On the last three days of term two our Y11 Environmental geographers travelled up the Waitaki valley investigating the sustainability of hydroelectric power.

We stayed at Unwin lodge near Mt Cook village for two nights. Here we learned about the orographic barrier of the Southern alps, and for the first time in many years we experienced its results first hand – it rained! This prevented us from travelling by boat up Lake Tasman to meet the glacier which lurked in the fog. It also stopped our walks around the mountains, luckily Mt Cook village has many shelters to escape the downpours. Instead we spent a cosy afternoon in the 3D movie theatre of the Hermitage. Better luck with the weather next year please Mr Dixon!