Eight weeks of early starts might have been enough to prepare the Rotorua Girls' High School Cactus intake, but it didn't prepare them for the rainy weather that hit their Longest Day.
The school took part in the Combined Adolescence Challenge Training Unit Support for the first time, completing the police-run programme on Saturday with the traditional Longest Day.
Rotorua police City Community Constable Peter Riordan, who was one of the police officers training the students, said there was a lot of determination among the 21 girls, despite the weather.
"We were a bit worried about the storm front but it didn't get too bad, it was towards the end it picked up," he said.
"It was really emotional at the finish, a few were crying. They were relieved to have finished, but also happy they completed the eight weeks.