Bright and early on Monday morning of week 4, the Year 13 PE class set off on their adventure to the Waiorau Snow Farm (Cardrona Valley, Wanaka).

After a windy bus trip up the mountain, we were finally there. We arrived, admired the views, got our skis and boots sorted for the week ahead and began our first lesson of ski school. The instructors were amazing and so supportive for what was a new experience for all of us. We had an hour intro lesson to learn the basic skills, then headed off on a 4km ski trail to Meadow Hutt where we were based for the next four days. As days went by we all were gradually improving our skills and eventually got the hang of it. The Wanaka weather decided to treat us with gorgeous sunshine with minimal wind for the entire week we were there.

As part of the trip, each student was required to sleep a night in a tent in groups of two or three. When we arrived on Monday, we had to put up four snow tents using bags full of snow instead of pegs to keep our tents in place. We were all rookies at this, so it took some time. Sleeping in tents was a very challenging experience for most of us. You can imagine how cold and slightly uncomfortable it would’ve been. It was new territory for us and most were relieved to get back into sleeping in the hut with the rest of the girls after our one night out.

One of the many highlights was the Thursday afternoon when we explored further up the mountain to the Bob Lee and Daisy Lee hut where we were surrounded by breathtaking views. Our personal highlight included a game of Never Have I Ever which definitely allowed us to get to know each other on a whole new level. Other highlights included the night ski on Tuesday night, seeing huskies and tasting Ms McNatty’s pancakes. Although it was challenging at times we all came together and lifted each other up when times felt tough. Everyone gave their all in the final ski assessment and can feel proud of their achievements. It was an extremely rewarding experience; new friendships were made, we got to learn a new skill and do so in a serene environment.

We would like to say a massive thank you to Ms Ward, Ms McNatty and Mrs Boomer for providing us with this outdoor learning opportunity and for making sure everything went smoothly. Thank you for making this camp one to remember as this was the last high school camp for many of us.