Teen ditches desert Down Under for Bermuda's beaches

The Australian student is here on an exchange visit organised by the Round Square Conference of Schools.

And she has had to  adjust to life quickly at Bermuda High School for Girls (BHS).

Strict

Bree, 16, does not think much of the extra homework, but admits to concentrating more without boys in class.

She says BHS is “completely different” from her school in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

And she admits never having heard of Bermuda when she signed up for the exchange programme.

But now the teenager says she has now fallen in love with Bermuda’s “beautiful scenery and multi-coloured houses.”

“School in Bermuda took a bit of getting used to,” she said.

“My school is not quite as strict. There is more homework here and having no boys in class is really, really different.

“It’s a good change though, it sort of makes you concentrate more.

“They also do lots of rowing and sailing here. That’s something new, I wasn’t used to that.”

In Australia Bree is a day student at mixed boarding school St. Philips College, which has 550 students from years seven to 12. She pays $975 a year.

In contrast BHS is a primary and secondary girls-only private school for years one to 13. The cost of education is $17,000 a year.

In Australia Bree says PE and psychology are her favourite subjects, but at BHS she has been enjoying netball and music.

She is “not too homesick” but always makes time for Skype chats with her family and friends.

“The twelve-and-a-half hour time difference takes a bit of getting used to,” she said.

“I either have to get up really early or stay up really late.”

She signed up for the Round Square exchange programme earlier this year.

She said: “When I was told I was going to Bermuda, I had no idea where that was.

“I’d heard of the Bermuda Triangle and everyone said I would disappear.

“But then I heard it was a holiday destination so I knew it would be okay.”

It took her 39 hours to get to Bermuda on October 10. She flew from Alice Springs to Melbourne, then Los Angeles, New York and Bermuda.

The trip included a 14-hour layover in L.A..

Humidity

Bree is staying in Warwick with the family of BHS student Nijmah Marouf, 14.

In the summer Nijmah studied at Bree’s school as part of the exchange.

She has gone sightseeing, jet skiing and helmet diving, and says St. George’s is one of her favourite places.

“At first Bermuda reminded me of Darwin because of the humidity,” she said. “It’s a really, really beautiful place. I love the different coloured houses and I love having beaches so close, as I am used to a desert.

“Everyone is so friendly and people beep their horns to say hello rather than to tell people to get out of the way.”

This week Bree’s mom arrives in Bermuda and they fly home to Australia at the end of the month.

Bree gave a presentation about her time in Bermuda to 300 students at a school  assembly last week.

It included a skit with Australian music teacher Emma Cowell to teach students the Aussie lingo.

Bree said: “I’ve learned so much, the exchange has been such an amazing experience.

“I’ve travelled halfway round the world and have got to see so much.

“I’m going to tell everyone to visit Bermuda, they just have to see it for themselves.”