On Saturday 30 October five Year 10 students travelled to Waikouaiti to undertake their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award practice journey.

After booking into the motor camp we walked around Hawksbury Lagoon and climbed up to the Matanaka Farms which is the home to five buildings which are the oldest surviving farm buildings still in their original position in the country. The students explored the old classroom and stables before enjoying a picnic lunch while taking in the views from the very windy cliff top. With the tide going out we took a shortcut back long the beach completing the 11km walk.

Sunday morning saw them undertake two walks before travelling back to school. They walked a 2.4km loop around Huriawa Peninsula taking in spectacular views and reading plaques about the history of the area. This was followed by a 3km loop walk around the Orokonui lagoon through native bush and natural wetland.