Whangārei students on exchange to Australia through A&P Society

Chris Mason, CEO Whangārei A&P Society, with Kendal Wyatt-Logan and Samantha Forsyth, who are on a student exchange to Australia.

Two Whangārei students have left on an exchange trip to Australia courtesy of the Whangārei A&P Society.

Whangārei A&P Society is sending Kendal Wyatt-Logan and Samantha Forsyth on a student exchange to Nambour State College, Queensland.

Chris Mason, the CEO of Whangārei Agricultural & Pastoral Society, said that the exchange is in keeping with the society's vision to link urban and rural.

"The exchange is about getting young audiences excited about agriculture. Kendal and Samantha attended the Ballance Farm Environment Awards earlier this year and were telling attendees how excited they are to be a part of the exchange programme,'' Mason said.

''As Whangārei Girls' High School TeenAg members, Kendal and Samantha will be great ambassadors for Northland while also getting the opportunity to experience some aspects of rural Australia."

They left on Tuesday for Brisbane then on to Nambour on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. They will spend the first part of the week with their host family, attending Nambour State College, where they will be involved on the School's farm helping prepare Show Cattle for the Sunshine Coast A&P Show.

They will participate in the show's Milking Barn – equivalent to Whangārei A&P's Suzie Moo Show. Like Suzie Moo, the Milking Barn demonstrates where milk and butter comes from, how to milk a cow and then the audience is invited to try their skills at hand milking.

Adding to the show excitement, the girls will be camping at the showgrounds with other students from Nambour State College.

Whangārei A&P Society has been hosting this exchange since 2012 and is pleased to be part of the ongoing reciprocal exchange programme that also sees two students from Nambour visiting to coincide with the Whangārei A&P Show, in Maunu, on December 7.