A visit from Australia –
an exchange programme with some new aspects

Friendship Force Varel must be well known „down under”, because when Kevin Page the exchange director from Friendship Force Perth advertised the exchange to Varel in Germany sixteen ambassadors from all over Australia joined the visit from May 8th to 15th 2011.

Birgit Kroeger and Gerd-Christian Wagner not only formed a totally new exchange director team but prepared an innovative and well balanced programmen between family and excursions.

Already the Mayor’s welcome ceremony at the Town Hall by Gerd-Christian Wagner, Major and exchange director in one person, was a unique constellation within the Friendship Force community.

After the usual guided city tour through Varel and the visit of its Castle Church, the plan asked for a new and unusual separation of programme for the female and male guests. Whilst the women were given the opportunity to enjoy their creativity with paints, colours and lot of humour being assisted by the artist Traudel Logemann in Elmar Müllers ”Arts-Barn”, their male partners were informed about the latest technology of European paper and cardboard production at the Papier – und Kartonfabrik Varel.

Wellcome at the railway station in Varel		The exchange directors: Gerd-Christian Wagner, Birgit Kroeger und Kevin Page		Ammerländer Spoon Drink
”This is my painting“ says Marjorie Page		Proud artists from Australia		A beer from Jever at end of the sightseeing

On Wednesday Gabriela Friesen, guide and member of our club, presented her English spoken sightseeing city tour of Oldenburg and made it to an interesting and informative afternoon.

The day after the evening concert of the Varel Gospel Choir an excursion into the area Wesermarsch was offered with some new events to remember. It started with an interesting visit at the Varel Fire Brigade followed by an introduction at the Merchant Navy Training College in Elsfleth and its outstanding planetarium.

During a break our guests were called the atmosphere of silence at the shores of the river Weser during low tide quite ”amazing”. However they returned to their livelihood at our common meal with fish at a farmhouse style restaurant directly at the harbour.

At the forenoon on Friday they even managed to add something special to the usual walk through the old rhododendron park at Gristede by asking a very knowledgeable guide for company and this years blossoms had also something very special although not planned for.

The farewell party at the Schützenhof in Jaderberg has been a success. Numerous members were participating, the typical regional cold and warm buffet was quite extensive, the musical entertainment by the fearless singing sailors of “Sally’s Crew” gained a lot of applause and the the artistic group-comedy about the always ”late Suzanne” performed by our guests were quite amusing and led into the dark of the night.

Group picture with Gabriele Friesen, the guide		Our guests called the atmosphere of silence at the shores of the river Weser during low tide quite ”amazing”		The common meal with fish at a farmhouse style restaurant directly at the harbour
A typical path in the Rhodo Park Gristede		The guests give for their host a serenade on the farewell party		„Sally’s Crew“entertained with traditional sea songs and shanties
The farewell with our Australian friends was already hard but having commonly experienced all the wonderful hours and events it made it even harder. The EDs and the hosts of FF Varel were wishing all the best for the Australian ambassadors for their future trip through Europe.

Copyright © 2012 Friendship Force Varel