- (DOORBELL RINGS)
- We started to host international students
when a peer of John's at work
was saying that PBC was looking for host families.
We're empty-nesters and we have enough room
and just talking about all the good things about being a host family,
so we said, "Oh, well, we'll go to a meeting,"
and we went to a meeting and the rest is history. That was 13 years ago.
- We wanna supply the people that come over here with a safe home.
And we live close to the beach, close to the school,
you know, it's just perfect for the kids,
so why not share that?
- One of our favourite times, we walk our dogs, we've got two border collies.
Oh, she's gonna run! Go on, run! - Yeah, go, girl! Go!
- It's good to go down the beach and walk and catch up.
Did you play soccer in Portugal?
- No. I just played it for fun with my friends
cos it's the main sport back in Portugal.
Do you know Ronaldo? - No. (LAUGHS)
- The best player in the world.
- Best player in the world? - Yeah.
- Teenagers are teenagers. It doesn't matter if they're from Portugal
or from Greece or from Australia... - Exactly. All the same.
- ..you need to have those golden moments.
I hear they make really good Portuguese tarts here.
- Yeah, we'll have to see about that. I'll have to try it first.
- You connect with all different kinds of people,
and to connect with a teenager is a lovely thing. It keeps you young.
- I'm impressed. - You're impressed?
- They're always saying, "If ever..." And this is the parents, too.
"If ever you come to Europe or wherever, please let us know where you are,
and it doesn't matter where you are in Europe, we'll come and visit you."
- One of the reasons why we became a homestay family,
apart from the fact that we wanted our daughter to grow up with other siblings,
was the fact that we love to travel.
We have met up with the girls in many different places around the world.
Some very good air time there. That's actually one of our better photos.
- I think so. - Some good energy in that one.
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a homestay family
are the long-term relationships
that you start out with here in our country, in Australia,
and you continue to carry on.
Hello! Hey! How are you going?
Look who we brought along today, Grandma.
All of the girls that have stayed with us are like our daughters, basically.
I can't imagine a day that goes by where we don't think of some of them
or all of them and just think how they've really enriched our lives.
- (BOTH LAUGH) - Good to see you!
- (ALL LAUGH) - Never mind Dave.
Why does he get all the action? - Hi.
- Amelia came to stay with us about three years ago,
so she was our first student that we had.
And then Rachel overlapped with Amelia,
so we actually had two of them for around probably four months,
I think, at the same time. So we've done a lot of things all together
and my daughters certainly have had a big sister in both of them.
So are you enjoying living with Perry?
Is it working out? - Yeah.
- I guess I still feel like the mum, or their second mum, as it were.
Just the fact we've spent so much time together
and we shared a home as a family.
I still am proud of them both
and I just still would like to continue, you know, holding that.
- Wow! Ah! - Look at these.
- Life with a homestay student is, for us, we love it.
So we get to find out more about them, they become part of our family.
- Wow, that looks really nice! - They look nice.
- The relationship between Caitlyn and Kayla is like sisters.
Kayla is chatty and very vibrant.
She's constantly laughing.
- Can it be "meny"? - No! Wrong way to spell it.
- It's a wrong word. - (ALL LAUGH)
- The help that we receive from EQI is invaluable.
So if there was ever to be a problem or I have a question,
they are only a phone call away.
- Food-wise, Kayla, everything's good? - Oh, yeah, I love the food.
- (ALL LAUGH) - It's hard when the chef's there.
- Yeah! - (ALL LAUGH)
- I would say to those that are looking
or interested in becoming a homestay family to go for it.
These students are absolutely wonderful,
they are here to learn and be part of your family.
You'll find it's not just for that period
that they're in your home, it is for life.
- (DOG BARKS)
- People say, "Oh, it's a lot of work, it's a lot of work."
But everything worthwhile is a lot of work.
- Seeing them succeed is just a great joy.
- It's the fact that these guys just become integrated into your lives,
like, they are just my... my heart.
These are more than just girls who came to stay at our house.
These are truly my family.