Thursday and Friday
Trip Start
Jul 17, 2010
1
8
Trip End
Jul 24, 2010
Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
Friday, July 23, 2010
After another full cooked breakfast, we departed the Kingsgate and drove to Greymouth High School. We were welcomed onto school Marae buy members of the cultural group and exchanged formalities before being taken through to the Music room to give an intimate concert to a large group of music students. We sang for 30 minutes before being whisked away to the Food Tech room where the teacher had fresh baked muffins, scones with cream and jam and a fruit platter with tea and coffee. Out students spent some time with a few Grey High students before packing up and heading to the Hall.
We opened their full school assembly with Sons of Gallopoli and Drunken Sailor (the tour favourite) and Mark once again wowed the crowd with his bagpipe melody. Following the assembly 10 or 12 of the Grey High student leaders were making some good acquaintances with our students, so we invited them to come with us on our trip to Punakaiki which was a great experience for our students and theirs.
After lunch we dropped the Grey High students back at school and headed for Christchurch via Arthurs pass. Arthurs pass is 950 Metres above sea level. When we had reached 400 metres, the bus pulled into a rest area/observation platform and if the temperature there was any indication, Arthur’s pass was going to be chilly. After being entertained by a Kea who was intent on stripping the rubber trim from around the bus, we hit the road and eventually pulled into a very beautiful snow covered Arthur’s pass. The 30 minute, no restrictions snow fight and simultaneous snowman building contest was thoroughly entertaining and the resulting saturated teenagers (and staff) were well and truly ready for the 25 double strength hot chocolate that were devoured.
The trip from the pass to Christchurch was a slow, cold, dark one. We arrived at STAC 20 minutes later than expected and in no time had distributed the students off to their hosts.
We have 4 performances tomorrow...a big day.
All is well....we’re tired, some are sick and other’s are having some vocal issued...but...we’re having a ball!!!
