Every cloud has a silver lining, but this year the 10OdEders smashed through the silver lining and into glorious, golden sunshine to enjoy spectacular cloud top views back across the plains to Kaiapoi and out west to the Alps.

For those of you familiar with the Mount Thomas area, and the relentlessness of the steep, slippery slog to the top that is the Summit Track, I'm sure you'll appreciate and respect the efforts of our 10OdEders, who all reached the summit in time for lunch. As the bell rang for the start of period 4, we paused briefly to admire the views, hunt Mount Thomas Pokemon and to take a groupie (see photo).

Highlights from the tramp included an abundance of fruiting Fly Argaric, impromptu lessons in mushroom identification and classification, deer sightings, more impromptu lessons in recognising poos, footprints, trails and tracking! Piwekaweka (Fantail) followed us and we drank water that 'wasn't from a tap with bits of forest in it'. Maps were read and stories were told. Pokemon (potentially a new NZ pest species) were discovered and captured for safe keeping. Good times were had. 

Thank you to Maike and Rebeeca, our instructors from OENZ, for helping to look after us.  Another awesome day in the mountains with our 10OdEders!