2014 Senior Class Camp – 17th 21st November
Destination:
 Camp Mangatepopo,
 Tongariro Alpine Crossing,
 A Day Excursion to Taupo,
Aratiatia Dam
Huka Falls
Taupo Volcanic Centre
Craters of the Moon – Geothermal Area
Huka Prawn Park
DeBretts Thermal Spa

Mount Ruapehu and the Porere Redoubt
Purpose:
For many of the Year 7 and 8 students, this is a once in a life time experience.
Completing the 19.4-kilometre Tongariro Crosssing is the culmination of a
year’s focus on building up personal fitness and persevering to complete what
we set out to do.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is heralded as the best one-day trek available in
New Zealand. This is an amazing opportunity to truly display the New Zealand
Curriculum’s Key Competencies – Thinking, Relating to others, Managing Self,
and Participating and Contributing.
Our Topic for focus in Term 4 will include exploring New Zealands volcanic
history with a minor focus on tourism, and the specific history of the area
surrounding Camp Mangatepopo. The excursion to Taupo will give the
students a first-hand experience with both these concepts.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
New Zealand's oldest national park and a dual World Heritage Site. The
Tongariro National Park is rich in both cultural identity and dramatic, aweinspiring natural scenery. Unique landforms, including the volcanic peaks of
Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and Ruapehu ensure the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is
considered a world-renowned trek.
Training for this adventure began in Term One. As a class we have had a focus
on raising our fitness. The Beep (fitness) test, swimming, cross country, soccer,
ripper rugby, netball, basketball and hockey activities have all helped to
prepare the children to ensure they are ready to conquer this challenge!
Day trip to Taupo
Click here for the Wairakei Tourist Park Trail Map
Wairakei Tourist Park Trail Map
Craters of the Moon
http://www.cratersofthemoon.co.nz/
The birth of the Craters of the Moon trust is an incredible ongoing story and
journey that began as a result of the 1987 Bola Cyclone and chronicles an
amazing group of dedicated people, who have come together in response to a
local problem.
Allow approximately 45 minutes to complete the loop and an additional 20
minutes for the upper lookout (this section is steep and stepped in places but
the view is well worth the effort and highly recommended)
Craters of the Moon is situated just north of Taupo and is 2km from State
Highway 1.
Volcanic Activity Centre
Location:
From South and Taupo: A short five minute drive from Taupo. Continue north
up State Highway 1 from Taupo, after the Wairakei International Golf Course
on your left we are the next right turn: Karetoto Road. At the next T
intersection, we are the red building directly in front of you.
Taupo’s Volcanic Activity Centre
The Volcanic Activity Centre is a hands-on
interactive educational centre that makes
learning about the earths volcanic forces
easy and fun for all ages.
Located in the heart of the
Taupo Volcanic Zone, the Volcanic Activity
Centre brings the explosive past and
present volcanic and geothermal features to
life.
The Taupo Volcanic Zone stretches from the magnificent volcanoes of the
Tongariro National Park through Rotorua an active geothermal area to New
Zealand’s most active volcano White Island.
This area is considered one of the most active geothermal and volcanic areas in
the world today and covers an area of 19,635km.
Many of the fantastic natural features in this area are attributed to the Taupo
Volcanic Zone and at the Volcanic Activity Centre.
Aratiatia Dam
Several times a day, the dam gates of the Waikato River are opened and the
dry gorge transforms into an incredible mass of surging rapids.
Arrive a few minutes before the dam is due to release and make our way to
one of the lookout points on the high rock bluffs that overlook this turbulent
stretch of river. At Aratiatia the Waikato River falls 28 metres in the space of
one kilometre and the surging rapids have been harnessed for environmentally
sustainable hydroelectric power.
Release hours: 10:00am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm
Huka Falls
Huka Falls are New Zealand’s most visited natural attraction and this
thundering waterfall lives up to the hype. The Falls are an incredible sight, over
220,000 litres of water flow through the rock face per second, enough to fill
two Olympic sized swimming pools, per second! Huka Falls are easily visited on
foot or by car, situated off SH1 just north of Taupo on Huka Falls Loop Road.
Huka Prawn Park
Huka Prawn Park was founded in 1987 by Aquatech Farms Ltd and is New
Zealand’s only Prawn Park.
We specialise in Aquaculture, a term used to describe the propagation and
rearing of aquatic animals in a controlled or selected environment. Aquatic
species such as Prawns, are being raised commercially today as the wild stocks
caught from the ocean are being depleted. The aim here, was to research and
develop the ability to breed and grow tropical prawns in captivity using waste
geothermal heat from the geothermal power station next door. The Park can
not use the geothermal water directly into the ponds due to its silica content
so therefore, uses heat exchangers whereby the geothermal fluid heats fresh
Waikato River water to 20 degrees which is then circulates through to the
ponds.
De Bretts
Taupo is one of New Zealand’s most active thermal regions, and DeBretts
enjoys a prime location at a natural ‘hot spot’ – a geothermal spring known as
Onekeneke. For more than a century, people have flocked here to enjoy its
famous relaxation and medicinal benefits. At Taupo DeBretts, we cool the waytoo-hot volcanic waters down to a far more inviting temperature range of 38 to
42°C (100.4 to 104°F), all the while preserving the abundance of healthenriching mineral components.
As well as the main pools (complete with waterfall and bubbling hydrotherapy
spots) we also offer 12 private mineral pools – the perfect complement to
our Living Waters Day Spa. And when the weather gets warmer, the Lake
Taupo region comes alive with holidaymakers seeking to cool off. Here again,
Taupo DeBretts makes a splash with our fresh water pool and spa, interactive
water play area, BBQ & picnic facilities, and our ever-popular Dragon Water
Slide!
Thursday – Camp based activity
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/te-porere-redoubt
Mangatepopo Based Activities – Thursday
Team Building
Te Porere Redoubt
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/te-porere-redoubt
The two redoubts at Te Porere contain earthworks built by the Maori prophet
and warrior Te Kooti. They were the scene of the last major engagement of the
New Zealand Wars in October 1869. The redoubts are an example of the Māori
adaptation of British military construction techniques.
The government forces attacked a rifle pit and lower redoubt before advancing
on the upper redoubt. This was taken relatively quickly, but Te Kooti managed
to escape into the nearby bush. The battle of Te Porere resulted in 41
casualties - 37 of Te Kooti's supporters were killed, whilst the government
forces only suffered four losses.
Just outside the northern boundary of Tongariro National Park, the site is both
a Maori and a historic reserve and has been administered by the New Zealand
Historic Places Trust since 1959.
The upper redoubt is a 15 minute walk from the carpark.
Activities based around Mt Ruapehu
Classes will travel to Mt Ruapehu – Activities to be confirmed