Wollongong resident Pam Howard runs a dual-culture exchange program, Australian Recreation and Educations Tours (ARET), between Australia and Japan. It teaches Australian children about Japanese culture, and Japanese high school and university students about Australian culture.
Through a variety of tours and planned activities, Japanese students visit local farms and engage with Australian wildlife and a mix of farm animals. They also try their hand at beekeeping, horse riding and get involved in a number of English language programs. They travel to the surrounding Illawarra area and visit Sydney. Students stay with homestay families, and are treated to standard Australian way-of-life while attending classes at the University of Wollongong.
Australian students travel from around the country to stay in Wollongong, and learn many aspects of Japanese culture. Most students are already studying Japanese as a second language, and these workshops assist students further in their education. They also learn many cultural aspects of Japanese daily life.