On October 4, 2025, a group of Rotarians from District 5495 left for Brisbane to meet old and make new friends through a Rotary Friendship Exchange.
This was a return visit, after six District 9640 Australians visited Arizona in October 2024. Mary and Mike Zongolowicz from the Rotary Club of Sun City, Candace and Andy Tomlinson and Jacque and Dennis Price from the Prescott Rotary Club, and Katheryn and Dennis Tuberty and Wendi and Barry Lancy from the Prescott Frontier Rotary Club were hosted by clubs in Murwillumbah, Grafton, Lismore, and Gold Coast.
The Arizonans hiked rainforests, visited museums, encountered animals in a sanctuary, learned about alternate power sources, saw kangaroos in the wild, climbed steps to a pinnacle point on the ocean, and observed local sights. The group learned about Aussie Rotary projects such as wheelchairs crafted from bicycle frames, a weekly sidewalk BBQ breakfast, a mobile health unit for men’s health checks and education, a refurbished public park, view benches along the riverbank, and a cafe that served meals while providing a social gathering place for people displaced by severe flooding in 2022.
The RFE group gave presentations highlighting District 5495 and club projects at five Rotary club meetings, exchanging the traditional banners and good will. Friendships and memories from this trip will last forever.