Year 11 Geographers Explore Tarawera
On Thursday 18 May, 92 Year 11 Geographers headed off to Rotorua to experience and better understand the volcanic environment of Tarawera. Despite some challenging conditions while we were away, students were able to complete most activities that took them from one end of the 1886 eruption chain to the other.
Groups headed up Mt Tarawera in 4WDs, before hiking to the top of Ruawahia summit where the eruption started at 12:30am on June 10. A highlight of this activity was the scree run to the bottom of the crater. Their next activity took them to the Buried Village which showed the implications of volcanic processes for the people of Te Wairoa.
Lastly, we headed to Waimangu Valley which is full of geothermal features formed during the Tarawera eruption. Overall, the rain did not dampen the spirits of our budding Geographers and they returned to Auckland with a newfound appreciation for Ruaumoko’s fury.
Well done to all of our students for braving the slightly damp weather and taking all of this learning onboard.