When 17-year-old Agustina Ledesma LLovell arrived in Tauranga in February 21 last year, despite already having learned English she couldn't understand a word we Kiwis were saying. 'I would smile and nod.”

Argentina exchange student Agustina Ledesma LLovell with her Matua host mum Julia Banks. Photo by Bruce Barnard.

But in 11 months she's learned and experienced a humongous amount of activities and skills – and now tell me in plain English how much she loves New Zealand and its Kiwiana culture.

'I like the lifestyle – what they say on the internet about NZ is true – the landscapes are beautiful and that it's small enough that you can travel most of it in one year.”

Agustina, nicknamed Agus by her Kiwi friends, is nearing the end of a 12-month student exchange with the Tauranga Sunrise Rotary Club.

She's made Kiwi friends while attending Tauranga Girls' College, has lived with four host families, and attended Rotary meetings and helped at fundraisers.

'So you get to know the Kiwi culture,” says Agustina, who has tried every activity from surfing to paddle boarding to ski-biscuiting.

'I've tried pretty much everything but no bungy jumping – I was really scared. I went to Queenstown and I was like ‘nah, I could die in eight seconds'.”

Hailing from Cordoba, a city centrally located within Argentina, Agustina says Kiwis are a lot more organised time-wise and school is much easier.

'Back home 5pm means 5.30pm is okay, but 6pm is better.”

'And we go to school from 7.30am-5.30pm daily and study 18 subjects – and we don't have very long breaks like you guys.”

But she says globalisation has smoothed out most countries' contrasts 'not like 10 years ago”.

She picked God's Own as her first of three countries to travel via Rotary after a Kiwi visited her home. She's made the most seeing Aotearoa from top to Bottom.

'I was amazed with the country – it is so beautiful. I thought New Zealand is a pretty cool country.

'I went to the South Island for three weeks with 12 Rotary exchange students, we went up to Northland to Cape Reinga two weeks ago – and I've been trawling around the other parts.

Agustina's had four host families in the Bay, at Te Puna, Bethlehem, the Mount and Matua.

But she also credits the Tauranga Sunrise Rotary Club for teaching her how to take on another country and culture and showing her the amazing community work they do.

Under Rotary she's fundraised for projects, including Shelter Box, and enjoyed weekend events.

'People have this perception it's only old people sitting in their houses with nothing to do that go to Rotary – but this is wrong.

'They actually go because they want to be there – not because they have to.”

Agustina departs for home with more memories, experiences, new friends and cultural awareness than she can fit in her suitcase on February 16.

Tauranga Sunrise Rotary Club is hunting for new members. Contact Eric Happe on 027 543 4716 or email: [email protected]