Despite being 10,500 miles and two oceans away from each other, the Australian island of Tasmania and Bermuda have a lot in common.

That was the message of five Tasmanians who spoke at a meeting of the Hamilton Rotary Club at the Hamilton Dinghy Club this week.

The three men and two women arrived on Island on Saturday as part of the Rotary Club's International Group Study Exchange (GSE) programme. The visiting Rotarians, from different areas of the Australian state of Tasmania, are all professional adults with varying careers.

The GSE programme provides an opportunity for professionals and businesspeople between the ages of 25 and 40 to take part in a cultural immersion experience in a country other than their own.

Free travel grants are given to teams of Rotarians to go on an exchange visit to a paired, host country and for four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions.

During their visit they have the chance to observe how their vocations are practised in a foreign country as well as networking and developing personal and professional relationships. The visiting Tasmanians spent the bulk of their six week GSE trip in New York City and are staying with local Rotarian host-families while on Island.

"Before we arrived in Bermuda we spent four and a half weeks in New York City," said Danny Gibson, a marketing manager for a Tasmanian newspaper and drama teacher taking part in the GSE. "But visiting Bermuda is just awesome, it is the trip of a lifetime. This country and its people are beautiful and I really enjoyed the parade on Monday. It really made me realise how important the arts are for shaping a community."

While in Bermuda Mr. Gibson is meeting with the editors of two local newspapers. Having already met with the Editor of The Royal Gazette, Bill Zuill, he said he was impressed by the quality and content of the paper for such a small country.

Patrick Fagan, a financial advisor from Latrobe Tasmania, looked at Bermuda's economy while on the Island.

"It has been a unique experience being in Bermuda," said Mr. Fagan. "Bermuda, being so small and isolated, has to consider a lot of things that other countries do not. Most countries don't have to think about importing nearly everything or have to deal with things like not having enough people to stand on a jury."

Laura Richardson, an Osteopath from Ulverstone Tasmania, said her exchange experience had been fantastic and she would be meeting with two local osteopaths before the group leaves today.

Tammy Palmer is a registered child and family health nurse from Lindisfame Tasmania and said she was excited to be in Bermuda, adding: "I never thought that I would make it this far way from home especially when I am not paying for it!"

The group's leader, Kim Pitt, is a retired Naval officer from the seaside suburb of Blackmans bay Tasmania. Mr. Pitt spent 32 years in the Navy, seven of which he spent operating submarines. For 13 years Mr. Pitt was responsible for all of Australia's operation in Antarctica. The only member of the group who has been to Bermuda before, Mr. Pitt said the circumstances of this visit were preferable to his last.

Mr. Pitt said he came to Bermuda 40 years ago when the submarine he was operating lost its navigation devices due to malfunction and he had to find his way to the closest land without any tools.

"I still to this day don't know how we managed to find Bermuda but we did," he said.

Mr. Pitt thanked the Hamilton Rotarians. "Our understanding of this country is much greater now and much better than it would have been if we had visited like regular tourists thank you all," he said.