OTAMATEA HIGH SCHOOL

On the 8th May 2023 two van loads of students set off to Rotorua. We arrived at our destination called Rock Solid Backpackers. Students settled into their rooms and checked out our new home for the evening. The place was very well set up with its own kitchen and lounge areas for us to enjoy. We set off to enjoy the history of The Buried Village, with a hike down to the amazing waterfall and then we headed back into town where the students chose where they would dine for the evening. To end our wonderful day, we enjoyed a relaxing soak at the geothermal hot pools at the Polynesian Spa.

The next morning students were up bright and early having a catered breakfast, specially set up by Ladene, then we were all off to Agrodome which is a tourist attraction in Rotorua which put on a fantastic entertaining show introducing different breeds of sheep, giving us their history. Then off for a talk about the history of Agrodome and how the business runs. The rest of our day involved a visit to Whakarewarewa – The Living Village where we experienced a guided tour learning the history of the village and seeing the geothermal activity and again, a very entertaining show. We were also treated with visiting Skyline Rotorua, riding up the Gondolasand
experiencing the new tracks on the luge, which were a whole lot of fun when adrenalin kicked in and the race was on!!! Upon darkness, we set off to the Redwoods Tree Walk where you walk across suspended bridges and platforms through the redwoods, surrounded by a scatter of captivating fairy lights and lanterns which make the trees come alive.

Once again, it was a pleasure to accompany the students on this trip, and a big thank you to them as they were awesome to spend time with. Also a big thank you to Mr Troost for organising such a great trip.