Southern Cross were fantastic, and honestly, Jenny and Cheryl stole the show. If organisation and kindness were Olympic sports, they’d be taking home gold for going above and beyond. 🥇
They managed to keep the whole process stress-free and even a little bit fun.
If you're considering hosting an exchange student (which I highly recommend, give these legends a call.

Southern Cross Cultural Exchange is a really supportive organisation that genuinely cares about students and host families. Communication is clear and there’s always someone available to help if issues come up. The programs are well-structured, and it’s obvious that a lot of effort goes into making sure everyone has a good experience.

Our daughter had the most incredible time as a foreign exchange student through Southern Cross-Cultural Exchange. She spent an academic year overseas and had the most amazing experience.

Southern Cross-Cultural Exchange were fantastic throughout the whole process. I honestly lost track of how many times I called or emailed with questions, and no matter what it was, they always responded quickly and professionally. They were supportive and well-organised from start to finish.

They did a great job facilitating an experience that was incredibly positive for our daughter. I’d recommend them to any family considering an exchange — we couldn’t be happier with how everything went

I recently returned from my three month exchange in Italy which was the most amazing experience thanks to Southern Cross Cultural Exchanges. From the very start I felt supported by the agency through the pre-departure orientations and supply of information that they gave me to ensure I had everything I needed for my time away. They also matched me with the loveliest host family that lived in Milan. My host family included two host sisters, a host mum and a host dad and they taught me all about the Italian culture and lifestyle. My local coordinator provided by the agency was also very helpful as she always made sure to check in with me and if I had any problems she always provided solutions to ensure that I had the best experience possible. Another highlight of my exchange was the agency trip to Naples. It was there that I met other students around my age studying in Italy that were from Australia, Germany, Denmark, America, Switzerland, Finland and other countries. While I was in Italy I was lucky enough to travel to many incredible places including Naples, Rome, Venice, Padova and a skiing trip to The Dolomites. Something I liked about Southern Cross is that each month they would send out a monthly postcard where you can rate your experience (like how school’s going, how your host family is, and tell them about any concerns or highlights). From this monthly postcard I found I was able to express myself no matter if it was positive or negative feedback so I never felt alone even though I was on the other side of the world. When I returned to New Zealand three months later, Southern Cross warmly welcomed me home. My experience in Italy was everything I could have imagined and more and I highly recommend doing an exchange. For me it was the experience of a lifetime.

Awesome experience! Organised well with a large amount of support systems and guidance along the way. Adventure of a lifetime 100% recommend go on exchange.

My son went on an exchange for 6 weeks. My son totally enjoyed the experience. The school and the host family arranged by Southern Cross were a perfect fit. We are very thankful to Southern Cross or organising this incredible experience for our son.