300. Roger & Iris Collinson (Thames /Coromandel) 07-8687126 collinsonri@windowslive.com This is a great opportunity to visit our friends in Canada! We fly to Vancouver on 10 th August for our first hosting with Friendship Force of Metro Vancouver. Their area covers Vancouver and the beautiful Fraser River valley, which starts in the mountains with spectacular canyons, lakes, and waterfalls, and runs through fertile plains where crops and horses feature before reaching the sea. Vancouver is a multicultural city with many festivals, cultural centres and restaurants. We will have the opportunity to learn the First Nation people's ceremonies, history and legends and visit Fort Langley, the 'birthplace of British Columbia' and other national historic sights. Now for the bonus when we join the Global Exchange involves a one-week Home Stay in Edmonton followed by a week in the Rockies (Jasper and Banff). This is much more than a regular home stay week. It includes a guided week in the mountains involves an air conditioned Coach with a licensed guide, usually two meals a day, a Boat cruise on Maligne Lake, a Rafting adventure (not white water so quite safe) on the Athabasca River, a gondola ride in Banff, a dinner in Chateau at Lake Louise, canoeing, a day at a ranch in the foothills to have a wagon or horseback ride, a swim in the Banff Hot Springs, 6 nights' accommodation in hotels, plus many other activities. The week in Edmonton is during the Fringe Festival which is a wonderful experience and always a highlight in there exchanges. Please note that you must have a reasonable level of fitness for this exchange. After this wonderful adventure, we depart for other places in Canada or USA, or return back to NZ.
New Plymouth to Oklahoma, Milwaukee and Chicago, USA FFI Exchange number: 12674 Dates: August 29, 2016 Cost: : Approx. $6,000NZD (includes FFI and Host Club fees, and domestic transportation) Contacts: Anne Walker (New Plymouth) 06-7553986 rodandanne@hotmail.com You are welcome to join us on this exchange to USA. September 1st: Our first hosting is the with Friendship Force Oklahoma in the state of the same name. This state is mainly agricultural with large cattle and oil industries, but the major cities have wonderful cultural groups with activities scheduled year-round. We may visit such places of interest as their Cowboy Hall of Fame which boasts one of the largest collections of Western art in the United States, and the town of Guthrie which, as the first capitol of Oklahoma, offers a glimpse of Western life in the late 1880's. There is also Oklahoma City with its newly renovated areas of restaurants and galleries, the State capitol, horse racing, the zoo and aquarium. There may be opportunities for horseback riding or hayrides, rodeos and visits with members of our large American Indian community as well. September 6th, 1day Bus trip to St Louis 3days then a further 1day bus trip to Milwaukee. September 10th Then on to nearby Friendship Force Greater Milwaukee on the shores of Lake Michigan and Wisconsin s largest metropolitan area with some 1.7 million people. This is an exciting centre of commerce, industry, education and shipping with a culturally vibrant community which is home to a major symphony, acclaimed theatre troupes, a world-class ballet company, a critically acclaimed zoo, an outstanding Milwaukee museum, IMAX and the worldrenowned Santiago Calatrava Art Museum. September 15th We move north to Chicago, that town that Billy Sunday could not shut down according to Frank Sinatra. This is the second largest finance, retail, cultural and educational centre in USA, with a stunning lakefront on Michigan, world class museums, towering skyscrapers, beautiful botanic gardens and vibrant cultural life including theatre, classical music, jazz and blues. We can shop in the not-to-be-missed Magnificent Mile, and visit the newly renovated Buckingham Fountain, Modern Wing of Art Institute, and specially unique neighbourhoods such as Oak Park. We will enjoy the sandy lake beaches and the huge variety of shopping, Museums, and maybe cruise Lake Michigan. This area has a reputation for friendliness and hospitality which we can enjoy. September/ October 2016 Melbourne, Australia to New Mexico, Denver and Fort Worth, USA We begin 14th September in Santa Fe with its art galleries, mud brick buildings etc. Train to Albuquerque and our first exchange with the New Mexico club. FFI Exchange number: 12660 Dates: 14th September 2016-11th October 2016 5 days private optional tour from Albuquerque to Denver, including Monument Valley (you will recognize this valley from films and TV from the last 80yrs) and Mesa Verde, Ancestral Pueblo Cliff dwellings. Cost approx. $US1,200 includes transport, tour guide, park entrance fees, tour of Monument Valley & Mesa Verde, four nights accommodation with breakfast. We arrive in Denver for our second exchange on the 27th September, with the promise of a great display of autumn leaves. Cost: Approx. $975USD (includes FFI Fee, Host Fee, Santa Fe hotel & train to Albuquerque, Flight Denver to Fort Worth). We fly to Fort Worth on the 4th October to commence our third exchange and our Texas experience. Jan Felstead exchanges@melbournefriendshipforce.org. au
October 2016 Hamilton & Waikato to Sao Paulo and Maringa, Brazil We have been allocated a wonderful exchange to Brazil in South America. FFI Exchange number: 12528 Dates: October 2016 Cost: Approx $6-7,000NZD covers FFI and host fees, an d domestic transportation. Heather Adlam (Hamilton & Waikato) 07-8554158 hadlam@inspire.net.nz Our first hosting is at FF of Sao Paulo, located in the south east of Brazil midway between the sea and mountains. It is the major cultural centre of Latin America, with influence from many cultures: African, Indigenous, Japanese, Italian, Jewish, Portuguese, etc. besides the wide variety of parks, monuments, theaters and tourist attractions. The Brazilian people are a group that embraces happiness, caring, human warmth and receptiveness. We will probably visit their wonderful sights such as the Government s Palace, Sacre Museum (the most important in Brazil), a private Football Stadium, attend a Concert at Sala São Paulo (the most modern Concert Hall in South America); and go out of the city to the country side or beaches. We move inland to the Friendship Force club of Maringa which is located 410 kilometres from the famous Iguassu Falls, and 410 kilometres from Curitiba (the capital of our state). We are a small club with only 14 members, but have friends who help us once in a while with hosting. Maringá city is a middle sized town of about 250,000 inhabitants situated in the South of Brazil. Our main industries are Tourism, education, industry and agriculture, and our exchange will revolve round these. We will arrange a visit to the Cooperative (coffee, cotton, orange juice, silk etc.), to the University of Maringá, and of course tour the city and show you all the sights.
Also, please check out these Global Themed Exchange Opportunities! Incredible India (with Homestays!) (November 19 December 7, 2015) Christmas Markets along the Danube (December 9 17, 2015) Explore Panama (January 17-27, 2016) Explore Myanmar (February 13-25, 2016) Pick Your Passion: Discover Louisiana! (April 6 to April 18, 2016)
South Pacific Outbounds 2015 Date Exch# Exchange Name October 12238 Sunshine Coast, Australia to Karsiyaka Bay, Turkey October 12824 Kempsey to Melbourne and Casterton, Australia October 12199 Hobart, Australia to Western Bay of Plenty and Horowhenua, New Zealand October 12236 Mount Gambier, Australia to Vietnam October 12237 Southern Sydney, Australia to Xalapa, Mexico and Cali, Colombia October 12379 Perth, Australia to Jakarta, Indonesia November 12280 Kapiti Coast, New Zealand to Hobart and Newcastle, Australia November 12271 Murray Bridge, Australia to Wanganui and Wairarapa, New Zealand November 12856 Gold Coast, Australia to Kapiti Coast, Taupo, and Christchurch New Zealand
South Pacific Outbounds 2016 Date Exch# Exchange Name February 12531 Sydney, Australia to Southland, Tauranga Western Bay of Plenty and Napier, NZ March 12854 Wellington, New Zealand to Tokyo and Aichi, Japan March 12540 Salisbury and Northern Districts, Australia to Florida Suncoast and Greater Orlando, USA April 12559 Sunshine Coast, Australia to Huntsville, Greater Atlanta and Central North Carolina, USA April 12550 Whangarei, New Zealand to Mount Barker and Mount Gambier, Australia April 12556 Kempsey, Australia to Guzelbahce, Turkey and Azrou, Morocco April 12558 Queanbeyan-Canberra, Australia to Oregon's Mid-Willamette Valley and E. Washington/N. Idaho, USA April 12573 Napier, New Zealand to Hobart, Australia and Noumea, New Caledonia April 12555 Albany and Bundaberg, Australia to Kaohsiung, Taiwan and Koriyama, Japan April 12583 Blue Mountains, Australia and Northern Illinois, USA to Sochi, Russia, and Greater Izmir, Turkey May 12598 Nelson and Horowhenua, New Zealand to Malang, Indonesia and Yamaguchi, Japan May 12584 Newcastle, Australia to North Bay and Niagara, Canada and Dayton, USA May 12586 Tamworth and Hobart, Australia to Seoul, Korea and Fukuoka, Japan May 12557 North Moreton, Australia to Osaka and Sapporo, Japan June 12585 Perth, Australia to Seattle-Tacoma and Flathead Valley, USA and Medicine Hat, Canada June 12621 Noumea, New Caledonia to Kyoto-Fukuchiyama and Saitama, Japan June 12608 Murray Bridge, Australia to Victoria & Vancouver Island, Canada and Columbia Cascade, USA June 12622 Wanganui and Otago, New Zealand to Cornwall, UK and Metropole Ruhr, Germany June 12636 Southern Sydney, Australia to Brussels-Pajot, Belgium and Oxfordshire, UK July 12642 Southland and Tauranga Western Bay of Plenty, NZ to Tamworth and Brisbane, Australia July 12641 Marlborough, New Zealand to Tweed Valley and Bundaberg, Australia July 12640 Christchurch, New Zealand to Cairns and Sunshine Coast, Australia August 12654 Manawatu, New Zealand to North Moreton and Queanbeyan-Canberra, Australia August 12650 Mount Gambier, Australia to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
Date Exch# Exchange Name South Pacific Outbounds 2016 (Continued) September 12673 Auckland-NS and Howick, NZ to Bordeaux, France, Solothurn, Switzerland, and Causeway Coast, UK September 12675 Thames Coromandel, New Zealand to Edmonton and Area and Metro Vancouver, Canada September 12659 Adelaide, Australia to Somerset, UK and Zeeland, Netherlands September 12661 Tweed Valley, Australia to Hay River and Lethbridge, Canada September 12674 New Plymouth, New Zealand to Oklahoma, Chicago and Milwaukee, USA September 12660 Melbourne, Australia to Denver, New Mexico and Fort Worth, USA October 12528 Hamilton and Waikato, New Zealand to Sao Paulo and Maringa, Brazil October 12701 Kapiti Coast, New Zealand to Quebec Region, Canada, Connecticut and Richmond, USA October 12690 Brisbane, Australia to Vogtland, Germany and Greater Manchester, UK October 12702 Taupo, New Zealand to Cankaya, Turkey and Tbilisi, Georgia November 12715 Gold Coast, Australia to Bandung, Indonesia and Taichung, Taiwan November 12529 Sydney, Australia to Belem, Piracicaba and Curitiba, Brazil You can now download a complete list of all 2015 FFI Exchange Programs!! CLICK HERE
Submissions are due to the eflyer contact by the 20th of each month. Australian eflyer Jim Haxton hacco40@hotmail.com New Zealand eflyer Colin Ridge colinjanet@clear.net.nz OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION FFI Matthew Nidek, mnidek@thefriendshipforce.org Sign up to receive FFI news and notices! (Click HERE) Easy online currency conversion! $$$(Click HERE)$$$