Tears and hugs of farewell were exchanged this morning as families, friends, staff and fellow students said their final goodbye’s before departing Tenison Woods College for Melbourne’s  Tullamarine Airport.

For many, the trip to Italy is the first overseas experience and the longest time away from family, while for others it will be an opportunity to rekindle old friendships with family and relatives from overseas.

Only minutes out of Mount Gambier frantic phone calls were being made back home in search of missing Euros.

Conducting ground searches by staff and students back at the school and searching through handbags and luggage while on route to Hamilton, Victoria it may be a good opportunity for Mary MacKillop to perform her first miracle on the trip.