International Student Stories
Student Stories
It was the end of January 2011 and the middle of summer when I arrived in New Zealand. I was in Year 10 in Germany and came into Year 12 here. The first two weeks were quite hard for me at Nga Tawa, because I was really homesick, but my new horse and all the girls helped me to get over it.
When I arrived in New Zealand, in July 2010, it was the middle of winter and I stayed for 12 months till July 2011. Looking back at that year, I can say it was one of the best years in my life; I loved my time in New Zealand and had an amazing experience at Nga Tawa. This was the best decision I have ever made. I made many friends who I stayed with during weekends and over the holidays which were always a lot of fun and made my time even better. I was also quite involved in the Equestrian Academy, riding school ponies and other horses and also competed at shows and events. Eventing was something I started in New Zealand and I enjoyed it a lot, especially the cross country phase was amazing to experience and I’m so glad I tried it. The shows and events were always heaps of fun, travelling with the school, together with the girls and competing. Just being involved with the Academy was awesome! Looking after your own horse, spending time with all the other Equestrian girls, riding together and basically having another thing in common to talk about was very helpful especially at the beginning. I always had a lot of fun down at the equestrian yards with my new extended family.
