Sixty Level 2 Biology students recently spent three days at Temple Basin studying alpine zonation patterns. 

Temple Basin lodge is located at approximately 1350 metres on the Mount Temple range in Arthur’s Pass National Park. 

The first day started at the roadside, with data collection in the Beech forest as a point of reference, and a steady climb up to the lodge with a few stops for yet more data collection and observation. 

There was a sigh of relief as students got to the top of the ridge and saw the lodge for the first time. After a brief rest, students were back out into the field, this time collecting data from a nearby gully to use later in the evening. 

The next day involved more climbing, this time to just under 1800 metres, where the last collection of data took place in “Bill’s Basin” – appropriately named as, after all, this is a ski field in the winter months. 

A brave group of both girls and boys braved the tarn swim with Mrs Ross and Mr Reeves, only a mild 10.5 degrees Celsius this year, which happened to be the same as the air temperature. 

The walk back to the lodge was a great opportunity for a little scree slope descent for the more intrepid students in the group. 

Once back at the lodge mini-lectures and feedback sessions helped to analyse and interpret the data collected, ready for report writing the next morning. 

The walk, or run if you are with Mr Reeves, down the mountain the last day gave everyone one last chance to take in the amazing views from that altitude before a very quiet bus ride home. 

The Biology department would like to acknowledge the awesome bunch of students who were on the trip – positive, proactive and prepared to give their all.