Anne and Christine gave a convincing reminder of the old adage that many or our best talks come from our own members. They gave us a most persuasive argument for joining a Friendship Group Exchange as they recounted their experiences with the Rotary Clubs of Orange North and Orange Daybreak.
Christine told me she had over 200 pictures, but very wisely they avoided paralysis by PowerPoint and spoke describing their activities with just a few well-chosen visuals. After an inauspicious start thanks to a recalcitrant jet engine, a re-directed flight and a horrifically early morning start they reached Orange for an official town hall welcome.
Highlights of the next 14 days included visiting Bathurst, Holy Temple of petrol heads, a dried-up lake a very brown Botanic Gardens, (no rain for 3 years), a park playground which included a swing for wheel chairs (a local Rotary project - hint?), a Rescue Park with a singed koala bear, camels and baby wombats, a Japanese P.O.W. cemetery and a replica of the Peace Bell.
They saw the radio telescope used to transmit the pictures of Neil Armstrong's landing on the moon, too many "Beware of Snake" signs, and a surf club on a beach (sic) many miles from the sea. They saw useful ideas like the project to collect and re-cycle old linen, a go-anywhere-do-anything emergency response vehicle and a building set up for distance learning for aboriginal children.
Their hosts, and all the people they met were hospitable and friendly. They will be visiting NZ soon and I hope we can help make their visit here as welcoming.
