On 28 and 29 June 4 students, Daisy Aaron, Meg Buckler, Swali Ranjan and Fatima Siddiqui travelled to Dunedin with Jason Aaron and Rachael Cleeve to compete in the BrainBee Neuroscience Competition hosted by Otago University.

The students had to learn 2 sets of Brain Facts and compete online with other students to gain a place in the finals.

On the way to Dunedin the students visited Moeraki Boulders and Tunnel Beach in Dunedin, making the most of the fine and clear winter’s day. The students stayed the night with other schools at Tirohanga Scout Camp on the Tairei Plains.

On the day of the competition the students were involved in a range of activities at Otago University, including a visit to the Medical School Anatomy Museum; getting wired up with electrodes to test heart rate and brain function; presentations from some of Otago’s graduate students in neuroscience, genetics and psychology and a lamb’s brain dissection.

The final task for the trip was to compete in the team’s challenge, and while the Christchurch Girls' High School / Te Kura o Hine Waiora team didn’t perform as well as it hoped the students all agreed it was a worthwhile and interesting trip.

By Jason Aaron