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Experiencing Auckland as a Tourist

November 18, 2020 at 1:42 PM

With thanks to Senior Dean and Year 7 Tutor Teacher Bernadette Haerewa

The Year 7 and 8 students at the Girls’ School have been studying Tourism this term. As part of their unit, they undertook an excursion last Thursday. 

This trip started at Auckland Adventure Park. Prior to visiting, the students conferenced with staff about a wide variety of aspects in Tourism, including the process of creating such a tourist attraction like the Adventure Park. While at the park, the girls experienced first-hand some of the activities on offer, such as the challenging vertical bungy, zipline, luge and the 4D cinema. 

Following this, the group travelled to Waiwera where they ate lunch. The girls had completed extensive research in class about the past, present and future of the Waiwera Hot Pool complex, so it was interesting for them to see what remained of this once-thriving attraction. 

After lunch, the girls went to Wenderholm Regional Park, where they started with a bush walk up to the lookout. The girls were able to enjoy nature with the kereru, tui and fantails that joined them at the peak. The view was stunning, and the tranquil bush was cool and refreshing. Quite the contrast from the slopes of Auckland Adventure Park.

After their walk, the students visited Couldrey House and Gardens. This beautiful old homestead was once home of Robert Graham, founder of the Waiwera complex. The students learnt a lot about this tourism entrepreneur. They discovered he also once owned Te Wairoa Hotel which was destroyed, along with the Pink and White Terraces, during the Tarawera eruption. They found this fascinating, especially as they had read about this in class. Tourists once visited the eighth wonder of the world and now visit the buried village.

This trip allowed the girls to be tourists in their own country and involve themselves in two very different experiences. Returning home just before 5:00pm it was a long day, but a highly memorable one.

Click here to view the gallery. 

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