Student hosts needed for February

South West families are being called on to share their homes for a brief visit by Japanese high school students for three nights in February.

The 109 students, girls and boys, attend the Japanese Waseda Shibuya Senior High School in Singapore, and are mainly children of Japanese parents working in South East Asia.

The visit is being organised by Gold Educational Tours, which regularly organises home stay visits for Japanese students to Western Australia.

Sachiko Pearce from Gold’s Busselton office said families were currently being sought to host students from the 10th to the 13th of February.

“The response from South West homes in recent years has been very generous, and we have found that both host families and students benefit greatly from the homestays, particularly in learning about each other’s cultures,” she said.

Ms Pearce said most of the students visiting in February had never been to Australia.

“We are looking for host families from Bunbury, Capel, Donnybrook, Dardanup, Boyanup, Kirup, Balingup, Busselton and Dunsborough,” she said.

“Farm stays are usually very popular, but town stays are also very welcome.

“It’s an opportunity for the students to experience our wonderful South West, and no doubt many will return some day as holiday visitors.”

One regular host, Therese Sayers from Dunsborough, said she met a Japanese woman in Japan last month who had come to Western Australia almost 40 years ago as a teacher accompanying students visiting on a homestay.

“Her memories of what she described as extraordinary Western Australian hospitality remained very fresh, and she recounted her visit with delight,” Ms Sayers said.

“The woman is now a volunteer tourist guide, and she showed us around her home town.

“It made me realise how much of an impact a Western Australian homestay can have on overseas visitors.”

Ms Pearce said hosts would be paid a $50 support payment per night per student to help cover expenses in hosting.

People interested in hosting Japanese students can register at goldeducationaltours.com.au/host-families