MYRTLEFORD and Wangaratta residents who are members of Wangaratta's Friends of Lacluta have touched down in Timor-Leste, ready to visit the communities they support and take part in the first Australian Timor-Leste Friendship Conference.

This year five local members have made the journey - Karen Jones, Linda Sexton, Brian Thompson, Barbara Broz and Andy Kimber.

They will meet their newly appointed local liaison officer, visit the isolated villages and settlements they support, and find out what each community's most pressing needs are.

Friends of Lacluta member Heather Redmond said the group is looking forward to visiting schools and meeting the tertiary education students they sponsor, to see how they are progressing.

She said while a number of helpful items have been shipped ahead, including sewing machines and More Days for Girls (reuseable menstrual kits), these days the group's focus is on raising money to help provide training to local people on the ground, and supporting children living with disability.

"In the remote villages of Lacluta where conditions are very basic, the difficulties of living with a disability are magnified," she said.

"The aim is to assess what is the most effective help we can provide, in the least intrusive way."

One of the parts of the trip they most enjoy is visiting village schools, and with experienced educators among the group, local teachers welcome the opportunity for some professional development.

The Australia Timor-Leste Friendship Network will host a conference on July 10 and 11 in Dili with Friends of Lacluta (Wangaratta) and Friends of Venilale (Mansfield) among 20 of the Australian friendship groups expected to attend, along with representatives from the Timor-Leste government.

On their return, the North East Victorian friendships groups of Wangaratta, Indigo and Mansfield local government areas, will come together to host a celebratory dinner on Saturday, 20 September at the Wangaratta Uniting Church hall.

The event will recognise their more than two decades of friendship with the people of Timor-Leste, and the Timor-Leste ambassador to Canberra will be among the special guests.