What’s going down in Queenstown?

On the 6-8 March, three Year 11 Geography classes went on a field trip to Queenstown to learn some important geographical skills and research tourism patterns in Queenstown. Data that was collected by the students was later used in the first Geography internal assessment of the year.

As we made our way down to Queenstown early Wednesday morning, we learned all about the geographical land features that surrounded us, such as the Hydro dams around Twizel, the way the relief changed as we travelled down the South Island, and the wineries in Gibbston. After our long drive, we dropped off our belongings at the hostel and headed to the beach. At the beach, we made beach art according to the BIGs (key geographical terms/concepts). There were all sorts of creations such as multiple models of Queenstown before and after people arrived, mini-wineries, and even a small-scale Hydro dam! Finally, after the victors had celebrated over their prize of first servings at dinner, those who were brave (or crazy) enough went swimming in the icy cold Lake Wakatipu.

Thursday was the most action-packed day of them all by far. We split into two groups and enjoyed a riveting talk from Destination Queenstown before we set off on an amazing race that sent us all over Queenstown. After completing the task, we had a lunch break within the centre of Queenstown. Many of us enjoyed some sweet treats from the Remarkable Sweet Shop and the Cookietime Shop. After our break, we walked up to the gondola and marvelled at the scenery. We all enjoyed two speedy luge rides, made extra exciting by the stormy weather. During the day, we were tasked with surveying three tourists each. After numerous attempts, everyone eventually got the data that we needed for our internal. After enjoying some free time back at camp and our dinner, we all settled down for an hour of study. Everyone had a very sleepless night, which resulted in a quiet trip home the next day.

Friday was the final day of the field trip. We packed up our bags, cleaned up the hostel, and jumped on the bus. On the way back to school we stopped at the AJ Hackett Kawarau Bungy Centre and watched intently as someone courageously took the leap of faith. The long hours home were filled with sleep, road trip bingo, and the film Dirty Dancing. We all stopped for lunch in sunny Twizel, which definitely did not involve hot chips. Just before dinner time we arrived back at school, made our way home, and dreamed of geographical concepts. Overall, everyone had a great experience and learned a lot.