Y13 Outdoor Education students hit the mountain biking trails of Whakarewarewa Forest earlier this month thanks to a custom-made bike trailer engineered by Aquinas students.

The Rotorua day trip was part of the OE class’NCEA assessments, which are all mountain bike-based this term. Students practised their braking, berm climbing, route selection, and navigational skills, and also got a cracker leg workout - building endurance and fitness.

The trip to Rotorua, however, was easy thanks to an impressive specialist mountain bike trailer designed and built from scratch last year by Level 2 Product Developmentstudents Antony Death and Lily Richards. The trailer holds 19 bikes of any size in a herringbone formation, tows well, and looks sharp!

It was built throughout 2021 as an Aquinas Issues project, and AC students and staff are reaping the benefits. The trailer is used several times a week and is a fantastic school resource. Previously, staff had to hire a trailer from other Tauranga schools when available. Now, regular trips can be planned whenever the weather and timetabling demands. A great example of what Aquinas’ Level 2 Product Development class can offer in terms of solving real-world problems and learning in an authentic context.

Our thanks to parent volunteer Shane Eastergaard for coming along to Whakarewarewato help out. It was a brilliant day with a wonderful bunch of awesome students!