Purakanui Falls by Christine Bennet

International Adventures

During September, while the senior school exams were on, we had several days of activities for the international students who weren’t doing exams.

On the first day the students travelled through to Central Otago.  After a brief stop at Ranfurly we went on to Naseby and learnt how to Curl at Maniototo Curling. This was great fun and a new experience for all involved. In the afternoon we moved on to the old goldmining town of St Bathans and the picturesque Blue Lake.

On the second day we went on the Taieri Gorge train which follows the Taieri river going as far as Pukerangi and returning. The students got a good taste of the history of the area through the entertaining commentary provided by the train manager. The students also got stunning photos of the gorge and the viaducts and we got glimpses of mountain goats.

On the third day we went to the Catlins with a stop at Kaka Point and a walk to the lighthouse at Nugget Point where we were lucky enough to see some seals swimming amongst the seaweed and sunning themselves on the rocks. The weather was clear and sunny, showing the stunning scenery of the region at its best. We walked into Purakanui Falls through the rain forest and then drove down to Curio Bay where the students got to walk on the petrified forest and visit the interactive gallery which gave the them an idea of the archeological history of the area. We then had a quick walk on Porpoise Bay beach and then headed back to Dunedin.