On the 18th August a group of 51 visitors from Narita City, Japan, was officially welcomed to Manawatu College with a full school Powhiri. 

This year’s event was organised and hosted by Manawatu College and the Horowhenua District Council as part of a Friendship Accord between the two councils and marked the 22nd visit between us both, the 11th undertaken by Narita City.

The vising party consisted of 32 students, 8 young leaders and 11 adults. They spent a total of 6 nights in New Zealand, with half of them spent in our region, hosted by our incredibly generous and supportive local families. They took part in a number of activities, which included haka and poi tutoring with teachers and students here at Manawatu College, a tour of Foxton on the horse drawn tram, tours of both the windmill and flax stripper, and a mayoral visit for the adults hosted by the Horowhenua District Council.

Our guests’ short stay with us ended with an excellent farewell dinner hosted by the College on Saturday night. The night consisted of items performed by the visitors, a number of presentations and a superb meal catered by the Food Technology Department to say thank you to the hosts for looking after our visitors.

While our guests get to participate in a variety of activities during their visit, they have stated that the homestay experience is the biggest highlight and the part of their trip that they look forward to the most. 

They have asked us to pass on their sincerest and heartfelt thanks to the families who openly welcomed and cared for them during their stay. This is a sentiment that is loudly echoed by the College as we readily acknowledge that without the support of our local community, this exchange would not have been possible!

Planning is now underway for our return trip to Narita City, Japan, scheduled to take place in 2018. If you are interested in taking part in this amazing opportunity, please see Mrs Belk or Mr Brown to register your interest and get more information.