Both Cherie and myself, we work on the Gold Coast, I'm a teacher at Palm Beach High School
Cherie up at Varsity College in the primary sector, we got a 15-year-old daughter Stevie
who's at PBC with me as well – we've lived around this area and Stevie being a single kid, kind of
always asking questions about oh can we have another brother and sister that kind of thing.
Our biological clock's been ticking so we're past that stage and we kind of
thought having an international student might be a good idea to be able to give her a bit
of companionship and another another little I guess addition to the household as well.
They've really got along very well – even from the first day that Sophie was here,
we were still on holidays so we took them shopping and just sent them off
on themselves and again since that point they've been great.
Okay can you hold my hand!
I'm Sophia I'm 16 years old I'm from Austria and I like to play soccer and meet up with friends.
From the beginning it's been like an extra daughter – there's been that
instant type relationship there as well and I think given Sophie's made a lot of
Australian friends and she's playing soccer with Australian friends at the
same club that Stevie's playing, she just kind of fits straight in.
And you know working as we would do you know normally as well.
We just have a connection that like, I don't know how to explain it but we have a nice connection.
We're very similar and got the same taste and a few things and our personality's just Bond.
Yeah I know Cherie had mentioned as well the opportunity to to kind of build connections with
people overseas too so you know when we decide or should Stevie decide to be able to you know go
International, to be able to have some people she can catch up with and and stay with overseas too.
I've always wanted to come to Australia, mainly my dad once came here for like job and he said
it's very beautiful and the people are so nice and I love the beaches and I always wanted to
try out surfing as well – so it would be a great opportunity I thought. So yeah!
I don't regret it.
I went surfing every Monday from school with all
the international students. It was pretty fun and yeah,
I love it.
When I come home from school I normally directly go to the beach and have a surf,
um after that we might have a Tim Tam slam after dinner!
She loves Tim Tams. Don't think she was overly keen on the meat pies – she's not even
given Vegemite a bit of a crack I don't think since she's been here. But definitely the Tim
Tams. She loves a Tim Tam slam which you'll probably see her have a crack at later on!
Okay, so like you need a hot chocolate.
And then you have a Tim Tam and you bite off the corners. Each corner.
So diagonally you bite each corner off and then you suck
the hot chocolate through the Tim Tam to make it all soft in the middle.
I got it!
Same!
That's it!
Being a Homestay parent has been one of the
most incredible experiences and I really recommend it wholeheartedly.
I'd encourage anyone with a spare room to say yes and start making inquiries straight away.
What you and your family get in return is priceless!