Meet Student Ambassador: Luis Nitschke

Luis is from Germany and is studying at Springbank School while living with a host family in Kerikeri. He is one of our 2020 Study Northland Student Ambassadors.

What made you choose Northland?

To be honest, I did not choose Northland, I chose Springbank School because it is like the school I attend in Germany, and I had heard it was family focused, small, kind and caring.  The fact that it is based in the Bay of Islands was a bonus because there are so many things I could do on the sea like scuba diving, surfing, fishing, skurfing, sea biscuiting, snorkeling, paddle boarding, etc.

What do you love most about studying at school in New Zealand?

I like my school (Springbank School in Kerikeri) because it is like one big family and from the first day you feel a part of the whole school.  We also do a lot outside as we have a weekly Outdoor Adventure class where we go surfing, hiking, climbing, swimming and into the bush to learn bush craft skills and something I have never done before, Waka Ama. 

We also have 20 minutes of compulsory fitness everyday where we get the opportunity to play and try out different sports like touch rugby, basketball, football, volleyball, etc. Or we can even jog our fitness track that weaves through our school’s grounds which helps to keep us fit and healthy.  Here in New Zealand I have learnt that schools have house groups, and the house group that I belong to is called Orca’s and on special days such as athletics, cross country, etc. I have to wear orange which is the colour of my house group (Orca’s) and we compete against each other and the other house groups, and activities such as these are things that I do not have in my school in Germany.

What are your favourite experiences in Northland?

One of my favourite experiences in Northland was learning to surf because I have never done this before and I think for the first time, I was not that bad.  Something what is similar to Surfing is Skurfing, not only the name is similar but also what you do as the only difference is you do not have a wave to ride, you “surf” behind a boat which is a lot of fun.  

Another great experience was going deep sea fishing as I have never done this before and I caught three HUGE kingfish and two sharks which stole two of my kingfish !  The other thing that I know will also be one of my favourite experiences in Northland will be Skydiving as I have done this before in Germany and I really love it.  I had booked to do a Sky Dive with the organization in Kerikeri but could not do so due to lock-down.  However, I still hope to do this before I go home as I think the views of the Bay of Islands from the air would be amazing.

What is like living with a homestay family?

I am really lucky with my host family as I have a host sister in my age group and I do a lot with her.  We go swimming, play tennis, go for walks with the dog and we can talk to each other about everything.  She is like what I imagine it must be like to have a real sister (I have two brothers), annoying ? ! 

My host mother and my host father are both also really nice and already in my heart.  We play every night cards together, go for walks and we sometimes cook together, which makes me really happy.  For me staying with this host family is the one of the best things which could happened to me in New Zealand, including the Covid-19 time where we spend a lot of time together.

What are your interests, sports and hobbies?

My biggest interest is Werder Bremen which is the football club of the German city I live in and it is really important to me.  “Lebenslang Grün Weiß” (which translates into “Lifelong Green and White”, which are the colours of Werder Bremen).  I love playing football (for fun) and I really love going to the stadium with 40,000 other people, shouting, singing and talking about football.  As well as thinking about nothing else other than the football being played and having fun. 

Before I came to New Zealand I was never really interested in rugby but after my first time seeing the All Blacks play live at Eden Park I knew it is something that really interested me and is a lot of fun to watch.  I also like Music.  I played the piano for five years and I think music is a thing that can help you switch of from whatever is going on in your life so you can relax and enjoy whatever you are listening to.  The other hobby I really enjoy is Tennis.  I play 3 to 4 times a week and on the weekends, I have matches. I play tennis now for 10 years and I am really happy that I can play tennis also here in New Zealand. 

More about Springbank School…