Exchange student revisits Matamata
Thirty years ago a 16- year- old student with a limited English vocabulary sat at the dining room table in Don and Jackie Stanley’s home ready for her first day at Matamata College as a Rotary exchange student. Now Tina Bruger is back from Germany, to pay her former host parents a visit.
And this time she has an added addition – her husband Wolfgang.
‘‘ I really enjoyed it here in Matamata. This is my second time back; I came about 10 years ago when I was touring New Zealand and Australia,’’ she said. ‘‘Now we are here with my husband’s work but I said we can’t come to New Zealand without seeing Don and Jackie, so we took an extra week to come up here.’’
They have visited Wairere Falls, taken a trip to the Coromandel and been back to see Matamata College.
‘‘And it is funny the newspaper is here, I was in the Matamata Chronicle 30 years ago too,’’ Mrs Bruger laughed.
Both couples have found a Rotary exchange is a great way to build international relationships that can last a lifetime.
The Stanleys have been back to Germany to visit the pair and were at their wedding last year.
‘‘ During the time Tina was here, she became a Kiwi and became a part of our family so we have kept in touch and the relationship has stayed as there was such a good rapport,’’ Mr Stanley said.
Now Tina and Wolfgang have met the Stanleys’ grandchildren who all reckon they will be going to Germany soon to visit the couple.