Queenstown students to be evacuated as wet weather cuts short 12-day camp

Wednesday, 4 December 2019

More than 200 Queenstown students and teachers are being evacuated from a school camp because of rising river levels.

Wakatipu High School principal Steve Hall said 180 Year 10 students attending the annual Branches Camp would be driven out of by 4WD vehicles on Thursday, while 40 students and six teachers would be flown out by helicopter.

The students were on day seven of a 12-day camp based at a farm at the head of the Shotover River.

A call went out on Wednesday asking for transport to bring the students out due to rising river levels and the poor weather forecast.

The vehicles would have to travel along Skippers Canyon Rd – considered one of New Zealand's most dangerous road – to fetch most the students. Two helicopters would land at Sixteen Mile Hut to fly out the remainder of the group.

'With the rain we have had the last few days the rivers are very, very high. We could not run our programme effectively,' Hall said.

'You are in a remote party of the country, and you deal with it as it turns up.' 

Activities involved kayaking, rafting and tramps that involved river crossings, he said.

'We still have tonnes of food and everyone is safe and warm.'

Cancelling the camp ahead of the bad weather had not been an option, Hall said.

'This camp is a ginormous undertaking. When you have 200-plus people, the organisation is huge to run it every year. The activities, logistics, staff … everything is set around those dates. '

It was not the first camp to be cut short because of weather and would not be the last, he said.

The condition of the road would be checked in the morning, and a police vehicle would be travelling with the group.

'It is definitely an interesting road … that is why we are using 4WD with good clearance. Lots of our community are really experienced at this kind of thing and know this road quite well.'

Sharlene Gjaja​ whose son Jacob, 14, is among the students at the camp, said it was a shame they were leaving early but she was quite pleased.

'I've been a bit worried. You go to bed at nighttime and hear all that wind and rain and think about them in there in tents.'

She was pleased she had stuck with the school gear list as Jacob had not worn long pants for about five years and did not wish to take any.

'Luckily he's got thermal pants and I bought him some water-proof pants. It's so wet they won't have been able to dry any of their clothes.'

Gjaja and husband Rob would join the expedition bringing the students out on Thursday, she said.