In March and April of 1996 a team of five from our district spent five weeks in Western Australia. Team members included Pam (Santavicca) Ferguson and Kristin Burgard from State College, PA and David Warner and Sandy Davis from West Virginia. Joe Wolfinger served as team leader.

Perth Rotary Clubs hosted the team for most of the exchange, but the trip included a visit of several days to Kalgoorlie, a gold mining town in the outback. Rotarians in Kalgoorlie took the American team camping in the outback, with emu running through the tent site. The Perth Rotary Clubs sponsored many interesting professional days for team members to visit places of work similar to their own work places back in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Australian Rotarians really rolled out the red carpet for us - we ate lunch with the Lord Mayor of Perth in his private dining room, we watched sheep herding and shearing, we visited the port city of Freemantle, we held koalas at a nature park, we listened to Aboriginees play the didgeridoo, and much more. We ourselves gave many presentations at Rotary Clubs and the district conference in Northam. Pam Ferguson became a Rotarian after the trip because she was so impressed with Rotary.