School trip with 63 pupils delayed as wild weather foils ferry crossing

Thursday, 30 March 2023

Fairhall School pupils were meant to cross Cook Strait on Thursday, but the sailing was cancelled due to rough weather.

A Marlborough school on a field trip in the North Island will not be heading home on the ferry today as planned due to rough conditions in Cook Strait.

The group of 63 students and 19 adults from Fairhall School near Blenheim had travelled north on Friday for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which the school did every three years.

But Bluebridge contacted the school on Tuesday morning to say their ferry crossing home had been cancelled due to adverse weather. Large swells peaking at 7m and strong winds caused both Bluebridge and Interislander to cancel crossings on Wednesday and Thursday.

Fairhall School board of trustees co-chair Steve Ross, who was travelling with the group, said they were very fortunate the large group had been offered a rebooking the following day, considering the past few months of ferry cancellations, for a variety of reasons, meant there was a backlog of passengers buying new tickets. Some pupils had also been affected by a “tummy bug” during the trip, he said.

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“It’s just the story of the woeful state of New Zealand’s transport infrastructures,” he said.

“The Cook Strait is absolutely critical to the running of the country, and getting people and freight across the islands … It’s just not resilient enough.”

A Bluebridge spokesperson confirmed their Thursday crossing was cancelled due to the adverse weather.

Principal Debbie Stanger said Bluebridge was able to arrange a rebooking for the group of 82 on Friday.

The group of 82 people completed the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in eight hours.

“It was a bit unfortunate, but they are coming home soon,” she said.

“It’s the delay and returning is a bit of a hiccup, but the team has worked really hard to make sure that we finished in a positive way.”

Ross said the students completed the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in eight hours, then in the following days they went on to visit the Taranaki Falls, had a trip to Taupō, and saw the Huka Falls and the geothermal area.

“We have had a fantastic time at this school camp for well over 20 years now, and that’s the absolute highlight of all our Year 6, 7 and 8,” Ross said.

“It’s the pinnacle of their time at Fairhall School. We love it.”

He said they would travel down to Wellington and spend Thursday night there.

“It’s just, for schools, you know, it just costs us a bit more money to travel and stay another day,” Ross said.

“There were a few challenges along the way, and it was a bit of an adventure, but we are a pretty tight group of people.

“The kids are having fun, and they were looking forward to getting home at the same time.”

Ross said the group would split in two, to travel on two different ferry crossings on Friday.

“Some of the kids, they would prefer to be home by now, but it is what it is.”

On Wednesday, Bluebridge ferry Feronia was forced to divert from its route to Wellington, on its way back from a routine inspection at a dry dock in Sydney, Australia.

StraitNZ Bluebridge spokesperson Will Dady said the ship had a “minor technical glitch” and due to the rough weather, anchored in the Marlborough Sounds while the issue was rectified and until the weather improved.