After a lifetime of wanting to visit Australia, Italian student Marcello Orsenigo has lived out his dream and travelled Down Under on an exchange program.
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While his image of Australians riding around on kangaroos sadly didn’t translate into real life, the 17-year-old will take some fond memories back home after gaining a second family in the O’Keeffes of Malua Bay.
For six months, Marcello has soaked up the South Coast lifestyle, studying in Year 11 at Batemans Bay High School and ticking off some top Aussie attractions on his bucket list, including Sydney Harbour, Narooma’s Australia Rock and plenty of native wildlife in between.
The trip has been a long time coming for the aspiring actor from Marco Polo Classical School.
“My brother did (an exchange), but he went to the USA,” Marcello said.
“I knew that for him it was a great experience.
“I’ve wanted to go to Australia since I was about two or four – it was just this big dream.”
With his exchange experience coming to an end, Marcello is coming to terms with farewelling his host family.
“I feel like I have a second family here and all my friends here are deeply connected,” Marcello said.
“Everything happened and it’s just so overwhelming, so good.
“I love it here. I love the people here. They’re really open and welcoming and I love the weather.
“You don’t realise time is passing and now I have just two weeks – it’s too short; why do I have to go back already?”
Marcello is one of two Italian students currently on exchange at Batemans Bay High, with Alessandra Bergese swapping her village lifestyle in Bricco for the Eurobodalla experience.
Host parents Gerard and Belinda O’Keeffe said Marcello was a perfect fit for their family.
“Marcello just fitted right in straight away,” Mr O’Keeffe said.
“He was very much like our other sons and they got on really well.”
With the guiding hand of his host brother Harry, the dinky-di Venetian has also gained a new talent.
“He’s a pro surfer now,” Harry said.
“I’ve taken him out every afternoon for a surf. When he started, he was a bit unco, but now, he’s treading on any board.
“He just fit in and it’s going to be sad to see him go.”
Mrs O’Keeffe encouraged other families to consider taking on an exchange student.
“It’s really rewarding – I think a lot of other families should put their hand up for it,” Mrs O’Keeffe said.
However, the family now faces the hard task of saying goodbye.
“You can’t really replace Marcello. Our extended families just really adore him. He’s just like the third grandson or nephew, it’s really quite cute,” she said.
Fortunately, a reunion doesn’t seem too far away. When asked if he would consider returning to Australia for further study, Marcello’s reply was an excitable, “Of course!”